I dawned very hot and sticky and so we headed west after
breakfast and followed the coast around towards Eresos passing numerous calling
Western Rock Nuthatches on the way and a few EBEWs. The track into Pithariou was as dusty as ever
and a few Willow Warblers and Whitethroats were noted along with several
Red-backed Shrikes and as soon as the dam was reached a stunning Eleonora’s
Falcon lifted up and circled while eating a dragonfly on the wing. Over the next 40 minutes three made regular sorties
but never as close as that first one.
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| Eleonora’s Falcon |
A Short-toed Eagle and Buzzard were seen up over the ridge
but there were only 12 Cormorant on the water along with five Mallard (I never
saw one in the spring in two whole weeks!), two Little Grebes and a Green
Sandpiper.
Five Crag Martins came and went and a Kingfisher called but
as usual it was the Violet Dropwings that entertained as they hunted the top of
the dam in their hundreds. They are
still my favourite dragonfly. Several
Scarlet Darters were amongst them.
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| Violet Dropwings |
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| Violet Dropwings - exquisite in every shot |
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Scarlet Darter
|
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| Scarlet Darter |
It was breezy up there and therefore felt cooler which it obviously
was not so a retreat down to Skala Eresou was made for a wander round the shops with
the bonus of at long last finding two young Laughing Doves in the pine trees by
the free car park. The Mullet and Stripe-necked
Terrapins were fab off the bridge but there were no birds.
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| Stripe-necked Terrapins |
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| Mullet |
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| Stripe-necked Terrapins |
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| Woodchat Shrike |
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| Woodchat Shrike |
From her it was over the top through the crispy golden brown
autumnal landscape before dropping down to Sigri and Faneromeni for lunch
passing 16 Ipsilou Ravens on the way. The
biggest alfalfa field was buzzing with flava Wagtails and I reckoned at least 400
were present with many washed out grey birds as usual. There were a couple of smart Grey-headeds though
and far more Willow Warblers than I had seen elsewhere so far. There were Woodchats and Red-backed Shrikes
and two delightful juvenile Masked Shrikes that seemed to be following each
other around. I picked up a few Spotted
Flycatchers, Blackcap and Whitethroat as well as a handful of Northern Wheatear
and Whinchat. A single Rock Dove flew up
the valley but there were no Jackdaws.
There were Swallowtails in the Fig groves (as well as figs…) and Clouded
Yellows over the Alfalfa.
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| Masked Shrike |
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| Masked Shrike |
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| Woodchat Shrike |
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| Northern Wheatear |
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| Willow Warbler thrashing... |
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| Whinchat |
A juvenile Marsh Harrier was hunting the Wagtails and a
Short-toed Eagle was hovering further up the fields while lunch at the beach
gave me nine high arcing Scopoli’s Shearwaters and just two Yelkouans. A flock of 28 Grey Herons slowly headed high and south offshore.
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| Marsh Harrier |
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| Marsh Harrier |
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| I suspect that this large fly is actually a Beefly relative - possibly Thyridanthrax |
On again and a drive down the Petrified Forest road did not
give us Chukar but there were still good Wheatear numbers with nine EBEWs and two
Isabelline and also surprisingly two Cretzschmar’s Buntings.
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| Isabelline Wheatear |
Down to Gavathes for a swim also added Sardinian Warbler to
the trip list and then Perivolis to check on the cats which gave me a chance to
walk the river. Fairly quiet with just a
few Red-backed Shrikes, Spot Flys and a bonus Chiffchaff (a tricky autumn bird to get) while Middle Spotted
Woodpeckers were in the Olives with Sardinian Warblers, Cirl Buntings and
Chaffinches and Rock Nuthatches were on the boulders up the slope. As ever the Ravens here were very good value.
Back to base on the new road all the way (cough cough) and a
quick drive down the KSP road road which gave close Flamingos and just a few
waders in the channel but nothing new before a bump back through Loutzaria for
dinner.
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| Redshank |
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| Little Ringed Plover |
A quick supermarket trip after dinner (which was interrupted by 28 Jackdaw, 30 Bee-eaters and a small long tailed parakeet which might have been Bourke's...) was concluded with a
drive of the Papiana track once again but it was a bit later and there were no
Nightjars but the Barn Owl did flew through the lights.
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