Dungeness Birding

Sunday, 20 April 2025

The real Mediterranean - Lesvos 20th - 26th April

My first visit to the island of Lesvos in Greece for two weeks from 20th April to 4th May. Birding with long time friend Reg Thorpe, who I haven't been birding abroad with for at least 30 years and yes, we still remain good friends. A superb time encountering a lot of species that I have wanted to see and hear well for a long time. Whilst we didn't have any falls during the visit each day brought new exciting bird experiences as despite the cool and windy weather birds continued to migrate across the island.

Bee Eater

Male Black-winged Stilt

Female Kentish Plover

Swallowtail

Black-headed Yellow Wagtail

Black Stork

Cetti's Warbler

Female Citrine Wagtail

Male Citrine Wagtail

Dalmation Pelicans

Eastern Olivaceous Warbler

Eastern Subalpine Warbler

Isabelline Shrike (Turkestan)

Long-legged Buzzard

Nightingale

Red-throated Pipit

Sardinian Warbler

Short-toed Treecreeper

Spanish Sparrow

Wood Sandpiper

Woodchat Shrike

Black-headed Yellow Wagtail

Glossy Ibis

Gull-billed tern

Temminck's Stint

Woodchat Shrike

Stonechat Saxicola rubicola

Stonechat Saxicola rubicola

Eastern Orphean Warbler

Purple Heron

Gull-billed Tern

Osprey

Dalmation Pelicans

Female Red-footed Falcon

Gull-billed Tern

Sunday, 13 April 2025

That Mediterranean Feeling

Cold with a strengthening south west wind, the very early movement of Scoter had dried up by 08:30 and as Richard, Martin and myself were wandering back to our cars, Jacob came on the radio to say he had found a Hoopoe in the Desert. Quickly parking up on the estate road we wandered to where Jacob and Luke were still watching the Hoopoe albeit not as close as it had been before. Soon other locals and visitors gathered and despite being distant we all obtained good views and some distant shots of the bird.

Hoopoe

After a quick breakfast at home I returned to ARC and then on to the other part of the reserve. The long staying female Long-tailed Duck remains on Burrowes. I then went on a reverse walk along the main trail ad had just arrived at Hayfield 1 when Richard found a Red-rumped Swallow over the ARC car park. Typically I was far away from there and decided to walk to ARC checking for any Hirundines en-route as further messages indicated no further sign. On reaching ARC and no further sightings, Martin kindly gave me a lift back to my car and a group of us started to scour various locations looking for any Hirundines. Looking out from Dengemarsh hide we noticed a small flock of Swallows in the distance over Dengemarsh reedbed in front of the chicken sheds. The birds were a long way off an in silhouette. As we left the hide a message came through that Tom Cackett had located a Red-rumped Swallow in the flock and was watching it from Dengemarsh Road. We then hurriedly drove round to the location and managed to get good, prolonged albeit distant views. In the sheep field in front of use were the three Cattle Egrets that are still in the area. Certainly the species mix of the day was giving off a very Mediterranean feel in a cold, strong south-westerly wind.

Red-rumped Swallow with a Swallow

Red-rumped Swallow

Red-rumped Swallow with Swallows