Showing posts with label egyptian vulture. Show all posts
Showing posts with label egyptian vulture. Show all posts

2 May - reigning raptors

Rose-coloured Starling, Meladia Valley © Steve Dudley

Heavy showers in the morning in the Kalloni area eventually cleared and gave way to blue skies and followed by a string of raptors moving across the island. I wonder what we missed?!

General - arrival of Black-headed Buntings continues and they are all over the place. Bee-eaters everywhere. Large arrival of Sedge Warblers and Great Reed continues and large movement of swifts today inc. several Pallid.

Tsiknias River - WHITE-TAILED EAGLE subadult north at 1020h (fifth record for the island). Pallid Swift 1, Red-backed Shrike 2.

Vouvaris River Mouth - EGYPTIAN VULTURE subadult seen perched then flew north at 1800h (11th island record).

Agiasos - Large eagle sp. north at c. 1300h.

Makara - BLACK KITE 2 on off sea to north, Barred Warbler 1.

Meladia Valley - Rose-coloured Starling 1 (first report of the spring, and early), Pallid Swift sev, Alpine Swift 200+, Common Swift 400+.

Metochi Lake - Moustached Warbler reported for third day, Little Bittern 3.

Kalloni Saltpans area - RUFOUS BUSH ROBIN 1 in seaside tamerisks west of the beach cafe. Barred and Sardinian Warblers along the south road near hide. LANNER FALCON juv down the east pans track. White-winged Black Tern 1, Green Sandpiper 1 on pans. Gull-billed Tern 1, Black Stork 1, Glossy Ibis 10+, Squacco Heron 6+, Purple Heron 2, Great White Egret, Ruddy Shelduck and Garganey on flooded fields opposite the saltworks entrance. Collared Pratincole 2 in Alykes Wetlands (sheepfields).

Achladeri - ELEONORA'S FALCON 3 hawking insects over the car park for c.1/2 hour. Kruper's Nuthatch the male near the white building has managed to attract a mate at long last and both birds showed brilliantly today as they continued to excavate the nest hole. Night-heron 2 roosting in pine trees.

Farmakies Pool (Skala Vasilikon Harbour) - Citrine Wagtail female, Serin 2.

Kalloni Mini Soccer Pitch - Scops Owl 2. IMPORTANT NOTICE - please do not view either bird from the road. The Police have said they will book anyone doing so for obstructing the road.

Polichnitos Saltpans - Green Sandpiper 1, Red-throated Pipit 2, Bee-eater 100+ in area.

7 May 08 - Egyptian Vultures!

Weather
heavy rain overnight continued until mid morning and the overcast sky eventually cleared to give a sunny laste afternoon and evening.

Today's highlights -

Nr Ipsilou - EGYPTIAN VULTURE 2 together to north c. noon.

Kalloni Saltpans - PALLID HARRIER 1 (1st sum fem), SPUR-WINGED PLOVER 2, Osprey 1, Gull-billed Tern 1, White-winged Black Tern 22, Black Tern 2, Red-footed Falcon 12, Little Stint 210+, Ruff 230+, Curlew Sandpiper 60+.

Nr Eressos - BLACK KITE 1.

Ipsilou - Rock Sparrow 5.

Faneromeni - Lesser Grey Shrike 1, Bee-eater 40.

Old Sigri Sanatorium - Rufous Bush Chat 2, Lesser Grey Shrike 1.

Alykes Wetlands - Citrine Wagtail 1, Collared Pratincole 7, Ringed Plover 15, Spotted Redshank 1.

Skamnioudi Pool - Temminck's Stint 1, Little Stint 24, Ruff 36, Wood Sandpiper 70+, Goshawk imm male.

Polichnitos Saltpans - Eleanora's Falcon 1, Little Stint 160+, Curlew Sandpiper 52, Grey Plover 1, Black Stork 1.

Almiropodamos River - Little Bittern 1, Ortolan Bunting 1, Serin 1.

Tsiknias River - Slender-billed Gull 3, Temminck's Stint 5, Black Stork 2, Grey Plover 4.

Nr Polichnitos Saltpans - Roller 2.

Meladia River Ford - Roller 1, Marsh Warbler 2, Icterine Warbler 2, Rufous Bush Chat 2.

Metochi - Little Bittern 6+, Hobby 1.

Reporting your sightings
I leave the island tomorrow and it would be great to keep the records coming in and keep these daily summaries as complete and as interesting as possible. Please send me your records direct to -
steve at toadsnatcher dot com
00447767787287

Thanks to everyone who has supplied reocrds over the last three weeks. I know from feedback from birders coming out here the updates have been greatly appreciated by many.

I've been told of some of the funny bird names that have crept in over the weeks. Its sometimes hard typing anf holding three converdations at once!