Pbarch0303

MY BIRDWATCHING HIGHLIGHTS FOR MARCH 2003

	1^stMarch. At Neo Chorio. A second calendar year bonellis eagle in perfect plumage circled low down over the garden less than 50 metres away.
	3^rdMarch. At Neo Chorio. A single eleonoras falcon mid morning looking for a snack.
	6^thMarch. At Neo Chorio. A single grey heron flew along the valley heading south when every other bird is migrating north! Along the coast lots of migrants – another grey heron; a yellow wagtail; an olivaceous warbler; 7 ruff; 2 swallows; a cettis warbler; a greenshank; a green sandpiper; a starling; a small flock of meadow pipits; a marsh harrier; and a common sandpiper. Agia reservoir was busy with 200+ coot; 20+ little grebes; several black necked grebes; 11 shoveler; 2 tufted duck; 3 teal; 5 gadwall; 1 cormorant; several mallard; 12 moorhen; 3 garganey; a pair of marsh harriers; 4 booted eagles were being heavily mobbed by the local hooded crows.
	10^thMarch. At Nembros. A short toed eagle was circling with a pair of local buzzards. At Neo Chorio. A male goshawk hunted across the garden.
	12^thMarch. At Rapaniana. There were 14 ruff; a flock of 19 wood sandpipers; 1 common sandpiper; 1 greenshank; and a big bonus - a single white tailed plover, a new bird for me. It was exceptionally shy, skulking in some rushy weeds and it took a lot of peering through the telescope to get a half decent view. Only gradually could identification be made certain.
	13^thMarch. Out on the Rodopos peninsula. There were lots of wood larks singing; 1 green sandpiper; 3 raven; a pair of bonellis eagles; several stonechats; buzzards; a pair of spotted flycatchers; and a single griffon vulture.
	14^thMarch. At the Omolos plateau. There were a pair of golden eagles circling together; a pair of crag martins; several chaffinchs; a flock of 50+ choughs feeding on a roadside field; a pair of bonellis eagles; two blackbirds and several meadow pipits. I was having a good look at the choughs hoping to find an alpine chough among them when my ‘right hand man’ asked what was coming up behind us and I dismissed it, concentrating on the choughs and muttered about some kind of eagle. A snort and then a smug leer made me look closer. It was quite a shock to find a magnificent adult bearded vulture had swept down and was only about 15 metres away as it soared low over the plateau, over our heads then made for the surrounding mountains. In future she who must be obeyed will have to be taken much more seriously! On the way back down from the plateau we saw another bearded vulture, another golden eagle and a pair of eleonoras falcons. Just as we arrived back home a pair of swallows were twittering at us for attention. We even managed to see an early ladybird, spring must be coming!
	15^thMarch. At Neo Chorio. 3 light phase eleonoras falcons.
	16^thMarch. At Neo Chorio. A single ‘ring tail’ harrier then a female sparrow hawk.
	19^thMarch. On a trip along our stretch of coast. We found 43 wood sandpipers; 37 green sandpipers; 1 gadwall; 70+ swallows; 5 common sandpipers; 35 garganey; 3 glossy ibis; 4 redshank; 2 little ringed plovers; 20 bar tailed godwits; 13 ruff; 6 white wagtails; 2 ringed plover; 7 grey wagtails; 7 greenshank; 3 meadow pipits; 1 late black redstart; 2 teal; and 23 little stint.
	21^stMarch. Again along the coast. And this time we saw 4 grey herons; 80+ swallows; 1 greenfinch; 70+ garganey; 40+ wood sandpipers; 14 little ringed plovers; 6 green sandpipers; 4 common sandpipers; 13 black tailed godwit; 2 glossy ibis; 1 very early golden oriole; 8 ruff; 2 marsh sandpipers; 1 redshank; 5 grey wagtails; 1 broad billed sandpiper; 1 yellow wagtail; 1 curlew; and 1 white wagtail. At Neriana. An osprey flew along the ridge line.
	22^ndMarch. At Neo Chorio. A mixed flock of several hundred swallows and house martins flew by. Along the coast were 50+ swallows; 3 greenshank; 1 grey heron; 3 little ringed plovers; 105 garganey; 17 ruff; 30 wood sandpipers; 1 curlew; 1 marsh harrier; 1 little egret; 3 common sandpipers; 2 black tailed godwits; 1 wheatear; 1 spotted redshank; 1 white wagtail; 1 cettis warbler singing; 3 hoopoes; 2 night herons; and 2 collared doves.
	23^rdMarch. At Neo Chorio. An eleonoras falcon.
	24^thMarch. At Neo Chorio. 3 eleonoras falcons.
	25^thMarch.At Neo Chorio. 2 eleonoras falcons.
	26^thMarch. Another sweep along the coast. Where we saw 7 little egret; 1 curlew; 34 garganey; 62 green sandpipers; 7 little stint; 5 greenshank; 19 black tailed godwits; 23 ruff; 179 wood sandpipers; 9 little ringed plover; 11 marsh sandpipers; 2 curlew sandpipers; 1 common sandpiper; 1 marsh harrier; 1 yellow wagtail; 2 lesser kestrel; 7 glossy ibis; 1 purple heron; and 4 white wagtails.
	27^thMarch. At Neo Chorio. A pair of short toed eagles.
	28^thMarch. Again along the coast. To see 36 green sandpiper; 2 house martins; 1 eleonoras falcon; 5 little egrets; 14 little ringed plovers; 64 wood sandpipers; 34 ruff; 2 bar tailed godwit; 7 common sandpipers; 1 adult spotted eagle; 2 red throated pipits; 1 yellow legged gull - noteworthy as it was carrying a dead rat; 34 garganey; 2 redshank; 2 white wagtails; 1 moorhen; 5 little stint; 6 swallows; 1 wheatear; 2 ringed plovers; and a pair of gadwall.

And a few final words for March..... A very busy month with lots of birds to see and very much enjoyed. The waders have been really good along the coast and it was great fun sorting out just what was what. The curlew sandpipers and the broad billed sandpiper were challenging to tease out from the masses of wood and green sandpipers - and the marsh sandpipers were difficult as well until their long legged stance and needle like bills were picked out. The white tailed plover was an exceptional find though I do not go out looking for rarities, which makes it all the more pleasurable when one just turns up. The hoopoes were delightful to see, among my favourite birds. The osprey was a welcome surprise especially as it was flying south instead of north!

Spring migration has arrived with a bang so the temptation is to neglect getting jobs done around the house and to take off with binoculars and telescope at every opportunity.

I promise to pay fuller attention to my ‘right hand man’ and give her much greater credit, especially as she has proved more than helpful when I have to stop bird watching and rope her into holding down logs for me while I put the chainsaw through them! Where would men be without the fair sex?