Lesvos Bird Reports 2017 (3 Viewers)

[Mick Sway]

13 May 2017

13 May 2017
Another stifling hot windy day with high humidity.
Our sightings
Mt.Ordimonas
A ringtail harrier that disappeared before we could get
a firm ID right at the top of the wind farm.
Woodlark
Hoopoe
Common buzzard
Stone chat 4
Usual breeding buntings,larks and 3 wheatear species.

Petrified Forest
Usual breeding passerines
Little owl
Lesser kestrel x2

Antissa
Orphean warbler

Sigri
Little owl
Woodchat shrike

Faneromeni
Squacco at the ford & usual warblers
Bee eaters
Eleonoras falcon
Red backed shrike 4
Woodchat shrike 1
Ruddy shell duck 2
Little stint 2
Little ringed plover 2
Usual passerines
Checked all the usual places for bush robin but they weren't showing.

Bird of the day was a confiding pair of Isi's at the Petrified forest
which we stopped and watched for a good 10 minutes or so.

 

[Mick Sway]

14 May 2017 - 29c at 10:00

Sunday 14th May 2017
The number of birds we see or rather species diminishes as the heat increases, so after walking the track at Filia Masts we took refuge at Skala Kalloni for an extended lunch and heat break.
Track over Filia
Eastern bonellis warbler 6
(Probably more singing)
Short toed eagle 2
Red backed shrike 4
Sub alpine warbler 3
Black eared wheatear
Usual finches, blackbirds etc
A poor list for a 2 hour walk in 30c+

After lunch Tsiknias River
Bee eaters
Little bittern
Reed warbler
Olivaceous warbler
Cettis warbler
Common tern
Moorhen
Feldegg wagtails

Track to pans Lotzari
Whitethroat

Failed to connect with the bush Robin on the beach this afternoon, however our neighbour
got it this morning near the rusty structure on the beach.

 

[Mick Sway]

Monday 15 May 2017

Monday 15/05/17
Our reports - today with the Cheshire Birder ( thanks Bill for a great day out)
Kalloni Salt Pans Beach am/ pm
Had no luck with the bush Robin either am or pm.
However
Great crested grebe - 2 off shore am
Peregrine- one swooped in along the dunes pm
Incidentally a couple, at 17:00, got off their hire motorbike quite near
the salt pans gate , walked over the canal running alongside the road,
they then proceeded to walk down the middle ditch a fair way towards the flamingos.
I should stress that I have no reason to think that they were birders, however it was a foolish and naive action at this time of year.

Vatera
Sardinian warbler 1
Called there again today with the intention of finding more, however without success.Only found the displaying male at the same site as the other day.
olivaceous warbler
reed warbler
red backed shrike
woodchat shrike
black headed bunting
blue tit
greenfinch
squacco heron
common buzzard
Short toed eagle
Yelkouan shearwate
several parties of half a dozen or so flying north.

Achladeri Wood
Hoopoe
Serin
short toed tree creeper
Spotted flycatcher 3
common kestrel
Kruper's nuthatch- still active around original nest site

News from other sources:
Kalloni Raptor Watch point:
black kite reported this am
Booted eagle - Limnos monastery
golden eagle
I have been informed that one has been seen and photographed here this past few days - does anyone have any other news of it?

Update 16/05 on Golden Eagle
No photos exist. It was reported this week on Lesvos/Observado.com
along with a greylag goose and a lesser spotted eagle, the latter with
pretty good photos.

 

[Mick Sway]

16 May 2017 Tues - Rosies are in at Faneromeni

N16 May 2017
A little cooler today at 24c with rain forecast
for later this week, much too late for the migrants
of course, but it might bring something our way.
I'll cut to the chase with the big news of today:
Faneromeni Beach
A birder has reported 30 + rose coloured starling on the beach.
Another person reported a roller at Faneromeni- no specifics given

Our Report
Can't match that I'm afraid , even with 2 mallards ��
Kavaki
First stop saw the local breeders more active this morning,
maybe because it's a little cooler.As luck would have it
we walked straight up to:
Orphean warbler - feeding
Sub alpine warbler - singing
Ruppell's warbler - singing male, seen 3 times in 15 mins
Also seen
blue rock thrush
black eared wheatear
black headed bunting
cormerant 2
Raven

Potamia Valley
Woodchat shrike 4
Red backed shrike
Masked shrike 2
Middle spotted woodpecker
Cirl bunting
Olive tree warbler 2
Sub alpine warbler
Short toed eagle
Common buzzard
Jay 3
Crag Martin
The upper Potamia Valley was heaving with hawking hirundine.
Literally hundreds of crag martins, swallows and swifts
were feeding on insects over the river.

Metochi lake
Great reed warbler 2
Reed warbler
Olivaceous warbler
Mallard 2
Little grebe with young dabbers
Coots
Moorhens
Note:
Several olivaceous warblers appeared to be going bananas
at the great reed because it was on their territory, driving it
in and out of the reeds and scrub along side the lake.
Late news:
Kremasti Bridge
2 dippers Cinclus cinclus have been reported at Kremasti Bridge today.If confirmed this would be a mega for Lesvos and a great record for Greece.

 

[Mick Sway]

17 May 2017 a tale of two rollers, two bush robin & 200 shrikes

17 May 2017 Wed
I didn't actually count the shrikes as there were too many, overwhelmingly red backed. The heading was just for effect.
14c am - cold wet and windy. We had also had some overnight rain.
Did a circuit of the Petrified Forest track without much success,
however given the misty , cloudy and rainy conditions, it was no surprise.
Sigri and Faneromeni
Arrived at around 13:00 , to rain and a cold Northerly breeze.
Dropping down into Sigri from the old road we had the usual buntings
and wheatears, rock nuthatch and a family of 5 woodlark jaywalking across the road.
By the time we reached the Faneromeni turn, we realised that there had been a
major migration of red backed shrikes, with one perched every few metres.
If there was ever going to be a day when you get fed up of calling red backed shrike this was it.


Faneromeni
Hobby - perched on the opposite gate at the field with the green gate and palms
Roller 2 - along the track to the ford ( at one point in a tree with a red backed shrike and bush chat)
Rufous bush chat 2 ( didnt connect with those said to be on the beach)
In the same field as the roller , with a up turned boat opposite the right fork
Black headed bunting - 20ish same area as roller
Little bittern - male and female at the upper ford
Olive tree warbler 1 - up track from ford
great reed warbler singing at ford
Lesser grey shrike 1 - field opposite chapel
Masked shrike - same area as rollers
Woodchat shrike 2
Red backed shrike - it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say Sigri was "hopping" with them
Ruddy shell duck - 2 still on the beach
We put one party onto to the hobby and another onto the rollers, however
there were actually very few birders about today.
One of the above reported having seen a monte's over the fields at Faneromeni
earlier this morning.

Sigri Sanertorium
Icterine warbler 1
Wood warbler 1
Spotted flycatcher 2
Lesser grey shrike 1
Lesser kestrel 2

Ipsilou
Common buzzard - as we passed

Regretably we didn't make it to Meladia chapel , where given the overnight conditions
the usual migrant trap must have seen some action.

Other news
Kalloni Salt Pans
A broad billed sandpiper was reported today

 

[Mick Sway]

18 May 2017 waders and terns at Kalloni SP

Thurs 18 May 2017
18 May Thurs 21c at 17:00 cool breeze on the coast. Rain threatened
but didn't materialise .
A little chill time enjoying a lunch at the Exodus , Skala Kalloni square.
Unfortunately this coincided with the local junior schools children's annual day trip - very rowdy but entertaining harmless mayhem ensued as many of the children played ball in the square.
Few birds to report, though it goes without saying
that the local breeders, larks, buntings, breeding waders ( avocet, by stilts, Kentish plover,
Flamingos, herons, European bee eaters and warblers are still very active at all the areas we visited.
Anyone coming out this weekend for a week or so birding,would still get a few nice ticks.
MetochiI inland Lake
Great reed warbler 2
Whiskered tern
Little bittern

Tsiknias River
Little bittern 2
Black headed wagtails 3
Short toed eagle 3
One of the latter made a nice low fly over our heads, just when we thought
it was heading north.

Kalloni Salt Pans
Everything we saw ( except the spotted red shanks) is included in this
mornings report from a Lesvos Birder:
"Today 18 may the Kalloni saltpans are full with birds again! Still some lingering marshtern 35 both whiskered and white winged. Ruff 150+ Spotted redshank 2 Curlew sandpiper 3 Little stint 8 Wood sandpiper 5. Those all in the channels NW and SW corner. In the west fields 12 white storks"
I counted 10 curlew sands this afternoon and there were many more little stints.

Other news
50 + Rose coloured starlings were seen at Eressos River (east)
We tried for them at the usual Lotzari mulberry tree without sucess.

 

[Mick Sway]

19 May 2017 Friday

19 May 2017 Friday
A strong cool North Easterly wind blew us almost off our feet today,also keeping temperatures down to the low 20s.
We did a circuit out West, stopping at Skalochori, Petrified Forest, Ipsilou and Pirivoli Monestry. In truth the only birds that we saw were endemics and they
were keeping a low profile.
Birds seen:
Goshawk
Short toed eagle
Eleonoras falcon 5
Common kestrel
Common buzzard
Black headed bunting
Cretzchmars bunting
Cinereous bunting
Corn bunting
Black eared wheatear
Isabeline wheatear
Northern wheatear
Yellow legged gull
Ruddy shellduck
Spotted flycatcher
Black stork
Middle spotted woodpecker
Red backed shrike
Woodchat shrike
Olive tree warbler ( Pirivoli)
Olivaceous warbler
Sub-alpine warbler
Blue tit
Great tit
Raven

Rose coloured starlings.
On the way back, whilst at Pirivoli, at 17:30 we had a message that
Rose Coloured Starlings were in at Petra. Arriving at Petra around 18:00
with no expectations of them still being there, we were excited to find a
flock of around 20 in the Mullberry tree, at the sea front car park.
By the time we arrived the birds appeared to be having a siesta, enjoying
the evening sun, in this nicely sheltered spot.
Truth to tell, the rosies arrival usually signals the end of the Spring migration,
as they land on Lesvos when the Mullberries have ripened anytime from
mid to late May, though usually the former.
The date that they arrive also seems to coincide with the end of those birders holidays who are on a package, this year the first flight was 6 th May.

Other news
Kremasti Bridge
A lucky pair of birders got a large eagle today, while trying to locate the dippers
reported there ( a mega for Lesvos if accepted). The bird was photographed
however there has been some debate as to whether it was an ( immature ) lesser spotted or eastern imperial eagle. The experts appear to have settled on the latter with the finders being encouraged to submit a report to the Lesvos Bird Records committee.

Thomas Cook 2018 flights.
Local hoteliers are telling us that Thomas Cook are reinstating the early flight from Gatwick in 2018, from circa 14 April , though I have no means of checking it at this time. I also understand that Manchester flights will also resume but from the first Saturday in May.
It has also been suggested that many of the seats may be allocated for their Nielson's Subsidiary ( adventure ) holidays at Eressos , again I have way of checking this info.

 

[Mick Sway]

20 May 2017 Saturday

20 May 2017
Much calmer today with a nice breeze on a day that most remaining UK birders return home.
Our day was spent looking for butterflies, however in the area of Limonos Monestery we did have two short toed Eagles, long legged and common buzzard, blue rock thrush,sub alpine and orphean warblers. At Petra reservoir a whiskered tern, ruddy and common shell ducks and a common kestrel.

Butterfly species seen today:
Marbled fritillary
Cardinal fritillary
Swallowtail
Scarce swallowtail
Red admiral
Southern white admiral
Cleopatra
Painted lady
Holly blue
Amanda's blue
Nettle tree butterfly
Small white
Large white
Black veined white
Clouded yellow
Small skipper
Large skipper
Mallow skipper
Rock greyling
Common greyling
Ilex hairstreak
Sloe hairstreak

Other news
A red breasted flycatcher was reported at Petri.

 

[Mick Sway]

Possible pectoral sandpiper 11 May 2017

In reference to my report of 11 May 2017
mentioning an unusual wader at Alikudi pool,
if any of the two birders that I discussed the bird
With on 11/05 read this please pm me.
It turns out that we may have a mega rarity for Greece
if it's the same bird as reported today , originally
as a broad billed sandpiper.

Other news 21/05/17
A common bittern was found at Molivos
Marsh terns still showing well at Kalloni S P

22/05/17
The unconfirmed pectoral sandpiper still present at Alikudi Poil
this morning.

 

[Mick Sway]

Pectoral Sandpiper Alikudi Pool Lesvos 11/05/17

Pectoral Sandpiper Calidris melanotos
Alikoudi Pool Lesvos 11/05/17
I recognise that whilst this is a common vagrant to northern Europe and Britain, it may not get the pulse racing as a rarity on UK shores.
However it is I'm sure, rare indeed for it to occur in South Eastern Europe ,giving me reason at the time, to doubt my own judgement as to the correct ID and thus sadly depriving visiting birders to Lesvos in mid May, of the experience of an unusual Lesvos tick.
This long staying bird was first found by my wife and I on 11/05/17 while we were checking out Alikudi Pool, Lesvos.
When I first I saw it , sadly in the glare of the mid day sun, it struck me that this bird was different as it dabbled along with a small number of ruff. My first thought was broad billed, but no, the shape of the bird and bill were not right at all, then I thought it must be a wood sandpiper, but the jizz wasn't there for that either.
I took a few shots of the very animated bird for records sake .
Still puzzling on it's ID as I continued to watch the bird, with my bins from the car as we enjoyed a Spinocopita for lunch,
two other birders pulled up in an hire car.
Chatting with them, as we consulted their field guide, I suggested that it appeared that it must Calidris melanotosl .
I appeal to them to PM if they read this.
The pair departed soon after, without exchanging names.
Having no means of putting the photos out whilst on Lesvos , I decided to review the images at home when I could be sure of the id, the glare on them being too much to decide on ID for sure, using the camera screen.
However in the meantime the same bird was photographed again on 21 May, by Mike Smith and posted on the Lesvos Birders Facebook group immediately, originally as a broad billed sandpiper.
The administrators of the group soon jumped on Mike's photos and pointed out that it was indeed a pectoral.

For anyone still on the island, I understand that the bird was still present on Monday morning 22/05/17
and may still be there , it's worth checking out.


If you are still birding on Lesvos or about to holiday there, your sightings would be very welcome here.

Also check out Lesvos Bird News here.

 

[Mick Sway]

Pectoral sandpiper still at Alikoudi Pool yesterday 24/05/17
https://twitter.com/LesvosBirdNews/status/867712841201176577

 

[hampers]

Pectoral sandpiper still at Alikoudi Pool yesterday 24/05/17
https://twitter.com/LesvosBirdNews/status/867712841201176577

Maybe it'll stay till September!

 

[Mick Sway]

Pectoral Sandpiper Alikudi Pool Lesvos 11/05/17

Maybe it'll stay till September!

Good luck with that one, Phil.
3

 

[Mick Sway]

Great spotted cuckoo Molivos 20/05/17

Great spotted cuckoo.
Late news of one on 20/05/17 in the Molivos area ( no specific location given) , as reported on Lesvos Birders Facebook group.
A shame that it wasn't shared at the time.
Apparently it has also been seen again in the past few days.
Breeding of the species was recorded on Lesvos for the first time near Molivos last year, when their young were hosted by Hooded Crows.

 

[Mick Sway]

Note Re : 21/05/17 Great bittern discovery, photos prove it to be a night heron.

 

[Mick Sway]

30/05/17 Great spotted cuckoo Potomia Valley, Near res track

Another sighting of a Great Spotted Cuckoo near the junction of the reservoir and main Potamia Valley tracks .
Source - Observado.

Breeding of the species was recorded on Lesvos for the first time near Molivos last year, when their young were hosted by Hooded Crows.[/QUOTE]

 

[Mick Sway]

Pelican, Mesa Wetland , Lesvos 01/06/17

A juvenile pelican , possibly Dalmatian , was photographed at the Mesa Wetland area, on 01/06/17, by local wildlife enthusiast Giorgis Laskaridis.
Lesvos Bird News Facebook group here.

 

[Mick Sway]

02/06/16 Steppe Buzzard ?

02/06/17 16:30
A Steppe Buzzard Buteo buteo vulpinus , was reported from the main Mitilini Road hide, Kalloni Salt Pans
After querying it with the finder he "checked the photos" and corrected the Observado entry to
Long legged buzzard.
GPS 39.217, 26.266.
Also
Dalmatian pelican (Pelecanus crispus)
From the same hide.
Source: Observado Lesvos

Note:
Records of buteo vulpinus are not normally accepted by The Lesvos Rare Bird Committee, without being substantiated by accompanying photographs, particularly of the upper plumage of the bird.
It has been recognised that cross breeding takes place, between the species in question and/or long legged buzzard with buteo buteo. This is born out by the many sightings of rufous variations of the common buzzard.
Check out Steve Dudley's Birds of Lesvos 2015 up-date for more information.

 

[Mick Sway]

Short-toed lark (Calandrella brachydactyla) 06/06/2017

Local wildlife enthusiast Ellada Valerie reports a Short-toed lark (Calandrella brachydactyla) 06/06/2017 in the river Evergetoula.
Photo by Ellada's permission.
More Lesvos Bird News here.

 

[Mick Sway]

04/06/17 - late pelican news.

Eleni Galinou reported 5 DALMATIAN PELICANS,on the east side of the Kalloni Pans on Sunday 04/05/17 . #LesvosBirds