Lovely weather but few birds ........... 18th April

A slow day with very light or no wind. The most obvious newly arrived migrants were Pied Flycatcher and Wood Warbler.

Grounded Migrants: Words to follow

Visible Passage: Bee-eaters with 56 were the only obvious sign of passage migrants.

Raptors: No obvious passage, with exception of 2 Montagu's Harrier and a single Harrier Sp seen later in day. The 13 Kestrel and single Pallid Harrier well may have been lingering birds from yesterday.

Bird Ringing: 1 Wryneck, 7 Whitethroat, 2 Wood Warbler, 1 Willow Warbler, 1 Redstart, 4 Pied Flycatcher and 1 Spottted Flycatcher.

Overall Total: 20 birds ringed from 93m of nets.

Weather: Calm or Variable 1-2 (occasionally F3) all day. Clear or some scattered cloud, more cloud late afternoon. Visibility still poor due to lingering murk

Greater Short-toed Lark on Pipit Plateau

Kestrels, Harriers and a small arrival - 17th April

With the light winds the birding was much more enjoyable today, though again there was no significant fall.
Birds of note included a Sparrowhawk at Marmari and an Eleonora's Falcon perched on wires on the Narrows. 

Grounded Migrants: Words to follow

Visible Passage: Words to follow

Raptors: 2 Marsh Harrier, 2 Pallid Harrier, 2 Montagu's Harrier, 2 Harrier Sp, 1 Sparrowhawk, 13 Kestrel, 1 Lesser Kestrel, 3 Kestrel Sp, 1 Eleonara's Falcon and 1 Falcon Sp

Bird Ringing: 1 Wryneck, 1 Woodchat Shrike, 8 Whitethroat, 2 Sedge Warbler, 4 Nightingale, 2 Whinchat, 1 Redstart and 1 Tree Pipit.

Overall Total: 21 birds ringed from 93m of nets.

Weather: Words to follow

Wind eases - Swallows & flavas move through - 16 April 2017

After two days of seemingly relentless ENE winds it was a relief when they finally dropped off mid-morning allowing us to assess what grounded migrants were present. As we expected there were not at many, although there was a a notable increase in Woodchat Shrike (with 17 present) and 12 Redstart. . The lack of birds in the bushes was made up for by some visible passage during the late morning and afternoon with Swallows, flavas and a few raptors moving through.
Other birds of note were the first Spotted Flycatcher of the year at Paliros and a female Ruppell's Warbler trapped and ringed. There were 3 late Greenfinch at Paliros.

Grounded Migrants: 1 Wryneck, 4 Hoopoe, 17 Woodchat Shrike, 1 Wood Warbler, 1 Willow Warbler, 14 Whitethroat, 6 Great Reed Warbler, 8 Nightingale, 12 Redstart, 10 Whinchat, 12 Red-throated Pipit.

Visible Passage: 30 Bee-eater, 112 Swallows (including a tight flock of 60 north at Porto Kagio, 146 flavas.

Raptors: 2 Marsh Harrier, 2 Montagu's Harrier, 5 Harrier Sp, 2 Kestrel, 3 Kestrel Sp., 7 Falcon Sp.

Bird Ringing: 3 Whitethroat, 1 Ruppell's Warbler, 1 Great Reed Warbler, 1 Sedge Warbler, 1 Nightingale and 1 Redstart.

Overall Total: 8 birds ringed from 93m of nets.

Weather: NE6 then wind dropped to calm between 10.30 and 11.00am, freshening WSW 4-5 late in afternoon. General overcast and murky.

PHOTOS - the IT glitch continues, I'll get the blog up to date and then sort out the pictures

East Wind and a few Raptors - 15th April

A day dominated by the strong ENE wind that ended up as a gale in the afternoon. As a consequence looking for grounded migrants was very challenging !! The only sheltered area of bushes was by the church at Paliros.

Grounded Migrants: Very few ! Representative counts were 4 Turtle Dove, 3 Pied Flycatcher, 4 Whitethroat, 1 Great Reed Warbler, 6 Nightingale, 1 Redstart and 6 Wheatear. On a very windswept Pipit Plateau there were 3 Red-throated Pipit, 2 Tawny Pipit and 2 Short-toed Lark.

Visible Passage: A few Swallows (10) slipped through during through during the afternoon, and there were some small parties of grounded flavas that totalled 67 by the end of the day.

Raptors: Despite the wind a few raptors made it through, mostly during a short period in the early afternoon: 4 Montagu's Harriers, 1 Harrier Sp, 5 Kestrels and 7 Falcon Sp (probably Kestrels).

Bird Ringing: Too windy to ring safely.

Overall Total: 0 birds ringed. 

Weather: Wind ENE all day, starting F6-7 increasing F8 later; overcast with poor visibility and Saharan murk.

Ongoing IT glitch means no pictures again - Sorry

Pipits, Wheatears and Bee-eaters - 14th April

Despite the fresh ENE wind there were a good mix of migrants around today, although only small numbers. There had clearly been a small arrival of Black-eared Wheatears with at least 8 scattered along the shore of Porto Sternes, along with 2 Northern Wheatears. On Pipit Plateau there was a good mix of pipits with Tree, Red-throated and Tawny, also 10 Short-toed Larks.

Small numbers of Bee-eaters passed through during the day and during the afternoon there was a small northward movement of Swallows.

Grounded Migrants: 21 Black-eared Wheatear, 2 Northern Wheatear, 3 Redstart, 2 Wryneck, 14 Woodchat Shrike, 13 Whinchat, 4 Great Reed Warbler, 1 Wood Warbler, 14 Whitethroat and 13 Nightingale.

Visible Passage:  a total of 31 Bee-eaters flew north. Also 41 Swallow and 67 flavas.

Raptors: A solitary Kestrel flew out south at the lighthouse. 1 Montagu's and 1 Harrier Sp north. 

Bird Ringing:  7 Whitethroat, 2 Sedge Warbler, 3 Nightingale, 1 Woodchat, 2 Pied Flycatcher, 1 Collared Flycatcher and 1 Semi-collared Flycathcher.

Overall Total: 17 birds ringed from XXM of nets.

Weather: ENE 4-5 increasing 6, clear skies all day but murky with Saharan dust.
  PICS TO FOLLOW - a major IT hiccup making uploads challenging !!!

Cape Tenaro - first full day 2018

Post to follow

Evrota Delta - Herons, Wagtails and People

Post to follow, need to catch up !!

This recently cut ditch appears to have been dug to lower water levels in the main lagoon and wetland area of the Natura 2000 site, hard to belief it helps conserve the wildlife interest
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Spring 2018

Spring is here !! Posts this year will hopefully start on Friday 13th April

Blue-cheeked Bee-eater 4 April 2013