Mallorca

April & May 2023

The terraced olive groves on the lower hillsides of the Tramuntana mountains around Söller were the focus for the visit.  The ancient olives and stoneworks - some over 1000 years old - were alive with singing nightingales, mirror orchids and a wealth of invertebrate life.  Higher up the mountains drifted Black and griffon vultures, peregrine falcons, and for a while I watched the display flight of a pair of booted eagles.

Combining olive growing and sheep farming is a very common practice in Mallorca. Traditionally rural farms on the hillsides have complemented their olive growing with sheep farming; the animals graze the weeds whilst also supplying organic manure to the trees. There is a benefit for the environment as minimizing the need to add fertilizers and weedkillers has helped preserve a very special part of Mallorca's ecosystem in the Tramuntana mountains.