Читать книгу Trekking in Mallorca. GR221 - The Drystone Route through the Serra de Tramuntana онлайн

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Bird watching

Serious bird watchers should get in touch with the local experts, the Grup Ornitològic Balear (GOB), www.gobmallorca.com. GOB has long been involved in renovating an old building as a refugi at La Trapa, above Sant Elm. Unfortunately, construction has stalled and its future is in doubt. Other Mallorcans have a passion for hunting birds, especially thrushes, which cause a lot of damage to olive groves. Shooting and netting take place from the end of August to the end of January, but this should not inconvenience walkers as it usually occurs in the evenings. Most species of birds are protected.

The black vulture is unmistakeable when seen above remote mountains. Numbers dropped alarmingly in the last century and a programme was set up to assist their recovery. This involves minimising disturbance, leaving carrion out for them, setting up breeding programmes and introducing black vultures from other areas. The breeding season is exceptionally long, extending from January through to July. One stretch of the GR221 was planned to climb above Valldemossa, through an area frequented by black vultures. Permits are now required to walk in that area, so the projected course of the GR221 has been shifted onto other paths. Black vultures are more usually seen over the Serra de Tramuntana between Sóller and Pollença.