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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Penny Clarke" data-source="post: 1239609" data-attributes="member: 40022">Saturday 10th MayDerbyshire and Achladeri areaIt was a lovely sunny day again and after having breakfast of muslei and soya milk we left at 8.20am to head for Achladeri to see the Kruper’s Nuthatch.On route near the saltpans we saw a persian squirrel by the roadside. We also had red rumped swallows and a woodpecker sp. on route around the hairpin bends. Passing the saltpans, we saw black winged stilts, greater flamingoes, a raptor sp.’ and 2 shelduck.At the Kruper’s Nuthatch site we parked the car and soon found the nesting site and had stupendous views of both male and female Kruper’s Nuthatch going in and out of the crevice with food for their young. At the same time we had wonderful views of a masked shrike sitting on a wire by the krupers tree - in fact we had about 7 altogether! A interesting lizard ran up a tree as we stood there - Pete managed to get a pic of it, but we have not ID’d it yet. A very nice birder told us where to go to see a juvenile long eared owl further up the forest track - so off we went! We found it quite quickly, it was sitting on a big branch looking really, really cute and furry with blinking eyes (see pic). We continued up the track but didn’t see very much really - wrong time of day I think. But we did see a serin, heard a nightjar purring, blue tit, greenfinch and a sub alpine warbler. It was very hot now and we decided to about turn and made our way back to the car. On the way back we saw several butterflies including small heath, red admiral, small copper, a fritiliary sp., hairstreak sp., damselflies and clouded yellows.After sandwiches back at the car we moved on to a bridge by the Vouvaris River (Map 5 in Richard Brook’s book ‘Birding on the Greek Island of Lesvos’) which was a lovely spot. We saw 2 balkan wall lizards on big boulders by the roadside sunning themselves, also a turtle dove, nightingale, 2 serins on the wires and an olivaceous warbler singing away in vegetation by the bridge. Marsh frogs were having a massive singing session! Either side of the bridge it was teaming with 70+ terrapins - it was absolutely magical to watch all these terrapins including baby ones playing about in the sunny water. Some were basking on a log that sloped into the water (see pic). I took alot of pictures here! A black eared wheatear was high up on the rocks nearby and a sub alpine warbler was in the bushes along the track next to the bridge. Vipers bluegloss adorned the verges - it was a very pretty spot.We then drove to the Rock outcrop near the Derbyshire area and parked by the old/new bridge were we saw (3.10pm) 3 ruddy shelduck, black eared wheatear and 3 black storks circling directely above us! We followed the track up through scrub and rocky outcrops (3.40pm) and saw turtle doves, sub alpine warblers, 1 purple heron (Pete picked this up for us in his scope in the saltpans way below us), 2 red backed shrikes (4.25pm), an interesting dragonfly with 4 spots on wings (took picture). A woodchat shrike gave us wonderful views (5pm) and suddenly a stunning lime green Green Balkan Lizard ran over a rock and into some heather - it moved like lightening and I only got a fuzzy head shot (see pic). We then drove to the old bridge area and saw 2 hooded crows on wires, a greenshank, little egret, turtle doves, wood sandpipers, crested larks, red backed shrike, a corn bunting and we presume the same purple heron again get up out of ditch.We then drove back to our apartments at Anaxos. I felt too exhausted to go out, so the lads went out on their own and I pottered about by myself and took some night scenes of the pool/bar area and made a film of the frogs singing! Had a shower and sat in bed writing my diary.:girl:Pic 1. Kruper's Nuthatch. Pic 2. Masked Shrike. Pic 3. Juv. Long Eared Owl. Pic 4. Terrapins. Pic 5. Green Balkan Lizard</blockquote>

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