Lesvos 2016 (2 Viewers)

Mick Sway · Jan 19, 2016

Thought I'd start this thread in the hope that folks would keep this thread updated through the year.

At time of writing anyone booking from Birmingham via Thomas Cook, will know that all Birmingham flights have been axed for 2016.

On a sad note for anyone who is a Lesvos regular, the shocking news that Jean Cassidy passed away whilst on a birding holiday in Goa. Mark and Jean Cassidy have been birding the island for some 20 years and will have been familiar to many in their matching Tilly hats as they stopped to brew up on many a Lesvos track during the early May birding season.
Needless to say the family are devastated.

Regular up dates on sightings, the refugee situation and other conditions can be found on Steve Dudley's "Lesvos Birders" Facebook page.

Mick Sway · Jan 25, 2016

Bookings for Lesvos 2016 are down, which is not good news for the Island's economy and its businesses.
Please read Steve Dudley's appeal for support here:
Thanks

Mick Sway · Feb 10, 2016

New Lesvos tour guide , due out 31 March:
See here:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/949164808X?keywords=Lesbos%20-%20Greece%20|%20www.crossbillguides.org&qid=1455116566&ref_=sr_1_fkmr0_1&sr=8-1-fkmr0

cheshirebirder · Feb 10, 2016

We'll be out again for just a week this time ( 7th May onwards ) ,so will see you in the Anaxos ,Mick ?
Regards, Bill.

John Cantelo · Feb 11, 2016

Mick Sway said:
New Lesvos tour guide , due out 31 March:
See here:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/949164808X?keywords=Lesbos%20-%20Greece%20|%20www.crossbillguides.org&qid=1455116566&ref_=sr_1_fkmr0_1&sr=8-1-fkmr0

Thanks you for highlighting this forthcoming publication. Having worked on editing this and other Crossbill guides I'm obviously biased, but Dirk Hilbers & Alex Tabak have done a terrific job. As those familiar with the series will be aware this isn't solely a 'birding guide' (although birds are well covered), but includes coverage of flowers, butterflies, dragonflies etc plus thumbnail sketches of relevant ethnological, historical, geological & geographical background. It supplements rather than replaces Steve Dudley's excellent birding guide.

Sandra (Taylor) · Feb 11, 2016

Mick Sway said:
New Lesvos tour guide , due out 31 March:
See here:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/949164808X?keywords=Lesbos%20-%20Greece%20|%20www.crossbillguides.org&qid=1455116566&ref_=sr_1_fkmr0_1&sr=8-1-fkmr0

Thanks for that Mick. Reading Steve's review of it, it looks a good read. Pity I'll have to wait a while to get it. I bought Bob the Crossbill guide for Lanzarote and liked the layout of this series.

S

Mick Sway · Mar 1, 2016

All being well it will be lovely to meet up with our Lesvos " old timers "

again this Spring.
Meanwhile in light of the continued refugee situation and in an effort to allay the fears that many have about visiting the island,
Steve Dudley has penned an article in support the islands' tourist/ birdwatching industry.
You can read it here.

Mick Sway · Mar 1, 2016

First swallows reported on the island this week.
Also a ringing session at Dipi Larisos reedbed on 28 Feb by Eleni Galinou, produced some fabulous results - according to records the earliest ever dates for Little Crake (Porzana para),
also present:
Sedge Warbler (Acrocephalus shoenobaenus)
Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus scirpaceus)
Pygmy Cormorant (Phalacrocorax pygmeus)
Moustached Warblers (Acrocephalus melanopogon)
This up-date, credited to Lesvos Birdwatching, Face book page.

egalinou · Mar 6, 2016

Lesvos bird sightings 2016

For news on birdsightings from Lesvos please ckeck Lesvos Bird News BLOG and Facebook group.

The only regular but still local spring migrants are HOUSE MARTINS (around settlements) and NORTHERN WHEATHEARS (coastal areas). For more details on spring migrant arrivals press here.

Happy Spring!

Mick Sway · Mar 17, 2016

Steve Dudley's annual bird report, Lesvos Birds 2015 is now available to view as a PDF.
This comprehensive report covers the entire species list for the island along with new sightings of birds, extensive descriptions and maps of the main birding sites and an up date on the refugee situation.
Well worth a viewing for anyone interested in Lesvos and Greek Wildlife.
Contains many photographs.
View there 2015 Bird Report here

davercox · Mar 20, 2016

Mick Sway said:
Steve Dudley's annual bird report, Lesvos Birds 2015 is now available to view as a PDF.
This comprehensive report covers the entire species list for the island along with new sightings of birds, extensive descriptions and maps of the main birding sites and an up date on the refugee situation.
Well worth a viewing for anyone interested in Lesvos and Greek Wildlife.
Contains many photographs.
View there 2015 Bird Report here

Now here.

Mick Sway · Apr 6, 2016

Recent Arrivals, poor water levels on the wetlands

Recent News from other websites , underline that water levels are rapidly declining at the wetlands and seasonal pools, due to a relatively dry winter and warm spring.
For those not on Facebook, this summary is intended to give a flavour of what's been passing through the main Lesvos sights,recently.
A Eurasian bittern was at Kalloni Pool over the past week.
Good numbers of waders have been seen at Kalloni Salt Pans , including 20+ Marsh Sands, large numbers of wood sands, 43 black tailed godwits (reported by Eleni Galinou,today 06/04/16) , glossy ibis in the 20's a few ruff and the usual stilts and stone curlew.
Spur winged plover and two golden plover were reported last week.
Also recently a pallid and marsh harriers at Kalloni SP, with little crake at Metochi.
Two GS cuckoo have also been seen on the general area of the salt pans.
Other passerines seen include savi's , great reed and sedge warblers. Sub alpine and other common warblers are back.
A ferruginous duck at Nifida was reported by Terry Robinson today.
Over recent weeks a large influx of common hirundine,yellow wagtails and a few tawny pipits.
A Steppe Buzzard (Buteo vulpinus), mobbed by two Hooded Crows, at Haramida Marsh, March 27th reported by Spyros Skareas with definitive image.
Cretzchmar's Buntings are back and a single ortolan reported.
On 29th March: Purple Heron Kalloni Pool, single Gull Billed Tern Saltpans, 3 RBmergansers, Robin and on Tsnikias river Thrush Nightingale, were reported.
Report your sightings at:
email to [email protected]
also refer to :
http://lesvosbirdrecords.blogspot.co.uk/2009/04/lbrc-members.html
Steve Dudley's 2015 bird report here

azure magpie · Apr 7, 2016

Thanks Mick. Will be keeping an eye on this page along with Facebook as May 7th is coming rather quick now just cant wait to get back for 2 weeks.
Phil

Mick Sway · Apr 7, 2016

Lesvos Refugee Crisis & the affect on TC's package holidays

Just wanted to make clear that I'm neither a Lesvos expert (though Tina and I have been lucky enough to return there every year since 1999) or top birder.
I started this thread , because not one else seemed willing. Most birders with an interest in the island tend now to follow the Facebook Group.
Anyway the lastest posts from there, relate to TC's 2017 brochure, which appears to show the first flights on 6th May 2017 from Gatwick, with none from Northern Airports.
Bad news for Lesvos, indeed.

Sandra (Taylor) · Apr 8, 2016

Mick Sway said:
Just wanted to make clear that I'm neither a Lesvos expert (though Tina and I have been lucky enough to return there every year since 1999) or top birder.
I started this thread , because not one else seemed willing. Most birders with an interest in the island tend now to follow the Facebook Group.
Anyway the lastest posts from there, relate to TC's 2017 brochure, which appears to show the first flights on 6th May 2017 from Gatwick, with none from Northern Airports.
Bad news for Lesvos, indeed.

That's us out for 2017 then Mick. But a lot can happen in over a year, so let's not dwell on 2017! We've yet to enjoy 2016 from 7th May!

Look forward to seeing you both

Sandra

Mick Sway · Apr 8, 2016

Sandra (Taylor) said:
That's us out for 2017 then Mick. But a lot can happen in over a year, so let's not dwell on 2017! We've yet to enjoy 2016 from 7th May!

Look forward to seeing you both

Sandra

As do we Sandra, it will be lovely to see you again.
I mention 2017 in the context of only to encourage people to grab a bargain in 2016 , while they can.
Do you know if Dave & Leslie are going?
There's more to Lesvos than birds:
https://www.flickr.com/groups/1686154@N22/pool/

Mick Sway · Apr 10, 2016

Purple Heron (Ardea purpurea). Today (10/04) at Tsiknias (Petros Tsakmakis)
Weekly Report from Skala Polichnitos salt pans by Terry Robinson:
Polly Pans weekly round up, the 4th to the 10th of April 2016.
Black-throated Diver 1, Great Crested Grebe 3,
Yelkouan Shearwater 92, Little Egret 1, Great Egret 1, Heron 3, Flamingo 7, Shelduck 2, Hen Harrier 1, Black-winged Stilt 20, Avocet 1, Little Ringed Plover 17, Kentish Plover 32, Little Stint 3, Redshank 8, Greenshank 3, Wood Sandpiper 1, Yellow-legged Gull 32,
Common Tern 1 (today), Collared Dove 8, Little Owl 1, Kingfisher 1, Crested Lark 29, Swallow 23, Red-rumped Swallow 2,
House Martin 24, Tawny Pipit 3, Meadow Pipit 3, Yellow Wagtail 18, White Wagtail 1, Stonechat 4, Whinchat 1, Wheatear 1, Blackbird 1, Fan-tailed Warbler 1, Subalpine Warbler 1, Sardinian Warbler 1,
Blue Tit 1, Great Tit 2, Woodchat Shrike 2, Hooded Crow 10,
House Sparrow 13, Spanish Sparrow 25, Chaffinch 1, Greenfinch 1, Goldfinch 3 and Corn Bunting 20, 46 species seen in the week.

Steve Dudley's 2015 bird report here
Polichnitos Salt Pans view

John Cantelo · Apr 10, 2016

Sandra (Taylor) said:
Thanks for that Mick. Reading Steve's review of it, it looks a good read. Pity I'll have to wait a while to get it. I bought Bob the Crossbill guide for Lanzarote and liked the layout of this series.

S

Where can I see Steve's review of the Crossbill Guide?

Mick Sway · Apr 10, 2016

Crossbill Guide to Lesvos.

John Cantelo said:
Where can I see Steve's review of the Crossbill Guide?

Other than Steve Dudley saying that it was available on Facebook, I'm not aware of an actual review, though there may indeed be one.
There is actually a preview here:
https://crossbillguides.nl/news/Lesbos-preview

John Cantelo · Apr 10, 2016

Thanks, Mick, for the clarification. Thanks too for the link to the preview, but I was really after a review since, having been one of the team who edited it, I've already read it several times!

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