Sunday 25 October 2009

Wild Life

To end the run of pictures from our Mallorcan holiday, some photos of the wildlife to be seen around the island.
The first ones are of a Mediterranean Gull (Ichthyaetus melanocephalus) which was doing it's best to swallow a fish on the shore of Cala Bona. The fish seemed to be far too big for the bird to get down, but it persevered....Going....
Going......
By this time, quite a crowd had gathered to witness this feat of gluttony, not that the gull was interested in it's audience. Eventually the fish disappeared - all except for the tail, which still protruded from the gull's beak while the bird looked a little wide-eyed, 'full' and in need of a Rennie!
..... Gone....
An altogether more elegant bird was seen strolling along the beach at Port de Pollenca, a Little Egret (Egretta garzetta).
Quite used to the presence of hundreds of people on the beach and promenade, it casually strolled along the waterline, searching for a fishy meal.
Smaller now and a little bird singing his heart out on the dried stem of a shrub near the Castell de N'Amer. A Stonechat (Saxicola rubicola), so called because it's call sounds like someone hitting two small stones together.
Arguably the 'wildest' of them all was the sight of Malcolm, bravely trying to finish his Brandy on the seafront at Cala Bona.
He was obviously having a hard time of it but, like the gull with it's fish, he persevered! Not a bad end to the holiday.

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