Lesvos Bird News 2022 (3 Viewers)

[Mick Sway]

10th September 2022
Summary of more interesting sightings as reported on Facebook groups, various visiting birders:
Christou River am
Stone curlew 3
Little Grebes
Mallard
island of Cormorant
Greenshank 2
Wood Sandpiper

10.30 at Parasma Reservoir.
Eleanora’s Falcons (7) flying low over the water, landing on the ground hunting insects.

Achladeri
Krupers Nuthatches 6
Short Toed Treecreeper 2
Cirl Buntings 5

Polichnitos Salt Pans
Black-winged Stilt
Avocet
Common Redshank
Spotted redshank
Greenshank 3
Common sandpiper
Marsh Sandpiper 2
Curlew sandpiper 2
Little Ringed plover
Kentish Plover
Little stint 2
Temminck's Stint
Dunlin 2
Ruff
Slender billed gull 3
Black-headed gull 23
Med gulls (no count)
Sandwich tern 15


Tsiknias River Mouth ( ford area bone dry but 1 Marsh Harrier.)
Marsh Harriers 2
L R Plovers 6
Ringed Plover
Greenshank
Great White Egret
Little Egret 3
Grey Heron 3
Cormorants

Lotzaria
Great Snipe - fly by
Lesser Grey Shrike
Corn buntings
Crested larks
Marsh harrier juv

Kalloni Saltpans - West (evening)
Little Gull
Slender-billed Gull 3
Black-headed Gulls
European Bee-eaters 33 flew over
Little stint 2
Marsh sandpiper 2
Curlew sandpiper 1
Little stint 2
Greenshank 1
Redshank 2
Alykes Wetland (evening)
Lesser Grey Shrike
Black Stork
Dalmation Pelicans - no details given


Skala Sikaminia to Molivos ( no big raptor movements noted yet)
Marsh Harrier
Long-legged Buzzard
Common Buzzard
Steppe Buzard ( 3 All showing strong characteristics)
Eurasian Sparrowhawk
Short-toed Eagle

Mt.Lepetimnos
Ravens
Honey Buzzard
Common Buzzard
Steppe Buzzard

Sigri
Sigri fields road:
Short toed Eagles 2
Eleonora's Falcon
Yellow Wagtails 50+

Segri to Eresou track (much improved)
Common Kestrels 2
Common Buzzards 3
Whinchats, Wheatears, RB Shrikes

 

[Mick Sway]

11th September 2022
Summary of more interesting sightings as reported on Facebook groups, various visiting birders:
North coast
Lepetymnos and Argenos watchpoint
Eleonora's Falcon
Honey Buzzard
Common Buzzard 4
Levant's Sparrowhawk x1
many Swallows & House Martins
Common Whitethroat
Spotted Flycatcher
Blackcap
Whinchat x2.

Christou River
Stone Curlew 3
Yellow-legged Gulls - 20
Kentish Plovers 5
Grey Heron 6
Great Egret 1
Cormorant 1
Curlew 1
Greenshank 1
Great Tit 4
Crested Lark 11
Red-rumped Swallow 4

Eastern Kalloni Salt Pans at dawn
Merlin fem
Dalmatian Pelican 10
Ruddy Shelduck 4
Teal 2
Marsh Sandpiper 6
Curlew Sandpiper, 8
Little Stint
Kentish Plover
Ringed Plover
Grey Plover 4
Black Stork 6Spoonbill 21
Little Gull
Zitting cisticola 5

Pond at junction of coast road and Apothica Makuri
Little Stint
Rock Nuthatche
Black eared Wheatears

Ipsilou Monastery
Cretzchmars Bunting *
Isabelline Wheatear *
Sombre Tits
Note: if correct these* sightings would be very late, Cretzchmar's and Isabelline return normally by late July

Sigri Fields
Yellow Wagtails
Red throated Pipit
Whitethroat

Feneromeni Beach
Shag
Long legged Buzzard

Late Afternoon and Evening Reports
Tsiknias Ford - Howard Vaughn's tour group
Night heron
Little owl

Papiana -
Nightjar 3
Eastern hedgehog

Metochi Lake - water levels pretty much normal surprisingly
Common sandpiper

Potamia Reservoir
Grey wagtail

Potamia old reservoir - Sunrise Bird Tour group
Purple Heron 1
Black-crowned Night Herons 2
Grey Heron 3
Kingfisher
Little Grebe 8
Coots and Moorhens

First half of Potamia Valley to bridge - Sunrise Bird Tour group
Wryneck - feeding in open among Olive trees.
Middle-spotted Woodpeckers
Western Rock Nuthatch
Eurasian Crag Martins
Red-backed Shrikes
Spotted Flycatchers
Serin
Cirl Bunting
Blue Rock Thrush - singing

 

[Mick Sway]

12th September 2022
Summary of more interesting sightings as reported on Facebook groups, various visiting birders:
At last some raptor movement , reminicent of what I saw myself in 2017:
Anaxos am
Honey buzzard 2
Common buzzard 2
Montegu's harrier

Near Argennos , North coast
2.000 barn swallow
1.500 house martin
500 red rumped swallow
71 crag martin
787 bee eaters
32 alpine swift
14 common buzzard
3 steppe buzzard
10 marsh harrier
2 montagu's harrier
1 osprey
2 black kite
8 honey buzzard
1 goshawk
3 long legged buzzard
1 Eleonora's falcon
1 hobby
5 snake eagle

Pithario Reservoir (near Eressos am)
Eleonora Falcons 5
Peregrines 2
Common Buzzards 2
Ravens 30
Black Storks 2
Little Grebes 2
Cormorants 80
Rock Sparrows 2
Red Rumped Swallows
Crag Martins
Blackeared Wheatears
Red backed Shrikes.

Apothica
Northern and Black eared Wheatears
Bee Eaters 20
Icterine Warbler
Common Sandpiper
Ringed Plover.

 

[Mick Sway]

13th September 2022
Summary of more interesting sightings as reported on Facebook groups, various visiting birders:
Kalami Marsh
Northern lapwing
Apparently a single lapwing, possibly the same one that we saw in April.
Lapwing are a overwintering species, usually in small numbers.
watchpoint Near Vafeios am
11 grey heron
43 purple heron (high!!)
8 snake eagle
26 common buzzard
3 long-legged buzzard
2 honey buzzard
25 marsh harrier
2 sparrowhawk
3 goshawk
1 peregrine
1 hobby
28 alpine swift
1 roller
2 wood pigeon
26 tree pipit
4 red-throated pipit

13th Sept by Sunrise Birding
Vouvaris Bridge
1 Kruper’s Nuthatch
2 Kingfishers

Coastal track from Achladeri to Agios Pavlos
1 Roller
3 Hoopoes

Agios Pavlos Harbour
9 Mediterranean Gulls

Achladeri
Booted eagle - photographed by Howard Vaughan
Coal tit & Long tailed tit - H Vaughan
Fallow Deer (not native)
Black Storks
Marsh Harrier
Common Buzzard
Kruper’s Nuthatches
Short-toed Treecreeper
Middle Spotted Woodpeckers
Woodlark

Polichnitos Saltpans
69 Sandwich Terns
4 Common Tern
4 Slender-billed Gulls
1 Common Shelduck
14 Redshank
4 Greenshank
1 Common Sandpiper
8 Little Stint
4 Curlew Sandpiper
1 Dunlin
2 Black-winged Stilts
4 Marsh Sandpipers
1 Short-toed Eagle
9 Mediterranean Gulls (harbour)
zitting cisticola - H V

 

[Mick Sway]

13th September 2022
Summary of more interesting sightings as reported on Facebook groups, various visiting birders:
near Argennos am;
3 male Paliid Harriers
1 Black Kite
4 Long legged Buzzards
3 Common Buzzards
1 Honey Buzzard
12 Bee-eaters
100 + mixed Hirundines; Crag Martins House Martins and a few swallows. 10+ Spotted Flycatchers.
Petra Reservoir;
1 Peregrine
2 Eleonoras Falcons
1 Kestrel
1 Black Stork.

 

[Mick Sway]

14th September 2022
Summary of more interesting sightings as reported on Facebook groups, various visiting birders:
Parakila Turpentine trees
Lesser Whitethroats, Willow Warblers, Chaffinches, House Sparrows and Great Tits & Spotted Flycatchers
Middle Spotted Woodpeckers - heard
Cirl Buntings , Red-backed shrikes, Eastern Black-eared and Northern Wheatears - in the dry field
Parakila Harbour - 2 Med Gulls, Shag, Great White Egret & Black Stork
Rock Nuthatches and Rock Sparrows en route to the reservoir and Monastery at Pithariou.
Pithariou Reservoir
Crag Martins
Ravens tumbled
Eleonora's Falcon
Short-toed Eagle
Common Buzzard
Perivolis Monastery
Warblers, Redstarts and Spotted Flycatchers ,Cirl Bunting

 

[Mick Sway]

15th September 2022
Summary of more interesting sightings as reported on Facebook groups, various visiting birders:
Soumaria eucalyptus copse
Wood nuthatch,Serin,Spotted flycatchers, Middle Spotted woodpeckers Chaffinches, Blue, Great and Coal Tits - NO scops owl present

Dafia to Agriosikos
Wood Nuthatches ,Sombre, Blue, Great and Long-tailed Tits
Pied and Spotted Flycatchers
Middle Spotted Woodpeckers
Black Capped Jays
Mistle Thrush
Honey buzzard

Butterflies
Cardinal butterflies
Graylings
Nettle tree
Southern Comma
Purple Hairstreaks
Cyclamens were in flower.


Potamia small reservoir
Little Grebes, Coots and Moorhens
Honey, Common and long legged Buzzard
Goshawk
Eleonora's

Evening/Dusk at Tsiknias Ford area
Nightjar
Night heron

Perasma Reservoir
Eleonora's falcon 3
Hobby 4
Little Grebes 4
Cormorants 17 f
Mallard
Greenshank
Black Stork

 

[Mick Sway]

16th September 2022
Summary of more interesting sightings as reported on Facebook groups, various visiting birders:
East side of Kalloni Salt Pans. 16th Sept
20 Dalmation Pelicans
14 Spoonbill
6 Black Stork
2 Curlew
3 Zitting Cisticola
1 Grey Plover

Perasma Reservoir
Dalmation Pelican
Black Stork.
Greenshank
Little Grebes 6
Montpellier Snake

 

[Mick Sway]

17th September 2022
Summary of more interesting sightings as reported on Facebook groups, various visiting birders:
Lotzaria
Honey Buzzard
Common buzzard
Little Owl
Kestrel 2
Red-backed Shrike 9
Yellow Wagtails 4
Northern Wheatear 5
Whinchat 4

Christou River
Goshawk
Stone curlew 3
Teal

Potamia Valley
12 Eleonora falcons

Napi
Red-footed Falcon

Vafios
2 honey buzzards

Stipsi
Rufous Bush robin

am
Polichnitos Salt Pans (Sunrise Bird tours).
60 Sandwich Terns
4 Common Terns
3 Common Shelduck
1 Curlew Sandpiper
1 Dunlin
3 Greenshank
8 Mediterranean Gulls
4 Slender-billed Gulls

Kalloni Salt Pans
Red footed falcon male
European Bee eaters 72

 

[angusmcoatup]

Around 40 Dalmatian Pelicans have just arrived in off the sea to the west of Dikili on the Turkish mainland directly opposite Lesvos. Numbers in your recent reports look a fair bit lower than that, has there been a build up in the last couple of days?

 

[Mick Sway]

Sorry I’ve not been posting, as I’ve been on the island myself.
I find finding the time to do it and editing on a small device difficult, plus our Tina, the Mrs says we’re on Holiday.
However I hope to catch up a bit when I’m back home.
Yesterday we spent a few hours at the North Coast watch point.
The night of the 27th produced a huge storm, with dozensof Alpine Swifts passing over Anaxos along with hundreds of hirundine.
Lepetimnos Watchpoint , North Coast
Short toed eagle 3
Honey buzzard - juveniles 3
Common buzzard 2
Eleonoras falcon 2
Sparrow hawk 1
Goshawk 1
Pallid harrier 1

 

[Richard Prior]

Sorry I’ve not been posting, as I’ve been on the island myself.
I find finding the time to do it and editing on a small device difficult, plus our Tina, the Mrs says we’re on Holiday.
However I hope to catch up a bit when I’m back home.
Yesterday we spent a few hours at the North Coast watch point.
The night of the 27th produced a huge storm, with dozensof Alpine Swifts passing over Anaxos along with hundreds of hirundine.
Lepetimnos Watchpoint , North Coast
Short toed eagle 3
Honey buzzard - juveniles 3
Common buzzard 2
Eleonoras falcon 2
Sparrow hawk 1
Goshawk 1
Pallid harrier 1

Hi Mick,
I’m probably fantasising but that Honey Buzzard has a few characteristics that makes me wonder about Crested Honey Buzzard, hopefully some of our raptor experts could comment….
Always enjoy the Lesbos updates, we’ll done for keeping it going!

 

[Mick Sway]

Richard, Thanks for the encouragement, however I posted the image on Lesbos’ Birders Facebook group where it’s gone unremarked. I have other images which I’ll review in a couple of weeks.
meantime here’s some reporting from Facebook , Lesbos’ Bird News group :
29th September 22

08.30 Eurasian Wryneck (Jynx torquilla) with Cirl buntings Gavathas.

Pitharou Res. 11.00-15.30

32 + Eleonora's falcon(Falco eleonorae)
03 Short toed Eagle
01 Booted Eagle (Hieraaetus pennatus)
02 Black Kite (Milvus migrans).

Lotzaria 17.15
12 Bee-eaters (Merops apiaster)

Potamia Old Reservoir
Eurasian teal 8

Friday 30th September
West of Agenos
40 - 50 Honey Buzzard Single Goshawk, 3 Short-toed eagles between 16.30.- 17.45.

 

[Mick Sway]

30 September 2022
Vafios
more raptor movement reported on Lesvos birders :
Honey buzzard 80 including several large kettles
Booted eagle 30
Long legged buzzard 8
Black kite 2
goshawk
Sparrowhawk 3
Red footed falcon 2
Marsh harrier

Apparentlyothers there all day had greater counts

 

[Mick Sway]

2 October 2022 Lesbos’ bird news, Facebook group.
Reports from a UK group at a watchpoint on the North Coast
over 4 hours, migration dropped off around 14:30, which is when
we arrived having attended a Christening in the morning.
Lepetymnos
Honey buzzard 79
Sparrowhawk 32
Marsh harrier 20
Eleonoras Falcon 18
Hobby 16
Short toed eagle 5
Booted eagle 2
Red footed falcon 4
Common buzzard 5
Common kestrel 29
Spoonbill 5
Woodpigeon 8
Swallow many

Woodpigeons
As I write this on the morning of 3 Oct , 3 fly past the Anaxos Hotel
along with an Eleonoras. Woodpigeons can be a difficult tick on Lesvos
however , I’ve seen more this week than in all previous years.

 

[Mick Sway]

3rd October 2022 Lepetimnos Police Watchpoint.
Today was lovely fine day, sadly the raptors were not so happy to join us and migration, between 11:00 and 14:30 was slow. However with the help of a trio of spotters from Yorkshire, we did manage to get views of few good birds, most of which were distant and enjoying the thermals. Just down the road,for between the quieter moments, there's a patch of sun kissed blossoming ivy that wafts a wonderful aroma, attracting dozens of insects and butterflies, making it an entomiligists dream. Here while oriental hornets buzzed, pairs of nettletree butterflies danced and cardinals fluttered.
Honey buzzard 5
Sparrowhawk 4
Short toed eagle 2
Booted eagle 1
Sparrowhawk 4
Hobby 1
Common buzzard 3
Long legged buzzard 1
Wood pigeon 2
Crag Martin 3
Barn swallows 4

Below Honey buzzard and Eurasian sparrowhawk

 

[Mick Sway]

5 October 2022
Report by 3 UK birders , on Lesvos Birders Facebook group
Achladeri and Skamnioudi - areas of dense Turpentine trees
estimated numbers
Spotted Flycatcher 75
Willow Warbler 185
Blackcap 350
Icterine Warbler
Chiffchaff 2
Garden Warbler 6
Lesser Whitethroat 9
Sardinian Warbler
Common Whitethroat, 5
Song Thrush 4
Redstart 5
Whinchat 2
Stonechat
Grey Wagtail 3
Yellow Wagtail (13 thunbergi) 20
White Wagtail 16
Tawny Pipit
Tree Pipit 3
Red-throated Pipit 2
Chaffinch 200
Hawfinch 3
Polichnitos Saltpans : 43 Avocet, 9 Kentish Plover, 5 Ringed Plover, Dunlin, 20 Little Stint, Common Sandpiper, 3 Greenshank and 2 Marsh Sandpiper.

These guys include a professional naturalist and I have no reason to doubt their validity.

 

[Mick Sway]

6 October 2022
Vafios
Eastern imperial eagle - juvenile
the above was posted today by Eleni Galinou on her
Lesvos Bird News Facebook group.
the sighting was made by two Belgian birders , who photographed it.

 

[Mick Sway]

7 October 2022 - a personal contribution
Lotzaria and Tsiknias River Mouth
Having originally intended to raptor watch on the North Coast, when we arrived at the police watchpoint we were greeted by grey skies and a howling gale of a cold North Easterly, plus an army vehicle was parked there, so to my surprise Tina agreed to head for the pans. Here it was somewhat calmer , however I found the door to the East hide locked, so could not gain entry. Trundling down by the smelly main channel drew a blank, so on to the East river. Still grey and overcast , nothing but crows showing and a few willow warblers. At the Tsiknias Ford we were shocked to find it levelled for its entire length, with only a black stork and great egret foraging in the flattened reeds. This appears to have become an annual , if shortsighted event. Tina had her book to read , so dropped me off at the view point ( sadly strewn with the remnants of human litter of one sort or another) whereI I walked to the river mouth. Foraging along the East bank near the river mouth ( two anglers were just leaving as I arrived , so nothing on the shingle bank) but distant from my viewpoint , were :
Greenshankx 2
Common redshank x 2
Grey plover x 2
Dunlin
Eurasian curlew
Barn swallows
Kingfisher
Yellow legged gull 3
Return journey.
Lotzaria
On the cut alfalfa :
Wagtails about 30 mixed flava and white
Tree pipit - about 12 seen,hard to guess at the true number
Montegu’s harrier - brieflysadly I didn’t get a shot at it
Cornbunting - small flock
Chiffchaff ? See image
Barnswallows

On the irrigation heads :
Whinchat 8
Red backed shrike
Willow warbler 3

 

[Mick Sway]

Tsiknias River Ford looking east upstream 7 October 2022