Lesvos, 27th April - 4th May, 2013 Part 2

Day 4                30th April, 2013

We started our day early heading west towards Sigri.

Our first stop was at Ipsilou

**Cretzschmar's Bunting, many
Black-eared Wheatear, to illusive for photography !


Cretzschmar's Bunting

onwards, onto the road up to the Petrified Forest seeing

Corn Bunting
Little Owl, 6
Lesser Kestrel, 2 over
Lesser Grey Shrike
Montagu's Harrier, f, over
Black-eared Wheatear, again very illusive


Corn Bunting

Lesser Grey Shrike

Little Owl

Montagu's Harrier, f

at Sigri we saw Flycatchers and Shrikes, all to distant and quick for photo's !


Back to Kalloni, a quick visit to the Owl site to see

Long-eared Owl, 1 adult + young
Scops Owl, 1,


                                Long-eared Owl

Then back to Kalloni Saltpans for the late afternoon


Black-headed Bunting

Crested Lark

Squacco Heron

                              Black-headed Bunting

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Day 5                           1st May, 2013

We head back north to Kavaki to try for a better look at the Ruppell's Warbler ! !

A crazy 2 hours looking at ONE bush, with THREE quality birds landing on it ! !


Ruppell's Warbler
Eastern Orphean Warbler
Black-headed Jay
Subalpine Warbler, lurking low around the bush, no photo.


Ruppell's Warbler

Black-headed Jay

                               Eastern Orphean Warbler

We head back down the Napi Valley seeing

Bee-eater, 7
Rock Nuthatch
**Sombre Tit
Woodchat Shrike
Red-backed Shrike

returning for the late afternoon to the Kalloni Saltpan, to the beach Tamarisk area to look for a reported

**Rufous Bush Robin

Very flighty, frequenting the same Tamerisk bushes, displaying, cocked tail, etc, EXCELLENT ! !

Rufous Bush Robin

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Day 6            2nd May, 2013

It's cool at 05.00 hours !  Mick turns the car heater on ''FULL''

We start our day at Kalloni Saltpans, the beach area with the Tamarisk to have another look at the Rufous Bush Robin. The views are more distant and briefer !

an added bonus 'first for me' came with Allan pointing out an EOW in the Tamerisk

**Eastern Olivaceous Warbler

Eastern Olivaceous Warbler

We moved on up the Napi Valley to catch the morning light to photograph a Rock Nuthatch we had found the previous day.

Photographed from inside our car, window camouflaged by my coat

Rock Nuthatch

now late morning, the plan is we are going to head off south to A. G. Fokas, lunch, a look around, then work our way back to the Polichnitos Saltpans to catch the late afternoon light for a few photo's !


we set off,  ( Mick does all the driving ).  
It's now 30* C
I immediately go to sleep !
The car stops !
I wake up with pounding headache ! Head feels like a hard boiled egg ! I am barely alive !
We are at Polichnitos, the sun is 'full on', what are we doing here ?
Mick felt tired and ill, he stopped because he could not drive any further !

Yes Mick ! the car heater is still on 'HOT' and you have had it 'ON' ..... ''FULL BLAST'' hot, for the last hour +   !

here, there is

Little Stint, 34
Curlew Sandpiper,
Black-winged Stilt
Wood Sandpiper
Stone Curlew, over

We recover and continue on to A. G. Fokas,
a leisurely lunch looking out to sea

**Yelkouan Shearwater
**Scopoli's Shearwater


on route back to Polchnitos,   Red-backed Shrike

Back at Polichnitos

Black-winged Stilt

Wood Sandpiper

the Little Stints and Curlew Sandpiper never came close


Back for the late afternoon to the Kalloni Saltpans to check out the Rufous Bush Robin, seen again but very, very illusive !

on the Saltpans

Common Tern

White-winged Black Tern

Squacco Heron

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Day 6,         2nd May, 2013

First light, down at Kalloni beach

Rufous Bush Robin

We then head west towards Makara.

on route between Parakila and Makara


Cretzschmar's Bunting

Rock Nuthatch

Chukar

at Makara pools

Alpine Swift
Common Swift

drinking in the pools within 8 metres, to fast for me to photograph !

As the sun gets higher in the sky, we travel back to Kalloni, then north, to a place where previously we had found Blue Rock Thrush.

The light is right !  From the car window, window is camouflaged up again by my jacket

Blue Rock Thrush

Back to Kalloni Saltpans for the early evening

Ruff

Common Tern

Greater Flamingo

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Day 8       4th May,   our final day


allowing for a short morning before 14.00 hours flight departure

We head to the local Metochi Lakes

Night Heron, to add to our seen list and this Woodchat Shrike paused briefly , at distance, for a photo.


Woodchat Shrike

a look at Kalloni Saltpans as we prepare to depart for the airport

Kentish Plover

A week in Lesvos ''finished''

Superb ! !   

Next year, 2 weeks, and catch up on all those Shrikes and maybe a Cinereous !

Big high fives to Allen and Bob, the Kent boys at our hotel, thanks for all info and the evening meetings !

also to meeting BR, MG and GB ( all of North Kent ? ) and HV ( Rainham Marsh ) out in the field, thanks for a smashing week. 

All though he nearly killed me, a big thanks to Mick Southcott, ''the driving force'' behind this trip.

Next year, 'remember to turn on the air con '''ON''' Mick