LESVOS BIRD NEWS 2023 (2 Viewers)

[Mick Sway]

Belated Happy New Year ( after dodging covid for 2 years, the 3 of us went down with it on 27 Dec and it took 3 weeks to clear).
A reminder that our Lesvos Birders website is up and running.
You can find out about the island's best birding sites, Steve Dudley's annual reports (2009-2015), bird and butterfly lists and much more by clicking HERE.
Up to date birding reports can also be found on eBird, our friendly Lesvos Birdersand Eleni Galinou's Lesvos Bird News facebook group.

Bird News January 2023
The past few weeks have seen a few reports on eBird, including :
Black necked grebe 2 Christou River
Slender billed gull 50 Christou River
Teal 24 Kalloni Pool
Dalmation pelican 5 Kalloni Salt Pans

hereLots more common winter birds recorded here

 

[Mick Sway]

26 January 2023
Kalloni Salt Pans
Local wildlife enthusiast Mirsini Kladogeni found a flock of 40 Northern lapwing (Vanellus vanellus) at
Kalloni Salt Pans today. This is a good count for Lesvos, even in winter.
Also at this site a male Hen Harrier (Circus cyaneus) .
Image by Mirsini.

 

[Mick Sway]

Monday 30th January 2023
Lesvos Central Land Fill.
2 black kites and a single red kite ( a scarce bird for Lesvos)
As reported by local conservationist Eleni Galinou

Eressos
A single reed bunting reported here by a local expat.
Reed buntings are scarce winter visitors.

 

[Mick Sway]

04 February 2023
Kalloni Salt Pans
As the day time temperatures however around 0c and snow lies on the hills of Lesvos,
a flock of golden plover , dropped in at Kalloni Salt Pans.
Golden plover Kalloni Salt Pans 04/02/22 cc Mirsini Kladogeni

 

[Mick Sway]

A report from @Lesvos Bird News 10/02/23 :
Local conservationist Stylianos Zannetos reported on the morning of 10/02 at Kalloni Salt Pans :
2 Bewick Swans - Cygnus columbianus.
This is a very rare winter visitors to Lesvos, though small numbers winter in Greece at Lake Kerkini .
Stylianos managed to photograph the pair, though couldn't relocate them on a later visit.

 

[Mick Sway]

A report from @Lesvos Bird News 12/02/23 :
Local conservationist Stylianos Zannetos reported on 12/02 at Kalloni Salt Pans :
Merlin (Falco columbarius)
This is a scarce winter visitors to Lesvos, singles mostly seen at both Salt Pans
Stylianos filmed it feeding on a meadow pipit.

A sighting from mid January, also from Lesvos Bird News
Agios Stefanos-Palios
2 ruddy shelducks, unusual for the time of year.
The finder witheld it until now to avoid them being a target for hunters.

 

[Birdbox]

If anyone is selling a copy of Steve Dudley's site guide I'd be grateful if you message me.

 

[Mick Sway]

If anyone is selling a copy of Steve Dudley's site guide I'd be grateful if you message me.

Hi as you are probably aware it is hard to get hold of these days, however there does appear to be one available at this Camping Store in Norway, for about £25, if you wish to contact them , see here . However if not the Richard Brooks Guide is still highly relevant , there are several copies on sale of it at Abe books, see here.

 

[Mono]

Edit - see Mick Sway's post below for all the reports.
👇

 

[Birdbox]

Hi as you are probably aware it is hard to get hold of these days, however there does appear to be one available at this Camping Store in Norway, for about £25, if you wish to contact them , see here . However if not the Richard Brooks Guide is still highly relevant , there are several copies on sale of it at Abe books, see here.

Thanks Mick. I already have Richard Brooks' guide and a fairly good map onto which I've plotted more modern info that I've gleaned from the many trip reports that are available online. I reconnoitred the island in autumn myself last year and kind of have a plan of action in place based on that (I'm going in spring). I guess I'm just trying to arm myself with as much information as possible. I'll check the link you've sent.

Thanks again

Rich

 

[Birdbox]

The Lesvos reports are in the post below.

Gosh Mono, that's the business. Thank you very much.

Rich

 

[Mick Sway]

Hi Mono, all these reports are available from our own web site here, published with the permission of the author Steve Dudley.

 

[Mono]

all these reports are available from our own web site

That's odd, I searched for reports and the site I posted was the only one that showed up.

 

[Mick Sway]

Gosh Mono, that's the business. Thank you very much.

Rich

Please use the link on my signature to "Lesvos Birding'' , the one quoted is unsafe and should not be using our reports.
Thanks

 

[Mick Sway]

That's odd, I searched for reports and the site I posted was the only one that showed up.

Thanks for your assistance Mono, I know that you were only trying to help. My colleagues/owners of the Lesvos Birders website are very sensative
about how the information is shared as we are the sole owners. Thanks again.

 

[Mick Sway]

Re Steve Dudley's excellent book " A Birdwatching Guide To Lesvos"
The book is now out of print, however for anyone visiting Lesvos this Spring, I am told that
there are few copies left for sale at the Pasiphae Hotel , Skala Kalloni.

 

[Mick Sway]

24/02/23 House Martins
Warmer weather up to 18c followed the recent cold snap and along with it
the first 2 house martins of Spring were spotted by local naturalist Eleni Gallinou.

 

[Mick Sway]

Unfortunately I’m a bit behind at the moment, recovering from a knee replacement op. That said, news is still a bit thin.

Kalloni Salt Pans
01/03/23
great spotted cuckoo

03/03/23
red breasted merganser x 4

05/03/23
isabelline wheatear - an early one
golden plover

06/03/23
reed bunting female

all the above photographed by the same local enthusiast.

Also worth noting that there are still , out West, a fair number of over wintering black redstarts.

 

[foresttwitcher]

Speedy recovery.

 

[Mick Sway]

Kalloni Salt Pans w/e 11/03/22
the first spring pair of hoopoes have been reported along with a
female hen harrier.