Lesvos : Day Fourteen : 6th May 2016

Day 14 : 6th May : 

I managed to haul myself out of bed at 0615 and I was down on the Tsiknias but just after 0630 to have a quick pre-breakfast walk in the chill dawn air. A Great Snipe was seen there yesterday and a few of us had a good look but to no avail but it not a wasted early start with six Night Herons and two Purple Herons, prukking Bee-eaters and singing Hoopoe and Golden Oriole. 

Purple Heron

Night Heron

A quick breakfast and then out west and after a smooth drive it was time once again the other tackle the Meladia trail from Eresos to Sigri. The Rock Sparrows were singing from their boulder near the start once again and Red-backed Shrines became instantly obvious. The first olive grove near the little chapel was full of broods of Somber Tits and Rock Nuthatches and three Golden Orioles were singing well. An Eastern Orphean Warbler was reaffirming why it is one of my favourite songsters and an Olive Tree Warbler tried to keep pace with it. 

juv Somber Tit

so cute

The first of many Red-backed Shrikes

Onwards and upwards through the bunting and nuthatch zone before dropping into the valley below.

Great Banded Grayling - Brintesia circe

The Graylings are confusing on Lesvos and this big rock loving one seems best fitted to Great Banded Grayling - Brintesia circe

Cretzschmar's Bunting

Rock Nuthatch

juv Woodlark

Even more Red-backed Shrikes were to be seen and then a warbler flicked across the road and then hopped out onto the road... I stopped and raised my bins and was eye to eye with the golden orbs of a female Barred Warbler. I was over moon... a Barred Warbler with actual bars! She came down to drink and even approached the car closer. Magnificent! 

Barred Warbler

A stunning bird - ACV

I wondered what else, see the day would hold and pressed on into the valley bottom where a happy few hours were spent with countless RBShrikes around me, another Oriole, a few Spot Flysheet and Whinchats, bee catching Bee-eaters, a scattering of commoner warbler species including my first Chiffchaff and Lesser Whitethroat, two invisible singing Icterine Warblers, a brief view of a Great Spotted Cuckoo heading back up valley, Lesser Grey Shrike and a tail cocking male Bushchat.

Meladia

Meladia toward Ipsilou

juv Stonechat

Some rusty wire & a female Red-backed Shrike

Lounging Bee-eaters

The little Meladia Chapel was stuffed full of birds and soon two Red-breasted Flycatchers were found amongst the Spot Flys with a female Collared and singles of Willow warbler and Blackcap for company. The RBFlys were very showy and vocal and came out nice and low on the leeward side of the pines.

Red-breasted Flycatcher

By the time we had reached the rise before the Sigri Sanatorium we had amassed 41 Red-backs. A roadside Icterine Warbler gave itself up and there were some Rock Doves around a sheep pen while a pair of Short -toed Eagles looked on. 

Rock Doves

Icterine Warbler

female Black-headed Bunting

I only saw three birds at the Sanatorium : the obligatory Red-backed Shrike, a flitting Red- breasted Flycatcher and the most mind boggling views of Roller I have ever had. At eye level in a splash of electric blue and chestnut. He even let me take some shots before flopping off to a nearby tree where he tried not to upset the local Woodchats. 

 

Roller

Roller

Click here for a very short video...

An Eleonora's cruised overhead with four Lesser Kestrels up over the ridge and a pair of Short-toed Eagles displayed above my head. It was becoming get one of those days.

Eleonora's Falcon

Eleonora's Falcon

Short-toed Eagle & Yellow-legged Gull

Short-toed Eagle

Faneromeni was quite quiet after all the excitement but there were more Shrikes to be seen and the Cattle Egret was feeding in a newly mown field with three Littles. 

Bee-eater

Cattle Egret

Roesel's type Bushcricket

Wall Brown

Cirl Bunting in a puddle again!

I decided to retrace our steps back through the valley and the rest of the afternoon was spent seeing many of the same birds but adding a few too including a fourth singing Icterine Warbler with the Meladia RBFlys, a cracking Pallid Swift low over the valley with both Common and Alpine Swift for comparison, many more Bee-eaters, a second Bushchat, the Barred Warbler again and eventually the furtive Great spotted Cuckoo lurking in some tree lupins. 

The beautifully posing Red-breasted Flycatcher

Cretzschmar's Bunting

Rufous Bushchat

Some wire, a dead bush and a Great Spotted Cuckoo

And a much better picture from Michael Sveikutis with an Orphean for company

I left the valley with a huge grin and rounded up the last day adventure with a zipping get male Levant Sparrowhawk and soaring Black Stork over the River Langarda (I think I have got that right).

And so ended the last full day of this year's adventure... I am sure I will squeeze in a couple of hours tomorrow before we leave.