On a two week holiday based in the Lambi district of Kos Town at the Atlantis Hotel from 9th to 23rd October. 49 species seen in total. I used the Collins guide as an aid to identification and thanks to a few trip reports for information of areas to look. I visited the Alikis salt pan at Tigkaki a couple of times and it is highly recommended. The salt pan at Psalidi was totally dry and had very few birds at all so was not visited again. Enjoyable bird watching although the migration was over and there were fewer birds around. I will outline areas seen of some birds in brackets.
Lanner Falcon (seen while lounging in hot pools at Thermae Beach, Agios Fokas, south of Psalidi. Got out of pool and checked it out with my binoculars as it sat on the cliff face looking down on all the tourists) Blue Rock Thrush (also seen from hot pools) House Sparrow Barn Swallow Collared Dove Feral Pigeon Hooded Crow Greater Flamingo (1 on salt pan at Tigkaki) Little Ringed Plover (4 on salt pan at Tigkaki) Kentish Plover (20 on salt pan at Tigkaki) Little Stint (2 on salt pan at Tigkaki) Golden Plover (1 on salt pan at Tigkaki) Northern Lapwing Common Kingfisher Scopoli's Shearwater (3 seen off shore from boat trip to Kalymnos and 1 seen on boat trip to Nisiros) Audoin's Gull (1 seen on boat trip to Nisiros) Yellow Legged Gull (300+ on salt pan at Tigkaki and also sporadically elsewhere around coast) Common Gull Zitting Cisticola (5+ around salt pan at Tigkaki) Willow Warbler Grey Heron Purple Heron (10 on salt pan at Tigkaki) Eurasian Sparrowhawk Great Tit Chaffinch Raven Jackdaw Magpie Eastern Olivacious Warbler (1 heard around area of the Roman Odion in Kos Town) Sardinian Warbler Cetti's Warbler Grey Wagtail White Wagtail Elenorara's Falcon (1 at Zia up in the hills) Little owl (heard a number of nights from my balcony early morning) European Scops Owl (heard one night from my balcony early morning 6am) Crested Lark European Stonechat Corn Bunting Common Pheasant Great Cormorant Bittern (one heard booming briefly at Psalidi) Tree Pipit Blackcap Kestrel Buzzard (1 Nisiros 2 Antimachia unsure from poor views whether they were Long Legged or Common) Shag European Robin Black Redstart (1 near hotel near abandoned building)
The Lanner and Elenora's Falcons were highlights along with the Scops owl and it was great to see a Greater Flamingo again.
Below is a list of Butterflies seen around the Hotel and at the salt pans at Psalidi. 20 in total. Mallow Skipper Millet Skipper (a small number of these compared against the more numerous Pigmy Skipper below) Pigmy Skipper Holly Blue Common Blue Chapman's Blue Lang's Short Tailed Blue Brown Argus Lesser Fiery Copper Swallowtail Plain Tiger Red Admiral Painted lady Large White Southern Small White Clouded Yellow Meadow Brown Southern Grayling Large Wall Brown Wall Brown
Two weeks in Kos having got back today. Stayed at Tingaki on the North coast about 1.5 miles out of Centre towards Kos Town. I did not go on any specific birding outings and all the birds seen were around the appts or on the boat trip to the volcanic island of Nissyros. Birds seen in order of when I saw them were; House Sparrow, Collared Dove, Swallow, Sardinian Warbler, Crested Lark, Bee-eater, Hooded Crow, Swift, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Magpie, Yellow Legged gull, Zitting Cisticola, Kentish Plover, Grey Heron, Wood Sandpiper, Lesser Black-Backed Gull, Olivaceous Warbler, Red-Rumped Swallow, House Martin, Eleonora's Falcon, White Wagtail, Jackdaw, Blackbird, Red-Backed Shrike, Lesser Grey Shrike. 26 sp. in total, not great I know but I did not really go looking for birds apart from around appts. Highlights 1.Seeing 5 Bee-eaters whilst drinking
a beer by the pool on day 2. 2.Above repeated every day of the stay with a maximum flock of 46 circling and calling, now that was GOOD 3.Seeing OLIVACEOUS WARBLERS on 3 occasions, a new bird for me. 4.Daily visits to the pool of many Red-Rumped and Barn Swallows for drinks. 5.On 18 Aug had 11 Bee-eaters and a male Red-Backed Shrike on the same wire outside appts. 6.On 20 Aug male LESSER GREY SHRIKE, another first for me(and it disserves a better name) in same bush as male Red- Backed Shrike. Cheers Ian
Just a quick note from Kos, just been sat by the pool, drinking a Mythos when I heard a Bee-eater call, looked up to see 46 circling in the sky (very blue) above, it,s a tough life !! Cheers Ian ............................. Just realised in the excitement that this should definately be in out of County birding, sorry
, now that was GOOD