Cretzschmar's Bunting ~ Lesvos, Greece - 03.05.13

Both buntings were found earlier in the week at Ipsilou monastery at first light but we failed miserably to get images ..

On our way out towards Makara, Cretzschmar's were just as easy to see and more cooperative, trouble is as there's so many about you feel that your wasting time, you'll get another chance with these later when infact it didn't work like that nor with wood sand's ...

Cretzschmar's Bunting

   

Little Stint ~ Lesvos, Greece - 02.05.13

Stupidly forgetting to turn off the car heater, forced a change of plan ...

Cold first thing this morning at just after 5 am it went on to take the chill off ...

What was meant to happen, after a morning session with Rock Nuthatch, we were going to Ag. Fokas ...

But .. !!

Not realising the heater is on & Maximum as well !!

After an hours driving it took its toll on me and I had to stop, still not knowing the heaters on !!

Outside temp was 31* who knows what it was in the car .... Doh !!

Anyway we were now at our late afternoon site, trouble is its midday !!

So Polichnitos Saltpans in harsh light, shadows and 34 Little Stints which i've never been so close to ...

I had watched them for a while seeing where they fed, then waited for them to be flushed by a Stilt then took up my position, within minutes they returned to feed, coming ever closer as they fed ...

Just as they were getting crazily close my battery died !!!!

Such a small wader and within 4m range and no battery ...

I waited for the birds to be flushed and the Stilt did it again, moving them off, so back to the car and left them to feed ..

Little Stint

Shame it was in harsh light as the birds eyes show no catchlight due to the high sun ...

Next time late afternoon ..

Rock Nuthatch ~ Lesvos, Greece - 02.05.13

These we found readily in all rocky areas, with most nest sites facing in a Easterly direction.

In total 7 being used and 2 deserted nests not only are they constructed brilliantly, blending in with the rock itself but must take weeks ...   

The easiest Nuthatch site that we found for photography was just north of Napi,

A few images from distance then a slow move in every time the bird flew off, I moved in closer, watching them coming back, fairly quickly in typical Nuthatch way !! 

It took about 30/40 minutes until I was in the final position, using a massive rock and shrubbery as cover ....

Great .. errr No, the birds behaviour had changed, now coming in as if its body was stuck to the rock !!

Once it had entered and gone off I retreated and left them ... Scrim net next time !!!

Rock Nuthatch

Here's a couple of images showing the nest construction !!

Eastern Orphean Warbler ~ Lesvos, Greece - 01.05.13

This was on a returning visit to Kavaki, near Petra at the Ruppell's site which is the first lay-by with the odd shaped building across the road, not only did we have this big warbler on the bush but Ruppell's & Jay.

Earlier whilst waiting for position a Subalpine too ..

A big slice of luck came our way here with three great birds on the same bush ... papped !!

Eastern Orphean Warbler

  

Jay (black capped) ~ Lesvos, Greece - 01.05.13

Sometimes you have a bit of luck ...

Right place, right time ..

And today was it !!

We're at Kavaki, for the Ruppell's site standing with the lens pointing on one bush waiting for the bird to return ...

When this Jay flew in and landed no more than 5m's from us !!

Blind panic, some use of the F word and half a dozen shots and it was all over .... off it flew !!

Checking the back of the camera ... 2/3rd's looking the wrong way and jammed two spot-on !!

A photographer from Denmark, Christian Nielsen who watched it happen came over and seemed as shocked as us ...

Ssp. Garrulus glandarius atricapillus

Jay ~ (black capped)

4 top species on one bush !!

Curlew Sandpiper ~ Lesvos, Greece - 29.04.13

You just never know what your going to find wherever you go, so a recce at Polichnitos Saltpans during the midday harsh light, turned up a few good birds .. 

Loads of  Wood Sand's, B W Stilts, Marsh Sand's and Stone Curlew.

Even though the light's not great it's still a compulsive disorder to press the shutter you just can't help yourself ..

This was great here for photography, you can get down low to water level, the water takes on some nice colours from the surrounding plants and with some careful stalking you can get close .....

Curlew Sandpiper

With the sun high, catchlights were poor leaving the eye dead looking ..

A return visit was planned for later in the week .. 

   

Wood Sandpiper ~ Lesvos, Greece - 27 & 29. Apr '13

As ever you never quite feel that you did the species well enough, or they didn't present themselves in the right way to get what you are after ...

And Wood Sandpiper is easily the most numerous wader, yet there is always either another species which gets the attention or they just won't do what you want ...

So I was after flight images taking off with trailing water droplets or reflections, not to much to ask ...

27th was Kalloni Saltpans

29th was Polichnitos Saltpans

If you ain't low on eye level then why ?

Get down ...

I wish i was lower here ..

Wood Sandpiper

Black-eared Wheatear ~ Lesvos, Greece - 28.04.13

These smart looking Wheatear's were easy to find but not so easy to approach ...

Most were flighty and moved away long before you were in range ..

So when we found two males that were  a bit more confiding, it was to good a chance to miss and just as well ...

We didn't get another all week !!

They were seen about 1.5km north of Napi at the roadside, on top of a large rock so once in position it was the waiting game ...

Black-eared Wheatear

Would of been nice on different perch's but there were more species on offer ..

Black-headed Bunting ~ Lesvos, Greece

These showy buntings, love to sing out in the open and I tried on a few occasions to get them in evening light ..

On anything other than wire !!

Black-headed Bunting