Small Arrival

The wind was pretty much in the north-east or east north-east all day and generally light, increasing slightly in the afternoon. There had clearly been a clear out overnight with far fewer birds singing below Beehive Pass as the sun rose and fewer birds to be seen in the bushes later on. Still the fine weather and less wind made for much easier and more enjoyable birding.

Totals for the day were 5 Hoopoe, 77 Bee-eater, 2 Wryneck, 57 Turtle Dove, 12 Woodchat Shrike, 18 Golden Oriole, 23 Short-toed Lark,13 Great Reed Warbler, 10 Garden Warbler, 25 Whitethroat, 10 Wood Warbler, 4 Willow Warbler, 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Icterine Warbler, 60 Whinchat, 21 Nightingale, 35 Spotted Flycatcher, 2 Collared Flycatcher, 13 Pied Flycatcher, 24 Tree Pipit and 3 Redstart.

The only very minor oddities were a late Greenfinch at Beehive Pass and a Collared Dove at Paliros.

Raptors: 2 Montagu's Harrier, 1 Marsh Harrier, 2 Red-footed Falcon, 8 Kestrel, 1 Hobby, 1Falcon Sp.

Lighthouse Watch: (30mins) 4 Scopoli's Shearwater, 11 Yelkouan Shearwater, 4 Swallows in from the south. There was also a Hobby that roared northwards as we started heading back.

Ringing Totals: Nightingale 5,  Willow Warbler 1,  Garden Warbler 6,  Whitethroat 2,  Sardinian Watrbler 2,  Pied Flycatcher 1,  IIcterine Warbler 1,  Great Reed Warbler 1,  Wood Warbler 1,  Sedge Warbler 1, Golden Oriole 1,  Chiffchaff 1.

Overall Total: 23 birds from 45m of nets.

Ground feeding Wood Warbler at Koureli

Ophrys orchid near Paliros