Monday, 20 May 2013
Wednesday, 15 May 2013
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
................................................................................
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
.....................................................................................................................................
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
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
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Back to Kalloni Saltpans for the early evening
Ruff
Common Tern
Greater Flamingo
.........................................................................................
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
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
................................................................................
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
We head back down the Napi Valley seeing
Bee-eater, 7
Rock Nuthatch
**Sombre Tit
Woodchat Shrike
Red-backed Shrike
**Rufous Bush Robin
Very flighty, frequenting the same Tamerisk bushes, displaying, cocked tail, etc, EXCELLENT ! !
.....................................................................................................................................
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
........................................................................................................
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
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Back to Kalloni Saltpans for the early evening
Ruff
Common Tern
Greater Flamingo
.........................................................................................
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
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