Subalpine Warbler Arrival and a Merlin

Summary - Friday 5th April

An interesting day. There were very few visible migrants and it initially appeared that there had been a major clear out of grounded migrants. However reasonable numbers were trapped and ringed so it appears that birds were finding the most sheltered areas. Subalpine Warbler (49) was the most abundant species.

Other birds of note were 3 Sparrowhawk, 2 Semi-Collared Flycatcher and a Merlin seen from the ringing site before it headed north. This is a new species for the headland.

Grounded Migrants: Words to follow

Visible Passage: One flock of 80+ Spanish Sparrows flew north and landed near Koureli.

Raptors: 3 Sparrowhawk, 2 Kestrel and a Merlin.

Bird Ringing: 17 Subalpine Warbler, 6 Nightingale, 4 Blackcap, 3 Robin, 2 Chiffchaff, single Collared, Pied & Semi-Collared Flycatchers, also single Savi’s & Sardinian Warblers and a Woodchat Shrike

Overall Total: 38 birds ringed from 94m of nets.

Weather: Overcast N4-5 to start, occasional light showers, becoming prolonged and heavier from lunchtime. Wind increasing NE 6 later. Rain after dark.

Spanish Sparrow

A Badger caught on a camera trap near Koureli (our first sight record for the  headland)

Ophrys argolica

Thursday 4th April - Stone-curlew and Golden Jackal

Summary


Fewer birds about however there was still some enjoyable birding and the totals for some of the commoner migrants were still reasonable. The bird of the day was a Stone-curlew flushed from by the mosaics, it flew across Porto Sternes and landed close to the car park at Kokinoghia.


We also recorded our first Turtle Dove (at Porto Kagio late afternoon) and Savi's Warbler (heard singing at the ringing site) of the year.


An additional treat was good, but brief, views of a Golden Jackal in the central part of the headland.

Grounded Migrants: 7 Hoopoe, 1 Wryneck, 1 Woodchat Shrike, 5 Wood Warbler, 50 Blackcap, 53 Subalpine Warbler, 1 Savi’s Warbler, 3 a Song Thrush, 29 Nightingale, 2 Whinchat, 6 Redstart, 3 Norther Wheatear, 2 Robin, 1 Chaffinch, 30 Spanish Sparrow, 2 Cretzschmar's Bunting

Visible Passage: 19 Yelkouan and 11 Scopoli's Shearwaters flew east during a half hour seawatch.

Raptors: None !

Bird Ringing: 9 Blackcap, 6 Subalpine Warbler, 3 Wood Warbler, 1 Redstart, 4 Nightingale, 1 Robin and 1 Stonechat.


Overall Total: 25 birds ringed from 96m of nets.

Weather: Overcast and calm early on. Wind increasing ENE 4-5 during morning, cloud clearing. Little wind during afternoon.

Stone-curlew at Kokinoghia

Golden Jackal at Cape Tenaro

Collared Flycatcher watching a bee

Whinchat watching a bee

Northern Wheatear above Porto Kagio (looking for a bee)

Ophrys iricolor 

Wednesday 3rd April - Collared Flycatcher Fall

Summary - A really enjoyable day, with a decent and varied arrival. Many of the birds arrived during the course of the day. Subalpine Warblers (81) and Collared Flycatchers (44) were the two most conspicuous species. The undoubted highlight was a fine male Semi-Collared Flycatcher that gave stunning views as it fed along the road by the church at Paliros. We also recorded the first Whinchat and Cretzschmar's Bunting of the year.

Grounded Migrants: A decent fall with migrants being conspicuous in all locations visited. Totals for selected species were: 19 Hoopoe, 2 Wryneck, 3 Cuckoo, 1 Woodchat Shrike, 4 Wood Warbler, 1 Willow Warbler, 19 Chiffchaff, 7 Whitethroat, 81 Subalpine Warbler, 1 Whinchat, 20 Northern Wheatear, 14 Nightingale, 1 Robin, 5 Redstart, 1 Black Redstart, 44 Collared Flycatcher, 1 Semi-Collared Flycatcher and 6 Pied Dlycatcher.

Visible Passage: 17 Swallows nad 1 House Martin.

Raptors: A Sparrowhawk was flushed near Mianes and a Marsh Harrier flew northwards high up late afternoon.

Bird Ringing: A good day that started poorly with rather surprisingly no birds caught in the first two net rounds. Birds then started to move through. Totals for the day were: 3 Chiffchaff, 1 Wilow Warbler, 3 Willow Warbler, 9 Blackcap, 3 Subalpine Warbler, 1 Nightingale, 1 Robin, 11 Collared Flycatcher and 3 Pied Flycatcher.

Overall Total: 40 birds ringed from XXM of nets.

Weather: Winds mostly light and variable F1-3. Largely clear skies with small amounts of cloud. Visibility fair.

Collared Flycatcher at Marmari

Bird of the Day - a Semi-Collared Flycatcher at Paliros

Tuesday 2nd April - Getting Started

Text to in next few days much of day spent clearing the mist net lanes and putting up the nets.

Monday 1st April - Hoopoes and Swallows

Text to follow in next few days

Cape Tenaro 2019

Regular posts, technical glitches allowing, should start by tomorrow; in the meantime here are a few wildlife photos from the headland (comments on orchid identification welcome) all taken on Monday.

Hoopoe

 Ophrys mammosa

Woodcock Ophrys (O.scolopax)

Ruppell's Warbler

 Ophrys argolica

Evrota Delta

text and more  images to follow

Common Tree Frog

Spotted Redshank with Black-winged Stilts

First Ringing Recovery

During the winter we received news of our first ringing recovery. It was a Pied Flycatcher, it was ringed 24 April 2018 and found dead near Zurich in Switzerland 125 days later on 28 August after flying into a window. 

This location is 1677km northwest of Cape Tenaro.

Given the date of recovery the bird was probably on its autumn migration when it died.

We even have a picture of the unfortunate bird: