ORNITHOLIDAY S TOUR TO GREECE - THE ISLAND OF KOS AT LEISURE Eleonora s Island May Leader: Paul Rogers

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1 ORNITHOLIDAY S TOUR TO GREECE - THE ISLAND OF KOS AT LEISURE Eleonora s Island May 2015 Leader: Paul Rogers

2 ORNITHOLIDAY S TOUR TO GREECE - THE ISLAND OF KOS AT LEISURE Eleonora s Island May 2015 A Personal Diary An easy pace in one very comfortable hotel serving very tasty food in a friendly atmosphere, watching colourful birds in warm sunshine, is a recipe for a relaxing birdwatching break. Kos is a small island, so travel distances are relatively short, only a few miles from the coast of Turkey and on a major migration route. The only major body of water, Tigaki Salt Lake, is only a few minutes from our base and acts as a magnet to waders, terns, herons and ibis. The avian population changes on a daily basis so regular visits are a must, Greater Flamingos and Ruddy Shelduck add splashes of colour. European Rollers are plentiful and European Bee-eaters compete for the most colourful species. However, it is the falcons that are the biggest attraction, Lesser Kestrels, Red-footed Falcons and Eurasian Hobby are regularly seen but the sight of Eleonora s Falcons in the volcano caldera on Nisiros is the one that remains fixed in the memory. Migration is often unpredictable and this year provided wonderful views and photographic opportunities of a Great Snipe only a few yards from the vehicle the icing on a very delicious cake. Thursday 7 th May After yesterday s torrential rain it is a treat to make our way to Gatwick Airport in bright spring sunshine. All the group are in the queue to check-in for our flight to Kos. The ultra-efficient desks mean we are soon through security and enjoying breakfast airside. The flight is smooth and we touch down a few minutes ahead of schedule, the minibus is ready for us to collect at the airport and our Greek adventure is underway. Our excellent hotel is less than half an hour away, soon we are enjoying European Rollers on the wires as we travel, a great start. We have time to relax before dinner and bed. Friday 8 th May The buffet breakfast with plenty of choice means we are soon on our way to the nearby Tigaki Salt Lake, the premier birdwatching site on the island. Fortunately there is plenty of water with a few muddy patches on the edge, an ideal situation. The most obvious birds are nearly 50 Greater Flamingos, mostly juvenile birds with a few pinker adults, and several pairs of Ruddy Shelduck, including one pair with half a dozen ducklings. Ruff and Wood Sandpipers are here in good numbers with a single Common Sandpiper and a Temminck s Stint. Black-necked Stilts vie with White-winged Terns as the most elegant black and white species. A pair of Garganey shows well, they will probably head further north to breed. As we watch them five Glossy Ibis fly overhead and continue to another area out of sight. Deep drainage ditches and wet areas mean several detours are necessary in order to reach other areas of the lake shore. A Spotted Redshank is nearly in full breeding plumage and our first Eleonora s Falcon circles high in the blue sky, hopefully, we will have better views of this special raptor. On the eastern side of the lake we see more Ruff and Wood Sandpipers and three Little Stints. A Great Reed Warbler sings but remains hidden in a thicket of Tamarisks. The most exciting time of the morning is when I manage to get the vehicle stuck in the loose sand exploring new but obviously dangerous territory. Nevertheless it has been a good morning and we return to the hotel for lunch and a short siesta. The good news is we have managed to find a step to help getting in and out of the mini-bus. Just in time for our visit to Old Pyli in the Dikeos Mountains on the way we stop for views of a female Western Marsh Harrier heading north. Amongst the pines above the village we hear the purring of a European Turtle Dove and the song of a Common Blackbird but both birds remain hidden, a pair of Eurasian Serins feeding in a weedy field are some compensation. We walk along a path beneath the high crags, normally a good place for raptors but not today. An interesting sight is a flock of Western Jackdaws, the collective noun of clattering seems most apt, they all very agitated over an unseen target, we surmise the presence of a snake. A Starred Agama sunning itself on a rock shows little interest. Our descent is very quiet, good settled weather does not always mean good birdwatching. Today is Diana s birthday and Roger celebrates by treating us all to a bottle of fizzy and the hotel provides a cake. Ornitholidays Tour to Greece The Island of Kos May 2015 Page 1

3 Saturday 9 th May After breakfast we head for the dry areas to the west of Mastihari but soon we are stopping to watch Lesser Kestrels overhead and a dashing Eleonora s Falcon. A sandy track leading down to a quiet beach brings the reward of the colourful sight of a flock of European Bee-eaters feeding before they cross the sea to Turkey. Perched in a Tamarisk they look superb through the telescope in the bright sunshine. Further exploration of the many stony sandy tracks reveals a distant European Roller and brief views of Alpine Swifts. A steep track down to the secluded church at Agios Nikita nestled at the foot of a sheltered valley. The flower meadows here are a real picture of yellow, gold and red provided by Crown Daisies and poppies. A pair of European Turtle Doves flies up from the track as we approach and enjoy a leisurely stroll. A Wood Warbler searches for food in a tall tree and Rosie points out a circling Long-legged Buzzard. Diana finds a Bug Orchid on the edge of the path close to a number of sinister looking Dragon Arums. It is a most pleasant interlude in a delightfully tranquil location. At the top of the valley a Woodchat Shrike perches on a wire and a dashing Eurasian Hobby is well spotted by Diana. Completing our circular route a Montpelier Snake slithers across the track just before we take a detour hoping to locate an Eleonora s Falcon. We fail miserably but Rosie saves the day finding a close Eurasian Hoopoe, another classic Mediterranean species. A singing Black-headed Bunting on a roadside wire brings our colourful morning to a bright end. In the heat of the day we enjoy a period of rest and relaxation before heading off to buy water and find water, in other words the lake. Roger spots a close European Roller in a derelict building and overhead we see large numbers of Common Swifts, Barn Swallows and Common Sand Martins. It is always thrilling to see such large numbers of birds actively migrating. A Curlew Sandpiper is displaying its distinctive breeding plumage and a Western Marsh Harrier is mobbed by a large flock of Hooded Crows. A lakeside Tamarisk shelters some Olivaceous Warblers before one breaks cover to perch on a fence for us to see well. Roger s European Roller is joined by a second bird, perhaps they are prospecting a potential nest site, unfortunately they fly before they are captured on his camera. Compensation is five Glossy Ibis at close range with the late afternoon sun picking out their subtle colours, now we know why they are called glossy. We meet at the poolside bar to log the day s sightings over a pre-dinner drink this is definitely Kos at leisure! During the last two nights a Scops Owl has been calling in the hotel grounds, so tonight we will try to see one. The light is fading by 9.00 pm as we walk around the immaculate gardens and try to entice the bird to appear with the help of playback. All is quiet but just as we are about to give up and retire to our rooms we hear a calling bird. It comes to investigate and we have superb views of this diminutive owl sitting out in the open on a palm branch and in a tree. It is a new bird for most and a super end to the day. Sunday 10 th May Near to the hotel is a small area of wetland that in the past has been worth investigating. Roger is keen to capture some images of Squacco Herons in the superb early morning light before breakfast. The Squaccos are here so are three Black-crowned Night-Herons providing great photographic opportunities but unexpectedly there is a large snipe. Barring on the underparts and white edging to the greater coverts confirm it as a Great Snipe. This is a great find and with careful manoeuvring we manage some photographs, normally the species is seen at dusk at leks in Poland and Belarus. We return to the area after breakfast so that others in the group can see the bird but unfortunately there is no sign of our target. Today we head to the rugged coast in the north of the island and the very end of the road at Embros Thermes. The area is good for Black-eared Wheatears and Blue Rock Thrush, at first all we see is a Woodchat Shrike swaying on top of an Oleander bush in the stiff breeze. In a sheltered valley we find a pair of wheatears, this smart species shows well and we watch them through the telescope. As we enjoy the birds a Blue Rock Thrush flies above us but try as we may we cannot relocate the bird. The only other wetland area on the island is a small reserve at Psalidi Wetlands. After several futile attempts, due to recent developments of holiday village resorts we eventually find the entrance by the side of the Nature Park Village. The purple carpet of Statice is eye-catching, which is more than can be said for most Ornitholidays Tour to Greece The Island of Kos May 2015 Page 2

4 of the sun-worshipers on the beach. After all our efforts the pools surrounded by tall vegetation are a little disappointing but the sight of Little Grebes feeding youngsters is a treat. Lunch is a relaxed affair in a seaside taverna with extensive views towards Asia Minor. Replete we head for the capital of the island having brief views of an adult Audouin s Gull as we leave. Now it is time for a little culture and a visit to the ancient Kos town. Here close to the harbour is the square Platia Platanou and a huge Oriental Plane Tree, Platanus orientalis, with a crown diameter of 12 metres and the largest of this species in Europe. Legend has it that Hippocrates taught his medical students beneath this magnificent tree, in truth the tree is only 500 years old but it may be a direct descendent of the original tree which stood here 2400 years ago. A bridge over the road links the square to the Castle of the Knights, from here we have great views of screaming Pallid Swifts that scythe through the narrow gaps of the ancient walls and buildings. Skilful navigation by Diana takes us around the castle, by the marina and back to the hotel in time for a short period of relaxation before heading for Kardamena on the south coast. The fields outside the town can be productive as it is the point where migrants arrive having crossed the Mediterranean Sea. At first only a Whinchat is evidence of any migration but soon we spot a group of six White-winged Terns feeding over a hay field, suddenly their numbers are swollen to two dozen. Raptors deflect our attention as a pair of Bonelli s Eagles is joined by a Steppe Buzzard followed by a flock of corvids mobbing a Peregrine Falcon, probably a resident bird awaiting tired migrants and easy pickings. Now there is no sign of the terns they have disappeared in a matter of minutes; it is amazing to witness active migration such as this. Climbing up the valley we can clearly see the lake below us and this is probably where the terns are heading. In the distance the skies are black and thunder and lightning indicate a storm brewing in the north. The rain arrives as we prepare for dinner. Tonight the ladies all receive a red rose as it is Greek Mothering Sunday. What will tomorrow bring? Monday 11 th May We awake to bright blue skies and no sign of rain. After yesterday s success four of us return to see if the snipe is still there. On arrival we are greeted by an ultra-friendly horse, despite his close attention we do see five Glossy Ibis, several Squacco Herons, two Wood Sandpipers and a lone Black-crowned Night-Heron but no Great Snipe. Disappointed we drive down to the beach but all is quiet here. Fortunately our return route takes us past the small marsh and there by the side of the track is the bird. We have wonderful close views of the snipe before it flies to an area of longer grass. Last night s rain has probably grounded it over night before it can continue its journey to breeding grounds in Eastern Europe. The small area of wetland over the years has produced some excellent birds. Now, it is time for breakfast. Hoping that the storm has halted migrants we head for the Salt Lake but little has changed except for an increase in the numbers of White-winged Terns, possibly some of yesterday s birds. A splendid male Yellow Wagtail of the feldegg race sometimes called Black-headed Wagtail and considered a separate species by some authorities, is a new addition to the list. A track to the west of Mastihari brings instant success when Lesley points out a European Roller on top of a Juniper and then finds its partner; during the morning we see many more European Rollers, well into double figures. A pair of Chukars by the side of the track is most obliging followed by a pair of European Turtle Doves feeding in a sheep pasture. A group of Lesser Kestrels have a pair of Red-footed Falcons with them. The paucity of birds is compensated with some close views. Lunch is a relaxed affair back at the hotel before we visit the archaeological site at Asklepieon, now the ruins of a building used as a temple and a healing place dating back to the 14 th Century BC. Roger and Diana climb the impressive flight of steps to enjoy the panoramic view towards the coast. The road at the foot of the Dikeos Mountains twists and turns over open moorland and through picturesque villages. Birds are few and far between and certainly not the numbers of raptors we had wished to find. However, the journey is well worth while as we have good views of a pair of Great Spotted Cuckoos, a bird high on everyone s wish list. The species is a nest parasite of corvids and this pair is not welcomed by the local population of Common Magpies. Ornitholidays Tour to Greece The Island of Kos May 2015 Page 3

5 Again in the late afternoon the skies darken and another storm brews over Turkey but we only have a light shower as we return back to base. Tuesday 12 th May A pre breakfast visit fails to find the Great Snipe it must have moved on, perhaps the Salt Lake will be more productive. Here the number of White-winged Terns has increased to nearly a hundred and a Purple Heron flies into some long grass and mysteriously disappears. The Kefalos Peninsula on the west of Kos is where we head today. Soon we are watching three males and a single female Red-footed Falcon perched on power lines. European Rollers and Woodchat Shrikes dot the wires and fences at regular intervals and a female Pied Flycatcher rests in a Fig Tree. The Plakas Forest is noted for the feral population of Indian Peafowl, the population seems to be thriving and increasing with over fifty adult peacocks showing off their fine feathers. A walk amongst the pines reveals little else except Common Chaffinches, Common Blackbirds and European Turtle Doves. A pair of Cretzchmar s Buntings is busy feeding young in an area of heathland. The town of Kefalos is popular with holiday makers but today s overcast conditions mean empty beaches and full bars. Above the town a pair of Bee-eaters is busy prospecting a steep sandstone cliff in a search of a nest site. A small church perched on the hillside is noteworthy for its impressive collection of icons. Nearby a seaside taverna at Agios Theologus is our chosen venue for lunch with great views over the sea and today the torrential rain, fortunately we are under cover and not on the terrace. As we retrace our steps the rain stops, the roads dry and a Little Owl basks by a hole in a sandy bank. The race here is much browner than the one in the UK and recent work reveals different vocalisations and a candidate for a split. We also have much better views of the male Cretzchmar s Bunting in the same spot that we saw it earlier. Mid-afternoon we return to the lake and hope for new arrivals after the overnight rain, certainly driving the muddy tracks is a little more hazardous. Three Whiskered Terns prefer feeding over the fields rather than the water, in contrast to their white-winged cousins. A Spur-winged Lapwing is a little distant; we can only view it through the telescope because of the muddy puddles on the track. Two Green Sandpipers have joined the many Wood Sandpipers giving us a great opportunity to compare and contrast. A Black-headed Wagtail perches precariously on top of a swaying phragmites flower. Brief views of a Red-backed Shrike bring our birdwatching to a fitting end. Wednesday 13 th May Today is our last full day on Kos and the pre-breakfast visit adds Great Tit to the list but the boat trip to the volcanic island of Nisiros is the main event. On the quayside at Kardamena we meet up with our guide Elizabeth, we will be able to recognise her as she is blonde, big and strong, the advantage of having a guide is that we can catch an early bus into the foot of the crater. The crossing takes just an hour over flat calm seas, half an hour later we are in the crater. Three quarter of an hour is our allotted time to see the bubbling mud pots, smell the sulphurous fumes and watch a few birds. A Northern contrasts with a Black-eared Wheatear, a Little Owl perches briefly on a dead branch and a distant Eurasian Hoopoe calls from a group of trees. However, the avian highlight of the crater is a flock of Eleonora s Falcons, twenty or more circle above the rim of the crater. Eventually a few descend low over our heads and we admire both pale and dark morphs of this elegant bird. In Mandraki we lunch in a tavern at the water s edge before exploring the byways and alleyways of the island s capital. The crossing in mid-afternoon often produces shearwaters but all is quiet until Rosie draws our attention to a pod of half a dozen Bottle-nosed Dolphins heading in the opposite direction to the ferry. Once on dry land, it is a good job we didn t make the trip yesterday in the rain, we head over the Dikeos foothills. The brisk wind produces an up draught against a cliff face attracting a large flock of corvids playing in air, including 15 Common Ravens and Common and Long-legged Buzzards. It has been long but fruitful day. Ornitholidays Tour to Greece The Island of Kos May 2015 Page 4

6 After dinner we try once again for the Scops Owl as Vera is keen to see it. Again the bird responds to some brief play-backs and perches out in the open highlighted in the torch light. Thursday 14 th May Our mid-afternoon flight allows us one final morning birdwatching and some last views of the Mediterranean specialities. Red-footed Falcons perch on wires, a European Roller leaves a nest hole in a sandy bank close to a larger hole used by a Little Owl, which keeps a wary eye on us. A male Black-eared Wheatear offers food to its mate and a Whinchat shares a wire with a Northern Wheatear. A flock of Barn Swallows has s few Redrumped Swallows amongst them, it is surprising we haven t seen them before. A view of European Roller and Eurasian Hoopoe brings the morning to an appropriate end. At the hotel we have plenty of time for a relaxed lunch, finish our packing, return the steps and say farewell to the helpful staff of the hotel and drive the short distance to the airport. The flight is comfortable and the only problem is that there are no steps waiting for us to disembark onto the tarmac. All of our luggage arrives promptly at the carousel and after saying goodbye to new found friends we head off on the last leg of our journey. Acknowledgements I would like to thank all the friendly and helpful staff and the Meras family at the hotel, nothing was too much trouble. In particular I would like to thank you all for your good company, for sharing your birds and joining us on this a most relaxing and enjoyable tour. A special thanks to Roger and Diana for skilfully navigating us along unnamed tracks with maps that were hardly detailed and for brightening this report with their splendid photographs. Many thanks for travelling with us. E. Paul Rogers Ornitholidays 29 Straight Mile Romsey Hampshire SO51 9BB Tel: info@ornitholidays.co.uk July 2015 Octopus drying at Mandrake Ornitholidays Tour to Greece The Island of Kos May 2015 Page 5

7 Itinerary and Weather 7 May International flight from London Gatwick to Kos Hot and sunny 29ºC 8 May Tigaki Salt Lake - lunch at hotel - Old Pyli and the Dikeos Mountains Hot and sunny - max temp 29ºC 9 May Area west of Mastihari Agios Nikitas lunch at hotel Tigaki Salt Lake Hot and sunny - max temp 27º C 10 May Marmari swamp - Embros Thermes - Psalidi Wetlands - lunch in Kos and visit to town - Kardamena and Dikeos foothills. Fine and sunny with rain late in afternoon - max temp 25 C 11 May Marmari swamp Tigaki Salt Lake area west of Mastihari lunch at hotel Asklepiein archaeological site Asfendiou Fine and sunny - max temp 25º C 12 May Marmari swamp - Tigaki Salt Lake - Plakas Forest - Kefalos peninsula lunch at Agios Theologus Tigaki Salt Lake Fine early morning - heavy rain - overcast with a chilly wind max temp 24º C 13 May Visit to Island of Nisiros - lunch in Mandraki - Dikeos foothills Fine and sunny - max temp 25º C 14 May Area west of Mastihari - lunch at hotel - flight to London Gatwick. Fine and sunny - max temp 24 C Great Snipe Ornitholidays Tour to Greece The Island of Kos May 2015 Page 6

8 CHECKLIST OF BIRDS SEEN DURING TOUR No of days recorded Abundance Scale (max. seen on 1 day) 1 2h means seen on 1 = 1-4 1day and heard 2 = 5-9 on 2 other days 3 = = = 1,000+ The sequence and nomenclature of this list follow Collins Bird Guide 2 nd Edition SPECIES No of days recorded Abundance Scale SCIENTIFIC NAME Ruddy Shelduck 4 3 Tadorna ferruginea Mallard 5 3 Anas platyrhynchos Garganey 1 1 Anas querquedula Chukar 1 1 Alectoris chukar Common Pheasant 1 1h 1 Phasianus colchicus Little Grebe 1 3 Tachybaptus ruficollis Great Crested Grebe 1 3 Podiceps cristatus European Shag 1 2 Phalacrocorax aristotelis Black-crowned Night-Heron 4 2 Nycticorax nyticorax Squacco Heron 6 3 Ardeola ralloides Little Egret 4 3 Egretta garzetta Grey Heron 1 1 Ardea cinerea Purple Heron 1 1 Ardea purpurea Glossy Ibis 4 2 Plegadis falcinellus Greater Flamingo 4 3 Phoenicopterus roseus Bonelli s Eagle 1 1 Hieraaetus fasciatus Western Marsh Harrier 2 1 Circus aeruginosus Long-legged Buzzard 3 1 Buteo rufinus Common Buzzard 2 1 Buteo buteo Common Kestrel 3 1 Falco tinnunculus Lesser Kestrel 5 3 Falco naumanni Red-footed Falcon 3 2 Falco vespertinus Eurasian Hobby 1 1 Falco subbuteo Eleonora s Falcon 4 3 Falco eleonorae Peregrine Falcon 1 1 Falco peregrinus Common Moorhen 4 3 Gallinula chloropus Eurasian Coot 1 3 Fulica atra Black-winged Stilt 4 3 Himantopus himantopus Common Ringed Plover 4 1 Charadrius hiaticula Spur-winged Lapwing 1 1 Venellus spinosus Curlew Sandpiper 1 1 Calidris ferruginea Temminck s Stint 2 1 Calidris temminckii Little Stint 4 5 Calidris minuta Common Sandpiper 3 1 Actitis hypoleucos Wood Sandpiper 5 3 Tringa glareola Green Sandpiper 1 1 Tringa ochropus Great Snipe 2 1 Gallinago media Ruff 4 3 Philomachus pugnax Mediterranean Gull 1 1 Larus melanocephalus Yellow-legged Gull 7 4 Larus michahellis Audouin's Gull 1 1 Larus audouinii Whiskered Tern 1 1 Chlidonias hybridus White-winged Tern 5 3 Chlidonias leucopterus Rock Dove (Feral Pigeon) 7 3 Columba livia Eurasian Collared Dove 7 3 Streptopelia decaocto European Turtle Dove 5 1h 2 Streptopelia turtur Great Spotted Cuckoo 1 1 Clamator glandarius Little Owl 3 1 Athene noctua Eurasian Scops Owl 3 1h 1 Otus scops Ornitholidays Tour to Greece The Island of Kos May 2015 Page 7

9 Common Swift 6 4 Apus apus Pallid Swift 1 3 Apus pallidus Alpine Swift 4 1 Apus melba Eurasian Hoopoe 1 1h 1 Upupa epops European Bee-eater 2 3 Merops apiaster European Roller 7 3 Coracias garrulus Crested Lark 8 3 Galerida cristata Common Sand Martin 7 3 Riparia riparia Barn Swallow 8 3 Hirundo rustica Red-rumped Swallow 1 2 Hirundo daurica Common House Martin 8 3 Delichon urbica Black-headed Wagtail 2 1 Motacilla (flava) feldegg White Wagtail 2 1 Motacilla alba Northern Wheatear 2 1 Oenanthe oenanthe Black-eared Wheatear 3 1 Oenanthe hispanica Whinchat 2 1 Saxicola rubetra Common Blackbird 1 1h 1 Turdus merula Blue Rock Thrush 1 1 Monticola solitarius Sardinian Warbler 3 1h 1 Sylvia melanocephala Cetti's Warbler 1 3h 1 Cettia cetti Zitting Cisticola 1 1 Cisticola juncidis Reed Warbler 3 1h 1 Acrocephalus scirpaceus Great Reed Warbler 1 1h 1 Acrocephalus arundinaceus Eastern Olivaceous Warbler 2 1h 1 Hippolais pallida Wood Warbler 1 1 Phylloscopus sibilatrix Spotted Flycatcher 1 1 Muscicapa striata Pied Flycatcher 1 2 Ficedula hypoleuca Great Tit 1 1 Parus major Red-backed Shrike 2 1 Lanius collurio Woodchat Shrike 5 2 Lanius senator Common Magpie 8 3 Pica pica Eurasian Jay 1 1h 1 Garrulus glandarius Western Jackdaw 8 3 Corvus monedula Hooded Crow 8 3 Corvus cornix Common Raven 2 3 Corvus corax House Sparrow 8 3 Passer domesticus Common Chaffinch 1 1 Fringilla coelebs European Goldfinch 1 1 Carduelis carduelis Eurasian Serin 1 1 Serinus serinus European Greenfinch 3 1h 1 Chloris chloris Cretzschmar s Bunting 2 1 Emberiza caesia Black-headed Bunting 2 1 Emberiza melanocephala Corn Bunting 5 1 Emberiza calandra MAMMALS Atlantic Bottle-nosed Dolphin Tursiops truncatus European Rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus REPTILES Erhard s Wall Lizard Podarcis erhardii Spur-thighed Tortoise Testudo graeca Balkan Green Lizard Lacerta trilineata Balkan Terrapin Mauremys rivulata Starred Agama Stellagama stellio Montpelier Snake Malpolon monspessulanus BUTTERFLIES Swallowtail Papilio machaon Clouded Yellow Colias crocea Scarce Swallowtail Iphliclides podalirius Wall Brown Lasiommata megera Large White Pieris brassicae Meadow Brown Maniola jurtina Small White Artogeia rapae Large Tortoiseshell Nymphalis polychloros This list represents those species seen by party members of this group. Ornitholidays Ornitholidays Tour to Greece The Island of Kos May 2015 Page 8

10 Lesser Kestrel Black-headed Bunting Glossy Ibis Squacco Heron Chukar Red-footed Falcon Wood Sandpiper European Bee-eater Ornitholidays Tour to Greece The Island of Kos May 2015 Page 9

11 Eleonora s Falcon Ruddy Shelduck European Turtle Dove Little Owl White-winged Terns migrating Crested Lark Wild flowers Front cover: European Roller Nisiros caldera All photographs R Forder, D Forder & EP Rogers Ornitholidays Tour to Greece The Island of Kos May 2015 Page 10