A Forumist in Mallorca...

[Hans A.]

Thanks Mark, very interesting link - till now chough sightings on the balearic islands are extremly rare even if the population on the spanish mainland may be large - here it is easier to see monk vulture, Peregrine Falcon, Eleonora's Falcon or Osprey.

[Rafa]

Here in my village in central Spain, it is very common. There are many nest in the church and a old monastery. In winter all the birds of this species make big groups, but the rest of the year they go in cuples.

I breeded one year a little chough that some children found in the street. It is an extremely clever bird! and very affectionate. It makes dozens of different voices.

One time I observed somthing interesting. One day in my friend's farm one of the couple was accidently locked in. The next they when he opened the door the bird scaped and its partener attacked it like a falcon. It seems that it didn't recognize him/her.

[Michael J Campbell]

One time I observed something interesting. One day in my friend's farm one of the couple was accidentally locked in. The next they when he opened the door the bird escaped and its partner attacked it like a falcon. It seems that it didn't recognize him/her.

Rafa,it probably did recognize Him/Her, it was just getting punished for not coming home.

[fermi de Sousa]

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

What sort of farms do these jackdaws run?
cheers
fermi

[mark smyth]

On Spring Watch last year there was a camera watching Scottish choughs using a farm building to nest in

[Diane Clement]

We spent a very pleasant week visiting the island of Mallorca.  We have visited the island several times before, always mid February, but our last visit in 2004 was restricted by record snow falls (the worst weather for 40 years). 
Luckily, this time, the sky was blue and the temperature pleasant.  We didn't see a large number of flowers, but magnificent views and some good company on our last day 
We stayed in the north, in a beautiful orange farm

[Diane Clement]

The farm was near the village of Sóller with its fantastic Church of Saint Bartholomew

[Diane Clement]

Other delightful villages were within walking distance. 
One of the nearest was Fornalutx with its lovely narrow streets. 
I hope the modern villagers have better washing facilities than their ancestors

[Maggi Young]

I love these churches, they're like my prose and clothes.... never knowingly underdecorated .

[Diane Clement]

On our walks in the area, were excellently tended terraces of oranges,
and some clearly left untended, and taken over by that ubiquitous weed of the Mediterranean, Oxalis pes-capri

[Diane Clement]

In drier and more rocky areas, olive groves took over as the main crop.

[Diane Clement]

Under the olive trees, is a little micro habitat, shaded by the trees and protected from goats, and perhaps not catching weedkiller so near the olives.

[Diane Clement]

The main plant taking advantage of the site was Arisarum vulgare

[Diane Clement]

I had seen Cyclamen balearicum before, and was hoping to find it just in flower, but unfortunately we were unlucky in this respect.  However, we did enjoy looking for the various leaf forms

[Diane Clement]

And a few more