It's only as recently as last December that I first "discovered" Agia Varvara
and even then although I was aware that there were three sets of pools, I only
went to the middle set. This holiday, spurred on by advice and reports from
other birders, I managed to get to the other two sets, the top pools and the motorway pools and they've been a revelation.
Today the motorway pools had three species of crake, little x 2, spotted and
best of all my first Baillon's of the trip. Very similar to little crake,
there are subtle differences that enable us to tell the two species apart.
Most obvious is the streaking on the flanks of Baillon's, similar to water
rail, which little crake lacks. Baillon's also has better marked upperparts
with lots of black and white speckling which again little crake lacks. Finally
something that I have never been able to see, little crake has a small red
mark at the base of the lower mandible. These crakes are smaller than
starlings, they're generally pretty shy and even when they do show well
they're often moving quickly either feeding or heading for cover which usually
consists of a reedbed. Seeing a tiny red dot on the base of the lower mandible
is just beyond me. I suppose if you get a decent photo it might be visible,
but not with my camera! I'll just rely on seeing the streaky flanks!
Baillon's crake.
The motorway pools that held most of the crakes.
Meanwhile, the wonderful Anarita Park which is right next door to Agia Varvara, is a place that I had never been to before yesterday! Between today and yesterday my Anarita Park list now consists of roller, wryneck, Cretzschmar's bunting, blue rock thrush, eastern black-eared wheatear, quail, hoopoe, Cyprus wheatear, long-legged buzzard and alpine swift! Yes I'll be coming back here next time....
Long-legged buzzard.
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