Mid-May update.

Just spent a week in Rhodes at Lindos. My birding time was done during my early morning walk around the resort. Although we had a little bit of rain it was a very relaxing week. I've attached some pictures taken during the week.

Female Blue Rock Thrush busy nest building

Lesser Kestrel

Black Eared Wheatear

The number of Swifts and Swallows around the area was pretty impressive with Common, Pallid and Alpine Swifts seen daily plus Barn and Red Rumped Swallows and Crag, House and a few Sand Martins. Ten raptor species were also seen plus a real bonus in the shape of a Thrush Nightingale I found early on the first morning. This was a first for me and I was well made up!!!

I was amazed by the number of crickets about at this time of year and I'll add some photos of some of these  plus a bit more of the holiday week in the coming posts.

Back to the patch and Friday 16th turned up the first Spotted Flycatcher(93) near lake cottage. Sunday a Common Sandpiper(94) was resting in one of the fishing swims.

Common Sandpiper

The first Damsels and a Downy Emerald dragonfly were also seen at the weekend.

Bank holiday got off to a good start with my first Swift(90)over the house as I left for my walk. The Willow Warbler was still singing at the top of Kirkins and as Iwalked down the track I heard the unmistakable song of a Lesser Whitethroat(91)as it moved through the scrub. A pair of Lapwings were displaying over the field and two skylarks were trying to out do each other.
Down at the lake, yesterdays Garganey had disappeared but there were three Mandarin drakes.

Another Garganey shot.

The afternoon in the garden was very eventfull with a pair of Hobby(92) seen overhead as well as two Buzzards and a Peregrine which flew low over the house before reappearing a short while later with what looked like a young Starling in its talons.Great stuff! Later in the day 5 Swifts were feeding over the house.

Whitethroat singing down by the lake.

April Update and beyond.

The first Reed Warbler(84) arrived at the lake on 22nd followed the next day by four House Martins(85).
Unfortunately I missed out on a Common Tern on the 25th which Glyn had through in the afternoon.
I managed a good walk around the patch on 27th  adding Garden Warbler(86) and a Yellow Wagtail(87) which headed over north east. I had a great few hours on the patch and was delighted with the two additions plus the total of 51 birds seen and was was well cuffed to find two Mistle Thrush families in the horse paddock behind the pumping station. I did miss out on two Mute Swans that landed on the lake and stayed around for only an hour(seen by Andy) on the 29th.
Into May and a small bird found fliitting around a row of apple trees turned out to be my first Marsh Tit(88) of 2014.
Today turned up another Willow Warbler singing in the top scrub in Kirkins.

Willow Warbler

This afternoon as Phyllis and I were out for a stroll which took us round the lake three ducks flew in and landed on the water. These turned out to be Garganey(89) FANTASTIC!! I could hardly contain myself. They seemed to be very skittish so I contented myself with watching them and photographing them from distance not wanting to spook them.

Garganey(2 drakes and a duck)

A brilliant end to the weekend.