A bit of a change in the weather overnight and as I headed
for the bread I needed an extra coat as the wind was a biting northerly. Black Redstarts and Robins were staying low
and a Water Rail squealed from the flooded burnt Tamarisks. Breakfast and then out along the coast once
again via the Kamares where the Golden Plover still had not moved and a flock
of just Little Stints were quite close to the road.
Around to the bottom of Potamia and then down the track to
the Kalloni Village Apartments.It was
really blowing at the end and two Black-necked Grebes were being bounced around
by the wind and waves but seemed impervious to the weather and were happily
catching little fish.I walked along the
beach towards the mouth of the Potamia where two Common Sandpipers were bobbing
along the sheltered muddy bank.There were
just a few Yellow-legged Gulls, Hooded Crows and a single Curlew out on the
point.
Black-necked Grebe
Black-necked Grebe
Common Sandpiper
I turned back along the river and through the Tamarisks where some
Crested Larks and Chaffinches were grovelling.A pair of Stonechats were using old Cocklebur seed heads as a vantage
point but soon dashed for cover as an adult female Hen Harrier blew through low
over the field.She was stunning and it
was a joy to watch her effortlessly twist and turn before spooking a previously
unseen flock of 80 Meadow Pipits.She
failed to catch one and moved on over the river and out of sight.The du-lueet of Woodlarks drew me to three
birds with the Mipits.All dropped back
down into the same field and out of view.
Crested Lark
Stonechat
Stonechat
Meadow Pipit
Woodlark
Hen Harrier
Hen Harrier
Hen Harrier
Hen Harrier
I followed the track towards the lone house putting up
several Robins and Chaffinches on the way and once back at the river a Dunnock
was fervently peeping from the mega reeds. I came back past the chalets but
added nothing new and the cold finally drove me back to the car.A slurp of coffee was timed with an adult and
1st-winter Med Gull drifting by.
Fumitory sp
From here I followed the track up the Potamia which was
nicely flowing but only had eight Teal and four Mallard before checking on the
Old Reservoir where the Black-necked Grebe, Little Grebe and two Coot were still
the only birds.
At the end of the track we found Thekla in her olive grove with
her lovely grey horse Kopric who she rescued after he was abandoned.Dried figs were fed to him before we bumped
onwards.
Kopric and Thekla
A large puddle had Cirl
Buntings, Chaffinches, House Sparrows, Robins and Blackcaps coming down but
before I could alter my angle of the car, I had to move as a vehicle came the
other way.Out of force of habit I
checked Metochi as I still had a hankering that there might just be a Pygmy
Cormorant wintering.At first glance
there were three 1w Great Cormorants but then further on I spied a lump in a
bush at the end that quickly became my desired target!I popped the scope up before driving on and
was pleased to discover two in the same dead bushes as the spring.
With less read cover I was able to get some excellent views
from the parking spot most of the way down.One quickly left and headed towards the upper Christou although I
suspect it dropped into one of the clear flowing (unlike spring!) drainage
ditches.The other stayed put and I was
able to enjoy it for 15 minutes before it headed the same way.A very different feel to the breeding plumaged
birds I have seen here before with a warm Nutella coloured head and neck (other
chocolate spreads are available) bleeding into an almost chequerboard pattern
with black and brown on the belly feathers.
Pygmy Cormorant
Pygmy Cormorant
Once they left I moved on but a loop up to the Monastery at
Metochi did not produce anything in the market garden fields and by then it was
time to head into Kalloni for lunch with Alison and Costas.
Metochi Monastery
Grey Wagtail in Kalloni - there are more around in the winter
Coffee back at the room and then out again and down to the
KSP (via the AB supermarket where we amazingly bumped into Dion from the Pela and his family).The wind had pushed all the
Flamingos off the nearest pans so I kept going and stopped at Hide 2 primarily
to close the shutters and door.Like
Hide 3, it needs some remedial work over the winter.There were over 100 Ruddy Shelduck and five
Curlew on the Alykes Wetlands and two hunting Marsh Harrier.
There are always some juv Flamingos in the channel
Great Egret - they are dotted all around the town in fields
Ruddy Shelducks
I braved the elephants down at the end of the racecourse and
walked out onto the Sheepfields. There had been no change in the duck or wader
numbers visible but there were now 20 Dalmatian Pelicans.I could only see about 20 Lapwing but a
single Ruff was new for the trip list.It was too cold and windy to stay till dark but the 3cy male Hen Harrier
did not make me wait and put on a fine show in the sunshine that had returned. Six Marsh Harriers came in high in one flock before dropping towards the eastern pans.
Common Shelduck
Greater Flamingo
Greater Flamingo
Lapwings
Dalmatian Pelican
Dalmatian Pelican - I know I keep taking pics of these but you see them so much better and more often this time of year
The Bay was too choppy to see anything whatsoever so I was
very pleased to have had my mirror calm days already.The drive back out gave me some Serins with
the Linnets and Chaffinches on the racecourse and a Greenshank taking shelter in the
channel but there was more Harrier action too with the full adult male Hen once
again around the Stinky Corner.
Chaffinch
Linnet
Hen Harrier
I checked the Kamares again on the way home to see if there were any Harriers roosting there but saw none. There were six Spoonbills actively feeding though and the Golden Plover flock was absent for the first time. I wonder where they go to feed?
Another evocative report Howard. TFS.
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