Kalispera

Good Afternoon. Sorry I haven’t been posting much but Sue and I are not at home. We are still in Greece, staying on the island of Skiathos to be precise. 

This is mainly a sun holiday for Sue and I although regular readers of this blog will know that binoculars and camera always go on holiday with us. 

Skopelos

I’m home in a day or two and will post news and pictures of our trip, birds and views of the beautiful Sporades islands of Skiathos and Skopelos. In the meantime here are a few photographs from the same place in 2014 and 2015. It’s so good we decided to return. 

Flying Cat at Alonissos 

One of the highlights of our stay is day exploring Kastro in the north of Skiathos where Eleanora’s Falcons are guaranteed during the month of September, a time when the falcons feed on the millions of small birds migrating through the Greek islands. It’s a fair old bumpy journey to get to Kastro and then a trek over the rocks to reach the Greek flagged promontory. It’s well worth the effort to watch the magical and acrobatic Eleanoras in action. 

Eleanora's Falcon

Jimny

  

Kastro, Skiathos

There are lots of Alpine Swifts here and in fact all over the island where they tear across the sky at breakneck speed. There’s a good number of Bee Eaters around too and they often feed up high in amongst swifts, swallows and martins.

Alpine Swift

Bee Eater

Skiathos

We’re staying on the south coast where there’s often scrubby habitat, reeds and remnants of pine forest just yards from the tourist beaches. They make good spots for shrikes, wagtails, pipits and chats.

Red-backed Shrike

Woodchat Shrike

That's all for now, it's time to head off for our evening meal.

Taverna - Skiathos

I'm not blogging for a day or two so apologies if I don't catch up with everyone.  We are back home soon and I promise to do so then. 

Log in later for more news, views and photographs from Another Bird Blog in Greece.

Miles Away

Sorry I haven’t been posting much but I’m not at home, I’m in Greece, staying on the island of Skiathos to be precise. 

This is mainly a sun holiday for Sue and I although regular readers of this blog will know that binoculars and camera always go on holiday with us. 

Skopelos

I’m home in a day or two and will post news and pictures of our trip, birds and views of the beautiful Sporades islands of Skiathos and Skopelos. In the meantime here are a few photographs from the same place in 2013. It’s so good we decided to return. 

Flying Cat at Alonissos 

One of the highlights of our stay is day exploring Kastro in the north of Skiathos where Eleanora’s Falcons are guaranteed during the month of September, a time when the falcons feed on the millions of small birds migrating through the Greek islands. It’s a fair old bumpy journey to get to Kastro and then a trek over the rocks to reach the Greek flagged promontory. It’s well worth the effort to watch the magical and acrobatic Eleanoras in action. 

Eleanora's Falcon

Jimny

  

Kastro, Skiathos

There are lots of Alpine Swifts here and in fact all over the island where they tear across the sky at breakneck speed. There’s a good number of Bee Eaters around too and they often feed up high in amongst swifts, swallows and martins.

Alpine Swift

Bee Eater

Skiathos

We’re staying on the south coast where there’s often scrubby habitat, reeds and remnants of pine forest just yards from the tourist beaches. They make good spots for shrikes, wagtails, pipits and chats.

Red-backed Shrike

Woodchat Shrike

That's all for now, it's time to head off for our evening meal.

Taverna - Skiathos

I'm not blogging for a day or two so apologies if I don't catch up with everyone.  We are back home in a day in or two and I promise to do so then. 

Log in later for more news, views and photographs from Another Bird Blog in Greece.

North To Nati

There was birding today but things were so quiet that I'd struggle to fill a post. So instead here’s more from our two week holiday in Menorca of 2nd-16th May. 

A trip north and west is an annual event, a birding morning to see a number of specialised species which inhabit the coastal area of Punta Nati three or four miles out from the second city Ciutadella. There’s perhaps not much to interest the average Joe at Punta Nati - a lighthouse, a number of partly restored prehistoric monuments within a patchwork of dry stone-wall enclosed fields, and birds.

Punta Nati - Menorca

For birders this part of the island guarantees Short-toed Lark, Blue Rock Thrush, Thekla Lark, Tawny Pipit and Stone Curlew. Off shore there may be Cory’s Shearwaters, Audouin’s Gulls, Yellow-legged Gulls, European Shags and if the conditions are right, swifts of the Pallid, Alpine and Common persuasion. 

European Shag

 Alpine Swift

Although our morning here was dry and sunny the Tramuntana blew quite strongly to make the birds skittish and less likely to pose on the exposed walls, so apologies for less than ideal pictures. It all makes for good reasons to return to Menorca in 2015.

Blue Rock Thrush

Thekla Lark

Short-toed Lark 

Tawny Pipit

The common lizard in Menorca is the Italian Wall or Ruin Lizard - Podarcis siculus

Italian Wall Lizard - Podarcis siculus

On the way south but before hitting the outskirts of Ciutadella there’s a roadside stop at the Cattle Egret colony.

Cattle Egret

Cattle Egret

It’s easy to wax lyrical about beautiful Ciutadella, an historic town that has held up well to the pressure of tourism in the twentieth century. It was originally named by the Carthaginians, who called it Jamma, and was the original capital of Menorca until the British came along and chnged it to Mahon in the eighteenth century. To many Menorcans Ciutadella still remains the capital of Menorca and there is intense rivalry between the two cities.

A little shopping, exploration and coffe stops in Ciutadella is a relatively good exchange for a morning’s birding at Punta Nati.

Ciutadella

Street Artist - Ciutadella

Ciutadella

The Harbour - Ciutadella - Menorca 

At least a couple of Kestrel pairs nest in the centre of the city, one pair next to the clock tower of the Cathedral Basilica. The fine old buildings are home to many pairs of Common Swift, the harbour a place to see Yellow-legged Gulls and sometimes Audouin's Gull. So even amongst the shopping and sightseeing there's always a spot of birding.   

Kestrel

Menorca Cathedral - Ciutadella

 Yellow-legged Gull

Log in soon for more birding and photography from Another Bird Blog.

Linking today to Anni's Birding Blog and Eileen's Saturday Blog.

Mamma Mia!

Readers of a certain age will recognise today’s blog title as the title of a popular song by a  well known Scandinavian group. It is also the title of a not-very-good film starring those should-know-better stars, Meryl Streep and Pierce Brosnan. It’s a clue to where the blog comes from today - yes Skiathos and nearby Skopelos in Sunny Greece, the islands where the said film was shot in 2008 and where another wedding takes place this week. No folks, I’m not committing bigamy in Greece, it’s the wedding of daughter Joanne to son-in law-to-be Ian with special guests Mums and Dad.

The island of Skiathos is about 12 km long and 6 km wide on average. Despite its small size Skiathos with its many beaches and wooded landscape is a popular tourist destination. It has over 60 mostly sandy beaches scattered around the 44 km coastline. 

Skiathos, Greece

Much of the island is wooded with Aleppo Pine and a small Stone Pine forest at the Koukounaries location where there is a lagoon and a popular beach. 

The island's forests are concentrated on the southwest and northern parts, but the presence of pine trees is prevalent throughout the island. It all adds up to a good birding spot, especially during September when many birds from Northern Europe make their way south through the Mediterranean towards Africa or the Middle East. 

Skiathos Town

Skiathos Town

Birding from the off in the clear skies, the hills alive with overhead Alpine Swifts and a mix of hirundines, Swallows, Red-rumped Swallows, House Martins and Little Swift. Is Hobby the commonest bird here? Could be simply the number heading back to Africa and following the hirundines but today we had 12/15 Hobby sightings with no effort at all. 

 Alpine Swift- Photo credit: ferran pestaña / Foter / CC BY-SA 

Eastern Olivaceous Warblers seem to be everywhere, vying for attention with good numbers of Woodchat Shrikes. Just a short walk from the hotel I found Cirl Buntings, overhead Common Buzzard and Honey Buzzard, and not far away the calls of Bee Eaters - with luck I’ll find them tomorrow. 

Woodchat Shrike - Photo credit: Muchaxo / Foter / CC BY-NC-ND

Cirl Bunting - Photo credit: Le No / Foter / CC BY-NC-SA

In the meantime we must find somewhere to have an evening meal here in Agia Paraskevi, Taverna Town as we call it, where an unseen-by-most Scops Owl calls every evening as we stroll by. 

Scops Owl

I'm not online much, there's relaxing and touristy things to do, not to mention a wedding to attend.

The house-sitter will be updating the blog with comments in between keeping the garden tidy and checking the post, so keep your comments coming in. But I'll catch up with blogging pals soon and there's more from Another Bird Blog in Greece soon.