Cape Tenaro Birder

Tuesday, 16 April 2019

Blue-cheeked Bee-eater

Sunday 14th April

Today was the last day of full coverage, details to follow. The undoubted highlight was a Blue-cheeked Bee-eater. First seen flying towards the lighthouse along the ridge above Pipit Plateau it then returned north and headed towards Kokinoghia where it was relocated sat on wires.

Saturday, 13 April 2019

Whitethroats and Wood Warblers

Summary - Saturday 13th April

This will follow late tomorrow (Sunday)

Grounded Migrants: Words to follow

Visible Passage: Words to follow

Raptors: Words to follow

Bird Ringing: Words to follow

Overall Total: 42 birds ringed from 96m of nets.

Weather: Wind

Wood Warbler at Kokinoghia

Ortolan Buntings at Paliros Church

The view along Vathi Bay to Cape Livadhi

Turkish Gecko

A Painted Lady Day

Summary - Friday 12th April
Run out of time for the blog, so will try and do later. Generally quiet for birds but a massive influx of Painted Ladies was very impressive.

Grounded Migrants: Words to follow

Visible Passage: Words to follow

Raptors: Words to follow

Bird Ringing: Details to follow

Overall Total: 14 birds ringed from 96m of nets.

Weather: to follow

A Painted Lady - part of today’s huge influx

The Isabelline Wheatear on ‘Pipit Plateau '

An alba wagtail at Kokinoghia

A Bee-eater flying high over Paliros

Friday, 12 April 2019

Nightingales and Wynecks

Summary - Thursday 11th April

An interesting arrival with a very marked increase in Nightingales (89) the highest day total we’ve yet recorded on the headland. One noticeable aspect of today’s fall was that it concentrated in the northern part of the headland, there were relatively few birds in Kokinoghia or along the route to the lighthouse.

The other main components of today’s fall were: Wryneck (11), Whitethroat (51) and Subalpine Warbler (43).

A Reed Warbler (ringed) was the first of the year, as were a party of Bee-eaters over Paliros.

Grounded Migrants: Full counts to follow, need to get back in the field !

Visible Passage: Two Tree Pipits were seen heading north at Beehive Pass early on, part of a small arrival of this species. At 13.00 the first Bee-eaters of the year flew north over Paliros.

Raptors: Two male Montagu’s Harriers were the only migrant raptors seen today.

Bird Ringing: Our best day's ringing yet, with sps, our best total so far. Nightingale (22), Subalpine Warbler (14), Whitethroat (13) were the top 3 species. Full figures to be added later.

Overall Total: 90 birds ringed from 96m of nets.

Weather: Wind NW 3-4 to start, clear. By 10.00 wind variable 2-3 later SW 3-4 with more cloud in the afternoon.

Nightingale at Secret Beach

Golden Oriole at Porto Kagio - a typical long range view

Robin at Porto Kagio - one of six migrants seen today (they don’t breed on the headland)

Distant view of a Montagu’s Harrier hunting over the mountain

Thursday, 11 April 2019

Willow Warblers and Wrynecks

Summary - Wednesday 10th April

The birding again proved to be hard work and it initially appeared that there were birds present however with the slackening wind after lunch and a determined effort to see out the most sheltered areas there proved to be some good numbers of birds present. The count of 51 Willow Warbler is the highest yet recorded. Other birds that proved to be present in reasonable numbers were Wryneck (7 - highest count this year), Woodchat Shrike (34), Nightingale (43) and Redstart (28).

One unexpected surprise was the reappearance (presumably) of yesterday’s White Stork feeding amongst cattle on Pipit Plateau.

Grounded Migrants: Details to follow later, run out of time again !

Visible Passage: Limited, one small flock of Spanish Sparrows seen to head north.

Raptors: One Kestrel was the only migrant raptor seen.

Bird Ringing: None

Weather: Another windy day, still WNW or NW 6-7 all morning, then F5-6 in afternoon. Dry. Some scattered cloud but mostly sunny

A Wryneck doing a dead stick impression at Paliros

Unknown insect in the mining bee colony at Mamari

White Stork feeding amongst cattle on ‘Pipit Plateau’

Spanish Sparrows - after yesterday’s large movement there are still small groups scattered across the headland

Tuesday, 9 April 2019

White Stork and Spanish Sparrows

Summary - Tuesday 9th April

A challenging day's birding with the strong winds meaning there were few sheltered areas and migrants were hard to count. Despite that we managed a good mix of species the best of which was an adult White Stork flushed from rocks in Porto Sternes, it circled around before departing north up the east side of the headland.

The other notable event today were northward bound gangs of Spanish Sparrows, all seen before 10.00. These birds had presumably arrived late yesterday in the increasing wind. Migrating flocks of Spanish Sparrows almost always move through Cape Tenaro early to mid-afternoon , presumably having left Africa at dawn the same day. The total count of 470 birds is a new record day count for the headland.

Two Red-throated Pipit found in ‘Swallow Hollow' were the first of the year.

Grounded Migrants: 1 Quail, 19 Hoopoe, 2 Wryneck, 44 Short-toed Lark, 21 Woodchat Shrike, 10 Willow Warbler, 14 Subalpine Warbler, 22 Whitethroat, 3 Great Reed Warbler, 14 Whinchat, 13 Black-eared Wheatear, 19 Northern Wheatear, 1 Isabelline Wheatear, 22 Nightingale, 10 Redstart, 8 Pied Flycatcher, 2 Collared Flycatcher, 12 Tawny Pipit and 1 Cretzschmar’s Bunting.

Visible Passage: 1 White Stork, 470 Spanish Sparrow went north (see summary)

Raptors: 4 Montagu's and 1 Marsh Harrier, 1 Kestrel. All four of the Montagu's spent some time hunting over the headland giving great views while they did so.

Bird Ringing: None, too windy

Weather: A windy day! Wind WNW 6-7 all day. Broken cloud to start, one heavy shower at 09.00. Patchy cloud after that with long sunny intervals.

White Stork over Porto Sternes

A male Redstart

Ophrys ferriun-equinum (Horseshoe Ophrys)

Willow Warbler on ‘Pipit Plateau’

A view of Vathi Bay and the road to Kokinoghia

A Wet Weather Fall

Summary - Monday 8th April
Despite the dreadful weather to start this proved to be an absolutely cracking days birding with the best variety of species so far recorded. Warblers in particular could be seen bush hopping northwards once the rain stopped, Whitethroat and Willow Warblers were the two most obvious species; there was a particularly noteworthy concentration of 35 Whitethroats in the fields at Mianes.
The small raptor passage today was also varied with 6 Marsh Harriers, single stunning male Pallid and Montagu's Harriers and two Kestrels.
Following the recent wet weather the ancient baths on the way to the lighthouse are now full and there was a Green Toad calling from there in the afternoon.

Grounded Migrants: 24 Hoopoe, 3 Wryneck, 14 Short-toed Lark, 10 Golden Oriole, 19 Woodchat Shrike, 31 Willow Warbler, 14 Wood Warbler, 14 Subalpine Warbler, 67 Whitethroat, 1 Garden Warbler, 28 Blackcap, 2 Great Reed Warbler, 9 Whinchat, 13 Black-eared Wheatear, 17 Northern Wheatear, 68 Nightingale, 11 Redstart, 28 Pied Flycatcher, 15 Collared Flycatcher, 19 Tawny Pipit, 18 Tree Pipit, 4 Ortolan Bunting

Visible Passage: 35 Turtle Dove (mostly flushed from olive groves), 44 Swallow, including 30 roosting on wires at Kokinoghia for a time.

Raptors: 6 Marsh Harriers, single stunning male Pallid and Montagu's Harriers and two Kestrels, all flew north. Given the focus on looking for grounded migrants we suspect more birds of prey were missed.

Bird Ringing: Nets only open from 12.00 to 16.00.

Ringing Totals: 1 Hoopoe, 1 Wryneck, 13 Pied Fly, 4 Collared Fly, 2 Nightingale, 4 Willow Warbler, 2 Wood Warbler, 3 Subalpine Warbler, 1 Whitethroat, 1 Blackcap, 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Redstart and 1 Robin.

Overall Total: 35 birds ringed from 94m of nets.

Weather: Overcsat with continuous rain until 10.00, then showers. Wind SW or WSW4-6. Showers finished about 11.30, then dry to 15.30, when more showers and increasing wind W5-6. Overcast with the odd, tiny patch of blue sky in the afternoon.