10 May - Rosy Starlings are comin!

My last day and I'd like to thank all those who have shared their bird news with and contributed to these daily updates. 

Thanks too the Pasiphae Hotel staff for their usual warm hospitality and providing me with a home from home again for my stay. I'd also like to thank all the tavernas who have catered for my groups over the last three weeks - Dionysos (Skala Kallonis), Australia (Sigri), Soulatsou (Skala Eresou) and Achille's Well (Petri), and to Tsalis rentals for looking after me so well.

See you all again next spring!

BIRD NEWS

An overcast day with some light rain in places and the first Rose-coloured Starlings were seen today out west. No sign of the robins or the Griffon Vulture today

Petrified Forest

WHITE-THROATED ROBIN

No news today.

We now have confirmation that we have two males and a female robin in the park. The males are holding territory close to one another and a female has been seen with the male near the concrete building. We are now treating this as a breeding attempt. Please therefore view only from the road and not from within the park to avoid disturbing them.

I've been told that the police are aware of misbehaviour here, including the use of recordings (illegal here) and are now going to be making patrols of the area, especially when the park is closed, to ensure that no one is using recordings or harassing the birds now they are presumed to be breeding. Please be sure to pass this message around.

It also means they are expected to hang around! Which is good news to those arriving today and next week.

Skala Eresou

Rose-coloured Starling 3 (they're coming!)

Kallon Saltpans & Alykes Wetlands

Caspian Tern 1

Slender-billed Gull 1

Little Gull 1

Gull-billed Tern 4

White-winged Tern 55

Whiskered Tern 11

Eurasian Curlew 2

Grey Plover 3

Zitting Cisticola 3

Potamia

Olive-tree Warbler 6

Levant Sparrowhawk 3

Eleanora's Falcon 1

Kalami Marsh

Squacco Heron 6

Spotted Redshank 1

Water Rail 1

Purple Heron 1

Petrified Forest

Red-footed Falcon fem

Meladia Valley

Red-footed Falcon 1

Lesser Grey Shrike 1

Bee-eater 2

Metochi Lake

Little Crake fem (at north end)

Little Bittern 3

Night-heron 26

Tsiknias River

Little Bittern 3

Squacco Heron 6

Whiskered Tern 1

Temminck's Stint 2

Bee-eater 20

Alikoudi Pool

White-tinged Tern 2

Whiskered Tern 1

Temminck's Stint 2

Limnos Monastery

Middle Spotted Woodpecker - pair nesting near the taverna. Park by the taverna and look back up the access road and on the right there is a double telegraph post. The nest is low down in the left hand post (the one with all the wires) facing the taverna. Adults feedings young. Please view/photo from the park car area and don't stand in the middle of the road expecting the parents to ignore you!

Achalderi

Kruper's Nuthatch - birds now feeding recently hatched young

Kavaki

Ruppell's Warbler showing very well

Papiana

Scops Owl 

Long-eared Owl - the young have left the nest, no sign of them or adults

Soumouria 'Scops Copse'

Scops Owl. Please do not harass the birds!

9 May - Great Snipe, Caspian Tern and rain!

We woke to overcast skies and by lunchtime the threat of rain out west and by late afternoon it arrived and continued to increase during the evening. But is it too late?

A Great Snipe (Kalami) and Caspian Tern (Kalloni pans) were new in and the Griffon Vulture still out west, and another Lesser Spotted Eagle today. Apart from a few sites out west, virtually no passage migrant passerines reported. No news of the robins.

Petrified Forest

WHITE-THROATED ROBIN

No news today.

We now have confirmation that we have two males and a female robin in the park. The males are holding territory close to one another and a female has been seen with the male near the concrete building. We are now treating this as a breeding attempt. Please therefore view only from the road and not from within the park to avoid disturbing them.

I've been told that the police are aware of misbehaviour here, including the use of recordings (illegal here) and are now going to be making patrols of the area, especially when the park is closed, to ensure that no one is using recordings or harassing the birds now they are presumed to be breeding. Please be sure to pass this message around.

It also means they are expected to hang around! Which is good news to those arriving today and next week.

Kalami Marsh

GREAT SNIPE 1
Spotted Redshank 1

Petrified Forest

GRIFFON VULTURE 1

Platania

Lesser Spotted Eagle 1
Levant Sparrowhawk 2 males
Eleanora's Falcon 1
Olive-tree Warbler 1
Bee-eater 2

Sigri & Faneromeni

Purple Heron 1

Golden Oriole 4

Red-backed Shrike 50

Lesser Grey Shrike 3

Sigri Old Sanatorium

Golden Oriole 3

Red-backed Shrike 50

Lesser Grey Shrike 3

Woodchat Shrike 10

Meladia Valley

Roller 1
Red-footed Falcon 1
Lesser Grey Shrike 1
Bee-eater 2

Red-backed Shrike 100
Lesser Grey Shrike 1
Woodchat Shrike 6
Eastern Bonelli's Warbler 1 (chapel)

Skala Eresou

Barred Warbler 1

Vigla (near Ipsilou)

Barred Warbler 1

Kallon Saltpans & Alykes Wetlands

Caspian Tern 1
Slender-billed Gull 1
Little Gull 1
Black Tern 1
Gull-billed Tern 1
Collared Pratincole 3

Voulgaris River

Marsh Warbler 1

Moni Mirsiniotissus

Ortolan Bunting 1

Lardia Valley

Olive-tree Warbler 1

Tsiknias River

Little Bittern 1
Squacco Heron 5
Whiskered Tern 4

Podaras

Little Bittern 2

Makara

Little Bittern 1
Alpine Swift 80

Limnos Monastery

Middle Spotted Woodpecker 1 - nesting near the taverna. Park by the taverna and look back up the access road and on the right there is a double telegraph post. The nest is low down in the left hand post (the one with all the wires) facing the taverna. Adults feedings young 7/5.

Achalderi

Kruper's Nuthatch - female incubating and male visiting infrequently, expect to wait!

Kavaki

Ruppell's Warbler showing very well

Papiana

Scops Owl 
Long-eared Owl - the young have left the nest, no sign of them or adults

Soumouria 'Scops Copse'

Scops Owl. Please do not harass the birds!

8 May - another Common Rock-thrush

Cirl Bunting, Platania, 8 May 2013 

(Emberiza cirlus) Σιρλοτσίχλονο 

© Steve Dudley

LOST - MINOX 8x32 BINOCULARS
Last seen in Sigri at the harbourside taverna on 8 May. If you find them please contact David Boyd at the Kalloni Bay Hotel.


BIRD NEWS
The White-throated Robins were looked for in the morning but not seen. Another Lesser Spotted Eagle today and a few Red-breasted Flycatchers out west. 

A change in the weather today, with overcast skies turning to thick, low cloud by the end of the day and lower temperatures - 20C by 6pm in Kalloni. Lower temps forecast for tomorrow, but doubtful we will see rain. Rain forecasted for next week which will be good for Rosy Starlings but relatively little else.

Petrified Forest

WHITE-THROATED ROBIN

No in the morning (don't know if they were looked for at other times). Please view only from the road - entering the park will not increase your chance of seeing them, just disturbing them.

We now have confirmation that we have two males and a female robin in the park. The males are holding territory close to one another and a female has been seen with the male near the concrete building. We are now treating this as a breeding attempt. Please therefore view only from the road and not from within the park to avoid disturbing them.

I've been told that the police are aware of misbehaviour here, including the use of recordings (illegal here) and are now going to be making patrols of the area, especially when the park is closed, to ensure that no one is using recordings or harassing the birds now they are presumed to be breeding. Please be sure to pass this message around.

It also means they are expected to hang around! Which is good news to those arriving today and next week.

Meladia Valley

COMMON ROCK-THRUSH male (nr ford)

Roller 1

Red-breasted Flycatcher 1

Rufous Bush-robin 3

Bee-eater 30

Whinchat 20

Little Bittern 1

Sigri & Faneromeni

GREAT SNIPE 1 (flushed by cat and not relocated)

Olive-tree Warbler 1

Marsh Warbler 2

Red-breasted Fltcatcher 1

Levant Sparrowhawk 1

Eleanora's Falcon 1

Red-footed Falcon 2

Lesser Kestrel 2

Golden Oriole 5

Rufous Bush-robin 2

Squacco Heron 1

Agriosikos

Lesser Spotted Eagle 1

Eleanora's Falcon  1

Eastern Bonelli's Warbler 1

Sigri Old Sanatorium

Honey-buzzard 2

Red-breasted Flycatcher 2 fems

Wood Warbler 1

Collared Flycatcher 1

Skala Eresou

Red-breasted Flycatcher 1

Kallon Saltpans & Alykes Wetlands

Slender-billed Gull 1

Little Gull 1

White-winged Tern 80

Whiskered Tern 20

Gull-billed Tern 2

Glossy Ibis 1

Turnstone 10

Grey Plover 4

Temminck's Stint 1

Peregrine 1

Marsh Harrier 1

Platania

Eleanora's Falcon 1

didn't get to main Olive-tree Warbler area, but none along track where they're expected.

Petrified Forest

Honey-buzzard 1

Rock Sparrow

Lesser Kestrel 4

Common Redstart 1

Napi Valley

Osprey 1

Kalami Marsh

Collared Pratincole 2

Glossy Ibis 1

Tsiknias River

Mediterranean Gull 2

Little Bittern 1

Purple Heron 1

Bee-eater 4

Mallard 1

Metochi Lake

Little Bittern 10

Ipsilou

Levant Sparrowhawk fem

Honey-buzzard male

Eleanora's Falcon 1

Perama Reservoir

Gull-billed Tern 3
Ruddy Shelduck 1

Limnos Monastery

Middle Spotted Woodpecker 1 - nesting near the taverna. Park by the taverna and look back up the access road and on the right there is a double telegraph post. The nest is low down in the left hand post (the one with all the wires) facing the taverna. Adults feedings young 7/5.

Achalderi

Kruper's Nuthatch - female incubating and male visiting infrequently, expect to wait!

Kavaki

Ruppell's Warbler showing very well

Papiana

Scops Owl 

Long-eared Owl - the young have left the nest, no sign of them or adults

Soumouria 'Scops Copse'

Scops Owl 5l. Please do not harass the birds!

7 May - shrikes, shrikes and more shrikes

Roller, Sigri Old Sanatorium, 7 May 2013 
(Coracias garrulus) (Ευρωπαϊκή) Χαλκοκουρούνα 
© Steve Dudley

Meladia Valley was ripping with Red-backed Shrikes today, but seemingly on its own. A Lesser Spotted Eagle and the Griffon Vulture seen again, plus reports of Rock Bunting and Red Knot.  Still no news of the robins in recent days.

Petrified Forest

WHITE-THROATED ROBIN

No news today. 

We now have confirmation that we have two males and a female robin in the park. The males are holding territory close to one another and a female has been seen with the male near the concrete building. We are now treating this as a breeding attempt. Please therefore view only from the road and not from within the park to avoid disturbing them.

I've been told that the police are aware of misbehaviour here, including the use of recordings (illegal here) and are now going to be making patrols of the area, especially when the park is closed, to ensure that no one is using recordings or harassing the birds now they are presumed to be breeding. Please be sure to pass this message around.

It also means they are expected to hang around! Which is good news to those arriving today and next week.

Ipsilou

Rock Bunting - 1 reported
Lesser Spotted Eagle 1
Eleanora's Falcon 1

Kallon Saltpans & Alykes Wetlands

Red Knot - 1 adult reported
White-winged Tern 100
Whiskered Tern 20
Gull-billed Tern 7
Little Gull 1
Glossy Ibis 1
Black Stork 20
White Stork 6
Red-footed Falcon 1
Turnstone 2
Grey Plover 1
Common Ringed Plover 1
Ruddy Shelduck 17
Peregrine 1
Great Crested Grebe 1 offshore

Sigri & Faneromeni

GRIFFON VULTURE 1
Little Bittern 2
Bee-eater 30
Squacco Heron 1

Tsiknias River

Collared Pratincole 4
Glossy Ibis 1
Little Bittern 1
Purple Heron 1
Bee-eater 4

Meladia Valley

Eleanora's Falcon 1
Red-backed Shrike 340+
Lesser Grey Shrike 4
Rufous Bush-robin 6+
Whinchat 80+
Spotted Flycatcher 60+
Common Whitethroat 1
Lesser Whitethroat 1

Nr Petra

Roller 1

Sigri Old Sanatorium

Roller 1
Lesser Grey Shrike 1
Red-backed Shrike 20+

Makara

Eleanora's Falcon 1
Alpine Swift 60

Metochi Lake

Night-heron 21
Little Bittern 3
Common Sandpiper 1

Nr Anemotia

Tree Pipit 1 (only second record this spring!)

Achalderi

Kruper's Nuthatch - female incubating and male visiting infrequently, expect to wait!

Kavaki

Ruppell's Warbler showing very well

Papiana

Scops Owl 
Long-eared Owl - the young have left the nest, no sign of them or adults

Soumouria 'Scops Copse'

Scops Owl 5l. Please do not harass the birds!

6 May - marsh terns bonanza

Did anyone go out west today? No news from any western sites at all. Impressive numbers of marsh terns at Kalloni Saltpans. 

Petrified Forest

WHITE-THROATED ROBIN

No news today. 

We now have confirmation that we have two males and a female robin in the park. The males are holding territory close to one another and a female has been seen with the male near the concrete building. We are now treating this as a breeding attempt. Please therefore view only from the road and not from within the park to avoid disturbing them.

I've been told that the police are aware of misbehaviour here, including the use of recordings (illegal here) and are now going to be making patrols of the area, especially when the park is closed, to ensure that no one is using recordings or harassing the birds now they are presumed to be breeding. Please be sure to pass this message around.

It also means they are expected to hang around! Which is good news to those arriving today and next week.

Kallon Saltpans & Alykes Wetlands

White-winged Tern 250

Whiskered Tern 18

Gull-billed Tern 3

Black Tern 2

Little Gull 1

Collared Pratincole 4

White Stork 28

Black Stork 8

Black-tailed Godwit 1

Dunlin 1

Ruff 470

Little Stint 45

Rufous Bush-robin 1 on beach

Short-toed Lark 2

Red-throated Pipit 2

Vourkos River mouth

Citrine Wagtail fem

Skala Kallonis

River Warbler 1 (behind Imerti Hotel)
Pallid Swift 1

Night-heron 2

Little Bittern 1

Napi Valley

Honey-buzzard 1

Potamia Valley

Olive-tree Warbler 1

Tsiknias River

Little Bittern 1

Squacco Heron 8

Bee-eater 6

Achalderi

Levant Sparrowhawk

Kruper's Nuthatch - female incubating and male visiting infrequently, expect to wait!

Alikoudi Pool

Glossy Ibis 2

White-winged Tern 10

Temminck's Stint 1

Common Ringed Plover 8

Ruff 39

Nr Skamnioudi

Olive-tree Warbler 4+

Polichnitos Saltpans

Curlew Sandpiper 4

Ruff 45

Little Stint 6

Olive-tree Warbler 1 in copse to north

Red-backed Shrike 2

Kavaki

Ruppell's Warbler showing very well

Papiana

Scops Owl 

Long-eared Owl - the young have left the nest, no sign of them or adults

Soumouria 'Scops Copse'

Scops Owl 5. Please do not harass the birds!

5 May - two Lesser Spotted Eagles

Female Red-footed Falcon, Faneromeni, 5 May 2013 
(Falco vespertinus) (Ευρωπαϊκό) Μαυροκιρκίνεζο 
© Steve Dudley

Two Lesser spotted Eagles, Griffon Vulture still out west and a few smaller birds of prey, but an absolute dearth of passerine migrants. The Nightjar is still roosting on the same tree in Sigri fields.

Petrified Forest

WHITE-THROATED ROBIN

No news today. The road to the forest was closed and will probably not be open now until Tuesday.

We now have confirmation that we have two males and a female robin in the park. The males are holding territory close to one another and a female has been seen with the male near the concrete building. We are now treating this as a breeding attempt. Please therefore view only from the road and not from within the park to avoid disturbing them.

I've been told that the police are aware of misbehaviour here, including the use of recordings (illegal here) and are now going to be making patrols of the area, especially when the park is closed, to ensure that no one is using recordings or harassing the birds now they are presumed to be breeding. Please be sure to pass this message around.

It also means they are expected to hang around! Which is good news to those arriving today and next week.

Kalloni Raptor Watchpoint

LESSER SPOTTED EAGLE 1

Honey-buzzard 1

Goshawk 1

Meladia Valley

LESSER SPOTTED EAGLE 1
GRIFFON VULTURE 1

Sigri & Faneromeni area

Nightjar 1 
Bee-eater 26
Temminck's Stint (beach)
Red-breasted Flycatcher 1 (beach)
Little Bittern 1 (upper ford)
Night-heron 1 (upper ford)
Red-footed Falcon 1
Lesser Kestrel 1
Rufous Bush-robin 1
Alpine Swift 3
Ruddy Shelduck 4

Lothario

Marsh Warbler 1
Bee-eater 4

Mt Ordimnos

Levant Sparrowhawk fem
Eleonora's Falcon 1

Napi

Levant Sparrowhawk 1
Montagu's Harrier 1
Red-footed Falcon 1
Marsh Warbler 1

Kalloni Saltpans & Alykes Wetlands

White-winged Tern 80

Whiskered Tern 30

Black Stork 24

White Stork 11

Purple Heron 5

Red-footed Falcon 1

Agriosikos

Eastern Bonelli's Warbler 3

Tsiknias River

Citrine Wagtail 2
Bee-eater 2

Metochi Lake

Little Bittern 3
Night-heron 16
Pallid Swift 3

Achalderi

Kruper's Nuthatch - female incubating and male visiting infrequently, expect to wait!

Kavaki

Ruppell's Warbler showing very well

Papiana

Scops Owl 
Long-eared Owl adult by nest with 3 young (same site as 2012)

Soumouria 'Scops Copse'

Scops Owl 5. Please do not harass the birds!

4 May - Spur-winged Plover and Red-breasted Flys

Cretzschmar's Bunting, Mesotopos, 4 May 2013 
(Emberiza caesia) Φρυγανοτσίχλονο 
© Steve Dudley
Lots of pairs around the west today, most of them actively collecting nest material like this bird

Change over day for the Brits, so far fewer people in the field today. A new Spur-winged Plover was found at Perasma Reservoir, but sign of either of yesterday's Great Snipe. Four Red-breasted Flycatchers out west.

Petrified Forest

WHITE-THROATED ROBIN

No news today.

We now have confirmation that we have two males and a female robin in the park. The males are holding territory close to one another and a female has been seen with the male near the concrete building. We are now treating this as a breeding attempt. Please therefore view only from the road and not from within the park to avoid disturbing them.

I've been told that the police are aware of misbehaviour here, including the use of recordings (illegal here) and are now going to be making patrols of the area, especially when the park is closed, to ensure that no one is using recordings or harassing the birds now they are presumed to be breeding. Please be sure to pass this message around.

It also means they are expected to hang around! Which is good news to those arriving today and next week.

Perasma Reservoir

Spur-winged Plover 1

Sigri & Faneromeni area

Spotted Crake 1 (lower ford)
River Warbler 1
Citrine Wagtail 3 (1 upper ford, 2 beach)
Red-breasted Flycatcher 1 (beach) + 1 Sigri beach

Meladia Valley

River Warbler 1 (river mouth)
Red-breasted Flycatcher 2 (fig grove)

Kalloni Saltpans & Alykes Wetlands

Rufous Bush-robin 2 in beach tamarisks (view from shoreline, please don't walk through bushes)
White-winged Tern 46
Whiskered Tern 22
Little Gull1 
Red-throated Pipit 6
Ruff 1285
Curlew Sandpiper 19
Turnstone 8
Black-tailed Godwit 1
Eurasian Curlew 1
Common Redshank 1
Little Stint 60
Black Stork 4

Christou (Kameras) River

Citrine Wagtail 2 (m&f)
Purple Heron 3
SandwichTern 1

Mesotopos

Eleonora's Falcon 2

Tsiknias River

Eleanora's Falcon 1
White-winged Tern 7
Little Gull 1 (same as saltpans)
Golden Oriole 2
Bee-eater 1
Rufous Bush-robin 2 (river mouth)

Podaras

Squacco Heron 8
Stone-curlew 1
Alpine Swift 6

Skala Eresou

Pallid Swift 2
Squacco Heron 6

Achalderi

Kruper's Nuthatch - female incubating and male visiting infrequently, expect to wait!

Kavaki

Ruppell's Warbler showing very well

Papiana

Scops Owl 
Long-eared Owl adult by nest with 3 young (same site as 2012)

Soumouria 'Scops Copse'

Scops Owl 5l. Please do not harass the birds!

3 May - now two Great Snipes!

Great Snipe, Nr Achladeri, 3 May 2013 
(Gallinago media) Διπλομπεκάτσινο 
© Anna Thompson

Two Great Snipes today, yesterday's bird still at Faneromeni and a new bird found near Achladeri. Griffon Vulture still out west. No news of either the White-throated Robins. Fewer shrikes out west but a cracking evening at Kalloni Saltpans with marsh terns and pratincoles.

Petrified Forest

WHITE-THROATED ROBIN

No news today.

We now have confirmation that we have two males and a female robin in the park. The males are holding territory close to one another and a female has been seen with the male near the concrete building. We are now treating this as a breeding attempt. Please therefore view only from the road and not from within the park to avoid disturbing them.

I've been told that the police are aware of misbehaviour here, including the use of recordings (illegal here) and are now going to be making patrols of the area, especially when the park is closed, to ensure that no one is using recordings or harassing the birds now they are presumed to be breeding. Please be sure to pass this message around.

It also means they are expected to hang around! Which is good news to those arriving today and next week.

Sigri & Faneromeni area

GREAT SNIPE 1 (lower ford)
Spotted Crake 1 (lower ford)
Red-backed Shrike 30+

Beach road between Achladeri and Skala Vasilikon

GREAT SNIPE 1 on first pool travelling south
Eleonora's Falcon 1

Nr Antissa

GRIFFON VULTURE 1

Kalloni Saltpans & Alykes Wetlands

Rufous Bush-robin 2 in beach tamarisks (view from shoreline, please don't walk through bushes)
Black Stork 24
White-winged Tern 38
Whiskered Tern 41
Sandwich Tern 2
Gull-billed Tern 5
Little Gull1 
Spoonbill 1
Ruddy Shelduck 4
Red-throated Pipit 6
Short-toed Lark 5
Collared Pratincole 12
Ruff 330
Temminck's Stint 2
Curlew Sandpiper 21
Mallard 1
Purple Heron 4
Mediterranean Gull 6
Grey Plover 4
Turnstone 3
Red-footed Falcon 10

Molivos

Great Spotted Cuckoo 1
Red-breasted Flycatcher 1

South of Vatousa

Eastern Bonelli's Warbler 3 singing males

Lardia Valley

Eleonora's Falcon 1

Gavathas

Scopoli's Shearwater 3
Alpine Swift 30
Bee-eater 12

Alikoudi

White-winged Tern 9
Whiskered Tern 1
Temminck's Stint 2
Greenshank 1

Kalloni Raptor Watchpint

Honey-buzzard 1
Hobby 2

Stipsi

Honey-buzzard 1

Agriosikos (east track)

Hawfinch 1

Metochi Lake

Little Bittern 3
Bee-eater 6
Purple Heron 1

Nr Skamioudi

Olive-tree Warbler 2

Potamia Valley

Olive-tree Warbler 1

Achalderi

Kruper's Nuthatch - female incubating and male visiting infrequently, expect to wait!

Kavaki

Ruppell's Warbler showing very well

Papiana

Scops Owl 
Long-eared Owl adult by nest with 3 young (same site as 2012)

Soumouria 'Scops Copse'

Scops Owl 5l. Please do not harass the birds!