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| Adult male (Billy Goat) casually enjoying a death-defying wander in the Serra de Tramuntana mountain range.
Located in the north western corner of Mallorca Puerto Pollensa is dominated by the mountains to the north with a relatively easy trail extending out of town and into the Boquer Valley. On previous visits we’ve seen Booted Eagles, Egyptian Vultures, Blue Rock Thrushes, Sub-alpine Warblers and the skulking Balearic Warbler. On this occasion with a cool northerly wind whistling down the valley the local bird life was conspicuous by its absence. Although we saw the occasional Sardinian Warbler and heard at least 1 Blue Rock Thrush sightings lasting more than a split second were few. However no shortage of the Mallorcan Goat. Thought to have been introduced from Asia during the Neolithic era the majority of the goats are now the result of hybridisation with the domestic goat. In many areas of the mountains the numbers are now controlled to prevent the distinctive open scrubland or garigue from being decimated. |
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| Billy the kid |
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| Another adult female Goat (Nanny). Surprisingly adult females can have goatee’s however the ones seen on the males tend to be thicker and longer. |
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| Another adult female or Nanny Goat feeding amongst the Fan Palms. |
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| Prickly pear growing on the lower slopes of the valley.
Always seems odd that a Cactus native to America is now widely seen as an escapee throughout the Mediterranean. Difficult to believe they were imported for their “fruit.” Perhaps they were once seen as a natural alternative to security fencing? |