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| Just before 6.30am and a Purple Heron appears on the edge of the pool. |
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| Moving slowly towards us with eyes fixed on its prey suddenly it strikes trapping a young Eel in its bill. |
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| The Eel wraps itself around the heron’s bill in a bid to escape. |
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| Reappearing from behind the rushes the Purple Heron minus Eel walks back into view.
What a great start to a couple of weeks in Mallorca. It’s not often we manage to find a hotel that backs onto a nature reserve however the location of the PortBlue Club Pollentia is superb. Surrounded by the S’Albufereta on the outskirts of Puerto Pollensa the hotel even has its own bird hide! |
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| Plenty of Spotted Flycatchers around. A shame they’re become so uncommon back home. |
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| Happy to perch on any available post or in this case fenceline it’s surprising just how common they are in Mallorca. Almost every group of Cypress tree seems to have a resident Flycatcher. |
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| Just around the corner from the hotel a small area of woodland is home to at least 1 pair of Hoopoes. For such a large showy bird its amazing how shy they can be. Trying to photograph one in flight proved to be a bit too much of a challenge. In fact, sneaking up on one feeding on the woodland floor was difficult enough.
A link to an incredible video of Hoopoes……………..One day ! |
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| Scabious growing on the edge of the marsh. |
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| A Painted Lady basking in the early morning sunshine. |