20 May 2010 - Rose-coloured Starlings

Rose-coloured Starlings seen today inc. 7 by the Tsiknias River ford and 2 between Metochi Lake and Potamia Valley.

Hawfinch nr Alikoudi Pool.

Fledged Black Storks seen along the Tsiknias River.

4 April - another Spotted Eagle!

Spotted Eagle, Meladia Valley, 4 Apr 10 © Sebastien Siblet

Sightings from Jean-Philippe & Sebastien Siblet's last day on the island. I'd like to thank them both for their daily updates which have just served to whet the appetite of those of us due out later this month!

Today's highlight was another Spotted Eagle. None for over a decade and then three in a week! I wonder how normal this is, that birds pass through when there are usually no (or very few) visiting birders on the island.

Meladia Valley - GREATER SPOTTED EAGLE 1, Goshawk 1, Marsh Sandpiper 8, Red-throated Pipit 2.

Sigri - COLLARED FLYCATCHER male.

Faneromeni - GREAT SPOTTED CUCKOO 1.

Metochi Lake - HAWFINCH 20+ feeding, SAVI'S WARBLER 1, Little Crake 8, Water Rail 1, Common Nightingale 1, Great Reed Warbler 2.

Tsiknias River - Spanish Sparrow 10.

Kalloni Saltpans & Alykes Wetlands - Black Stork 1, Pintail 2 (pr), Stone-curlew 2, Black-tailed Godwit 9, Marsh Sandpiper 39, Curlew Sandpiper 5, Short-toed Lark 40+, Red-throated Pipit 2.

Polichnitos Saltpans - Glossy Ibis 21 (Terry Robinson).

Meladia Valley - Cinereous Bunting, Orphean Warbler, Nothern Wheatear, Short-toed Eagle, Lesser Kestrel, Hen Harrier 4, Rock Nuthatch (Andy Stoddart).

3 April - Another Spotted Eagle, Savi's Warbler and Sykes' Wagtail

Spotted Eagle, over Kalloni Saltpans, 3 Apr 10 © Sebastien Siblet

Sightings from Jean-Philippe & Sebastien Siblet.

Kalloni Saltpans and Alykes Wetlands - GREATER SPOTTED EAGLE 1 (this weeks two birds are the first records since 1999), SYKES' WAGTAIL (beema) 1, Great White Egret 10, Little Egret 13, Glossy Ibis 125, Grey Heron 22, Purple Heron 20 (in off sea at dusk), Squacco Heron 1, Ruddy Shelduck 41, Common Shelduck 55, Shoveler 15, Pintail 1 (female), Common Teal 2, Garganey 15, Marsh Harrier 2, Hen Harrier 1, Osprey 1, Peregrine 1, Stone-curlew 1, Black-winged Stilt 30+, Avocet 300+, Ringed Plover 2, Little Ringed Plover 3, Kentish Plover 1, Black-tailed Godwit 17, Eurasian Curlew 2, Ruff 80, Marsh Sandpiper 4, Greenshank 26, Common Redshank 1, Wood Sandpiper 20, Green Sandpiper 1, Curlew Sandpiper 3, Little Stint 15, Common Tern 1, Short-toed Lark 40+, Black-headed Wagtail 6, Blue-headed Wagtail 20, Grey-headed Wagtail 1, Tree Pipit 2, Red-throated Pipit 1, Tawny Pipit 4, Lesser Whitethroat 6, Common Whitethroat 1, Blackcap 1, Woodchat Shrike 1, Spanish Sparrow 1.

Skala Kallonis Pool - SAVI'S WARBLER 1, Purple Heron 1, Sedge Warbler 5, Eurasian Reed Warbler 1.

Metochi Lake - HAWFINCH 30+, Purple Heron 2, Black Stork 1, Garganey 1, Long-legged Buzzard 2, Little Crake 5, Common Kingfisher 1, Sedge Warbler 4, Eurasian Reed Warbler 2, Great Reed Warbler 1, Masked Shrike 1, Reed Bunting 1.

Mesa - Great White Egret 21, Greater Flamingo 36, Common Shelduck 1, Ruddy Shelduck 4, Little Ringed Plover 12 ,Green Sandpiper 1, Wood Sandpiper 4.

Skala Vasilikon - WRYNECK 1, HAWFINCH 1, Great Crested Grebe 1, Orphean Warbler 1, Lesser Whitethroat 3, Common Whitethroat 1, Eurasian Reed Warbler.

Polichnitos Saltpans - Great White Egret 3, Black Stork 1, Common Shelduck 16, Hen Harrier 1, Black-winged Stilt 3, Avocet 6, Little Ringed Plover 15, Ringed Plover 2, Green Sandpiper 1, Little Stint 1.

Nifida - Glossy Ibis 1, Black-winged Stilt 6, Green Sandpiper 3, Wood Sandpiper 5, Cinereous Bunting 1.

Mikri Limni - Black-winged Stilt 6, Green Sandpiper 3, Common Cuckoo 1, Long-tailed Tit 5, Woodchat Shrike 1.

Eresso to Andissa - Cinereous Bunting 2, Sombre Tit, Subalpine Warbler, Hoopoe, Short-toed Eagle 11, Cretzschmar’s Bunting (many) Black-eared Wheatear (many), Hen Harrier 2, Middle Spotted Woodpecker (Andy Stoddart).

Also, I've been informed that Jean-Philippe's and Sebastien's count of 6000+ Little Gulls is a Greek record count!