Day 13: 3rd May:
It was not quite as early a start as
intended but the start of the Eresos track was reached before nine. It proved
quiet to start with bar the Olive Tree Warbler by the first chapel until we
reached Meladia where Red-backed Shrikes started to appear. Black-headed
Buntings were more evident and two Lesser Grey Shrikes were around the two
trees.
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| Red-backed Shrike |
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| Red-backed Shrike and Corn Bunting |
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| Black-headed Bunting |
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| Lesser Grey Shrike |
The fig grove produced a fine perched Bee-eater and a multitude of
Spotted Flycatchers along with the first Collareds
of the day. An Icterine Warbler popped out briefly and a couple of Orphean
Warblers were in full song but did not manage to drown out my second Marsh
Warbler of the trip that was singing behind the line of sumac trees.
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| Bee-eater and Spot Fly |
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| Spot Fly |
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| Eastern Orphean Warbler |
The Bush
Chat was still on territory and three Turtle Doves flew up valley but the
Stable Flies were persistent in their love for my lower legs so I ambled back
to the car where a nice bit of cloud cover provided the opportunity to pick up
raptors and a very productive forty minutes produced Honey Buzzard, Common
Buzzard, two Short-toed Eagles, two Marsh Harriers, three Eleonora's Falcons,
two Kestrel, two Lesser Kestrel and a Hobby!
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| Short-toed Eagle |
Three huge Glass Lizards tussled with each other
and Snake-eyed Lizards skittered around while a Rock Nuthatch actually stopped for a few moments on a post to pant in the heavy air. Corn Buntings and Crested Larks were comin g down to drink at the ford.
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| Rock Nuthatch |
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| Snake-eyed Lizard |
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| Corn Bunting - ACV |
Down at the Meladia Chapel the stench coming from a freshly flowering Dragon Lily caused me to move my car up the road a little way. Properly feotid and needless to say attractive to Greenbottles!
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| Dragon Lily |
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| Dragon Lily |
Several Pallid
Swifts were seen with both Common and Alpine and a juvenile Sombre Tit was seen well at
last.
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| Scruffy juvenile Sombre Tit |
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| Linnet on Milk Thistle |
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| As yet unidentified geometrid moth cat |
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| Balkan Marbled Whites & Levantine Skippers on Milk Thistle |
The Little Owl was on his usual post before the Sanitorium as we dropped
down towards Sigri with the Red-backed Shrike tally already on 43 and a
Nightjar invisibly churring at midday was a bonus but try as I might I could
not find him.
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| Little Owl - ACV |
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| Red-backed Shrike in the Peaches |
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| Masked Shrike |
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| Gave this tethered horse 2lt of water for which it was grateful - the same horse almost chewed off Paul Manning's arm... |
Lunch on Faneromeni beach provided a breeze to
temper the heat, with Golden Orioles for company. The garden here was full of
birds and the two fruiting mulberry trees were an obvious magnate with seven
Golden O's, Spotted and Collared Flycatchers, a brief female Red-breasted Fly,
Blackcap, Icterine Warbler and a very showy Bush Chat that sang his way round
in circles.
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| Golden Oriole |
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| Bushchat |
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| Bushchat |
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| Bushchat |
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| Turtle Dove |
Hummingbird Hawkmoths zipped
around the honeysuckle with Silver-Y Moths and enormous Violet Carpenter Bees.
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| Hummingbird Hawkmoth |
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| Hummingbird Hawkmoth |
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| Cardinal |
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| Cardinal |
The fords added another six Orioles, 12 Spotted
Flycatchers and at least five Collared and two Pied Flycatchers and 32
Red-backed Shrikes were seen in the whole area - quite amazing.
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| Spotted
Flycatcher |
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| Spotted
Flycatcher - ACV |
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| Collared Flycatcher |
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| Collared Flycatcher |
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| Collared Flycatcher |
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| Collared Flycatcher |
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| The Flycatcher Tunnel |
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| Red-backed Shrike |
The heat was oppressive so it was time to head back
before hitting the Kalloni salt pans after a cup of tea. Four Night Herons were loafing in the Tsiknias
as we bumped through – they have been quite tricky this year and an Olivaceous
was surprisingly accommodating.
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| Night Heron |
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| Night Herons |
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| Oli |
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| Oli |
The White-winged Black Terns were hunting the
channel and affording breathtaking views with a shiny Glossy Ibis with a wonky
leg along the edge.
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| White-winged Black Terns |
The Spur Winged
Plover and female Citrine Wagtail both appeared on the now almost dry Alykes
Pools but there was one last treat to be had.
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| Citrine Wagtail and Corn Bunting |
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| Spur Winged Plover |
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| Crested Lark |
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| Nightingale |
Gina and Steve had asked me to refind them the
early Rose Coloured Starling on my way back to the hotel as all of us are on the island too early as a rule for this eruptive species and as I approached
the lower Tsiknias Ford what should pop up on top of the Mulberry there?
A vision in pink and black... I leapt out and grabbed a picture before it
dropped into the trees where I could hear it noisily singing to itself. I got
the news out quickly and left others looking for it and called it a day with a
smile...
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| Rose Coloured Starling |
