It started windy and only increased
during the course of the day making birding difficult at times but it was
coming off mainland Turkey so I had hope that there may be a few birds on the
move although some rain to bring them down would have been handy.
Post breakfast saw a bump through Lotzaria where the now
usual suspects were all seen including another obliging Hoopoe and the juvenile
Montagu's Harrier once again. I think it might be a male as it is very dinky
and every now and then I think I catch a glint of yellow in eye. Two Short-toed
Eagles drifted over and were to become a theme for the day.
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| Tskinias River |
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| Lower Ford |
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| Great White Egret at the Ford |
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| Great White Egret - ACV |
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| Montagu's Harrier against the Giant Reed |
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| Montagu's Harrier |
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| Montagu's Harrier |
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| Tawny Pipit |
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| Convolvulus |
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| Hoopoe |
The Marsh Sandpiper and a Green Sandpiper were on the
Pumphouse Corner and the flock of Tawny Pipits at the top end was at least 20
now. From here I checked Soumaria for Scops Owls but I think the Hooded Crows
are using it as a roost and I found nothing and then up to the very blowy Kalloni
Raptor Watchpoint. A Sardinian Warbler rattled and a lone Woodpigeon was seen
over the canopy while up above there were four more Short-toed Eagles, 11
Ravens and a powering group of 31 Alpine Swifts which are always fun to watch.
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| Kalloni Raptor Watchpoint. |
On to Kavaki where I got sandblasted as soon as I got out
the car and 70 windswept Bee-eaters were the only passerines. The sea was a
mess of mini white horses and if there were any Shearwaters they avoided my
wobbling optics and watering eyes.
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| Kavaki |
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| Bee-eaters |
Perasma Reservoir was looking very sorry for
itself with great flaps of liner piled high and a puddle in the middle with 16
Little Grebes, six Mallard and a few Cormorants and Yellow-legged Gulls on it.
A lone Green Sandpiper tettered around the edge and two Short-toed Eagles and a
male Marsh Harrier drifted through. Frank and Sheila Wood were both life ticks
though, to go with the Hardys
I was to encounter later on.
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| Perasma Reservoir |
Continuing along the coast, I intended to stop at the
bandstand I did my raptor watch from last year but it was being renovated with
no access and the next one had the Police scanning the waves towards Turkey. Oh
well...
Lunch on the front at Skala Sykaminias was accompanied by
the crashing of waves onto the cobble beach which I have seen very infrequently
on the island! There were no birds.
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| Waves at Skala Sykaminias |
A brief stop at the Napi Valley to look for incoming raptors
gave me a final Short-toed Eagle before dropping back down via Kramasti Bridge
and the Salt Pans route home. There was nothing new but it felt like there were
a few more Red-backed Shrikes and Woodchats and one of the Hoopoes again showed
well.
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| Kramasti Bridge |
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| Kramasti Bridge |
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| Woodchat Shrike |
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| Red-backed Shrike |
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| Hoopoe |
A mini siesta at the Pela was broken only by 45 Bee-eaters
with two Alpine Swifts drifting over and then a return to the Lotzaria Triangle
for a walk round.
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| Spotted Flycatcher |
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| Alpine Swift and three Bee-eaters |
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| Alpine Swift and two Bee-eaters |
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| Alpine Swift |
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| A small Sarcophaga - a Flesh Fly |
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| Still trying to work out this rather robust and beautifully patterned spider that I encountered |
Willow Warblers and flava Wagtails had definitely arrived
since the morning and I had 35 of the former in one hedge that kept flitting
down into the alfalfa to feed just in front of me. Two Masked Shrikes were in
the same field and the one the Monty was hunting earlier now had well in excess
of 500 Wagtails including many gleaming adult male Black and Blue Headed, a few
Grey Headed and interestingly at least two almost entirely yellow birds that
made me think of the form lutea. The field felt more like a spring one than an autumn
one at that point.
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| Masked Shrike |
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| Masked Shrike |
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| Red-backed Shrike |
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| Willow Warbler |
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| Willow Warbler |
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| Willow Warbler |
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| Whinchat |
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| Black-headed Wagtail |
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| Black-headed Wagtail |
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| Flava field |
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| Black-headed Wagtail |
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| Romanian Blue-headed Wagtail - ACV |
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| flava Wagtail - ACV |
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| pale Common Buzzard |
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| Arty sprinkler fun |
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| Millet Skipper on Chaste Tree |
Two new Short-toed Eagles headed through (both being almost
white headed birds) taking me to at least 11 for the day. Dinner in town and
then a quick half hour to look for the Nightjars, two of which once again came
in close to the car while Stone Curlews wailed in the dark.
Some more Nightjar action
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