[PYRTLE]

I think a Menetries's was claimed or perhaps accepted in Cyprus a few years ago.

[Steve Dudley]

Originally Posted by Dimitris

I've been informed that there was a Menerites Warbler on the 12/04/2012... First for Greece and Europe?

I was told about it this morning and we're currently looking in to it.

It will certainly be a first for Greece (one claimed on Lesvos in 2004), but I think there was a record from Portugal? Anyone know about that? I cant think of any other records.

[Steve Dudley]

My scheduled day trip on 17 May (Kavaki, North Coast, etc) is the only trip not to fill, so I have changed the destination and search emphasis and this will now be a dedicated Olive-tree Warbler day plus Kalloni wetlands sites. For further info see here.

[Steve Dudley]

Originally Posted by Steve Dudley

My scheduled day trip on 17 May (Kavaki, North Coast, etc) is the only trip not to fill, so I have changed the destination and search emphasis and this will now be a dedicated Olive-tree Warbler day plus Kalloni wetlands sites. For further info see here.

7 May now switched to an Olive-tree Warbler dedicated day.

[Dimitris]

Originally Posted by Steve Dudley

I was told about it this morning and we're currently looking in to it.

It will certainly be a first for Greece (one claimed on Lesvos in 2004), but I think there was a record from Portugal? Anyone know about that? I cant think of any other records.

Pictures of the bird on HOS website.

Cheers,

D.

[Mick Sway]

Originally Posted by Dimitris

Pictures of the bird on HOS website.

Cheers,

D.

Click here to see image referred to.
Mick

[Mick Sway]

For live Up-dates from Steve's Website see here: also at:
https://twitter.com/#!/LesvosBirding
Yesterdays Highlights include:
Sunday 22 April:
Faneromeni Lower Ford
Blue-Cheeked Bee-Eater - at 1500h
Kalloni Saltpans inc. seasonal floods opp saltworks entrance
Baillion's Crake - 1 along water channel just north of the pumping station (SW corner) off the eastern access road
Little Crake - 1
Glossy Ibis - 6
Marsh Sandpiper - 2
Dipi Larisos
Pygmy Cormorant - still at least 1
Sanderling - 1
Metochi Lake
Penduline Tit - 1
Tsiknias River:
Citrine Wagtail - male at main ford at 1000h
Penduline Tit - 1 at main ford early morning

+ several sightings of the Lesvos endemics
Sounds like a great start to the birding season.

[Tony Knight]

Is "Papania school" the same place as "scops cops" ?? When i last visited the island in 2006 I remember seeing a scops in one of a row of tall eucalyptus trees on the right side of a road by what looked like a school playground ? Back again in 3 weeks so want to be sure whether there are 2 sites or just the one....!!

thanks
Tony

[Mick Sway]

23 April Highlights from Steve Dudley's web site:
Kalloni Saltpans & Alykes Wetlands
BAILLON'S CRAKE 1
Common Pochard - fem Merlin - 1
Gull-billed Tern - 26
Marsh Sandpiper - 2
Curlew Sandpiper - 9
Little Crake - 1
Short-toed Lark - 15
Garganey - 3 males
Fan-tailed Warbler - 2 (1 by river mouth by beach cafe, 1 at east end of Alykes Wetlands sheepfields)
Montagu's Harrier - 1st sum male
Perasma ReservoirCommon
Pochard - male
[b]Dipi Larisos[/B
]Pygmy Cormorant - 2
Tsiknias River:
Citrine Wagtail - 4 (2 males, 2 females)
Oystercatcher - 1
Little Bittern - 1
Glossy Ibis - 9
Mediterranean Gull - 2
Red-throated Pipit - 1
Collared Flycatcher - 1
Marsh Sandpiper - 1
Ipsilou
Pallid Harrier - ad fem
Eleonora's Falcon - 1
pale phase Lesser Kestrel - 4
+Usual Cinereous Bunting, Isabelline Wheatear, etc - no passage passerine migrants
Sigri Fields
Red-backed Shrike - male
Collared Flycatcher - 4+
Common Redstart - 1
Wood Warbler - 1
Orphean Warbler - 1
Tree Pipit - 3
Lesser Kestrel - 16+plus Whinchat, Yellow Wagtail, etc
Faneromeni
Common Snipe - 1
Ruddy Shelduck - 2
Great Reed Warbler - 1
Cretzschmar's Bunting - 2
Rock Dove - 13
Lardia Valley
Eastern Bonelli's Warbler - 3 singing males
Red-footed Falcon - male
Short-toed Eagle - 2
Alpine Swift - 40+Usual Rock Sparrow, Crag Martin, Long-legged Buzzard
Meladia Valley
Golden Oriole - 4 in fig grove
Soumouria Scops Copse
Scops Owl - 1 (in euclyptus with lilac sprig attached)
Kavaki, Petra
Ruppell's Warbler - 5 singing males
Sardinian Warbler
Blue Rock-thrush
Papania
Scops Owl - 1
Long-eared Owl - 1both owls in trees at the school
Kalloni Raptor Watchpoint
Lanner - 1
Black Stork - 7
Short-toed Eagle
Long-legged Buzzard
Lesser Kestrel
Goshawk - 1
Red-footed Falcon - 1
Peregrine - 2
Sardinian Warbler - 1

For live Up-dates go to Steve's Website here: also at:
https://twitter.com/#!/LesvosBirding

[swarovskiuser]

Originally Posted by Tony Knight

Is "Papania school" the same place as "scops cops" ?? When i last visited the island in 2006 I remember seeing a scops in one of a row of tall eucalyptus trees on the right side of a road by what looked like a school playground ? Back again in 3 weeks so want to be sure whether there are 2 sites or just the one....!!

thanks
Tony

Papania school is in the small village(Papania)between Scala Kalloni and Kalloni,the Scops copse is sited on the road to Petra just outside of Kalloni next to the Astro turf sports pitch.

[Tony Knight]

Originally Posted by swarovskiuser

Papania school is in the small village(Papania)between Scala Kalloni and Kalloni,the Scops copse is sited on the road to Petra just outside of Kalloni next to the Astro turf sports pitch.

Thanks - sounds like I must have been at the school site rather than Scops copse - and will need to check both sites in 3 weeks time.

[Mick Sway]

24 April some highlights from Lesbos Birding.com:
Kalloni Saltpans & Alykes Wetlands
BAILLON'S CRAKE - 1
Common Pochard - fem
Merlin - 1
Marsh Sandpiper - 7
Bee-eater - 4
Red-footed Falcon - 13+
Merlin - 1
Purple Heron - 1
Mediterranean Gulls - 2
White-winged Black Tern - 1
Black-headed Bunting - 1
Fan-tailed Warbler - 1
Montagu's Harrier - 1st sum male
Quail - 2
Montagu's Harrier - 1
Temminck's Stint - 1
Glossy Ibis - 21
Curlew Sandpiper - 2

Skala Kallonis Pool
BAILLON'S CRAKE - 2 inc. calling male early morning
Night-heron - 3
Gull-billed Tern - 5
Little Crake - 4

Tsiknias River
PADDYFIELD WARBLER -reported near ford (no previous records)
Black-headed Bunting - 1
Marsh Sandpiper - 2
Little Bittern - 2
Night-heron - 2
Great Reed Warbler - 9
Medow Pipit - 1 (late record)
Glossy Ibis - 12

Meladia Valley
Semicollared Flycatcher - male (chapel near Eresos)
Ortolan Bunting - 3
Lesser Kestrel - 10

Perasma Reservoir
Common Pochard - male
Savi's Warbler - 1 singing near road junction
Bee-eater - 40+

Dipi Larisos
Pygmy Cormorant - 1

Vergias (Chalandra) River, Skala Eresou
Pygmy Cormorant - 1

Achladeri
Kruper's Nuthatch - 3 birds showing well just north of the old nest stump
Alpine Swift - 50

[Steve Dudley]

Hi all. day 5 of the main Lesvos season (and day 5 of my 28-day stay here this year). You've seen some of the highlights. Sorry I've been unable to post here personally but days already long (0700 - 0000+ most days), but I post daily sightings updates on my website each evening around 1000 GMT for you to enjoy.

Clear skies with light to moderate southerlies persist and whilst we have a few new birds coming in (Roller and Icterine Warbler new today), many birds shipping out and the feeling is most birds going straight over. Good arrival of waders this afternoon inc. 800 Ruff - I've never seen such a large flock!

Baillon's Crake has been a start bird and the Pygmy Cormorants at Dipi Larisos have attracted a steady stream of admirers - not many folk venture back east to this site so maybe it will be covered more in the future too - it deserves more attention.

Just waiting for it to happen now!

[CactusD]

Very nice to hear all about it! Jealous about the Baillon's Crakes and PCorms, neither of which I managed to see last year. Don't mention Bee-Eaters to me, either, please!!

Re. Dipi Larisos, as I recall it's quite a large area with a main track down the middle of a reed bed (quite boggy etc.) - should one just follow the track down to the sea at the end and back again, or can you work it more widely?

[Steve Dudley]

Wow! What a day. I wasnt really looking forward tothe day over breakfast after only a couple of hours kip last night (dont ask me why), but a Dalmatian Pelican after brekky, followed by locating the Kruper's Nuthatch nest at Achladeri, a couple of Pygmy Cormorants, and a tern-fest to end the day at Kalloni pans, who needs sleep!

Others saw Golden and Lesser Spotted Eagles today, plus the Baillon's Crake is still in residence and a calling Spotted Crake outside the hotels this evening - great stuff!

Daily update now on the Lesvos Birding website.

[Steve Dudley]

Originally Posted by CactusD

Very nice to hear all about it! Jealous about the Baillon's Crakes and PCorms, neither of which I managed to see last year. Don't mention Bee-Eaters to me, either, please!!

Re. Dipi Larisos, as I recall it's quite a large area with a main track down the middle of a reed bed (quite boggy etc.) - should one just follow the track down to the sea at the end and back again, or can you work it more widely?

Hi Dave, Dipi Larisos can be viewed from the road bridge on the Plomari road, plus access down hte track just north of the bridge to the beach.

The new poster for the Dionysos featuring your photos is due up in a day or two - I'll post a pic when its up.

[Mick Sway]

Hey Steve
There appears to be some good sightings of fan-tailed warbler this time.
Is there any firm evidence that they're back breeding in any numbers?
Keep twittering.
Best
Mick

[Steve Dudley]

Wow! Again! Another great day. One of my day trippers has been saying how I'm going to keep topping each day, but we do, or at least Lesvos does!

We headed west and chanced had great views of a Booted Eagle at Revma before enjoying all the usual stuff around Ipsilou. More migrants there inc. Icterine Warbler. Faneromeni held more birds too inc. for us a fem Citrine Wagtail and a Nighjar sat in an olive tree (thanks to the Cambs crew for than one) and a larhge flock of Bee-eaters. We made our way back via Meladia valley and enjoyed more migrants.

Full update from today on the Lesvos Birding website.

[Steve Dudley]

Originally Posted by Mick Sway

Hey Steve
There appears to be some good sightings of fan-tailed warbler this time.
Is there any firm evidence that they're back breeding in any numbers?
Keep twittering.
Best
Mick

Yes there is Mick. After a few years absent, they are back at their traditional Christou River, Kalloni Saltpans and Dipi Larisos sites. At least five birds around the Saltpans too and many people connecting.

[Steve Dudley]

OK, we all know what bird guides do on a day off - we go birding! So after a lazy morning I headed out first to search for Scops Owls since the Soumouria bird has moved and after two hours found one bird at Papiana. An Eleonaora's Falcon at the raptor watch point was very nice, but not as nice as picking up the first Olive-tree Warbler of the year at Platania along with a flock of 61 Red-footed Falcons and a Sprosser. I ended the day with flocks of Gull-billed, Whiskered and White-winged Terns at Kalloni Saltpans - niiiice!

Daily update, including a new Baillon's and much more, now on the Lesvos Birding website - www.lesvosbirding.com.

[Steve Dudley]

OK, today didn't start as well as it could have with a flat after only 1km from the hotel and the most awkward spare wheel to get out from under the van I've ever seen. Took an hour just to change a bloody wheel!

After finding a couple of Scops Owls near Skala, we headed west and enjoyed the usual fayre of Crag Martins, Blue Rock-thrush, Isabelline Wheatears and Cinereous Buntings. Lunch at Sigri means shrimps at Australia and then in to Faneromeni area for Citrine Wags and a few bits and bobs. We ended the day at Ipsilou with more Cinereous Bunting (you just cant get another of the lemon-headed bunter). Two Eleonora's Falcons topped the day.

Todays update now on the Lesvos Birding website.

[Steve Dudley]

A somewhat better start today with no incidents! Metochi Lake was very quiet so it was on to Papiana for Scops Owl and then to Parakila for Middle Spotted Woodpecker nest site. The Kruper's Nuthatch were very active before lunch, so were we at the Ancient Pyrra taverna with lots of salad, fish and cuttlefish (very yummy). The early afternoon was spent wandering around the eastern side of the Gulf of Kalloni picking up a few migrants before back to Kalloni for the Tsiknias river drive (cracking Little Bittern and Bee-eaters), a Monty Harrier at Lotzaria on route to more Bee-beaters, Collared Prats and marsh terns at the pans. Another cracking day!

But the prizes lay elsewhere. Out west a clear fall of Red-backed Shrikes and Black-headed Buntings. A Ferruginous Duck as around Skala Kallonis Bay, a Lesser Spotted Eagle over the raptor watchpoint, but both of these were surpassed by the sight of three Dalmatian Pelicans over Achladeri.

A full update now on the Lesvos Birding website.

[Nick Leech]

Hi folks - newbie here. Coming out to Lesvos with wife this Saturday 5th May for a week. Staying at Pasiphae Hotel, Skala Kallonis. Will be armed with Steve Dudley's book!

Could do with some advice on hire cars

Will I be OK getting a hire car when I arrive?
Can anyone recommend best place to go for a hire car in Skala Kallonis or Kalloni?
Will I be OK with a normal hatchback type car (for accessing the majority of birding hot-spots), or do I need a 4x4 jeep type thing?

Thanks,
Nick

[swarovskiuser]

Originally Posted by Nick Leech

Hi folks - newbie here. Coming out to Lesvos with wife this Saturday 5th May for a week. Staying at Pasiphae Hotel, Skala Kallonis. Will be armed with Steve Dudley's book!

Could do with some advice on hire cars

Will I be OK getting a hire car when I arrive?
Can anyone recommend best place to go for a hire car in Skala Kallonis or Kalloni?
Will I be OK with a normal hatchback type car (for accessing the majority of birding hot-spots), or do I need a 4x4 jeep type thing?

Thanks,
Nick

Hi Nick,you will be in good company on the 5th! will practically be all birders on that flight I assume your flighing from Manchester. It should be ok booking a car when you arrive in Lesvos but there's still time to pre-book look at Tsalis car hire on Steve Dudleys site they are local to Skala Kalloni and are offering a discount on Lesvos birding site .
Standard hatchback ok for all main site's but if exploring "uncharted" tracks I would recommend that 4x4 because it can be tricky in places!.

check out my lesvos gallery
http://www.pbase.com/raypurser

[Steve Dudley]

Wow! 30C already. It is hot! Birding is slow and taverna lunches are long!

Went west today. Great day for buntings and such and best find were a couple of Barred Warbler in Meladia. The ford and fig grove were dead when we where there (apart from finding a couple of scorpions) and we were gripped when another group went through a couple of hours later and the place was jumping! Thats birding.

Todays update now on the Lesvos Birding website.

Water is fast evaporating in this heat, but the flooded fields around the saltpans are still fine. The west is very dry with rivers barely at a trickle.