23 April 08 - another Blue-cheeked Bee-eater!

Little Bittern by Tsiknias River Ford

Weather: sunney with thin cloud and light southerly breeze. Max temp. 23 C.

More signs of things improving with Black-headed Buntings reported widely from around the Kalloni area, more Whinchat, etc.

Please check previous days for late additions.

Today's highlights -

Meladia River Ford - BLUE-CHEEKED BEE-EATER 1.

Sigri - CITRINE WAGTAIL 1 (fem).

Kalloni Saltpans - Slender-billed Gull 3, Collared Praticole 14, Black Tern 1, Marsh Sandpiper 2, Spotted Redshank 2, Curlew Sandpiper 5+, Greenshank 12, Ruff 390+, Curlew 2, Black Stork 3, Ruddy Shelduck 6, GreaterFlamingo 223, Great White Egret 1.

Alykes Wetlands (Saltpan Sheepfields) - Red-throated Pipit 3, Short-toed Lark 12, Common Snipe 1.

Metochi Lake - Little Crake 2, Black Stork 1, Bee-eater 2, Short-toed Eagle 2, Long-legged Buzzard 2.

Tsiknias River - Little Bittern 1, Black-headed Bunting 5+, Mediterranean Gull 19, Ortolan Bunting 1, Temmick's Stint 2, Marsh Sandpiper 1, Masked Shrike 1, Long-legged Buzzard 1 (hunting all day from same telegraph pole as same week last year), Stone-curlew 3.

North Coast - Eleanora's Falcon 2, Audouin's Gull 3.

Christou River - Red-throated Pipit 1, Great White Egret 1.

22 April 08 - Getting better!

Weather: thin cloud with occasional sunny periods and very strong south to south-easterly wind in gave way to overcast, cooler and little wind from around mid-afternoon. Max. 20 C.

A distinct improvement on the migrant front today, but still no great numbers of migrant passerines. More Short-toed Eagles, Long-legged and Common Buzzards around today.

Today's highlights:

Sigri Fields - 1st sum male PALLID HARRIER, Lesser Kestrels 15+, Spotted Flycatcher 1.

Ipsilou - in extremely strong wind, MERLIN 1 (c. 7th record for island), Eleanora's Falcon 1, Wood Warbler 1, Pied Flycatcher 1.

Faneromeni area - lots of Alpine Swifts over, Pied Flycatcher 1, Spotted Flycatcher 2.

Maladia River Ford - Ortolan Bunting 1, Icterine Warbler 1, Pallid Swift 1, Wood Warbler 1, fem Sardinian Warbler, Great Reed Warbler 1, Long-legged Buzzard 2, Short-toed Eagle 3.

Skala Eresou river ford - Squacco Heron.

Makara - Chukar, lots of Alpine Swifts over, Black-headed Bunting 1, Northern Wheatear 3, flava Yellow Wagtail 11, thunbergi Yellow Wagtail 4, Chiffchaff 1.

Kalloni Saltpans season pool opposite entrance - Marsh Sandpiper 1, Spotted Redshank 2.

Kalloni Mini Soccer Pitch (Scops Copse) - Scops Owl 3. Directions forone bird: when in the copse, the fifth roadside eucalyptus tree from the entrance by the soccer pitch (tree marked by a chocolate choice plastic drink bottle at its base). The bird is by the trunk on the soccer pitch side c.10 up, and best looked for from the other entrance side of the tree.

Napi Valley - Ortolan Bunting 5.

21 April 08 - Still very slow

Today was another scorcher, with clear skies, max. 29 C and very light breeze from the south to south-west.

There was sign of some movement, but migrant passerines in particular are few and far between - no leaf warblers, no flycatchers, and only a few Whinchat, 'yellow' wagtails and Bee-eaters. More Masked Shrikes and Orphean Warblers now on territory and more Hoopoes in evidence.

We heard belatedly about a Spur-winged Plover east of the Tsiknias River mouth, but no sign this morning.

Today's highlights -

Kalloni Saltpans - imm male PALLID HARRIER, Spotted Crake (pool opposite Saltpans entrance - since 15th), White Stork, 14 Night-heron, 2 Spotted Redshank, 39 Greenshank, fem Mantagu's Harrier, male Shoveler, Black Storks, Great White Egret, Ruddy Shelduck, Mallard (male).

Tsiknias River - Black-headed Bunting (first confirmed sighting), Squacco Heron, Bee-eater (small numbers), Lesser Kestrel, Stone-curlew.

Saltpan Sheepfields - Tawny Pipit, 19 Red-throated Pipit, Short-toed Lark, Stone-curlew, Ruddy Shelduck.

Platania - 6+ Golden Oriole, Goshawk, Long-legged Buzzard.

Skala Kallonis Pool - Squacce Heron 4, Little Bittern 1.

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!

19 April 08 - Blue-cheeked Bee-eater

Weather: thick, black clouds over the higher areas gave way to a sunny, hot day by late morning.
The big news today was the fifth Lesvos record of BLUE-CHEEKED BEE-EATER found at dusk between Skala Kallonis and the Tsiknias River at dusk by Sunbird group led by Ian Lewington and Killian Mullarney.

I started with my Athene/Hotel Pasiphae group at Metochi Lake, but things very slow with only a single Little Crake and flu-over Ruddy Shelduck (2) and Black Stork.

We decided to grill the 'Scops Copse' north of Kalloni by the mini soccer pitch. We weren't alone, but it took an inquisitive local to find us a Scops Owl! He said he didn't know it was there and it was luck. Yes, lucky for us, cos this bird so well hidden, and the tree it is in makes it nine trees I've seen birds using in this copse over the years.

Scops Owl at the Kalloni Mini Soccer Pitch

We then spent an hour at the Kalloni Bandstand waiting for the clouds to lift from the hills. It wasn't a wasted hour with several Short-toed Eagles (inc a displaying pair), Lesser Kestrel, Red-footed Falcon, Goshawk and several flocks of migrating Spanish Sparrows plus plenty of more expected stuff like Orphean Warbler, buntings, Rock Nuthatch, etc.

We headed north to the Ruppell's Warbler site near Petra where we found 3-4 Ruppell's Warblers singing and chasing one another around the scrubby slopes. Plenty of local breeders and masses of small flocks (totalling several hundred) of Spanish Sparrows moving through.

The north coast track to Skala Sikaminias was very, very quiet apart from a flock of eight fly-over Bee-eaters and plenty of Turtle Doves.
Singing male Subalpine Warbler, north coast track

With time pressing we heading south to the Kalloni Saltpans and headed for the works entrance area. The seasonal pool opposite the entrance is not that high (no where near as much water here than as in 2005). The pools was disappointing with no unusual waders or terns. A ring-tail Montagu's Harrier was quartering the fields, a Quail was calling and up to five Red-throated Pipits fed in the shorter grassyareas.

One the Saltpans held some waders including a Sanderling, 3 Curlew Sands, Little Stints and a couple of Stone-curlew.

The only other bird of noted reported to me today is a Citrine Wagtail at the ford on River Tsiknias.

18 April 08 - A real red heron day

Part of the incredible 32 Night-herons (top birds) and 53 Purple Herons seen together over Kalloni Saltpans this evening

Having arriced yesterday, our first day in the field was first rate!

Morning overcast and warm, afternoon mixed sunshine and cloud with rising temps, max. c.22 C.

We arrived last night and were keen to get out this morning! Good numbers of swifts and hirundines moving through, reasonable numbers of acros, some Whinchat, a few shrikes, plus . . .

Skala Kallonis Pool
The water levels were lower than I expected and there was actually very little here - no waders, no wagtails, few warblers. Wed did see 1 Purple Heron, 4 Squacco Heron, male Garganey and a male Red-footed Falcon.

Metochi Lake
Water level here was high and good numbers of warblers including Great Reed Warbler. Woodchat Shrike, 1 Night-heron, 2 Little Crake, 2 Short-toed Eagle, 2 Ruddy Shelduck, 1 Grasshopper Warbler (reeling).

Back at the Hotel Pasiphae we had a Black Stork fly over and a flock of 35 (!) Night-herons to the north. Now that was more like it!

Achladeri
Great Kruper's Nuthatch action with at least three feeding birds. Birds very vocal but no indication of nest site. Short-toed Treecreeper, Masked Shrike, Short-toed Eagle, Black Stork, loads of Common and Alpine Swifts.

Drive to Polichnitos Saltpans
Masked Shrike, 3 Red-backed Shrike, Woodchat, Middle Spotted Woodpecker, Black Stork.

Polichnitos Saltpans
Green Sandpiper, Northern Wheatear.

Vatera
5 Bee-eater

Near Kato Stavros
1 Golden Oriole, 2 Orphean Warbler, 3+ Sardinian Warbler, Short-toed Eagle, Long-legged Buzzard.

Mesa
6 Ruddy Shelduck, Great White Egret.

Kalloni Saltpans
We'd already had a great day, but arriving at the Saltpans at 6.30 pm, the next hour was fantastic! The first pan by the main road was holding 143 Black-winged Stilt and 337 Avocet. Thanks to Eleni's reports from the last week I knew instantly these numbers were way up - more good signs of movement. We picked out the usual Ruff, Little Stint, Greenshank and a lone Stone-curlew.

We then had a flock of 32 Night-herons come over and start circling to gain height. Within a few minutes, 53 (!) Purple Herons came out of a nearby field. They too started circling, and within about ten minutes we had both the Purple Rons and Night-herons circling together. What they were up to, who knows. They spent the next 30 mins circling around looking what to do! We continued to watch the pans and picked up 23 Gull-billed Terns and 6 Whiskered Terns. Looking back up to the heron flock, they had now been joined by two Curlew and 4 Whimbrel! We ended up leaving this flock flapping around high up wondering what they were going to do for the night.

In all a fanatastic day! Day totals of 68 Nigh-herons, 55 Purple Herons and 8 Black Storks. Water levels in some places do seem lower than I had expected, but still plenty of surface water, but temperatures beginning to climb steadily.

11-17 April 08 - bird news

Blue-cheeked Bee-eater, 14 April 2008, near the River Tsiknias © Bill Baston/http://www.billbaston.com/

We arrived on the island yesterday and Shena & John Maskell were already at our hotel and birding here since the 11th. Here are some of there highlights.

17 April
2 Masked Shrike - Sigri to Eressos track

16 April
1 Whiskered Tern, Ruff, 8 Marsh Sandpiper, 4 Red-throated Pipit - Kalloni Saltpans
Kruper's Nuthatch, Scops Owl calling - Achladeri

15 April
39 Purple Herons - Skala Kallonis Pool
2 Ruppell's Warbler - nr Petra

14 April

Blue-cheeked Bee-eater - nr mouth of Tsiknias River (photo above)
Little Crake, Turtle Dove - Parakila Marsh
Cinereous Bunting, Ortolan Bunting, Orphean Warbler - Agios Ioannis
2 Lesser Kestrel, 1 Long-legged Buzzard - Apothika to Makara

13 April
1 Green Sandpiper - River Christou
Purple Heron, Crag Martin, Long-legged Buzzard - Potamia

12 April
3 Squacco Heron , 2 Glossy Ibis - Skala Kallonis Pool
Hoopoe, Collared Fly - Upper River Tsiknias
9 Garganey, 30 Ruddy Shelduck, 130 Avocet, 16 Black-winged Stilt - Kalloni Saltpans

11 April
Little Bittern - Tsiknias River