Date:
15th-22nd September
Location:
Kos, Greece
Weather:
30c+ but strong winds last 3 days
Species Highlights:
Red-backed Shrike, Little Owl, Long-legged Buzzard, Bee Eater, Greater Flamingo, Little-ringed Plover, Stone Curlew, Roller.
Observation:
We arrived at Kos 2 pm after a 4-hour flight from Bristol, checked in to the Akti Beach Club Hotel on the South coast of this tiny Island just 25 miles by 5 miles, so getting around by car was very easy. We hired a Citeorn C1 not recommended, crappy car. The price was around £200 for the week.
Settling in for the rest of the day, but the next morning I ventured out for a explore.
6:30 AM Looking east, it all seemed very quiet, with no bird song.
Jackdaw, Hooded Crow were the first spots of the day with Crested Lark starting to wake up, Red-backed Shrike were dotted along the coastal fields, but very little else.
A single Red-rumped Swallow, sat resting, also saw a few Barn Swallow and House martins over the week.
Just at bottom of Mount Dikeous mountain range was a small Chapel, Ζωοδόχος Πηγή
Zoodochos Pigi, this proved to be ok, but some mornings the local hunter swarmed over this site shooting anything that moved!!
I was told by a local that they were shooting Grouse?? but I think Feral pigeon were their targets.
Wheatear.
Blue Rock Thrush
Saw Little Owl on many occasions over the week, with one even being seen to fly past are dinner table.
On walking back to breakfast I spotted a Small Copper and this Lovely Freyer's Grayling a lifer, very common here, looks very dark in flight.
After breakfast, I drove to explore the Island, the best spot on Island I thought was suppose to be Alikes Salt Lake or Tigaki Salt Lakes on the north side of the Island.
Mmm, it seemed vast and apart from Yellow Legged gull in their hundreds, there was very little here. Looking into the sun, I walked and checked out the area, with nothing else to add. I was told not to take the Hire Car off-road, but being passed many loads of hire cars was getting annoyed. Checking fields on the way back to the hotel saw distant Black-eared Wheatear but again not a lot. I needed to rethink my options.
The next morning usual walk didn't get anything new so after
breakfast and the girls arranging themselves around the Pool, I decided to drive up to Mount Dikeous, park the Hire car at the nearest access point I started my very hot walk up this desolate mountain gravel road, again being passed my hire cars and buggies. But an enjoyable walk, with a great view from the top looking down towards Alikes salt lake.
The walk for me started at 206m -675ft & at the top was 446m - 1463.25 ft and was 2 miles in length. I sat at the top contemplating my strategy. On the walk down, things started to change.
Long-legged Buzzard drifting in from the coast.
This bird was sat and took off from the hillside, I initially thought Eagle but further checking it seems just Buzzard.
Wheatear, Stonechat, Sardinian Warbler, Blue-Rock Thrush, and Eleonora's falcon were all spotted on the walk back down, but all distant apart from this posing Wheatear.
The distinctive calls of the Bee-eater could bee heard above and a few came lower from some shots.
That afternoon I headed along to Pyli Castle an area I'd researched and was suppose to be good for birds, again not a lot going on, Butterflies were ok with Swallowtail, Two-tailed Pasha, and Cardinal, the only new bird was Coal Tit & Willow Warbler. No pictures of any of the butterflies as all flypasts.
This Pyli Castle. a really, really steep walk up in the heat. but cracking view from the top.
Hire car below.
I headed back to the hotel for a sunbathe.
Around the pool area spotted a few Jumping spiders, Plexippus paykulli
And lots of these along the sea wall Menemerus semilimbatus
Kept seeing these dotted along the walls, strange but turns out they are ootheca egg casing for Praying Mantis.
Starred Agama - Stellagama stellio lizards sunbathing, saw a few other lizard species but none wanted their pictures taken.
The next day another wetland on the Island was Psalidi Wetlands at Kos, a short drive later I entered the empty car park.
After finding the entrance, it was a dryland land not a single drop of water, and not bird sound or birds could be seen or heard! I'm sure earlier in the year these sites would be fantastic, but today it was slim pickings.
After walking around for an hour I spotted a flypast Turtle Dove the only one I saw on the trip.
A group of 50 Bee-eater were feeding over reedbeds, but soon moved further inland, but great to watch.
I walked around the Wet-land in case I missed something and Red-backed shrike were again dotted on fence posts and in bushes checking out the Beehives, only saw one Male looking beautiful in full adult plumage. Not really sure of the differences on Brown Shrike and Red-backed but some looked very different, like this one Brown ? or Red ??
Holly Blue Butterfly and this fabulous Hummingbird Hawk Moth feeding around the Blackberry bushes.
Whitethroat, Great Tit, and Whinchats spotted on walk around. Outside the reserve on the beach scrubland, I heard was good for butterflies Swallowtail and Freyer's Grayling in low numbers were seen.
On the way back I headed back to Alikes Salt Lake, this time from the other side, and Wow what a difference!!
Greater Flamingo, Yellow Wagtail, Broad-billed Sandpiper, Wood sandpiper, Dunlin, Ruff, Cettis, Stone curlew, Snipe, Green Sandpiper, Little stint, Curlew Sandpiper, Moorhen, Yellow-Legged Gull, Little Egret, Hooded Crow, and Feral pigeon
were feeding in the afternoon Sunshine.
People were walking riding across the dried-up salt lake but the birds didn't seem bothered.
Little Stint, Dunlin & Wood Sandpiper
Yellow Wagtail
Wood Sandpiper
Ringed Plover
Headed back to Hotel for a well earned Swim.... got bored so wandered around the pool area Millet and either Pigmy or Meditterean Skipper along with flighty Gerainina Bronze.
That evening the C1 hire car managed to get to the top of the hill with us all in for sunset, it was the only evening that there was no Sunset!
But Alpine and Common Swift were seen.
The next morning me and Lauren drove to Alikes Salt Lake.
Looking into the sunrise showing some of the 100's of Yellow-Legged Gulls.
We parked the car next to a field that was full of Stone Curlew, probably 50/60 birds seen.
The early morning sunshine was perfect and being led down on the salt lake gave us an excellent point of view.
Little Ringed Plover
Western Yellow Wagtail.
Greater Flamingo during our stay we saw 6 birds but different times of year numbers get to 50+.
Broad-billed Sandpiper amongst the waders being spooked for no reason as they do.
By 8am people started to appear and then walk and photograph the Flamingoes, so best to get there early.
Yellow-legged Gulls, surely something different in this lot?
the rest of Day we chilled around the pool... until I got bored, a drive along the coast from the hotel towards Kardamaina produced Crested Lark and a distant Lesser Grey Shrike.
Crested Lark plenty along the coastline.
The Next morning I was gonna head up to Zoodochos Pigi, chapel but a line of cars were there all day, full of so called hunters, Shotgun blasts echoed throughout the morning.
I walked the route I'd walked the previous afternoon with the wind gusting to 30mph made it hardwork.
Red-backed shrike were in their normal spots, that morning after breakfast we all drove into Kos.
Eastern Dappled White, Freyer's Grayling were flitting around the ruins and of course Swallowtail.
Did I mention the Cats, 100's all over the place.
On the return from Kos, I heard that a Roller had been seen, this was one of my targets so a with car full I made a detour, and after scanning telegraph wires spotted a distant Roller!!
In the mid-afternoon sunshine, it was hard to get a good setting, but a lifer for both me and Lauren.
Feeding on the many Crickets and Grasshopper, I returned a few times but was not seen again.
A few Bee-Eater and Crested Lark were also sat on the wires.
on the day before last Lauren texted me to say she'd found a Praying Mantis around the pool so I rushed down with my macro lens.
Cracking little bug but in my pocket was my iPhone! I was stood in the kiddies pool and the water had soaked my shorts and iPhone, my last iPhone also succumbed to water damage! my new iPhone is Waterproof!
The next morning I did my normal walk at dawn and the wind was very strong but Willow Warbler, Whinchat, Wheatear, and Black Redstart were being blown in from the sea but most not stopping for pictures. Did get a brief glimpse of a Golden Oriole. No picture so no tick.
The last day headed to Plaka Forest famous for freely roaming Peacock, Cats, Cats, and Turtle or Terrapin.
Beautiful birds, not sure how long they've been resident their?
Epaulet Skimmer sat basking in the sunshine.
Some of the many cats, tourists, and locals come here to feed and watch the peacocks. The Peacocks are in charge of the cats being constantly peecked by them.
Feeding Frenzy.
So that was Kos, Would I go back, Not in September maybe earlier in the year April/May a bit wetter. But had a great time, the final List of all seen follows.
Any questions, always happy to Help
57 species seen
Birds
Hooded crow
House sparrow
Collared dove
White Wagtail
Crested lark
Jackdaw
Little owl
Red-backed Shrike
Feral pigeon
Bee-eater
Red-rumped Swallow
Grey heron
Ringed plover
Yellow-legged Gull
Little Egret
Magpie
Pheasant
Black-eared Wheatear
Spotted flycatcher
Blue Rock Thrush
Wheatear
Long-legged buzzard
Eleonora's falcon
Sardinian Warbler
Stonechat
Buzzard
Barn Swallow
Raven
Lesser kestrel
Coal tit
Willow warbler
Great tit
Turtle dove
Whitethroat
Greater flamingo
Yellow Wagtail
Broad-billed Sandpiper
Wood sandpaper
Dunlin
Ruff
Swift
Alpine Swift
Cettis
Stone curlew
Snipe
Green Sandpiper
Little stint
Curlew Sandpiper
Moorhen
Common Kestrel
Spotted Redshank
House Martin
Black Redstart
Whinchat
Serin
Golden Oreo
Chiffchaff
Roller
Butterflies
Freyer's Grayling, Swallowtail, Small Copper, Plain tiger, Two-Tailed Pasha, Geranium bronze, Meadow Brown, Holly Blue, Cardinal, Mediterranean Skipper, Millet skipper, Eastern Dappled White, Large White.
