After a lay in and lazy
breakfast it was time to head east around the Bay taking in the Papiana Scops
Owls again on the way.
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| Scops Owl |
A brief stop at the north east KSP gave
wondrously appalling views of four Shoveler, three Wigeon and a drake Gadwall
making it two new island birds so far but I could not find the Spoonbills.
Eleven Gull-billed Terns were ample compensation but there were no waders at
all bar Avocets and the levels will need to drop to bring anything in for a
rest over on the long journey north.
A small group of Flamingos showed very close to the road at Mesa and six Ruddy
Shelducks loafed about but the wind was whistling through and I was loath to
get out and have a scan round!
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| Greater Flamingos |
A short Flamingo video by Andrea...
On to Achladeri, stopping first at the bridge for a little walk up river with
the sound of Nightingales, Eastern Subalpine and Olivaceous Warblers chattering
from the bushes. Common Swifts hawked the ridge and Short-toed Treecreepers
thinly sang from the pines. Out of the breeze it was actually pleasant in the
sunshine but although the shorts were out, the arms were still covered against
the chill. A pack of enthusiastic curs stymied any further adventuring and I
returned to the car with a tiny Stripe-necked Terrapin in hand that was sitting
in the middle of the path looking seriously fed up with its short life so far.
I introduced him to the river where he energetically paddled off but undoubtedly
still looking like he had just sucked a lemon...
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| Stripe-necked Terrapin |
Achladeri itself was mine alone which was nice but the pesky Kruper's Nuthatches
were proving elusive and had taken a vow of silence but a persistent tapping
eventually led me to a pair foraging in a pine. He was feeding her so I did not
think they are too far into the breeding cycle yet. A problematical season lay
ahead for many a visiting birder.
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| Peacock Anemone - Anemone pavonina |
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| Hollow-leaved Asphodel - Aspholdelus fistulosus |
Short-toed Treecreepers were everywhere and already
feeding fledged young and Serins and Chaffinches were coming down to drink in
the numerous streamlets that crisscrossed the woods. I did not hear a Woodlark
or see a single Shrike but a couple of silent skulky Tree Pipits flitted ahead
of me and a pair of Black-eared Wheatears were nesting in the white building.A couple of Hawkers were up and down the road and I
eventually got a good enough view to identify them as Vagrant Emperors.
The Serins were singing up and down the cypress rows
beyond Achladeri with Chaffinches and Greenfinches joining in the with the
general finchyness while the Poppy fields either side were only just beginning
to bloom. Common Sandpipers were seen along the track towards Skala Vasilikon
and the poppies here were a little more advanced but there were no passerines
so I turned round and retraced our steps.
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| Tassel Hyacinth - Muscari comosum |
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| Common Poppy - Papaver rhoeas |
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| The stream where we rescued the puppies two years ago - never seen it clear and flowing |
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| Painted Lady |
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| Common Sandpiper |
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| Common Sandpiper |
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| Cormorant |
It was even colder up at the Raptor Watchpoint above
Kalloni whenever the sun hid behind
the clouds but I persevered and collected most of the expected species
including Cirl and Cretzschmar's Buntings, Eastern Subalpine and Orphean
Warblers, Rock Nuthatch and a female Goshawk and two Buzzards. A male Sardinian
Warbler was an unexpected bonus as it churred and rattled at a singing Subalp.
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| Pink Hawksbeard - Crepis rubra and Echium angustifolium |
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| mmm... a Composite - possibly another Hawksbeard |
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| Cirl Bunting |
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| Eastern Black-eared Wheatear |
There were no Scops Owls at Soumaria and after a pit stop at the Pela we headed
for Metochi.
The lake underwent some over zealous habitat management during the late winter
that completely denuded the southern end. It will all grow back but at the
moment only the top quarter was likely to hold any creeping Crakes and herons.
Thankfully I did indeed find two females and a slaty male Little Crake within a
few minutes but the only heron was a snaky necked Purple in a field just before
the lake.
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| Metochi Lake |
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| male Little Crake |
A single drake Mallard lurked in the reeds and Little Grebes, Coots
and Moorhens seem unaffected by the current habitat changes.
The rest of the circuit was pretty quiet with nothing on
the rocky slope at all and only two Woodchats and a single Masked Shrike seen
in the groves. However, a Sombre Tit carrying food was a bonus and a Wood
Warbler, Blackcap and Whitethroat were seen in the elms.
A female Marsh Harrier and a cold plumaged female Hen Harrier were seen on the
drive out and the first Hoopoe flopped across the road.
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| Woodchat |
On to the Tsiknias were a walk down to the river mouth afforded great views of
six pink flushed Slender-billed Gulls, with two 1st summer Black-headed Gulls, two Gull-billed Terns and six
Sandwich Terns for company on the end sand bar.
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| Sandwich and Common Terns and Slender-billed Gulls |
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| Slender-billed Gulls |
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| Slender-billed Gulls |
Stone Curlews called from the
adjacent beach and a Great Reed Warbler foraged noisily in a Tamerisk while a fine Purple Heron attempted to remain invisible in the little 'shed garden' with a dozen yapping dogs and hissing cats trying to get to us in the car and completely oblivious to the cautious heron just behind them. Four Squaccos appeared magically along the river bank beach and Little Ringed Plovers and a Fox were also seen.
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| A good thunder up the beach |
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| Crested Lark |
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| Purple Heron |
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| Squaccos |
The
temperature was plummeting and dinner beckoned to be followed once again by a
late session overlooking the Kallonis Pool. It was Heron Central again with the
same cast as yesterday becoming active as the light fell. A female Little Crake
popped out and an immature Spoonbill was added to the list while over 500 Swifts descended in a screaming mass to whirl amongst the Sand Martins and Swallows. My hands were
frozen so I called it a night but not before four Starlings came in for a few
circuits before heading west.
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| Great White Egret again... |
The bats told me it was time to call it a
night...
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| G'n'T time... |
