10th May
Just a 10 minute
check from the front this morning as we were going to Corfu town for the day.
Sidari
Yellow-legged Gull (7)
Collared Dove (2)
Common Swift (2)
House Martin (7)
Barn Swallow (6)
Red-rumped Swallow (8)
Golden Oriole (1) heard in its usual
poplar clump
Cetti's Warbler (2) heard only
Sardinian Warbler (1) heard
House Sparrow (13)
Had a walk around
Corfu town and then south to the Achillean Palace for a bit of culture. Back
into town to watch the planes land at the airport and checked out the lagoon
adjacent. Lake Halikiopoblos is now a nature reserve which is surprising
considering it's that close to the runway with bird strikes being a possibility.
Having said that there were very few birds around and nothing in the way of
waterfowl. A nice female Marsh Harrier quartering the reeds and a raptor
perched up on a small mound eventually revealed itself as a Common Buzzard.
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| Runway and Lake Halikiopoblos |
Corfu Town & Lake
Halikiopoblos
Grey Heron (8) all at Halikiopoblos
Little Egret (10) again all at
Halikiopoblos
Marsh Harrier (1) a female quartering
the reeds on the east side of Halikiopoblos
Common Buzzard (1) perched on a mound
at Halikiopoblos
Yellow-legged Gull (3)
Feral Pigeon (5)
Collared Dove (4)
Alpine Swift (4)
House Martin (6)
Barn Swallow (5)
Red-rumped Swallow (2)
White Wagtail (1)
Woodchat Shrike (1) on west side of
Halikiopoblos
Blackbird (3)
Sardinian Warbler (1) singing male seen
on west side of Halikiopoblos
Serin (2) at the Achillean Palace
House Sparrow (10)
Magpie (1)
Jay (2) two separate birds flew over as
we walked around the town
I did very little
research on the butterflies you get in Corfu, partl;ey because I knew I
was past their peak period. What I hadn't appreciated was that many of
them are the same common species you see in the UK. I saw for example,
Meadow Brown, Gatekeeper, Large White, Painted Lady, Common Blue and
Small Heath. Also, Corfu butterflies are on the wing early in the day,
oftern before breaskfast, presumably due to the heat, and you are lucky
if you see anything on the wing after late morning,
Amongst the few non-british butterflies seen were Southern Small White (Pieris mannii) and Southern White Admiral (Limenitis reducta)
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| Southern Small White (Pieris mannii) |
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| Southern White Admiral (Limenitis reducta) |
11th May
Didn't venture away
from the apartment and the stream area with the weather changing now. There's
was a significant NW breeze, a lot of cloud and a few specks of rain. Looking
out of kitchen window first thing a few birds in the distance were perched up
on some uppermost dead branches of a couple of cypress trees. Couldn't make
them out but had my suspicions confirmed
when I took a photo
zoomed up to 200x of one of them. A crappy photo but enough to confirm they
were Common Bee-eaters. A bit of a north movement today of
swifts and bee-eaters. Four new birds for the trip today.
Sidari
Honey Buzzard (2) flew over north
together
Common Buzzard (3) two soaring over the
hillside again and a different bird flew north
Common Kestrel (2) the resident pair
seen again
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| Common Kestrel |
Eleneora's Falcon (1) while watching
the Bee-eaters and swifts by the stream a dark phase bird flew over my
head going south. It went under the feeding birds
but just carried on.
Moorhen (1) despite several visits this
is the first bird I have actually seen on the stream.
Yellow-legged Gull (25)
Wryneck (1) Still singing down track.
Common Swift (93) many feeding by
stream and all eventually moved off north.
Alpine Swift (70) moving north throughout
the day.
Common Bee-eater (15) a group of 5
spent most of the day hunting from tops of cypress trees to the east of
the apartment. Also 3 flew north overhead calling and
a flock of 7 were feeding with Swifts and hirundines
by the stream.
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| A long way off Common Bee-eater |
Hoopoe (1) while scanning the hillside
from the patio I picked a bird against the trees flying north.
Feral Pigeon (1) 1 flew over
Collared Dove (5)
House Martin (8)
Red-rumped Swallow (6)
Barn Swallow (37) most if not all
flying north
Blue-headed Wagtail (1) a single bird
flew over
Golden Oriole (3) one singing from the
poplars and later a male followed by my first female flew past right in
front of me nearby.
Common Cuckoo (1) a silent bird flew
low from the north over the stream in front of me
Blackbird (2)
Woodchat Shrike (2) by the stream,
probably the same two birds
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| Woodchat |
Cetti's Warbler (5)
Eastern Olivaceous Warbler (4) spent a
good while watching these. 3 were singing males and managed to see them
all quite well. Two birds, 1 singing, were in the scrub near the stream,
like last time, 1 was singing higher up in a
almond tree close to the road and the third male was in north
side, in stream-side bushes closer to the bridge.
Sardinian Warbler (7) the usual birds
Fan-tailed Warbler (3)
Great Tit (3)
Greenfinch (2)
Goldfinch (5)
Serin (1) a male on wires on way to the
stream
House Sparrow (18)
Magpie (4)
There's a small beach near the apartments which was rarely used as it was in the opposite direction of town. A few coastal plants here included the familiar Sea Holly (Eryngium maritimum) and also non -british species such as Sea Medick (Medicago marina)
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| Sea Medick (Medicago marina) |
12th May
The morning was the
environs around the apartment then we ventured out and walked to Canal de Amour
again and into the woods beyond. Didn't check the stream area today. Fairly
quiet today and overcast all day, with the sun just poking through as we ate.
Two new birds for
the trip today, a Eurasian Sparrow hawk soaring over
the apartment early morning and two Tawny Pipits dropping in in the evening.
Dalmatian Wall Lizards (Podarcis melisellensis) are very common and I saw them on most days but especially today.
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| Dalmatian Wall Lizard (Podarcis melisellensis) |
Sidari
Common Buzzard (2) 2 soaring over the
wooded hill nearby again
Honey Buzzard (1) Another single bird
north over the apartment
Eurasian Sparrow-hawk (1) a female over
the apartment early morning drifted off west
Yellow-legged Gull (19)
Alpine Swift (15) all north
Common Swift (93) counted moving north
in the morning
Wryneck (1) presumably the same bird
but singing 150 metres from its previous position, now closer to the
apartment and count be heard from the front of the apartment.
Collared Dove (8)
Tawny Pipit (2) Two birds flew over
calling and dropped into the scrub late evening. Wasn't sure of their identity
so walked into the area and saw one of them on the ground
before I flushed both of them and they both flew off north
calling
House Martin (122) Counted moving north
in the morning
Sand Martin (1) a single bird flew over
Red-rumped Swallow (5)
Barn Swallow (6)
Woodchat (1) - one on TV Ariel
on a nearby
apartment
Golden Oriole (1) Not heard today
singing or even calling, perhaps because it was overcast. I did see a
male however fly out of the poplars, circle around and fly back in.
Great Tit (1) heard
Fan-tailed Warbler (3)
including what was
probably a pair chasing each other over the area on many occasions
today.
Cetti's Warbler (3) 1 seen, all heard.
Sardinian Warbler (1)
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| Sardinian Warbler |
Eastern Olivaceous Warbler (1) A
singing male in an overgrown garden in same tree as a Cetti's Warbler just
inside the apartment complex. Pass this every day and never heard it before
Greenfinch (11) a flock of 8 flew over
and 3 on wires and nearby bushes, 2 singing
House Sparrow (22)
Hooded Crow (2)
Magpie (3)
Woods NW of Canal de
Amour
Yellow-legged Gull (4)
Alpine Swift (1)
House Martin (1)
Red-rumped Swallow (2)
Barn Swallow (6)
Blackbird (2) singing males
Cetti's Warbler (2) both singing males.
Eastern Olivaceous Warbler (3) all
singing in Olive trees in the woods. One seen well but never still long enough
to photograph
Sardinian Warbler (3) 2m ; 1f
Blue Tit (1)
Great Tit (1)
Greenfinch (2)
Goldfinch (2)
House Sparrow (20)
Hooded Crow (1)
Amongst the olive groves here were smal arable fields with familiar plants such as the Common Red Poppy (Papaver rhoeas), plants usually associated with gardens like Love-in-a-mist (Nigella damascena) and a good numbers of Loose-flowered Orchid (Orchis laxiflora)
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| Love-in-a-mist (Nigella damascena) |
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| Loose-flowered Orchid (Orchis laxiflora) |
13th May
Penultimate day and
went no further than the sun beds
(well bar actually)
apart from a 30 minute walk along the stream and back in the afternoon. It
looks like the Golden Orioles have stopped singing.
Sidari
Common Kestrel (2) - both male and
female of the resident pair seen today, the female seen carrying some
some bird
Yellow-legged Gull (12)
Common Swift (10)
Common Bee-eater (2+) Heard several
birds flying over north but could not see them.
Collared Dove (5)
House Martin (18)
Red-rumped Swallow (8)
Barn Swallow (11)
Golden Oriole (2) again not heard but a
pair flew out of the poplars and headed west.
Blackbird (1) singing male
Great Tit (3)
Cetti's Warbler (3) 1 seen briefly, all
3 heard
Sardinian Warbler (3) All singing males
Eastern Olivaceous Warbler (3) One at
yesterday's site and 2 by the stream
Greenfinch (2)
Goldfinch (5) Five birds together in a
pine tree by the stream
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| Goldfinch This is a different race to both the British and the western Europeann races. C. c. balcanica looks larger, dirtier and less brightly coloured |
Serin (2) A pair on wires near the
apartments
House Sparrow (35)
Hooded Crow (1)
Magpie (3)
14th May
Last day, we leave
early tomorrow back to Newcastle. Stayed around the apartment as the weather
greatly improved compared to the last few days. For the first time no sight or
sound of any Golden Orioles
Sidari
Common Buzzard (1) soaring over the
hillside again
Yellow-legged Gull (10)
Common Swift (10)
Common Bee-eater (2+) Heard several
birds flying over north but could not see them.
Collared Dove (5)
Tawny Pipit (2) two birds flew over
heading south. Suppose it's the same two birds as those on the 12th.
House Martin (12)
Red-rumped Swallow (9)
Barn Swallow (6)
Blackbird (1) saw my only female of the
trip as it flew over the scrub
Blue Tit (1)
Fan-tailed Warbler (2)
Cetti's Warbler (3) heard only
Sardinian Warbler (1)
Eastern Olivaceous Warbler (2)
Serin (1) The male on the same wires
again
House Sparrow (22)
Hooded Crow (6) a flock of 5 birds flew
over and joined the virtually resident one behind the scrub. All 6
spent the day here chasing each other and the Magpies.
Magpie (3)
Well thats a quick run through my hols, back to the 1km square tomorrow
