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S PA I N
Spain – The Island of Menorca at Leisure
Mediterranean Migration
Friday 02 May – Friday 09 May 2014
Principal Leader: Mike Witherick
2014 Cost £1,599 single room supplement £120
MENORCA
Mahon
rnitholidays first visited the Balearic island of Mallorca over 40 years ago and we ran almost 50 holidays to this popular
O destination. However, over the years increased development for the tourist industry has resulted in degradation of habitat and
closure of many key sites. Therefore, we have now turned our attention to its smaller unspoilt cousin Menorca. The entire island of Menorca is a
UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, which means that its conservation needs have been placed before commercial development. It is a small island only
about 30 by 15 miles and a week here from late March to early May offers the chance to explore this beautiful island at its best, clothed in spring
flowers and attractive to a range of migrant birds heading north.
Our base for the week is a beautifully restored
farmhouse, Matchani Gran, situated close to
the capital Mahon. Our hosts prepare and
serve excellent meals, with complimentary
wine. Each room is full of character and there
is a lovely swimming pool. Breeding birds of
the 25-acre estate are impressive: Eurasian
Hoopoe, Common Quail, Woodchat Shrike,
and both Sardinian and Cetti’s Warblers. After
dark the springtime sounds are of Common
Nightingale, European Scops Owl and Stone
Curlew.
Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush and Northern Wheatear at Matchani Gran
This will be an ‘At Leisure’ tour. In other words,
we will allow time for photography, enjoying
the scenery, the diverse natural history and
even an archaeological site or two. Distances
on the island are small, and the road system
excellent, with little traffic in this early part of
the year. With our outstanding base at
Matchani Gran, and a tour scheduled at the
best time of year, Menorca makes an
especially attractive destination for a relaxing
week in spring. Travel with us and see why this
small Balearic island is such a winner with
Ornitholidays’ clients. This tour will be our 11th
visit to Matchani Gran and Menorca.
ITINERARY
Day 1
We catch our direct morning flight from London
or regional airports (where available), to Mahon,
the capital situated on the eastern side of
Menorca. We make the short transfer to
Matchani Gran, a superbly restored farmhouse,
which will be our base for the week.
Days 2 to 7
Our precise programme during the next six days
will be largely determined by weather
conditions. We will be able to visit a number of
different locations, some more than once. Every
morning we walk along the pine-fringed drive to
check what might have changed in terms of
migrant arrivals and departures. Further afield
the island offers a variety of habitats. One of the
most typical is low-intensity hay meadows and
undulating hillsides, the home of Booted Eagles
and Red Kites. There are wooded, rocky gorges
where Egyptian Vultures nest; and saltpans
which attract many species of passage waders
in spring. The best of these saltpans is on a
private reserve to which we have arranged
access. Among the many wader species, Blackwinged
Stilts and Little Ringed Plovers remain
on the island to breed. There are also wetlands
(such as the coastal site of Son Bou) where
Purple Herons and Purple Swamphens nest,
and wintering duck linger on open water.
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For a previous tour report or further information please call: 01794 519445