20 April 08 - No migrants!

Weather: very sunny and hot (max. 27 C) with moderate to strong southerly and south-westerly wind.

We checked the area where the Blue-cheeked Bee-eater was seen last night from 06.30h, but nothing.

After breakfast we went west and found both Ipsilou and the Meladia Ford areas devoid of all passerine migrants. Even the sheltered northern side of Ipsilou held not a single warbler or flycatcher. We di get great Cinereous Bunting and Rock Sparrow action, and great views of Isabelline Wheatear between the Eresos/Sigri road junction and the Ipsilou.

We drove the cattle track from Eresos to Sigri. The Meladia Ford was also migrant free. The stop was saved only by finding an active Sombre Tit nest at the fig orchard.

After a great lunch at Taverna Australia in Sigri, we headed back to Eresos to Pithariou Reservoir - another wasted effort with absolutely nothing of note.

We decided to cut our losses and head back to the Kalloni area. Along the Tsiknias River we stumbled across 13 Bee-eaters. The river itself held little more than a few Wood Sands and LRP and one Green Sand, and no sign of yesterday's Citrine Wagtail. At the Saltpans we found a lone Marsh Sandpiper in the moat. The pools by the saltpans entrance were pretty much bird-free, but we fared better in the Sheepfields - 1 Collared Pratincole, 1 Temminck's Stint, ring-tail Montagu's Harrier, 21 Short-toed Lark, 12 Red-throated Pipit.

With the weather turning so settled and hot so early, the outlook for the seasonal pools and some of the smaller rivers is not good. The surface water on the Sheepfields and elsewhere near the Saltpans is already quite low. We need some cloud cover to slow down evaporation and we need some birds!