Wednesday 22 May 2013

Long eared owl

This was in the same Eucalyptus that I photographed it in last year, there were also three large chicks in the nest (visible from the viewing point).

Tuesday 21 May 2013

Barn swallow

Collecting mud and nest building material, the bird obliged by landing very close to my position!

Saturday 18 May 2013

Red backed shrike


We found this accomodating individual in a clear area of the Achladeri forest, Lesvos We watched it catching prey from various vantage points and it seems unperturbed by our vehicle

Friday 17 May 2013

Ruppells warbler - Petra Lesvos

A superb show off during the spring, after that he reverts to type and skulks in the undegrowth. We enjoyed his song 'perch' warbles which he did with predictable gaps of ten minutes after the previous performance, working his way up in bursts until he was up to the top of the telegraph pole.

Wood sandpiper - Large numbers in Lesvos


Every riparian habitat finds these feisty little waders guarding a small section of river bank or a smelly pool. They are very approachable especially in a car and I have a large library of images of them now.

Black stork - Kalloni salt pans


Just two images of these really colourful birds, my pictures do not do them justice, their plumage is a mixture of reds and greens in the right light. The highlight was seeing 22 of them together feeding in the river by the salt pans.

Adaptable jay


Until I processed this picture, I had no idea of the birds deformity, his top half of the beak is missing, either a bizarre accident or a birth defect. But on a positive note it seems to cope well, and looked fit and healthy and caught prey without any obvious difficulty