Paul's Blog - All comments and views are my own,

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

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...

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......

Oxwich Marsh.. This morning I was out with the Gower Ringing group, 5:45am at Oxwich the morning was cool with a hint of frost and about 2/8ths overcast the breeze came and went a bit at first but by 11am was noticeably billowing the nets. A slow start gave way to a steady couple of rounds with a decent variety of birds including the first Blackcap and Grasshopper Warbler of the season. As I'm off to Lesbos ringing & birding on Friday I won't be up to too much this week but I've put a few "taster" photo's on todays blog. Black Stork Scops Owl Starred Agama Serapia spp

Spring... its arrived..... Today I was at one of our other nature reserves today, Morfa Berwig, a reclaimed brown field site which itself was once coastal marshland. Five horses are on site as part of a conservation grazing regime. Two of the five grazers With a warm day, we touched 18'c and the wildlife enjoyed it with 35 species of birds recorded as well as Small tortoiseshell, Peacock, Comma, Speckled Wood and Orange Tip butterflies. The best of the birds included at least 10 Blackcaps, mostly males, Willow Warblers, Chiffchaff, at least five singing Cettis Warbler a few Sedge Warblers and two Reed Warblers. Five Gadwall suggests possible breeding. Female and Male Gadwall Flowers are still few and far between, but Primroses put on a show with Barren Strawberry and Coltsfoot, as well as Dandelions but with over 200 micro species I'll just call them Dandelions. Primrose Despite Mink track , the Water Voles seem to be quite active, with track

Fog.......... Fog is not conducive to good ringing conditions, and this morning the fog proved to be particularly wet!! Still it was worth the effort of trying the new net set in the reed bed as the only bird caught happened to be a Sedge Warbler, the first of the year and the first of many I hope. Sedge Warbler When the sun did break through the morning was warm and some of the dune plants are starting to flower, including this Wild Pansy, Viola ticilor , a stunning little plant the Dune Pansy a sub species of the Wild Pansy also occurs but is yellow in colour. Wild Pansy

First blooms..... After yesterdays wind and gales this morning was much calmer and a tad milder.... I started off by replacing some of the "dogs on leads" signs which have been damaged by the recent bad weather and in the process it became apparent that there had been a bit of a "fall" of Northern Wheatears with two lots of two at either end of the reserve, and reports from local birders of birds to the East and West of the reserve. Northern Wheatear Northern Wheatear Its amazing how coincidently thing happen, I stopped to scan the ground ahead for more Wheatear, and happened to look to my feet and there was my first Green-winged Orchid,  Anacamptis moria   , the photo is overexposed a little as the colour was a deep purple. Green-winged Orchid , Anacamptis moria A small flock of Barn Swallows along the fore dunes is making it feel more like SPRING