Last Morning

Highlights - Wednesday 20th April

A final morning’s birding before the last two of this year’s Tenaro Team departed. Clear skies overnight saw a clear out of grounded migrants and limited new arrivals. The highlights for the morning, in the limited time available, were 3 Eastern Orphean Warbler and a Roller (which may or may not be one of the birds seen on Monday).

Grounded Migrants: 5 Hoopoe, 1 Roller, 1 Wryneck, 6 Woodchat Shrike, 8 Whitethroat, 3 Eastern Orphean Warbler, 5 Collared Flycatcher, 10 Pied Flycatcher. 

Visible Passage: Limited …..

Raptors: 1 Montagu’s Harrier, 1 Harrier Sp, 2 Kestrel Sp.

Bird Ringing: None

Weather: Clear conditions overnight saw most of yesterday’s migrants depart. 

A Mini Flycatcher Arrival

Highlights - Tuesday 19th April 

A small arrival with black and white flycatchers the most conspicuous of the grounded migrants. Also on the move were swifts, Swallows and House Martins. Warblers were down in numbers.

Grounded Migrants: 4 Hoopoe, 2 Wryneck, 2 Golden Oriole, 14 Whitethroat, 23 Nightingale, 16 Redstart, 19 Collared Flycatcher, 24 Pied Flycatcher and 1 Ortolan Bunting.

Visible Passage: A strong movement of swifts say 150 move through, most of which were assumed to be Common Swifts. Also on the move 11 Bee-eaters, 150 Swallow, 100 House Martin ( a notable count for Tenaro) and 160 Spanish Sparrow.

Raptors: 2 Montagu’s Harrier, 2 Harrier Sp, 1 Eleonora’s Falcon

Bird Ringing: None

Weather: Showers overnight and more heavy rain early morning, clearing later.

Two Roller Day

 Highlights - Monday 18th April

The morning saw the first rain since we arrived 3 weeks ago with a shower before dawn and another two during the morning. This grounded a selection of migrants including 64 Nightingale and 29 Whitethroat it also provided the days highlight, two different Rollers, one in the lone pine and adjacent wires 500m north of Kokinoghia and the other on wires to the east of the car park at Kokinoghia. Rollers are a scarce spring migrant at Tenaro, with the last record being back in 2006, this is explained by their migration strategy as in spring they almost all migrate around the eastern end of the Mediterranean.

Other birds of note included a Black Kite, 6 Golden Oriole and at least 14 Bee-eaters.

Grounded Migrants: the rain helped to deliver a small arrival of migrants, Nightingale (64) and Whitethroat (29) being the most numerous. Other counts were: 6 Golden Oriole, 7 Woodchat Shrike, 7 Willow Warbler, 3 Subalpine Warbler, 1 Garden Warbler, 2 Great Reed Warbler, 2 Sedge Warbler, 13 Redstart, 13 Whinchat, 9 Collared Flycatcher, 15 Pied Flycatcher, 3 Ortolan Bunting and a single late Serin. 

Visible Passage: Good numbers of Swallows were present from early on with 100 feeding on the 'Narrows' at 07.00, with the total for the day of 310 being the highest spring count for the headland. Also 32 House Martin and 11 Red-rumpled Swallow through. 14 Bee-eater and 33 Turtle Doves, 25 Tawny Pipit, 31 Tree Pipit and 142 Spanish Sparrow were recorded.

Raptors: 1 Black Kite, 1 Montagu’s Harrier, 1 Harrier Sp, 2 Lesser Kestrel, 3 Kestrel Sp.

Bird Ringing: None

Weather: A pre-dawn shower was the first rain for over 3 weeks. Wind SE 3-4 early on, with two heavy showers during the morning. Overcast with sunny spells. A front moved through late morning after which SW 3-4.

Roller on the wires north of Kokinoghia \ '

Bedraggled Roller in the lone pine tree north of Kokinoghia 

Bee-eater and Turtle Doves at Paliros after one of the rain showers

Golden Oriole at Mianes

A Purple Heron Day

Highlights - Sunday 17th April

Despite expectations a great days birding with a diverse range of species arriving in off the sea at the lighthouse; featuring as the star attraction a spectacular flock of 42 Purple Herons that took almost half an hour to progress past the lighthouse.

The Purple Heron flock fighting; and eventually failing; to fly past the lighthouse

With the forecast similar to yesterday our hopes were not high however conditions in North Africa must have favoured departing migrants as visible passage of arriving birds proved to be the best since we arrived at the end of March (unusually it’s been all but non-existent throughout our stay). Numbers were not huge (see below) however after 3 weeks of almost non-existent movements it was great to see some visible migration.

Grounded Migrants: The continuing windy conditions made observations difficult until late afternoon when the wind finally eased. As a consequence the number of grounded migrants recorded was down on yesterday although it is hard to know if this reflects a true drop in numbers or was simple the windy weather menacing the birds were out of sight. Counts for a selection of species were: 1 Hoopoe, 1 Wryneck, 4 Woodchat Shrike, 18 Nightingale, 16 Redstart, 2 Spotted Flycatcher, 14 Black-eared Wheatear, 7 Northern Wheatear, 1 Isabelline Wheatear, 10 Whinchat, 13 Pied Flycatcher, 4 Collared Flycatcher, 2 Spotted Flycatcher, 6 Whitethroat, 4 Subalpine Warbler, 1 Blackcap, 1 Eastern Orphean Warbler, 1 Great Reed Warbler, 1 Wood Warbler, 1 Sedge Warbler, 4 Ortolan Bunting.

Visible Passage: Hirundines, Swifts and falcons were see moving north at Kokinoghia however a wider range of species were visible at ‘Turtle Dove Step’ (the first point on the path to the lighthouse that affords a view of both sides of the headland) which was watched form 11.30 to 13.00 and 14.35 to 15.25 (when passage had dried up).

Combined Counts as follows: 42 Purple Heron, 22 Turtle Dove, 2 Alpine Swift, 84 Common Swift,  3 Pallid Swift, 173 Swallow, 13 House Martin, 28 Sand Martin, 7 Short-toed Lark (+ 5 grounded), 151 flava Wagtail, 2 Red-throated Pipit, 4 Tawny Pipit, 30 Tree Pipit.

The Purple Herons, first seen at 12.25 as the arrived from the SW, twice tried to fly past the lighthouse and continue up the east coast, however the wind was so strong that they were beaten back. On each occasion they circled in a confused state before regrouping, they eventually came, painfully slowly, up the west side of the headland but were continuously caught by down drafts and eddies caused by the near gale force NE wind passing over the ridge that leads to the lighthouse. While the majority of the flock eventually went north (and may have landed on the slopes further north) at least 5 stragglers couldn’t keep up and landed on the slopes just north of the lighthouse (where they presumably waited for conditions to ease).

Raptors: 2 Kestrels, 1 Lesser Kestrel, 7 Kestrel Sp, 1 Hobby, 1 Falcon Sp

Bird Ringing: None

Weather: NE 7-8 overnight and much of the morning, dropping off after 15.00. Heavy cloud to start, brighter later. Rain threatened but only a few drops fell. Visibility fair.

E they 

A flava wagtail takes a first brief rest after crossing the Mediterranean 

Common Swift returning to Europe

Purple Herons arriving at Cape Tenaro

Purple Heron fighting the gusty wind 

Blasted by North-easterlies

Highlights - Saturday 16th April

Another day of sustained north-easterlies winds that hampered observations and limited the number of new migrants from reaching us; as a consequence some rather pitiful totals were recorded and the team's enthusiasm is flagging. 

About the only species showing an apparent increase were Nightingale (23) and the only minor oddity (and that’s stretching it) was an alba Wagtail that was feeding on the road at Kokinoghia.

Grounded Migrants: 4 Wryneck, 9 Hoopoe, 11 Woodchat Shrike, 13 Pied Flycatcher, 3 Spotted Flycatcher, 8 Collared Flycatcher, 23 Nightingale, 10 Whinchat, 2 Isabelline Wheatear, 3 Sedge Warbler, 3 Subalpine Warbler, 11 Whitethroat, 4 Ortolan Bunting.

Visible Passage: largely non-existent although a few hirundines, pipits, flava wagtails and Turtle Doves appeared to have managed to make it through.

Counts included 18 Swallow, 12 Red-rumpled Swallow, 12 Tawny Pipit, 24 Tree Pipit, 43 flavas and 16 Turtle Doves.

At the lighthouse both Yelkouan and Scopoli’s Shearwaters were closer in than usual despite the offshore wind.

Raptors: 1 Kestrel and 3 Kestrel Sp.

Bird Ringing: None

Weather: wind NE 6-7, increasing F7 later. Mostly sunny. Vis fair to good.

An 'alba' Wagtail at Kokinoghia - a regular migrant at Cape Tenaro but only in small numbers

Ortolan Bunting at Kokinoghia 

Hoopoe on the road to Koureli 

Yelkouan Shearwaters passing the lighthouse 

Flycatchers Sneak Through

Highlights - Friday 15th April

Another very windy day; surprisingly there seemed to be a small increase in some migrant species although it was unclear if this was due to new arrivals or birds filtering through to the few sheltered areas. 

Grounded Migrants: 12 Pied Flycatcher, 15 Collared Flycatcher, 9 Spotted Flycatcher, 10 Hoopoe,  1 Wryneck,16 Redstart, 6 Whinchat, 2 Isabelline Wheatear, 7 Whitethroat, 3 Sedge Warbler, 1 Eastern Bonelli’s Warbler, 2 Willow Warbler, 1 Eastern Orphean Warbler, 7 Woodchat Shrike.

Visible Passage: Limited due to the wind, early on 5 flava wagtails were seen trying to fly north from Kokinoghia however the wind on the edge of the village was so strong they eventually gave up and flew down wind.

Raptors: 2 Kestrel Sp were seen heading north

Bird Ringing: None

Weather: ENE6 thin hazy cloud, clearing to blue skies. Visibility good. Cloud mid afternoon and wind increasing ENE7

Other Wildlife: the first large snakes of the year were seen today, one near Kokinoghia and the other in the ringing site, both were probably Balkan Whip Snakes but as ever afforded only brief views 

Half hidden birds - today’s photos reflect the challenge of birding in windy conditions where most views were of birds bald hidden in the undergrowth 

Spotted Flycatcher at Marmari

Great Reed Warbler at Porto Kagio

Windy Weather Returns ……….

 Highlights - Thursday 14th April

A fresh wind got fresher as the day progressed, forcing the few migrants that were here in to the most sheltered areas. There had been a wholesale clear out of yesterday’s fall and there was scant evidence of new birds so the final ringing session of the year was a bit of a flop with just 6 birds ringed.

The overall tally of grounded migrants was dreadful - pretty much as bad as it gets at 5his time of year unless heavy rain or gale force winds make observations all but impossible.

Grounded Migrants: a few representative counts: 2 Hoopoe, no Wryneck, 12 Woodchat Shrike, just 4 Nightingale, 9 Whinchat, 13 Redstart, 7 Whitethroat, 3 Sedge Warbler, 1 Eastern Bonelli’s Warbler, 3 Collared Flycatcher, 7 Pied Flycatcher, 2 Spotted Flycatcher, 2 Ortolan Bunting. 

Visible Passage: Despite the unfavourable conditions 4 parties of Bee-eaters made it through the largest of these consisted of 17 birds. Other vis Mig migrants: 5 flava wagtail, 30 Spanish Sparrow.

Raptors: 1 Kestrel Sp and another falcon that was either a Hobby or Eleonora's

Bird Ringing: Just 6 birds of 4 species: 3 Subalpine Warblers, 1 Nightingale, 1 Wood Warbler, 1 Redstart. This was the final ringing session of the year as the last of the ringing team head home tomorrow. 

Weather: ENE5 increasing F6 later (gusting F7 occasionally) clear, and sunny some haze later. Visibility good.

Other Wildlife: A Golden Jackal was seen at first light, crossing the Porto Kagio road where it switches from the east to the west side of the headland.our first sighting this year.

Ortolan Bunting at Kokinoghia

Tree Pipit at Koureli 

The view south from the eastern edge of 'Swallow Hollow' to the Lighthouse 

The view north from the northern edge of 'Swallow Hollow’

A Fall of Nightingales

Highlights - Wednesday 13th April

More info to follow but today saw the first sizeable arrival of small migrants for 2 weeks. Nightingales were the dominant species with 97 being logged (of which 11 were ringed).

Other species present included 14 Collared Flycatchers, 18 Pied Flycatchers, 22 Woodchat Shrikes, 7 Whinchat and 31 Subalpine Warblers.

A photo posted on Twitter (@capetenaronews) of one of four ‘Spotted' Flycatchers recorded today, see below, have raised the possibility that the bird in question is actually a Mediterranean Flycatcher (Musciapa tyrrhenica) Postscript - after looking at more Spotted Flycatchers we do not feel this is likely and plumage tones and apparent lack of breast streaking are a product of the light and wind.

A Siskin, that was heard calling as it flew north over the ringing area, is an addition to our Cape Tenaro bird list.

Grounded Migrants: Words to follow

Visible Passage: Words to follow

Raptors: 1 Hen Harrier, 1 Marsh Harrier and 1 Kestrel Sp.

Bird Ringing: 43 birds of 10 species

Weather: Wind E or ENE 4 all day, clear but a bit hazy later. Visibility good.

Turtle Dove at Koinoghia

Spotted Flycatcher at Koureli

Whinchat at Mianes