Lindos, Rhodes, Greece - The Birds

As I said in my first post, this was a Honeymoon and not a birding trip.  The binoculars were always with me though so I couldn't help but see some birds!  I started every morning with a balcony watch (we stayed at the Lindosmare Hotel), often sitting there for about an hour from 05:45. Even if there were no different birds, it was always nice to see the sun rise over Turkey...

We didn't hire a car and went most places on foot, although did get a taxi on a couple of occasions. I can really recommend the taxi service here, very reasonably priced and our hotel arranged them for us so all very easy.

Each day we did something different. Some we just spent the day around the hotel and Vilcha Bay, on two days we went into Lindos Town, spending time on both the beaches and up at the Acropolis, on another day we went into Pefkos, and my most prolific birding outing was a 7 mile walk when we were dropped off by a taxi at Charaki and walked along the beach to Kalathos, and then back along the roads to our hotel.  

I did a little bird of research on what to expect before we went and found these the most useful:
http://www.ecotourism-greece.com/tourism/activity/bird-watching-greece/rodos
http://www.birdtours.co.uk/tripreports/Greece/rhodes5/rhodes-april-03.htm
http://thebarleybird-er.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/rhodes-may-2013.html.

The research I did showed Rhodes is a very dry island, where the heat and lack of rain kills off a lot of the vegetation by mid summer. This is why some Mediterranean species that you would expect just weren't there, no Serin, Hoopoe, Golden Oriole, only one species of Shrike and just four species of Warbler. Also the lack of fresh water really made a difference, water birds in general were very few and far between, except for Yellow-legged Gulls that were everywhere!  Saying this though, there was still plenty around  and made for some very enjoyable birding.

The best birding spot was the walk between Charaki and Kalathos, here there is a river bed which although was mostly dried up, the surronding area was obviously much greener than everywhere else.  There were still two streams trickling out into the ocean, one right up at Charaki with the other about half way between the two towns.  Kalathos itself also seemed quite busy for birds, with a large number of trees and areas of short grass.  The mountainous areas in general were very quiet for birds.  

From our balcony there was a lovely view over Vilcha Bay, the vegetation in the foreground had quite a bit of bird life in. This was a great view point and a fine way to start every day.

Mid way along Vilcha bay was a small pond surronded by reeds and willow trees, which I named Vilcha pool. This area looked really good and did produce a few nice birds, to be honest I couldn't stop being drawn to it. I reckon a few weeks earlier there would have been plenty of migrants dropping in here.

To help, here's something of a map listing all the areas I mention in the species list below.

And this is what I saw, 3rd - 9th May 2015:

Scopoli's Shearwater - singles seen offshore from Vilcha Bay on two nights.

Cormorant - small numbers off most beaches.

Night Heron - a flock of 13 (11 ads, 2 first-summers) early one morning from the hotel flew in from north, failed to find anywhere to settle, then flew off back north.

Squacco Heron - one flew in off the sea and landed at Vlicha pool, with three the following day between Charaki and Kalathos.

Little Egret - one at Charaki

Pallid Harrier - a female from the hotel flew south over Vilcha Bay, a Rhodes rarity! Really pleased as from the first moment I picked it up when it was distant it just didn't seem right for a Monties, the birds wings looked broader and somewhat thicker. And when it came closer plumage confirmed it was indeed a Pallid.

Montagu's Harrier - a gorgeous immature male and female hunting between Charaki and Kalathos, got stunning views of both birds.

Long-legged Buzzard - a pair around the hotel, nest building by the end of the week, plus another single at Charaki. I have only ever seen the smaller North African race cirtensis before and was amazed at how long-winged rufinus actually is. I could imagine cirtensis being over looked in the UK, but surely not one of these lanky winged buteo's!

 

Stone Curlew - 12+ on the beach between Charaki and Kalathos, clearly a good breeding site.

Little Ringed Plover - two on the beach between Charaki and Kalathos
Little Stint - one at Charaki

Common Sandpiper - one on the beach at Vilcha Bay early one morning.

Wood Sandpiper - three singles between Charaki and Kalathos (note the Squacco in the back ground in the below photo!).

Yellow-legged Gull - the only species of gull with small numbers at all coastal locations and a max of 170+ on beach between Charaki and Kalathos.

 

Feral Pigeon - a small group seen a few times in mountains just west of hotel.
Collared Dove - very common.

Turtle Dove - singles seen near the main beach at Lindos and on edge of mountains just west of the hotel.

Scops Owl - up to three heard calling every night from our hotel. On the last morning a day-time calling bird enabled me to hoan in on a roosting bird in a small group of conifers in the rocky valley just east of the hotel. I was absolutely delighted by this as I really wanted to show Jess her 6th species of Owl.

 

 

Common Swift -  lots of Swifts about but often high meaning identification tricky, but the majority seemed to be Common Swifts.

Pallid Swift - see above, but had definite Pallid's low over the hotel on a couple of days (including a mating pair) and saw several over St. Paul's Bay.

Alpine Swift - the occasional bird seen from the hotel, and small flocks (c6) noted over the mountains west of the hotel and over Lindos town and St. Paul's Bay.

Bee-eater - on the first morning had four over the hotel, none others were seen here except for the penultimate morning when a flock of 22+ dropped in right out side our balcony and spent fourty minutes feeding and resting here before moving off north. Also came across a small colony at Kalathos of c12 birds.

 

Lesser Kestrel - c8 around the Acropolis at Lindos.

Kestrel sp. - distant views of several Kestrels, including a group of 20+ hunting over mountains south of the hotel, but unable to confirm species.

Peregrine - singles seen at Charaki and once from the hotel.

Woodchat Shrike - two singing males between Charaki and Kalathos and two around the hotel all week (two species in the lower photo).

 

 

Jay - heard calling from the hotel and saw two between Charaki and Kalathos.
Hooded Crow - common with small numbers everywhere.

 

Raven - a pair seen on a couple of occasions from the hotel.
Blue Tit - six seen during the week.
Crested Lark - common, with an especially dense population between Charaki and Kalathos.

Sand Martin - six at Charaki.
Crag Martin - a single seen from the hotel on three different days.
Swallow - very common, this species clearly benefit from the open Greek buildings.

House Martin - very common.

Red-rumped Swallow - a pair around the hotel every day, with five seen one evening. Also one at Pefkos.

Blackcap - one singing above Vilcha Bay on one morning.
Sardinian Warbler - by far the commonest species of warbler though often remarkably elusive.

 

Eastern Olivaceous Warbler - second commonest species of warbler, with three on territory in Vilcha Bay, a couple in Pefkos and at least eight singing males between Charaki and Kalathos. Their song always sounded very acro-like to me!

Olive-tree Warbler - an elusive singing male in garden by the beach at Pefkos, again quite an acro-sounding song but much slower, harsher and louder than EOW. Heard to call also which was pretty distinctive, and in fact first alerted me to its presence.

Reed Warbler - a couple of singing males between Charaki and Kalathos.

Blackbird - small numbers scattered about.

Blue Rock Thrush - a male singing around the hotel every day with another singing male near St. Paul's Bay.

 

Whinchat - a female at Kalathos.

Northern Wheatear - a male at Kalathos.

Black-eared Wheatear - two males and a female (sub sp. melanoleuca) around the hotel, most often seen in rocky valley just to the east. I didn't see any for the first couple of days, and my first sighting was simply magical as a male landed in front of me on a flat roof beside our balcony at point blank range. My bird of the trip.

House Sparrow - the commonest bird, they were everywhere!

Yellow Wagtail - the odd fly over and three females at dusk beside Vilcha pool, unsure of what variation but they were certainly dull headed.

White Wagtail - fairly common, including a breeding pair and a fledged youngster at the hotel.

Chaffinch - fairly common, often heard giving an odd two-toned call that I've never heard before.
Greenfinch - fairly common.
Linnet - the odd pair noted flying over.
Cretzschmar's Bunting - an all too brief singleton at Kalathos.
Corn Bunting - five singing males between Charaki and Kalathos.

Hope someone somewhere finds this useful!

A Greek Honeymoon

Well we've just had the most incredible week.  Having been married now for ten months we thought it was about time we took ourselves off for a honeymoon, and our chosen destination was the beautiful Greek island of Rhodes, on the edge of a very picturesque town called Lindos. 

This is what we woke up to every day! The view from our balcony

Neither of us usually do foreign holidays, and we are not the sun bed/swimming pool types, but we figured we must do something different for this special occasion.  Pretty much every day we were out until mid afternoon, and then settled down for the rest of the day in or around the hotel.  And what a hotel it was, the Lindosmare Hotel is a must if you are thinking about staying anywhere near Lindos. All the staff were so so helpful and friendly and that really made it for us, nothing was too much trouble.  And as for the food, we are now both a little heavier than we were when we left despite all the walking, swimming and sweating...

Our breakfast table

The hotels private beach

The Acropolis above Lindos

I could post a hundred photos of the place as everywhere we went was breathtaking, and every day we were blessed with blue skies and temperatures up to 30c. Obviously the binoculars came too, and I'll be posting again within the next few days with a trip report-style post, I saw some great birds.

Just before our last meal of the holiday

Twit-twoo

It's been a quiet couple of days migrant wise, although I haven't spent all that much time out and about.  However busy I am though the dog always gets me out every morning for at least an hour, and yesterdays walk from Seaton Hole showed two Common Sandpipers flitting about on the beach, and this beauty in a small conifer woodland...

Although Tawny Owls are everywhere around here, it's always a treat to stumble across a day time bird.  And a timely reminder that just because there's no migrants about, it doesn't mean there's nothing to see....

Seawatching

I had an early alarm set for this morning, the forecast was promising wind, rain and cloud so I just had to try a sea watch.

Up until about 07:50 the conditions were pretty good.  Although the wind was never that strong it was coming from the south west which is our best direction for sea watching, and with it were a few passing showers that always help to bring birds closer in.  Sadly just before 8 we had a substantial downfall that for some reason killed the wind right off and the sea practically went flat. Still, I held out to make it a three hour watch.

05:55-08:55 produced (all west unless stated):

15 Pale-bellied Brent Goose (one flock)

2 Gadwall (pair at 08:10)

17 Common Scoter (10w, 7e)

9 Great Nortern Diver

1 Black-throated Diver (w/pl landed on sea half way across bay, but never saw it again)

1 diver sp.

92 Gannet (some flew east but there did seem to be a general westerly passage)

406 Manx Shearwater (a decent count, including several flocks of 40+ birds)

16 Whimbrel

1+ Ringed Plover (heard only)

1 Sanderling (came in then flew west)

15 Kittiwake (12w, 3e)

11 Razorbill

I have to say I was disappointed not to get a Skua (made even more so by the fact James Mc had two single Bonxies off Lyme Regis, one of which went west but never made it to me), but I love a sea watch that gives a nice variety of species, and this one certainly did. So all in all I was happy with my haul.

Quiet, But Who Cares...

Even when I spend almost two hours walking around Beer Head in late April and see nothing better than four Wheatear, three Whitethroat and a Willow Warbler, I simply cannot justify a moan...

Absolutely stunning views, this is looking west

Looking east, as usual Portland was viewable, but looking west you could see all the way down to Start Point which is a whopping 40 miles away! Well, you could just about see it...

If you squint you can make out the white lighthouse at Start Point, just to the right of that boat

I'm pretty sure this is Brixham with Berry Head to the left

Hope's Nose and the Ore Stone

Dawlish, Langstone Rock and Sandy Point

Ladram Bay

We really do live in a beautiful part of the world!

And although the migrant birds I saw weren't exactly special, if you think about the journey they have just undertaken then really they are ALL special.   Three of the Wheatears I actually saw arrive, and I can't put it into words how amazing it is to see them make landfall into the UK for the first time this spring. Simply amazing...

Weekend Update

I got up nice and early on Saturday, spurred on by tweets from Bill and Andy at Berry Head who had stumbled upon a Nightingale and a Lesser Whitethroat - fall?

Well no, not here anyway.  Phil did Beer Head and Bun the Beer Cemetery Fields, and both reported slim pickings.  I checked most the sites around the valley and didn't see much, although did manage one year tick with a (not so) Common Whitethroat.  Before I saw this though I had two Lesser Whitethroats, with singing males at Black Hole Marsh and Axmouth.  So this year I had four Lesser Whitethroats before getting my first Common! Also noticed more Reed Warblers about, and on Black Hole Marsh four black-bellied Dunlin. 

I tried a sea watch as well, and stood at the Spot On 07:30-08:00.  Conditions weren't at all promising so I wasn't expecting much, good job really (all west):

1 Common Scoter

2 Great Northern Diver (singles, my first of the spring)

11 Manx Shearwater

5 Sandwich Tern

9 Razorbill

To be fair I've endured much worse here! And it was great to see the GND's, I always love seeing these beasts power through in the spring.

Today all I've managed is a quick trip to Black Hole Marsh at dusk, where the Short-eared Owl was showing well. Sue's managed some excellent photos of it which really are worth a look, I said it was a dark one: http://bicyclebirderontheaxe.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/short-eared-owl.html

Some Nice Variety

Yesterday turned out to be a pretty decent day.  The only migrants about in quantity were hirundines (about time as I've only seen small numbers so far this year) with 200+ at Bridge Marsh during the morning, mostly Swallows but also several House and Sand Martins...

Was really hoping for a Red-rumped...

Although there wasn't anything else about in quantity yesterday I did have some nice snippets of quality, including my second Lesser Whitethroat of the year rattling away whilst watching these hirundines. Amazingly I have still not seen or heard a Common Whitethroat on patch this year, so to have two Lessers before any Commons is just weird. Sometimes I don't see any Lessers in an entire spring, compared with tens and tens of Commons. 

Just prior to this, I had a Grasshopper Warbler reeling for about twenty seconds lower down the Estuary near the Riverside workshops. Really thought I'd missed out on one of these skulkers this spring, they've been few and far between like many other passage species.  

I did Beer Head as well, but after flogging the eastern half of it I thought it was going to be a complete write off, the bushes were dead. When I reached the old Coastguard Lookout though a nice double whammy made it all better...

A fairly shy but very vocal male Redstart, only my second of the spring

This gorgeous male Whinchat, also my second of the year

I spent a lot of time with the Whinchat, it was a pity to leave him as he was such a stunner...

And now to today, which has been pretty disappointing.  I was up at 5am, and at Beer Head for 6am with my mist nets and poles. To me the weather looked perfect for a fall, the wind had switched round to the south west overnight, and was light, plus there was 100% cloud cover. I also checked some European satellite images last night which showed a high pressure sitting over the Med with virtually no cloud between us and southern Spain.

By 8:15 I had caught just three birds, two Chiffchaffs (both possibly local breeders) and a Robin. The only other grounded migrant I saw was a Sedge Warbler in full song - which was a bit of an odd one.  That was it for the bushes, pitiful and far from a fall. Two summer plumaged Golden Plover over low west were nice mind, with eight Whimbrel doing the same a little later. 

By this time last spring I had trapped and ringed 127 birds at Beer Head, including 76 Willow Warblers. The three birds I caught here this morning were the first three birds I've ringed up here this year.  I have tried, I've woken up at 5am on five mornings this month, but all sessions have been no good.  On three of these visits the net sites were completely blown out by an easterly wind (my rides are fairly sheltered from anything northerly or westerly, but exposed to easterly winds), on another thick fog and clear skies above deemed the session a fail before it begun, and the fifth attempt was today - when there just weren''t any migrants about.

The best sight of the morning was during one of the daily dog walks, when a flock of 16 Pale-bellied Brent Geese flew close west past the sea front...

Just about got them all in frame!

They flew past me at 09:52, I tweeted Dawlish Warren and texted Lee C, and later learnt Dave Jewell had them off the Warren fly in from the east then south at 10:27. Always love it when migrating birds are tracked, and it's really interesting to know it takes a Brent Goose flock about 25 minutes to fly just under 20 miles.

By the time they reached Dawlish they must have lost the 17th bird of the flock. Can you spot the Brent Goose-wannabe?

You don't fool me Mr Carbo

Mostly Quiet But Some Quality

Unlike the last couple of days I've not had much time out birding today. I spent an hour and half walking the dog around Axmouth this morning (hoping for Hoopoe, still...), all was very quiet and I didn't see many migrants at all. Well that was except for a five minute period at the top of Stepp's Lane when I got to where the path goes out to the golf course.  Five Wheatear were huddled together in a tight flock in the middle of a large field here, and in with them my first Whinchat of the year...

Wheatear left, and a Whinchat head to the right

And whilst watching these, I had a couple of brief views of a Ring Ouzel being chased up and down the track to the golf course by the resident Blackbirds. When I got round to the track it flipped over the hedge and into the field that I was just stood in, I went back but I didn't see it again.  I think it probably flew across the field and into the trees/hedge on the other side, it looked to me like it had only just dropped in and wasn't at all settled. Still it was great to see nevertheless, they're not a regular spring migrant here and sometimes we even have blank autumns for them.

The other half an hour of birding came this evening, and was prompted by a call from James Mc who could see a passage of gulls and terns passing distantly off Charmouth.  I got down to Seaton Beach at about twenty to eight, and although I didn't see any terns, I must have seen over 50 Common Gulls (mostly first-summers) flying east by 20:10.  In with them were three Med Gulls (an adult and two first-summers) and best of all three Bar-tailed Godwits (two in summer plumage).

A Spring Shortie

There was yet another aborted attempt at bird ringing on Beer Head on Monday morning, when I got up there it was too blowy.  Mind you, the sunrise was nice to see.... 

It was actually a great shame about the wind as there were clearly quite a few Willow Warblers about, with most moving through rapidly.  Determined not to make it a wasted early morning wake up, I headed down into the valley for a look about, where I was surprised to see a Short-eared Owl flying around over the Estuary.  It spent a few minutes hunting over Axe and Colyford Marsh, before pitching on this distant post...

It stayed here until I left 20 mins later, and eight hours on when I returned, it was sat on the ground about 10 feet to the right of this post!  Later that evening it was hunting south of Black Hole Marsh, and it did the same again tonight apparently.  Although you can't tell it in my pic, it's a really dark bird, in fact when I first saw it in flight through the bins I was expecting it to turn out to be a Long-eared. Pity it wasn't, but still Short-eareds aren't ten a penny around here.

Today I didn't get out birding until late morning, and my first little wander was my most productive spell of the day.  My first Lesser Whitethroat of 2015 was singing well, and showing now and then, in the hedgerow that runs north of Coronation Corner. Two Common Sandpipers were flitting along the near bank of the Estuary here, with a Greenshank feeding on the first bit of exposed mud as the tide began to drop.  Best of all though were two adult summer Med Gulls that only gave themselves away by repeatedly calling to each other as they flew over rapidly and VERY high north west - sweet.  

Despite quite a lot of looking, didn't really see anything else of note whilst out birding this afternoon.  I did see an Osprey, but that was the comfort of my own kitchen, as it flew south west over Black Hole Marsh.  Why bother going out?

And to break up the text a bit, here's another Wheatear photo. At least it's a female for a change...

Oh yes, I nearly forgot. On Sunday evening whilst watching my sixth Red Kite of the month circling over fields between Colyford and Musbury, two Swifts zipped into my binocular view. It's funny how often this happens, when your watching one bird in the bins, and another you wouldn't otherwise have seen appears in the field of view. Maybe I should just randomly put my bins up to apparent empty skies every now and then?

No birds here....or are there?

The Birthday Girl

In the absence of any bird news (it's turning out to be a very poor spring for common migrants, really hope it picks up quick) I thought I should blog about the birthday girl...

 

It's hard to believe Honey is already one. It's been a steep learning curve for us both, but especially me as I've never owned a dog before - in fact I used to be scared of them. When I was five I jumped into a bed of stinging nettles because a dog was running at me barking!

I have now completely changed and am very confident around dogs, thanks to Honey.  She is a wonderful animal with such a good and relaxed temperament, and is a great companion in life.  Another way she has changed us is that we now get even more peed off with irresponsible dog owners.  I'm sure everyone has seen how often 'dogs on leads' signs are ignored - don't think some dog owners can read.  As for picking up the poop, there is never an excuse not to. Really winds us up, way more than it used too.

Anyway, back to Honey, and she's actually now a famous dog. Although this isn't all factually correct (dam press!) it was great to see her in the Bridport and Lyme Regis News...

But although she's one, it doesn't mean she's grown up...

This Week

It's been a frustrating week. I've had two 5am wake ups with the hope of ringing on Beer Head, and both morning's I've gone up there with good intentions.  Tuesday though it was far too foggy with clear skies above, so I knew it wasn't worth it and came straight back home, and then today, the promised cloud cover came over too late and there was quite a breeze which would not have been good for mist netting.  I did have a walk around this morning instead of ringing, and am pleased I didn't bother with the nets as it was very very quiet. So basically it's now Friday and I am completely knackered for no good reason. Got an even earlier wake up tomorrow, but at least I know this one with be worthwhile...

The other reason this has been a frustrating week is because despite all my efforts, I haven't seen anything remotely scarce. Hoopoe's are flooding in to the UK at the moment, along with a nice assortment of other spring overshoots,  I have looked looked and looked....and seen nothing of note.

Wednesday morning I almost killed myself (and the dog!) by flogging Beer Head to Branscombe and back in the scorching heat. Ironically the best bird I saw during this three hour slog was the Yellow Wagtail that flew over me as I stepped out the car right at the start! Otherwise all I saw were half a dozen Willow Warblers and a couple of Wheatears.  At least the Wheatears were kind to me...

At least I saw a few butterflies, with two Clouded Yellows, two Specked Woods, a Holly Blue, a Brimstone, an Orange-tip, a Red Admiral and several Peacocks and Small Tortoiseshells.

There has been a few more waders about on the Estuary this week, since midweek I have seen Common Sandpiper, Whimbrel, Dunlin, Greenshank and four Ringed Plover. There's also been two Ruff kicking about since Tuesday but I haven't caught up with them as yet.

The only other notable birds I've seen this week include my first Sedge Warbler of the spring (a singing male) on the Borrow Pit, Seaton Marshes, on Tuesday morning, and this morning yet another Red Kite.  This one had clearly roosted in the valley, because at 06:50 it circled up from the woods above the Estuary and flew off west.  Also six Manx Shearwaters flew west during a quick look at the sea just prior to the Kite.

I'll sign off with a dawn photo from Lower Bruckland Ponds taken late last week. Let's hope next week is a bit kinder to me...