Bird Ringing: Words to follow
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| Wood Warbler at Kokinoghia |
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| Ortolan Buntings at Paliros Church |
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| The view along Vathi Bay to Cape Livadhi |
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| Turkish Gecko |
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| A Painted Lady - part of today’s huge influx |
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| The Isabelline Wheatear on ‘Pipit Plateau ' |
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| An alba wagtail at Kokinoghia |
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| A Bee-eater flying high over Paliros |
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.
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| Nightingale at Secret Beach |
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| Golden Oriole at Porto Kagio - a typical long range view |
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| Robin at Porto Kagio - one of six migrants seen today (they don’t breed on the headland) |
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| Distant view of a Montagu’s Harrier hunting over the mountain |
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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 .
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| A Wryneck doing a dead stick impression at Paliros |
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| Unknown insect in the mining bee colony at Mamari |
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| White Stork feeding amongst cattle on ‘Pipit Plateau’ |
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| Spanish Sparrows - after yesterday’s large movement there are still small groups scattered across the headland |
Bird Ringing: None, too windy
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White Stork over Porto Sternes
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Ophrys ferriun-equinum (Horseshoe Ophrys) |
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| Willow Warbler on ‘Pipit Plateau’ |
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| A view of Vathi Bay and the road to Kokinoghia |
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| Hoopoe sheltering from the rain in a Kokinoghia olive grove |
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| Wryneck - one of two seen on 'Pipit Plateau' today |
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| Marsh Harrier heading north at Kokinoghia |
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| One of a flock of 4 Ortolan Buntings seen above Kokinoghia |
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| Woodchat Shrike by the road to Kokinoghia |
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| Green Toad at Mianes |
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| A male Redstart at Kokinoghia |
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| Hoopoes near Aghirokambi |
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| Violet Limodore - Limodorum abortivum |
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| Greek Legless Skink - Ophiomorous punctatissimus |
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| A Ruppell's Warbler near the Lighthouse |
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Summary - Saturday 6th April
After a dreadful start due to the weather (but a welcome lie in) it proved to be an excellent day's birding with good numbers of a wide variety of species present. The most abundant species were Nightingale, Subalpine Warbler, Hoopoe and Pied & Collared Flycatchers. Numbers of other species also showed a marked increase: Wryneck, Cuckoo, Woodchat Shrike, Whitethroat and Black Redstart.
Presumably due to birds making landfall at the first opportunity there were good numbers on the southern part of the headland including 20 Subalpine Warblers on the approach to the lighthouse.
We also had our first Sedge Warblers (3), Garden Warblers (2), Quail (1) and Common Sandpipers (3).
Grounded Migrants: 25 Hoopoe, 7 Wryneck, 5 Cuckoo, 7 Woodchat Shrike, 8 Wood Warbler, 33 Blackcap, 11 Whitethroat, 71 Subalpine Warbler, 71 Nightingale, 6 Redstart, 4 Black Redstart, 14 Black-eared Wheatear, 11 Northern Wheatear, 20 Pied Flycatcher and 34 Collared Flycatcher.
Visible Passage: a 20 minute seawatch late morning saw 6 Scopli's Shearwaters go east and 11 Yelkouan Shearwaters fly west. No other obvious movement with the exception of a Purple Heron that came in from the south and then veered out west without making landfall. Raptors: 4 Marsh Harrier, 1 Kestrel, 1 Sparrowhawk and our second Merlin.
Bird Ringing: Nets not opened until 10.00 and ringing from then until 17.30. A reasonable day, with the biggest variety of species so far: 9 Subalpine Warbler, 8 Pied Fly, 5 Nightingale, 3 Blackcap, 3 Collared Fly, 2 Wood Warbler, singles of: Wryneck, Woodchat, Sedge Warbler, Chiffchaff, Sardinian Warbler and Whitethroat. Overall Total: 36 birds ringed from 94m of nets. Weather: Torrential rain all night with near gale force NE winds. Rain lighter after 08.00 and had stopped by 09.30. Overcast. Weather improved during the morning to give blue skies and excellent, later extraordinary visibility (Crete was clearly visible over 150km away). Wind seemed to stay in NE or ENE all day Force 4-5.
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| A male Subalpine Warbler at Akhirokambi |
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| Wryneck feeding in an olive grove at Kokinoghia |
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| Purple Heron arriving at Cape Tenaro |
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| Black Redstart at Koginoghia |
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| Cuckoo at Kokinoghia |
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| Ophrys tenthredinifera |
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.
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| Spanish Sparrow |
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| A Badger caught on a camera trap near Koureli (our first sight record for the headland) |
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| Ophrys argolica |
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.
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| Stone-curlew at Kokinoghia |
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| Golden Jackal at Cape Tenaro |
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| Collared Flycatcher watching a bee |
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| Whinchat watching a bee |
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| Northern Wheatear above Porto Kagio (looking for a bee) |
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| Ophrys iricolor |
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.
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| Collared Flycatcher at Marmari |
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| Bird of the Day - a Semi-Collared Flycatcher at Paliros |
