Going to do this in small parts, as I just lost almost the whole of the report when the line disconnected and when I'd logged on again my 'tome' had disappeared. Grrhh.......
Stayed at the Aegeon hotel in Skalla Kalloni. Car hired from Avis in Molyvos for £280 for 13 days. Full insurance.
As soon as we reached our hotel we went immediately to see what was on the wet marshland in front. A birder told us there were collared pratincole to be seen off the new road bridge so we went up there are saw 3 with a stone curlew nearby. The Kalloni II pool had lots of open water which was a lovely surprise. Hundreds of hirrundines swooped above; half a dozen or so glossy ibis, garganey, teal, black winged stilt, wood sandpiper.
On Friday when the car was delivered, we drove through the village and onto the river track. This is now virtually unpassable as a big heap of gravel had been tipped in the middle of the track but further along part of the banking had collapsed into the river, making it very dangerous, so we didn't use this track again during the holiday and had to go through Kalloni town to get to the main road and then the saltpans. The damage had been caused by heavy rain in January/February this year. Lots of white winged black terns over the water with some common terns and our first 6 bee eaters of the holiday. Then onto the saltpans where dozens of ruff and little stint were just on the bend as we turned on. A field at the very far end of the road which is usually barren and dry had a big pond in and other marshy areas. There were a dozen garganey, ruff, glossy ibib, black-headed yellow wagtail, little stint, black-headed bunting, whinchat and two splendid spotted redshank. At the edge of the sea was a pair of turnstone. Saw 2 alpine swifts amongst the swallows and martins.
Then drove to 'Derbyshire' and there were 10 ruddy shelduck in their usual place with two shelduck. Half a dozen red-footed falcons flew in and settled on the telegraph wires and fences nearby, allowing superb views for a short time. At the Kruper's nuthatch site at Alchaderi we had views of an adult feeding its young on the branch of a tree. Had hoped to see s/t treecreeper too but this wasn't to be. A serin was singing from the top of a tree near the rusty oil tank. Also a spotted flycatcher was nearby. A common buzzard soared over the nearby hillside and Bob had a siskin in the pines.
Then went to the middle-spotted woodpecker nest site near the grain silos. The telegraph post had been taken down and was lying by the side of the track. A pristine new metal one had taken its place. Then past the silos , turned right at the junction and drove up the hillside. The wind in this valley had dropped and it was a lovely sunny afternoon. We saw lesser grey & red-backed shrikes, orphean warbler, rufus bush robin. We sat on the rocks here for an hour talking to some other birders. On the way back to the hotel we stopped in the village to look at the white stork's nestbut couldn't see the bird - just loads of chunnering sparrows in residence under and inside the huge nest on the church roof.
On Saturday went to saltpans. Had common & great snipe (lifer), ibis, little stint, ruff, red-necked phalarope (lifer). There were lots of birders watching here so we picked up news of other sightings. As we drove off the pans we took the track to the left towards some farm buildings and there was a collared pratincole in the field here, with a marsh harrier flying low over the field.
We drove up to Napi Valley then turned sharp right up to the area which was very interesting last year. Just two more cars up there and we parked for a while near the second cattle grid Heard golden oriole calling. Didn't see it but we did as we drove past later. A sombre tit was feeding fledged young in a tree next to the track. Saw masked and woodchat shrike, orphean warbler, hoopeo, long-legged buzzard, olive-tree warbler.
Then on the way back we took the track to the ancient bridge and saw two nightingales there, with northern and black-eared wheatear on the way down the track.
At the Inland lake when we got back there were 6 night herons. Someone had seen a little crake earlier but we had to wait until the day before we returned home to see it.
On Sunday we drove to Sigri via Ipsalou monastery where we had Cretzschmar's bunting, pied flycatcher, Eleanora's falcon, sparrowhawk and rock sparrow. At the Grand Canyon we had blue rock thrush , western rock nuthatch and crag martin. From Sigri we took the coastal track that was surprisingly driveable. Half way along, just after a ford, we stopped where a white-fronted robin had been reported for a few days. It didn't show but lots more did: sombre tit, masked/woodchat/red-backed shrikes, barred/icterine/wood warblers, golden oriole, lesser whitethroat, whitethroad, rufus bush robin, pied & spotted flycatcher. All these in quite a small area, in and around a big tree.
Cont.................