Thursday 12th May 2016

Pembrey Burrows guided walk... Spring Migrants!

Today was the second of the summer series of guided walks at the Pembrey Burrows & Saltings Local Nature Reserve; there wasn't a great turnout but nevertheless we had a really interesting walk.

Starting at the entrance to the reserve, well you would wouldn't you, we ambled through the first grazing fields, now devoid of the bullocks who have been munching away for five months, they seem to have made an impression as we found swarms of Green Winged Orchid, in amongst Bulbous Buttercup and Cowslips. My photos do not do the image any justice at all.

My photo doesn't do justice to the incredible vista of the Green-Winged Orchids

We continued on out onto the edge of the salt marsh where a change of vegetation was very noticeable with Thrift, Scurvy Grass, and the first signs of one of the site specialities Rock Sea Lavender, (not yet in flower so photo to follow) found at a selected few sites across the country.

Thrift

After pausing at the shelter were more seasonal information has been added, we continued out towards the sea as high water was due.

Here the estuary was like a mill pond, a Northern gannet was just in the county as it dived for fish and most definitely on the reserve were a large flock of Oystercatchers, with an accompanying group of smaller waders including, Dunlin, Sanderling and Knot also in the group was a lonesome Bar-tailed Godwit, bringing the bird list for 2016 to 100 species.

The weather had improved to sunny and quite warm (my fleece was surplus to requirements) which brought out the butterflies including Small Blue, Common Blue Small Copper, Green-veined white, Dingy Skipper and Green Hairstreak.

Green Hairstreak

Small Blue

Small Copper

                                  Thanks to Adam Dare for the butterfly images

The walk took around two and a half hours long enough to sample the diversity of the site.

Tuesday 10th May 2016

Back to the routine...

Well not yet I have been back a day, which has been all about getting a new car for myself, that's sorted with a Suzuki Jimny sitting on the drive....

My project on Starlings, called a RAS, (resighting adults for survival) has at last started, after difficulty in getting the correct plastic rings then the disappearance of the Starlings from the area I finally got started this morning with four adult birds ringed and colour ringed (darvics), I would like to ring 50+ this season

So keep your eyes peeled you never know where they may turn up.

Starling KAA keep an eye out for her...

Friday 6th May 2016

Lesbos 2016.. the penultimate blog...

Ringing yesterday yielded just four birds, a brood of Great Tits which were in themselves interesting as they are so far advanced in moult to be regarded as a 3 in ringing terms which means they are the older young of the year out of juvenile moult.

The rest of the day, given the weather was more cultural and included visiting the Roman bridge at Kermastes, where it is currently undergoing preservation by the authorities, ah a picture you may think well I didn't think to take one!!

I did manage to catch up with 7 Caspian Terns on the slat pans

Today we headed east to pick up a few odd and ends birds and managed to see Olive Tree Warbler, at a reliable site, OTW is a speciality of the island and is a large robust warbler and elusive so eh no photo...

Alpine Swifts were seen very well and low down again at a reliable spot along the beach.

It has been a tough birding fortnight, splitting time between ringing and birding, with the vast majority of passerines having seemingly moved through. However Lesbos remains a great place to visit for the warmth of its people, the unspoilt beauty of its scenery and of course the wildlife...

Dice Snake?

Wednesday 4th May 2016

Lesbos 2016..

Complacency is an odd thing, yesterday morning I casually remarked "oh Ring Ouzel" as a female of the species flew across in front of the car and landed nearby, a very brief look and I motored on, little did I realise that Ring Ouzel is almost considered a vagrant species to the island opps, I will have to fill out a rare bird description report ....

After a few thunder storms through the evening the morning was reasonable but I didn't plan any ringing instead we went off in search of Caspian Terns never did see them though! I then decided that a late and short ringing session was called for so set the nets at the Christou River reed bed at 09:30hrs.

By 09:40hrs there were three warblers in the net the first clearly a Reed Warbler, the second was somehow different ( it also called differently) and the third was an obvious Reed Warbler.

My "not an obvious Reed Warbler" was duly processed and it seemed apparent that this bird needed reference to the ringing "guide" by Lars Svensson.

The overall impression was Reed Warbler like but with a more Olive tone across the back, the rump was more buffish but still not rufous, was this a MARSH WARBLER? the wing was 69mm, the "notch" in the 2nd primary feather was 9mm, the tarsus was 23mm long and 2.5mm wide,the bill 12.4mm long and 1.8mm wide, the primaries were lightly but obviously tipped whitish.

I became more and more convinced that I was processing a Marsh Warbler and used a calculation from the guide book which helps determine the identification of the species V Reed Warbler which is  bill length 12.4mm - (bill width 1.8mm X tarsus width 2.5mm) = 7.9; also the ratio of the P2 notch to total wing length  9mm/69mm = 0.13 all point to Marsh Warbler!!!

Having reviewed all the data I'm happy with the identification

Tuesday 3rd May 2016

Lesbos 2016...

Today I woke to a near gale blowing, so that paid end to any plans of ringing.

Instead we went "West" in search of Isabelline Wheatears, one of the special birds of the island, fair to say they are pretty reliable at a few sites and within minutes of arriving at one of the sites I've seen them at in previous spring visits one was sat on a wall, then a bush then out of sight.....

wind swept Izzy Wheatear

We called in to the salt pans and were told of a Red necked Phalarope bingo...., given the diminutive size of the bird and its distance from any human there's no photo..

The forecast rain arrived late in the day with a few rumbles of thunder and one or two impressive forks of lightening, not enough to stop an intrepid duo dashing off to look for a couple of reported Caspian Terns, no joy tonight maybe first thing tomorrow.

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