A Forumist in Mallorca...

[Casalima]

Rafa Nadal, the tennis player

[Hans A.]

Not long ago Thomas and I climbed on a mallorcan mountain, today I did it again -  with snow - as it looks very different here a few pics. The last one shows a bird (Pyrrhorax pyrrhorax) I knew only from the alps - but as actually the local mountains are quite similar - so, why not... 

[Maggi Young]

The mountains are just as lovely in the snow, Hans.  It is  VERY good to see their beauty from the warmth of my house!

For the red-billed Chough, is this not the spelling? Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax 

This bird even breeds somewhere in the UK, I believe, though I have not seen it. I think it breeds in Great Britain, Ireland, southern Europe, Mediterranean basin, Alps, and in mountainous countryside across central Asia, Iran and China.

[mark smyth]

Maggi you are correct. Hans the bird you saw elsewhere is the alpine chough Pyrrhocorax graculus. It's the same family but has a yellow bill

Our bird is getting rare and is confined to rugged coast lines. I could be wrong but I think one problem is jackdaws taking over nest sites and farming practices

[Hans A.]

  - Maggi, for sure you are right - I know why I prefer plants...

[Rafa]

it is not possible!! I missed this amazing report! two good german friends in the same amazing place!!
Congratulations to both for the amazing pictures of wild Mallorca.

[Thomas Huber]

Wow, Hans - great photos. I'm sure you have some more, so please show'em here!!
Any more Crocus cambessedesi in flower?

[Katherine J]

I also missed this thread in November. Thank you Thomas and Hans, it is fantastic! I like that Taxus! It looks very old.

[Hans A.]

Thanks for the comments - Thomas there are no more Crocus in flower actually -i made some more pictures of snow- i am not sure if this are of any interest as I think many of us have seen more than enough of it this year...

and Mark - for sure I know the difference between Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax and Pyrrhocorax graculus - normally none of them can be seen here - the only common is Corvus corax.

[Maggi Young]

Hans, I would like to see more of your snow pictures in the Snow pages! http://www.srgc.org.uk/smf/index.php?topic=2922.0

I believe that if we could get a good thick layer of snow over the garden, at an early stage in the winter, which stayed there all winter and then cleared away quickly when the days got warmer in Spring, then many of us would be glad of that... our plants would be safe and protected under the snow    But that is seldom how it happens here in the UK ... there is too much change in the weather which is so hard for plants.
Of course, I know Janis will say that often he gets deep snow in his fields... and then the rodents come, under cover of the snow, and eat all his bulbs.....
 it is a hard life, this gardening.... we must be mad to put ourselves through the torture!

[mark smyth]

Hans could it be that choughs breed around the coast of Mallorca?

[mark smyth]

This is the breeding range according to wikipedia
[url][http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Chough_range_map.png/url]

[Michael J Campbell]

Mark,there are some choughs that breed about 6 miles from here every year, they are beside the road in the ruins of a old castle and can be seen from the car when passing on the motorway.

[Hans A.]

No Mark, there are no hints of breeding - there exist only a few choughs sightings, for example a total of 7 + 5 + 2 birds (all for december) 2007.

[mark smyth]

some info here also Hans
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red-billed_Chough

Michael there are a pair that nest in a builing at Malin Head