Kruper's Nuthatch ~ Lesvos, Greece - 29.04.13

There was a rough game plan for the trip, hit the main target species in the first few days just in case we wanted or needed to try again !!

We met Ray Purser at Kavaki yesterday and again that afternoon, whilst talking we mentioned the Kruper's site which he was just going to and invited us to follow him ..

This site is very well known, at Achladeri Forest. Park by the white building and walk another 50m to a tall tree stump with cable attached its as easy as that ...

The main thing was the light, it needed to be a morning visit so came back the next day ... The birds were more active and best of all for nearly 3 hours nobody else there ... Heaven !!

Kruper's Nuthatch

Unfortunately all good things come to an end ...

And that's all the images from Lesvos for this trip ...

Thanks for looking 

Roll on next year

Ruppell's Warbler ~ Kavaki, Lesvos, Greece - 01.05.13

These are smart birds and were a main target for images ..

The easiest site is on the coast road between Petra and Molivos at Kavaki didn't see any signs for Kavaki but thats what it's called ..

So there's three lay-by's on the coast road once you've gone past the harbour in Petra, our first visit was started at the last one and after an hour of no sightings moved down one ..

Here a male showed really well, every 5 or so minutes singing from a support wire on a telegraph pole ..

Wire for me is a big no-no and just couldn't take any images even though the bird was so close ...

Later after talking to others they said try the first lay-by near the odd shaped building. So a few days later we returned at first light and two others had the same idea .. A male showed well singing from the small tree top ..

Ruppell's Warbler

1/1600 ~ F8

1/1600 ~ F8

1/1600 ~ F8

1/2000 ~ F8

1/2000 ~ F8


The perch has been manipulated in some of these to balance the image ...

Try the mouse-over on the first one !!

Looks better with some adjustment ..

Blue Rock Thrush ~ Lesvos, Greece - 03.05.13

We tried this site earlier in the week, and thought we had found the nest way up high but in the short time we were there no birds came in to the nest ...

One thing we did work out was this is best for afternoon photography ..

So later in the week we returned, watching from a distance when the pair came in low and nowhere near where we thought the nest was ..

Probably had about 2hrs here and re-positioned closer a few times but still quite large crops ..

The male would come in from above and drop slowly, while the female mainly in from the left and straight in to the nest ..

Blue Rock Thrush

  

Not quite what I was after, but still the best images of this species to date ..

Stunning Birds 

Alpine Swift ~ Lesvos, Greece - 03.05.13

Heading out South West for Makara and the beach pools, to find loads of Alpine Swifts drinking on the wing ...

For me that's it, didn't care what else was here I wanted images !!

Tracking the birds coming in wasn't a problem from my part ...

But the 1d mkIIn struggled to keep up ...

With low contrast between subject and background the camera was struggling when the birds were over the water and seemed to lag when on the sky  ...

But eventually managed a drinking image, if slightly lacking in sharpness & detail ..

Alpine Swift

  

Pleased with the drinking image !!

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 !!