2 May 2012


Black Stork, Tsiknias River (c) Steve Dudley

Still too settled and too hot but birds still arriving. A Spur-winged Plover and Broad-billed Sandpiper are sure signs of birds arriving. But where are the Bush-robins?

Weather - Blue skies, light W breeze, 29C (too settle and too hot!)

NEW - news on day trips (those with spaces remaining), events and other info (like what new cafes/tavenras might be worth trying) for the 2012 birding weeks - see here.


BIRD NEWS

Achladeri & Kruper's Nuthatch
One pair feeding young near last years nest site along the top. Park your car by the white building building, walk up the main track through the forest, bear left at the fork, then follow the track left past the rubbish pile on the next corner and up the straight section of track. After c200m look for a thick black pine tree with a sap scar and a pile of 4 sandy-coloured rocks at the base. From this tree look in to the forest at 90 degrees from the track and look for a sheep/rams skull at base. Nest is in this tree on left hand side between two very short broken branch stumps.

Dipi Larisos 
Spur-winged Plover 1 at river mouth
Purple Heron 1
Pygmy Cormorant  - no sign today

Agiasos
Booted Eagle 1

Kalloni Saltpans & Alykes Wetlands
Broad-billed Sandpiper 1 (Alykes Wetlands sheep field pools)

Marsh Sandpiper 5
Curlew Sandpiper 41
Ruff 215
Garganey 3
Whiskered Tern 7
White-winged Tern 21
Gull-billed Tern 17
Sandwich Tern 2
Mediterranean Gull 6 (all 2CY)
Marsh Sandpiper 1
Red-footed Falcon 5
Fan-tailed Warbler 1
Squacco Heron 9

Lotzaria 
Montagu's Harrier 2 (ad fem & 1st sum male)
Lesser Grey Shrike 2

Tsiknias River
Spotted Crake 1
Little Bittern 4
Squacco Heron 4
Temminck's Stint 6
Greenshank 4
Oystercatcher 2
Turnstone 1

Metochi Lake 
Night-heron 2
Little Bittern 3
Masked Shrike 1
Kalami Marsh 
Great Bittern 1
Purple Heron 3
Squacco Heron 3

Platania
Black Kite 1
Red-footed Falcon 1

Papiana
Scops Owl 4
Long-eared Owl 1

Soumouria Scops Copse
Scops Owl 1 - the bird is in the second eucalyptus on the right of the Kalloni end entrance

Madaros
Roller 1
Ipsilou
Collared Flycatcher 1
Wood Warbler 3
plus usual buntings, wheatears, etc.

Lardia Valley
Eastern Bonelli's Warbler 1

Sigri Sanatorium
Roller 1
Icterine Warbler 1
Red-backed Shrike 6
Nightjar 1

Meladia Valley
Eastern Bonelli's Warbler 1
Icterine Warbler 1
Lesser Grey Shrike 1
Collared Flycatcher 5
Wood Warbler 2
Red-backed Shrike 2
Song Thrush 1 (very late record)

Kavaki
Ruppell's Warbler, Sardinian Warbler, Blue Rock-thrush, etc

Platania
Olive-tree Warbler  - none seen/heard today
NOTE - the Platania track is very rough in places and should only be attempted with extreme caution. I would advise parking after 1km from the road then walk in

Almyropotamos River (Vatera)
Citrine Wagtail 1

Skala Kalloni
Scops Owl 2 calling at Hotel Pasiphae for most of the night (outside my bloody room!)

Achladeri
Osprey 1