In this Issue. POTTERS BAR & BARNETs LOCAL group newsletter NO 89 winter REPORT ON BEHALF OF THE COMMITTEE by Jacqueline Walker

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1 POTTERS BAR & BARNETs LOCAL group newsletter NO 89 winter 2015 Newsletter Editor: Lynn Baker 46 Normandy Avenue, Barnet, Herts EN5 2JA Tel: REPORT ON BEHALF OF THE COMMITTEE by Jacqueline Walker In this Issue Advertisement Advertisement Book Review...2 Coach Outings Data Protection Act Group visit to Lesvos...5 Local Bird Report Local Group Website Local Outings Report...2 Newsletter Copy Date Obituary...2 RSPB Members Day Club application form...12 Group Website: pottersbarandbarnet or just search for Potters Bar and Barnet RSPB The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) is a registered charity: England and Wales no , Scotland no. SC Any advertisements enclosed with this newsletter are not specifically endorsed by the RSPB or the Potters Bar & Barnet Local Group This has been a full and busy year for the Group. The Outings Team has given us a variety of locations to visit and thanks must go to them for organising such excellent trips for us. The holiday in Devon was a great success. Our thanks must also go to Dave Collins, our driver from Welham Travel, who looks after us so well. Members have enjoyed a variety of speakers at the Wednesday afternoon and Friday evening meetings. Our new overseas travel team organised a successful trip to Lesvos in May this year. 15 members went to the RSPB s Members Weekend in York in March, staying at the University campus. At the beginning of the year we were invited by Oakmere School in Potters Bar to talk to the children and this was a great success. Some of our members attended the RSPCA s Fun Day in July and also the Rye Meads Fun Day in April. We were at the Dutch Nursery in January for the Big Garden Birdwatch. John Rowley has been busy with our new website and distributing a Group newsletter by . Please let him know if you would like to be included in the mailing please use pbandb.rspb@btinternet.com. Members have also enjoyed the car outings each month. Two quiz evenings organised by Fran Attrill took place in March and November this year. They are great fun and raise funds for RSPB, as does the 100 Club which is now ably run by Chris and Ron Youthed, and the pin badges which Bruce Bennett has been in charge of for many years. We were able to send just over 4,500 to RSPB in our last financial year. As I said in the Summer newsletter, thanks must go to Lesley for her 5 years as our Group Leader and we are delighted that she is willing to take on the role of Group Treasurer. I would also like to thank the committee for their support and hard work during the year and thanks must also go to those non -committee members whose help we could not do without. We are still looking for a replacement editor for the newsletter otherwise we shall have to forgo producing one twice a year. And of course we are looking for a new Group Leader. The Group is thriving at the moment but none of this would be possible without you, the members, and we thank you for your support and involvement during the year. We hope you will enjoy the outings and events set out in the enclosed programme for 2016.

2 RSPB Members Day and AGM 10 October Although we could not make the AGM (some other group members did) John and I attended an enjoyable afternoon of presentations at the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre just opposite Westminster Abbey. We learned of new developments at reserves including a proposed visitor centre at Arne in Dorset and the progress of work at Wallasea Island. Several RSPB reserves have been designated under the European Nature Directives and the worrying review of these was the subject of the second talk. We will have to wait until 2016 to see what the EU has decided; hopefully nature protection will not be weakened. We can all help, go to The talk on turtle doves was encouraging as we learned of important information on their migration routes and wintering areas which is being gathered using satellite tags. Hope for hen harriers was a talk like no other! With the help of hand puppets Jeff Knott and his assistant told the story of the female 'Highlander' and her three partners who repeatedly tried to raise three broods recently, sadly unsuccessfully. Perhaps with the use of satellite tags, more research and the co-operation of grouse shoots, hen harriers will fare better in the future. Between talks there were sales goods and information stands to browse. RSPB staff were there ready to answer any questions. Building on previous success stories the RSPB is confident that it can help many more rare species, not just birds on the road to recovery. Joy Rowley JOHN GOULDING We were sorry to learn of the passing of John. He and Jean were members of our group for nearly 40 years. John enjoyed the birds, but he also took the opportunity to walk a few miles when he joined one of the coach outings. He worked for the National Pharmaceutical Association for over 30 years. One of his interests was taking part in rail holidays and the North Yorkshire Moors were a particular favourite. At home, he could be found tending the garden and especially enjoyed pottering in the greenhouse. We do offer our condolences to Jean. A book review FEW AND FAR BETWEEN On the trail of Britain's rarest animals by Charlie Elder This is a fascinating, poignant and also frequently amusing tale of Charlie's adventures seeking out Britain's rarest fauna. On the trail of all sizes of creatures from wild cats to tiny bombardier beetles he meets a range of dedicated amateur and professional conservationists including a lady once terrified of bats who is now a bat warden! Some species were relatively easy to see like the Slovenian grebe on Loch Ruthven (I was pleased to see these in June) whilst the sea horses in Dorset took several attempts. You will have to get to the end of the book to see if he found the Silurian moth. As Charlie says 'every species in decline or living on the brink in our country tells its own story about the environment and ultimately ourselves'. Published in 2015 by Bloomsbury Press or reserve it from your local library. Local outing reports Mark and Cilla Mead 6 September 8 people including Mark and Peter went to Tyttenhanger. Weather, Sunny, clear little wind. 53 birds seen including chiffchaff, willow warbler, blackcap lesser and common whitethroat Bird of the day common sandpiper 6 October Amwell 5 people including Peter and Isabel Weather sunny Birds seen 3 kingfishers sparrowhawk great spotted woodpecker RSPB John Busby RSPB Mike Langman 2

3 COACH OUTINGS 2015 by Jenny Arnold, Gill Barlow and Elaine Eyles Oare Marshes and Stodmarsh 19 April A very chill wind blew over Oare Marshes during our visit in April. Nevertheless summer migrants were undeterred: swallows flew over the fields, bearded reedlings flitted among the reeds, sedge warblers sang their scratchy melody, and a whole island in the lake was orange, being covered in black-tailed godwits in breeding plumage. A pair of garganey upended in the inland shallows and a yellow wagtail pottered along the shoreline. Later we drove to Stodmarsh and enjoyed a warm sunny afternoon. Marsh harriers, a hobby, sparrow hawk and buzzard were all searching for prey. Bird song filled the air, Cetti s warbler s loud explosive calls resounding all around the reserve. Several early butterflies peacock, tortoiseshell and orange tip enjoyed the sunshine as did bright green marsh frogs croaking in the waterways. Skylarks and meadow pipits twittered over the marsh confirming that spring had most definitely arrived. Bluebell Railway and Sheffield Park 20 May What an aptly named railway the Bluebell Line is. Travelling from East Grinstead to Sheffield Park by steam locomotive in May we trundled past grassy embankments covered in bluebells and other wild flowers. From SP Station we rejoined our coach for the short hop to the famous National Trust gardens which offered a fantastic collection of rare trees and shrubs. The informal landscape garden was laid out in the 18 th century by Capability Brown and is designed around five lakes with meandering paths. The azaleas and rhododendrons were breathtakingly beautiful. Walberswick 14 June Walberswick is a picturesque Suffolk seaside village near Southwold, on the southern side of the Blythe estuary. The shingle beach and extensive marshy hinterland is quite exposed with no hides. It was not a typical summers day, as correctly forecast by the Met but, as we predicted the reserve gave us some good sightings. Amongst the shingle banks were yellow horned poppies, sea pea flower in brilliant red and purple and sea kale with its spikes of creamy flowers among the large leathery leaves. Small red admiral and painted lady butterflies were seen among red clover. Our sightings included meadow pipit, lapwing, redshank. Black-headed gulls were alert and quick to spot a marsh harrier cruising over the marshy pools. Close contenders in watchers favourite were a bittern, in flight and the bearded reedlings which were seen in the reeds near a landmark ruin of a windmill in the marshes. Reed buntings were seen in several locations. But bird of the day was for some lucky spotters the little tern (Britain s rarest breeding tern?). Their nests are so perfectly camouflaged on the shingle and protected behind electric fencing; it was lucky a local warden checking the site was able to give us their position. By mid afternoon the weather had closed in to give some rain so we finished the circular walk back to the village centre. The route took in a view point giving a panorama of the coastline and grey skies, quite spectacular. A cream tea in welcoming tearooms rounded off a pleasant day before heading homeward. Coach outing to Minsmere 19 July On this outing we were pleased to welcome several members who had not previously been on our bird watching trips. At the reserve we were greeted by a mass of sand martins at their special bank when suddenly they scattered; the reason, a hobby. They soon appeared again once it had departed. It was unfortunately very windy which meant that the bearded reedlings and stonechats RSPB Mike Langman sensibly, for them, disappeared all day. However a few linnets braved the elements and flitted around the gorse bushes including a beautiful pink-breasted male. The coastal beach was completely deserted of both people and birds. A bittern was seen by a select few, although unlike last year when we were able to watch the bird threading its way through the reeds; this year the reeds were so thick, nothing was showing. Outside the Island Mere hide was a notice to show where the star of the BBC Springwatch show, spineless Sid, had been. not as many as usual. Many of us finished the day in the café. 3

4 By the end of our visit we had seen a number of birds, though not as many as usual. Many of us finished the day in the café. Pulborough Brooks 16 August - Dungeness 13 September The group numbering 26 arrived just as light rain started, and the cloud cover and rain continued for most of our visit, which started with a brief stop to visit the Hanson ARC hide overlooking ARC pit. Following on from the week s unseasonably wet weather, the Arun valley in West Sussex gave us a dry, cool and mostly overcast summers day. Quiet sums up the day s bird count (42 species between us). Sightings included blackcap, bullfinch, buzzard, coal tit, greenfinch, green and great spotted woodpecker, greylag, jackdaw, kestrel, nuthatch, rook, swallow and whitethroat. We had a restful walk round the reserve, plenty of places to sit and enjoy the peace and beauty of the countryside. Dragonflies, butterflies and roe deer were seen. The fruits of the hedgerows now all set, the wildlife is in for a real treat this year. The reserve has recovered from the flooding of recent years; improvements to paths, signage and access were evident and the introduction of more wildflower meadow management will encourage even more butterflies and insects. The wooded heathland was completely covered in bracken and purple heather, quite a contrast to our last visit. The Dungeness reserve is via an access road across the vast expanse of shingle at the end of which is the visitor centre and view of the massive power station. The shingle is a unique habitat contrasting with the wide expanses of water in the flooded extraction pits. There are six hides overlooking these pits, so these and the visitor centre enabled us to view the birds comfortably and keep out of the rain. There was plenty of time to cover the two mile circuit. Over the 4½ hours we saw 58 species of bird. Sightings included: great white egret, shelduck, marsh harrier, common whitethroat, house martin, willow warbler, ruff, golden plover, kingfisher, linnet, great crested and black-necked grebe; plus a variety of ducks including numerous shovelers. We are indebted to our printer Minuteman Press who has kindly printed this edition without charge. RSPB John Busby 4

5 CONGRATULATIONS! It was with great pleasure that we welcomed Martin Bull, Volunteering Development Officer from RSPB Eastern Region, to our evening meeting on Friday 16 October. The purpose of Martin s visit was to present Long Service Awards to some very special volunteers, namely Ron Crummey for 30 years service, Deirdre Thompson, also for 30 years service and Ian Stewart for 25 years service. The RSPB does of course appreciate all the hard work of their volunteers, without whom no charitable organisation could exist, but it was a special occasion to recognise the dedication of three of our members. BIRDING TRIP to LESVOS 9 to 16 May 2015 Ian Stewart and Yvanna Reeves SATURDAY 9 MAY THE PELA HOTEL SKALA KALLONI After picking up the group we were running late on our arrival at Gatwick by around half an hour. This was to our advantage however, as we were quickly aboard the aircraft and away arriving at sunny Mitileni at The transfer to the hotel took around an hour and a quarter and several birds were noted en route, including greater flamingo and black-winged stilt as we passed Kalloni Salt Pans. This was an area we got to know well over the following days. After settling in at the Pela Hotel, our base for the week, and some lunch we set out for a couple of hours birding around the Christou River area. A demoiselle crane had been reported in this area over the previous week and we were anxious to see this first for Lesvos but we failed to find it today. A party of waders in some shallow pools to the north of the bridge tested our skills, curlew sandpiper, little stint and wood sandpiper were all present. Other good birds included a stunning black-headed wagtail, black stork, zitting cisticola, and red-backed shrike. A green Balkan lizard gave us prolonged views on a track through the reeds before we returned to the BALKAN GREEN LIZARD hotel for a pleasant dinner followed by our tick list. SUNDAY 10 May A reduced group went for an early morning pre-breakfast walk around the Christou River area and were rewarded with views of the demoiselle crane. After breakfast our hired vehicles were delivered and so we managed to get away shortly after eating. Our first stop again was the Christou River and those who had missed the crane earlier were fortunate in seeing the bird in flight. The waders were still present on the pools and we also recorded marsh harrier and white storks. Moving on we drove down the west side of the Tsiknias River where we had brief views of a couple of bee-eaters, at the ford we located the nesting penduline tit pair for which we had been given previous information.continued on page 8 5

6 LOCAL BIRD REPORT from Ian Stewart You can see from the map below I have divided our local area into 4 sections. Each area has a corresponding column on the table which lists the species observed. The areas are conveniently split east to west by the M25 motorway, north to south by the A1 (M), to the south by the A406 and to the west by the M1 motorway. The border to the north is OS TL15 and to the west is OS TL40. The species listed do not include many of the more common birds as it is a selected list, and the lack of a cross in the column may just be that the area or bird has been under recorded. This report covers the period from 1 April to 13 October Without doubt the outstanding record for this period was the bluethroat that was found at Amwell on 13 April. Another exciting find at this Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust reserve was a roseate tern observed on 12 May. Unseasonable birds included a smew and a pintail at King George Reservoir in August and a hen harrier over the A1 in July. A marsh warbler was present at Kings Meads on 11 June. Winter thrushes have started to arrive with the first redwing and fieldfare being noted in late September. My thanks go to everyone who has contributed reports for this item. Please keep sending your reports to Ian Stewart, 104 Aberdale Gardens, Potters Bar, Herts. EN6 2JF Tel i.stewart693@ntlworld.com 6

7 SPECIES AREA NOTES SPECIES AREA NOTES A B C D A B C D GREYLAG GOOSE X X X Tyttenhanger, Fishers Green, KGV COMMON TERN X X X X Tyttenhanger, Hilfield, Amwell, KGV EGYPTIAN GOOSE X X X Lemsford, Amwell, Grovelands Park RING NECKED PARAKEET X X X X St. Albans, Aldenham, Potters Bar, KGV BARNACLE GOOSE X Amwell CUCKOO X X X X First Northaw April 8, Ellenbrook Fields, Frogmore, Totteridge BRENT GOOSE X Holyfield LITTLE OWL X X X X Tyttenhanger, Bricket Wood, Cornmill Meadows,Totteridge SHELDUCK X X X X Tyttenhanger, Hilfield,Rye Meads, Vicarage Farm BARN OWL X X X Nomansland, Frogmore, Amwell GADWALL X X X X Aldenham, Tyttenhanger, Fishers Green, Brimsdown, SHORT EARED OWL X Ellenbrook Fields SHOVELER X X X Tyttenhanger, Aldenham, Rye Meads TAWNY OWL X X X St. Albans, Wildhill, Barnet WIGEON X X Tyttenhanger, Kings Meads SWIFT X X X X First Essendon April 12, Coopers Green, Hilfield, KGV TEAL X X X Tyttenhanger, Cornmill Meadows, Darlands Lake STOCK DOVE X X X X Tyttenhanger, Aldenham,Holyfield, Oakhill Wood POCHARD X X Aldenham, Rye Meads KINGFISHER X X X Lemsford, Frogmore, Amwell GARGANEY X Kings Meads LESSER SPOTTED WOODPECKER X X Sherrardspark, Enfield PINTAIL X KGV April 14 SKYLARK X X X Tyttenhanger, Gunpowder Park, Enfield Lock MANDARIN DUCK X X X X Coopers Green, Aldenham, Ware, Grovelands WOODLARK X Wormley GOLDENEYE X X X Hilfield, Amwell, KGV SAND MARTIN X X X X Tyttenhanger, Hilfield, Amwell, KGV GOOSANDER X Sewardstone, SWALLOW X X X X Tyttenhanger, Hilfield, Panshanger, Totteridge SMEW X KGV Aug 13 HOUSE MARTIN X X X X Ellenbrook Fields, Hilfield, Amwell, KGV RED BREASTED MERGANSER X KGV MEADOW PIPIT X X Cornmill Meadows, Totteridge BLACK NECKED GREBE X X Hilfield, Amwell TREE PIPIT X X X Redwell Farm Wood, Amwell, Totteridge LITTLE GREBE X X X Tyttenhanger, Rye Meads, Enfield Lock ROCK PIPIT X KGV LITTLE EGRET X X X Tyttenhanger, Amwell, KGV WATER PIPIT X KGV GREAT WHITE EGRET X St. Albans GREY WAGTAIL X X X X Lemsford, Hilfield, Panshanger, Brimsdown BITTERN X Amwell Sept 11 YELLOW WAGTAIL X X X X Stanborough GP, Hilfield, Rye Meads, KGV GREY PARTRIDGE X Tyttenhanger WHITE WAGTAIL X X X X Beech Farm, Hilfield, Amwell, KGV HOBBY X X X X Hatfield, Hilfield, Gunpowder park, KGV BLUETHROAT X Amwell April 13 RED KITE X X X X Lemsford, Radlett, Ware, Arkley COMMON REDSTART X X Shafford Farm, KGV OSPREY X X Tyttenhanger Rye Meads WHINCHAT X X X Ellenbrook Fields, Gunpowder Park, Totteridge COMMON BUZZARD X X X X Ellenbrook Fields, Aldenham, Cornmill Meadows, Arkley WHEATEAR X X X X Ellenbrook Fields, Hilfield, Bowyers Water, Totteridge SPARROWHAWK X X X X Tyttenhanger, Aldenham, Cornmill Meadows, Arkley STONECHAT X X Amwell, KGV KESTREL X X X X Tyttenhanger, Aldenham, Cornmill Meadows, Totteridge RING OUZEL X X Hatfield Aerodrme, Frith Manor PEREGRINE FALCON X X X X Tyttenhanger, Frogmore, Amwell, Enfield REDWING X X X Colney Street April 13, Cornmill Meadows, First KGV Sept 20 MARSH HARRIER X X Tyttenhanger, Rye Meads FIELDFARE X X Last Nomansland Common April 17, First Arkley Sept 23 HEN HARRIER X X One male July 7 flew over A1 (areas A & C) NIGHTINGALE X Fishers Green WATER RAIL X X Lemsford, Amwell SPOTTED FLYCATCHER X X Willows Farm, Hatfield Park AVOCET X KGV PIED FLYCATCHER X X Hilfield, Trent Park OYSTERCATCHER X X X Tyttenhanger, Amwell, KGV WHITETHROAT X X X X Tyttenhanger, Hilfield, Kings Meads. KGV GREENSHANK X X Tyttenhanger, Rye Meads LESSER WHITETHROAT X X X Coopers Green, Rye Meads, Totteridge REDSHANK X X Tyttenhanger, Kings Meads BLACKCAP X X X X Harpenden, Aldenham, WGC, Grovelands SANDERLING X X Tyttenhanger, KGV GARDEN WARBLER X X X X Ellenbrook Fields, Hilfield, Rye Meads, Sewardstone LAPWING X X X X Tyttenhanger, Aldenham, Cornmill Meadows, Darlands Lake GRASSHOPPER WARBLER X X X Hatfield Aero, Fishers Green, Totteridge DUNLIN X X X X Tyttenhanger, Hilfield, Amwell, KGV CETTI'S WARBLER X X X X Wheathampstead, Hilfield, Kings Meads, KGV LTTLE STINT X Amwell SEDGE WARBLER X X X X Tyttenhanger, Hilfield, Amwell, KGV KNOT X KGV REED WARBLER X X X X Tyttenhanger, Hilfield, Rye Meads, KGV RINGED PLOVER X X Tyttenhanger, Amwell MARSH WARBLER X One at Kings Meads on June 11 LITTLE RINGED PLOVER X X X X Coopers Green GP, Hilfield, Amwell, KGV CHIFFCHAFF X X X X Tyttenhanger, Aldenham, Panshanger, Trent Park GREEN SANDPIPER X X X Lemsford, Hilfield, Rye Meads WOOD WARBLER X Nomansland COMMON SANDPIPER X X X X Tyttenhanger,Hilfield, Amwell, KGV WILLOW WARBLER X X X X Sutton Farm GP, Frogmore, Rye Meads, Oakwood WOOD SANDPIPER X X Tyttenhanger, Kings Meads YELLOW BROWED WARBLER X Ramney Marsh RUFF X X Tyttenhanger, Rye Meads MARSH TIT X X Ellenbrook, Amwell BAR TAILED GODWIT X KGV BEARDED TIT X Rye Meads BLACK TAILED GODWIT X Tyttenhanger FIRECREST X X Sherardspark, Grovelands Park WHIMBREL X X Rye Meads, KGV RAVEN X X Shafford Farm, Hatfield Park CURLEW X Tyttenhanger TREECREEPER X X X Aldenham, Cornmill Meadows, Oakhill Wood TURNSTONE X X Amwell, KGV NUTHATCH X X X X Tyttenhanger, Aldenham, Potters Bar, Trent Park SNIPE X X X Tyttenhanger, Amwell, KGV SISKIN X X X St. Albans, Amwell, Totteridge JACK SNIPE X Enfield Lock TREE SPARROW X Tyttenhanger MEDITERRANEAN GULL X X X Tyttenhanger, Hilfield, Rye Meads BRAMBLING X Seventy Acres LITTLE GULL X KGV BULLFINCH X X X Tyttenhanger, Cornmill, Arkley YELLOW LEGGED GULL X X Tyttenhanger, Amwell HAWFINCH X Wormley BLACK TERN X X X X Tyttenhanger, Hilfield April 18, Rye Meads, KGV LINNET X X X Stanborough GP, WGC, Trent Park ROSEATE TERN X One at Amwell on May 12 LESSER REDPOLL X X Tyttenhanger, KGV LITTLE TERN X Amwell CROSSBILL X Wormley SANDWICH TERN X X Hall Marsh, KGV REED BUNTING X X X X Tyttenhanger, Aldenham, Cornmill, KGV ARCTIC TERN X X Amwell, KGV YELLOWHAMMER X X X Redbourn, WGC, Trent Park 7

8 After some prolonged watching we managed some brief views as the parent birds entered and exited the nest. We then drove along the track on to the salt pan channel area where we found spotted redshank, ruff, little tern, avocet and greater flamingo amongst others. A pool on the north side of the main road held a superb spur-winged plover, a lifer for many. By this time a comfort stop was required and the workers at a local tractor maintenance depot allowed us to use their facilities. A long-legged buzzard and a singing black-headed bunting entertained the waiting queue whilst some stripe-necked terrapins basked in the sun in a nearby ditch. The hotel had prepared our individual lunches and we stopped for an excellent picnic at an area by the Krioneri River. We walked the track here in the afternoon heat and saw several red-backed shrikes and two WHITE-WINGED TERN short-toed eagles. Back at the junction with the main road a small pool was humming with white-winged black terns which gave a fabulous show accompanied by several whiskered terns. Another excellent meal at the hotel rounded off our first full day on the island. MONDAY 11 MAY Again the pre breakfast walk took us to the Christou River area; en route we had excellent views of a singing nightingale and noted our first little ringed plover. After breakfast we drove towards Metochi Lake searching the fields as we went and found a red-footed falcon shortly followed by a lesser grey shrike. With time pressing we returned to the hotel for a comfort stop and then refuelled the vehicles before heading off to our next stop at Achladeri Forest. There were a lot of birders here who quickly put us on to the newly fledged Krüper s nuthatches still being fed BLACK WINGED STILT by the parents. This is the most western breeding population of these birds so it was good to get them under our belt so soon on our trip. Another group of birders had views of rock bunting here, another excellent bird to find on Lesvos; unfortunately we were not to be blessed this time, but we did find short-toed treecreeper and Mike found the local race of coal tit. From here we retraced our route to the Kalloni Salt Pans and drove slowly round the channel. A black stork was feeding close to the bank and a large group of ruffs had congregated at the bend in the channel. Further along, around the salt mound 2 pairs of bee-eaters entertained us and at Alykes Wetland we found a singing rufous bush robin. Another good dinner at the hotel rounded off another bird filled day on Lesvos. 8

9 TUESDAY 12 MAY The pre-breakfast trip this morning took us to the olive groves west of the Christou River and Metochi Lake. We enjoyed extended views of a nesting middle spotted woodpecker bringing food to the nest site and a Cetti s warbler in song was in full view at the lake. A male little bittern flew over and we had views of masked shrike in the olive groves as we returned to the hotel for breakfast. Our first stop after breakfast was the Scops Copse a small area of eucalyptus trees by the Kalloni mini football pitch famed for being the roost of scops owls; we found four birds on our visit today and a Persian squirrel gave good views here as well. Acting on some information we then drove to Papiana and after some searching for the right spot located three young long-eared owls in the olive groves opposite the local school. We then drove north to the Kalloni raptor watch point where we enjoyed our excellent picnics and found some new birds for our lists including Cretzschmar s bunting, rock nuthatch, peregrine and black-eared wheatear. Carrying on to Kavaki we SCOPS OWL stopped below the restaurants and immediately found Rüppel s warbler on the rocks, shag on the sea and red-backed shrike on the vegetated slopes. We drove on a few kilometres up to Molyvos Castle to escape the heat and get a drink or ice cream. Stopping back at Kavaki we noted the same birds as before but with better views of raven and for some who had missed the bird first time, Rüppel s warbler. The drive back took around half an hour and we were in good time for dinner, followed by a treat of a barn owl from the hotel terrace. WEDNESDAY 13 MAY The early morning trip today took us out to the olive groves in the Potamia Valley to look for olive tree warbler and we managed some brief views, also brief was an Orphean warbler but we obtained good views of sombre tit. After breakfast we headed west towards Sigri and made straight for the Eressos junction, a well known area to find Isabelline wheatear. There was a strong cool wind to contend with here but we managed to find the birds, plus woodlark, stonechat, northern wheatear, cuckoo, lesser grey shrike and plenty of red-backed shrikes. As we boarded the vehicles we were treated to a flyover of a pale phase booted eagle. Moving on we searched the area at the base of Ipsilou Monastery for WOOD SANDPIPER cinereous bunting but to no avail. At the Monastery we enjoyed our lunch, some of the group managed to see an alpine swift but the area was fairly quiet. Our next stop was on the Petrified Forest track where we had great views of a cinereous bunting below the first wind turbine; again this is a bird at its extreme western breeding limit, a good bird to find on Lesvos. Other interesting birds seen on the track were chukar partridge and an unexpected wood sandpiper in a small pool. Driving on to the Sigri Viewpoint we soon found our target bird here as four lesser kestrels flew along the ridge, a nice showy Cretzschmar s bunting was a bonus as was the stunning view down to the fishing village of Sigri. Not long after turning back we encountered a very inquisitive little owl at the roadside which entertained us for a few minutes. The last stop today was in the Lardia Valley where we added blue rock thrush and crag martin to our list. Another good dinner at the hotel this evening. 9

10 THURSDAY 14 MAY A pre-breakfast drive to the Kalloni Salt Pans proved a good decision as we found several new birds here. In a small pool a couple of red-throated pipits were feeding and were shortly replaced by a citrine wagtail. A young Montague s harrier took a while to identify but the gull-billed terns were fairly obvious. A couple of bee-eaters rounded off an excellent session. After breakfast we changed one of the vehicles as the central locking had developed a fault and then drove up through Agia Pereskevi stopping just north of the village as a pair of great spotted cuckoos flew over. We stopped at a few places in the Napi Valley and found hoopoe, cirl and Cretzschmar s bunting, woodchat, red-backed and lesser grey shrike, Orphean and subalpine warblers. We enjoyed our picnic at the Monastery at Madamados and carried on to Skala Sikimias to look for Audouin s gull in the harbour. Out of luck this time we settled for an ice cream in this lovely little fishing village. Retracing our route we arrived back at the Kalloni Salt Pans in time to witness the spectacle of a peregrine taking a blackwinged stilt and the subsequent battle to keep his meal from the harrying yellow-legged gulls. An amazing show which lasted for several minutes, giving us time to reflect on the plight of the poor stilt. Another excellent dinner at the hotel, presided over by the excellent attention of Thekla, the daughter of the hotelier Panagiotis. FRIDAY 15 MAY Our pre-breakfast outing today took us back to the olive groves west of the Christou River. We managed to get better views of the olive tree warblers here and found the nest of a pair of masked shrikes, while sombre tits were feeding young in the olive groves, On the way back Bob noted a night heron at the bridge. We later found another two birds at the reservoir. After breakfast we again birded the salt pans for a couple of hours and managed to add Temminck s stint to our list, a couple of birds affording good views at the bend of the salt pan channel. We spent some time around the salt mound where the bee-eaters and the rufous bush robin were still present but there was no sign of the hoped for tawny pipit or short-toed larks. Back at the hotel at some of the group had a lunch from the hotel and continued birding around the reservoir area where they found Eleanora s Falcon. The rest of the party walked into Skala Kalloni and enjoyed lunch at a local tavern. We re-united at 3.30 and took one vehicle to explore the area to the east of the Kalloni Salt Pans; there were a couple of spoonbills in with the greater flamingo flock and we obtained some distant views. The area around Mesa was quiet with a few red-rumped swallows in classic habitat flying around the Krioneri River Bridge. Returning to the salt mound we managed to locate a couple of short-toed larks on the race track after a good deal of searching. Another good dinner followed by our final tick list. SATURDAY 16 MAY A 6.00 a.m. start for our final pre breakfast trip. We first drove up the Tsiknias River from the village where we enjoyed excellent views of a singing nightingale just before the ford. At the ford we had prolonged views of a great reed warbler also in great voice, Cetti s and olivaceous warblers were also in song here, something of a warbler fest After a BLACK HEADED BUNTING tip off we crossed the ford and made our way towards the salt mound and watched a superb male red-footed falcon feeding from the wires. Breakfast called and we made our way back to the hotel. After eating and settling our bills we said goodbye to Thekla, Asteria and Panagiotis and were picked up by our transfer bus which delivered us to the airport in good time for our flight. An uneventful flight arrived at Gatwick a few minutes after 3.00 p.m. and we then were dropped off at various locations near our homes. An excellent holiday enjoyed by all with plenty of birds (we recorded a total of 128 species) and other wildlife encounters, an excellent hotel with great staff and good company. 10

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12 OUR LOCAL GROUP WEBSITE or just search for Potters Bar and Barnet RSPB. It can also be accessed from the main RSPB site at rspb.org.uk. Here you will find lots of information about the Group s activities including our outings and meetings Programmes. This newsletter can also be viewed there with the added bonus that all the photographs are in colour. Note things can be difficult to find on the main RSPB site (they are working on this). NEWSLETTER COPY DATE Many thanks to all our contributors for their much valued input to this newsletter. I will be delighted to receive your articles, reports, notices, news items, correspondence and advertisements at any time. pbandb.rspb@btinternet.com Closing date for copy for our next edition will be Friday 15th April 2016 NEWSLETTERS & PROGRAMMES Help us reduce our costs and get your newsletter and programmes by . Please the editor at pbandb.rspb@btinternet.com with your name and postcode, if you have not already done so. We now send out a brief monthly update and news to everyone who has the newsletter ed to them. We would like to keep as many of you as possible up to date. Please the editor to receive monthly updates and ask for updates. Join the 100 Club! Support the RSPB and have a chance of winning a monthly prize. A subscription costs 12 per number per year. There is a monthly draw usually held at the Friday evening meetings with prizes of 50, 25 or 10 in June and December, and 25 or 10 in other months; the remaining income goes to the RSPB. We do need more members. If you are interested in joining there is an application form below or you can speak to us at the Friday evening meetings. Chris & Ron Youthed ronchris19@hotmail.com Potters Bar & Barnet RSPB Local Group 100 CLUB I wish to join the 100 Club and enclose my cheque for..... for.... number(s) made payable to Potters Bar & Barnet RSPB 100 Club. Name Address Phone Please return to: Chris and Ron Youthed, 29 Allandale Crescent, Potters Bar, EN6 2JZ Phone: ronchris19@hotmail.com DATA PROTECTION ACT This newsletter is delivered to all RSPB members living in our catchment area (covered mainly by postcodes EN5 and EN6), the list being provided to us and updated by RSPB Head Office. If any recipients would prefer to be removed from our local mailing list please inform the editor. 12