Night-herons, Tsiknias River. 14 fresh arrivals to join the six already in-situ © Steve Dudley
Another night of rain gave way to a damp morning. Things soon improved with blue sky being sighted by mid-morning and glorious full sunshine by noon. A few scattered showers in the centre, but more rain in the west and east, but I recorded 30C in the hills above Haramida this afternoon and looking across the Gulf of Gera couldn't even see Mt Olympus due to the sheet rain coming down over there!
A distinct increase in migrants this morning. A large hirundine movement in many areas, lost of warblers fresh in, Golden Orioles, more Black-headed Buntings and a few Bee-eaters. Where are the Red-backed Shrikes?
Common Nightingales are not Bush-robins - lots of birds seen feeding in open areas are being reported as Rufous Bush-robin. Please check birds carefully - not all rufous-coloured birds feeding around rocks and in fields etc are Bush-robins (in fact, none of them are so far!).
Environment Centre - please visit the centre. Apart from fascinating displays about the Kalloni area and its wildlife, geology etc, they need our support. The centre is on the edge of Skala Kallonis. Walk down the side of the bakery by the mini soccer pitch, along the the track with the channel on your left and houses on your right towards the Tsiknias River. The centre is the last building (pink - you cant miss it!). Only a small sign on the gate (the main sign blew away in the winter!). Open hours are 0900-1300 and 1800-2100. Thanks.
Ipsilou - RING OUZEL 1, Eastern Bonelli's Warbler 1, Golden Oriole 6.
Haramida - River Warbler 1, Barred Warbler 2, Savi's Warbler 2. Vegetation here too tall to see the pools I could see form the hills above here!
Metochi Lake - Wryneck 1, Little Crake 4.
Perasma Reservoir - Ortolan Bunting 2, Black-headed Bunting 5, Purple Heron 2.
Sigri and faneromeni area - Great Bittern 1, Spotted Crake 1, Osprey 1, Little Crake 2, Little Bittern 1, small numbers of Bee-eaters and Golden Orioles, Icterine Warbler 2, Barred Warbler 4, Garden Warbler 1 (5 there yday), Ortolan Bunting 4, Collared Pratincole 4, Sardinian Warbler, Red-footed Falcon 3, Lesser Kestrel 38 (in one tree), Stone-curlew, Black-headed Bunting, Red-backed Shrike, Wood Warblers and large numbers of warblers and flycatchers, Montagu's Harrier, 'yellow' wgtails (hundreds inc. 1 cinereocapilla), Red-throated Pipits, Tawny Pipits, Short-toed Larks, Purple Heron 2, Squacco Heron 1, Water Rail. Old Sanatorium Ortolan Bunting 4, Black-headed Bunting 40, Tawny Pipit 2, Quail 1.
Platania Valley - Honey-buzzard 2, Hobby 1, Masked Shrike 5, Barred Warbler 2.
Christou (Kamares) River - Slender-billed Gull 1, Ortolan Bunting 1, Turnstone 1, Curlew Sandpiper 2, Black-haed Gull 10, Gull-billed Tern 1, Purple Heron 13, Goshawk 1.
Apothika to Maraka - Eleonora's Falcon 1, Red-backed Shrike, Purple Heron 3, Night-heron 2, Lesser Kestrel 6, Wood Warbler 1.
Tsiknias River - Night-heron 22 (inc. 14 birds seen arriving), Little Bittern 3, Purple Heron 2, Red-footed Falcon 35, Lesser Kestrel 1, Black-headed Bunting 8+, Short-toed Lark, Marsh Harrier 2, Hen Harrier 1. fuscus Reed Warbler? See below.
Hills inland of Haramida - Barred Warbler 3, large numbers of Cretzschmar's Buntings, Sardinian Warblers and Black-eared Wheatears.
Skala Kallonis - Hotel Pasiphae Barred Warbler 1, Collared Flycatcher, Wood Warbler, Spotted Flycatcher.
Kavaki - Ruppell's Warbler 2+, Black-headed Bunting, Blue Rock-thrush.
Kalloni Saltpans - Collared Pratincole 40+ hawking fields late morning; Glossy Ibis, Great White Egret, Black-tailed Godwit 1, White-winged Black Tern, Whiskered Tern.
Kalami Marsh - Glossy Ibis 80+.
Sourmouria (Scops Copse) - Scops Owl 2.
fuscus Reed Warbler? Tsiknias River. Reed Warblers are very variable on here and this bird shows just how white and cold birds can be. To me this looks like a fuscus-type but without catching them, who knows? © Steve Dudley
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Night-herons, Tsiknias River. 14 fresh arrivals to join the six already in-situ © Steve Dudley
fuscus Reed Warbler? Tsiknias River. Reed Warblers are very variable on here and this bird shows just how white and cold birds can be. To me this looks like a fuscus-type but without catching them, who knows? © Steve Dudley
