Saturday 29th April - Monday 2nd may 2016

Lesbos 2016....

It continues to be a hard trip to get many species, for example I've only seen one wagtail since we arrived!

The ringing has continued to be tough also, there is just such a lack of movement, although even the resident birds are playing hard to get.

Despite the lack of birds its also noticeable that there is a lack of refugees, having visited the island hotspot of Molyvos there are no signs of there being a crisis, this is largely due to Turkey now playing their part and discouraging the refugees to leave as they will be returned to Turkey!!!

A few photographs of the other island wildlife, just to prove there's much to see, one thing for sure is that I must buy a decent camera!!!

Carder Bee spp

Small Pincertail

Mmm not sure??

Turtle Dove(s)

1st Summer Night Heron

Thread Lacewing

Friday 29th April 2016

Lesbos 2016...

Thursday and Friday morning

I spent most of Thursday at the Kalloni Raptor Point (KRP), it sounds a lot grander than it really is but what a great three hours from 10:30- 13:30.

The following birds, Common Kestrel, Red-footed Falcon, Eleonoras Falcon, Honey Buzard, Long Legged Buzzard, Common Buzzard, Short Toed Eagle, Goshawk, Sparrowhawk and GOLDEN EAGLE.

The usual Agama Lizards, as well as Cretzschmars Bunting and Woodlark.

Agama Lizard, the only representative of this African group of lizards in Europe

This morning (Friday) I had a four hour ringing session on the edge of a reedbed/marsh and had a good mix of birds including Eastern Olivaceous Warbler, Reed Warbler, Cetti's Warbler GREAT REED WARBLER, EUROPEAN BEE-EATER, and Corn Bunting.

European Bee-eater

Corn Bunting

We did a "strandline safari" this afternoon, whilst there were many similarities to a stroll along Cefn Sidan, one or two of the mini-beasts left you in no doubt that it wasn't Cefn Sidan.

Both of these arachnids were hiding uner logs on the beach, a Scorpion spp and a Spider spp

Wednesday 27th continued.

Ringing continues to be very tough, ideal location, just no passerines around!!!!

Today we ventured out around the eastern side of the Bay of Kalloni, and saw a decent selection of birds, with some photographs....

The best were four Collared Pratincoles, a member of the wader family but more tern like in behaviour.

Bee-eaters were close enough to get a half decent photograph but always on a wire!!

Waders were evident at one pool, with Little and Temmincks Stints, Common Ringed Plover, Kentish Plover, Greenshank, Black-winged Stilts and a Black tailed Godwit.

Its one of the best springs for butterflies that I have witnessed just need to identify them when I get a chance.

????

Painted Lady

This female Blackbird, (BTO age 5) really was as grey as the photo suggests

Wednesday 27th April 2016

Lesbos 2016

internet issues yesterday so hopefully resolved full update later but best of yesterday included.

Montagu's Harrier (2), Honey Buzzard, Bee-eaters (15+) Spotted Flycatcher, Scopolis Shearwater Yelkouan Shearwater (100's).

Plenty of butterflies on the wing including Painted Lady, Aegeon Brown and a load to be identified.

Painted Lady

Monday 25th April 2016

Lesbos..

A very very early start this morning to open the nets for my first ringing session, I only set three 12m nets to test how the site, in an Olive grove, would work. I'm giving it another go tomorrow before moving on to a reed-bed site.

There were very few birds in the area this morning and the best I could muster in the nets were two Great Tits, and Two Blue Tits the morning was saved by a Lesser Whitethroat; this was one of the species I was most interested in ringing purely because the entire European population uses the Eastern Mediterranean flyway during its migration. The tits were quite useful as there is a nest box project on the island so these captures will add to that data set, the Lesser Whitethroat data has the potential to add value to studies on the migration routes after passing through the Levant.

Lesser Whitethroat

Then the breeze which was non-existent for the first three hours got up and put paid to any more ringing.

The rest of the morning was spent again just pottering about and the fruits of my labour were; a nice selection of butterflies, Glass Lizard, Balkan Green Lizard, with the pick of the best  following birds:

Mole Cricket

Balkan Green Lizard

Common Tern (dodgy photo below), Long-legged Buzzard, Common Buzzard, Peregrine, Sedge Warbler, Reed Warbler, Subalpine Warbler, Little Bittern, Little Egret, Ruddy Shelduck, Moorhen, Bee-eater, Wood Sandpiper.

Common Tern (s)

I will have to make more effort tomorrow....

Sunday 24th April 2016

Lesbos....

Today was spent looking at ringing sites and pottering about as it was far too windy to do any real ringing.

On the birding front though there was some excitement with SIX Ferruginous Duck, which is a good number for the island, last year only one was recorded, and that was by me in September!!.

Ferruginous Duck(s)

There is very little standing water due to a very dry winter and early spring, but just enough for some waders in the usual places.

Black-winged Stilts

Highlights today include Baillions Crake, Spotted Crake, Green Sandpiper, Ferr' Duck, Short-toed Snake Eagle (4), Long Legged Buzzard, Black Stork, and last thing  European Bee-(c20).

I have decided on ringing sites so hopefully the wind will be kinder tomorrow morning...

Saturday 23rd April 2016

LESBOS Spring 2016

After quite an eventful coach journey to London Gatwick which took the best part of 11hrs this mornings flight went off without a hitch. and we arrived on Lesbos a full 50mins earlier than scheduled.

After the customary scramble to collect the bags, the car hirte took a bit of a while quite a queue.

We arrived in the hotel around 3pm exhausted.

So a proper blog tomorrow......