Lesvos 2025 Part 4

 The Lesvos adventure continues,...............................

So we start with a beautiful Red-backed Shrike

and a White Stork posing nicely on a shed roof near the Kalloni Salt Pans.

Out Kavaki way, we came across a pair of Turtle Doves, which was delight,

then a Black-eared Wheatear down on the rocks

and a magnificent Blue Rock Thrush, but it never cam close enough for a decent photo.

Another bonus was a an Subalpine Warbler.

Continuing on from Kavaki to Petra/Molyvos resevoir there were plenty of Ruddy Shelduck, with one obliging with a flyby,

Followed by a buzzard.

A nice Black-headed Bunting, but for the life of me I can't remember where!

But this Egret was back at the Tsiknias River,

as were these White Storks.

Curlew Sandpipers at the Saltpans...

Another Stork...

And yet more Bee-eaters

I couldn't resist more Spur-winged Lapwing shots

as well as more Curlew Lapwing Photos.

Spoonbills! At the eastern side of the Saltpans we found 30 Spoonbills in one of the channels,

that then decided to relocate and join the Dalmatian Pelicans and Flamingos.

Another bird we see everywhere, but a rarity in the UK. A Corn Bunting, because they are so common I tend to forget to photograph them, so here's one!

Little Tern catching its lunch.

Yellow Wagtails..

We hunted for this one and were finally rewarded, a Collared Pratincole.

That's a great bird to end part 4 with.

A Week in Wester Ross

 We've had a quiet start to the birding year, we've had so much on! However we managed to get away for a week and booked a cottage in Aultbea overlooking the sea.

Most of the birding was pretty distant, with very little coming near the shore apart from a pair of Red breasted Mergansers.

Around Aultbea we did find quite a few birds though, but getting some decent photos proved difficult, although this Common Gull posed nicely

as did a few Lapwing.

We visited Poolewe a few times and made use of the hide at the National Trust Inverewe estate, although the windows don't open fully and they were filthy!

Anyway, we did manage a few sightings, over our visits; Grey Heron,

Cormorant,

Buzzard,

and Curlew.

We were delighted to see an Otter as dusk set in, again not close, but for the record:

We did a lot of mooching about exploring various roads, this wasn't in a Glen but definitely a Monarch:

I'll wrap this up now with a few more photos while we were out and about:

Godwits,

Ringed Plover

and snow on the Mountains after Storm Eowyn.

Fife Ness & Kilminning NR

 Just a few shots from a trip out to Crail and Fife Ness:

Curlew keeping an eye on an Oystercatcher,

Dunnock,

Goldfinches,

A Buzzard posed nicely for us,

Kestrel over the golf course,

Curlew again

and Oystercatchers.

Sparrowhawk having a rest after chasing some Redshank and Turnstone around the rocks, sadly for him no lunch!

Finally a nice shot of the Isle of May from the hide.