Lesvos Bird News 2019/2020 (1 Viewer)

Krupers

ychri said:

Hello to all!
We'll be staying at Lesvos (Kalloni) until friday and up to now we were not lucky to find one of the nuthatches. Does anybody know a good place to spot them?
Happy easter, by the way!
Yvonne and company

Edit: after two days searching and complaining we found a pair (probably) in Achladeri Forest

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Sorry for the delay in responding and glad you found them.I believe that they have been difficult as no one has located the breeding site.Enjoy your stay

22 April 2019
Kalloni Area.
Mark Cassidy and I arrived late afternoon Sunday .
The chilly wind from last week all but disappeared giving way to a warm bright and sunny day. Enhanced by the various lovely people that we met though the days birding in the centre. A male Little crake was an easy tick at Metochi along with little bittern, a golden oriole flashed through on our way out to the Christou River, where an osprey was mobbed away by hooded crows. A couple of grey and purple heron fished the river but our search for cisticola drew a blank. At the Tsiknias river mouth 3 Med and single black headed gull joined the many yellow legged.Off shore we located a black necked and crested grebe, later adding 7 more of the latter in the gulf.We couldn't positively ID the ducks which were too far out to sea.the warmer weather was no doubt responsible for releasing the torpor of the insects that hundreds of swifts , swallows and Martin's were hawking over the Tsiknias along with dozens of yellow legged gulls. Here Mark clocked a short toed eagle , but I dipped.A short tied lark trundled along the track in front of the car at the pump house.At the Salt Pans Yesterdays 2 black tailed godwits had disappeared from the pans, main drag viewpoint and no great numbers of waders, but nice views of stilts, marsh sands and the expected salt lagoon birds along with 2 distant whiskered terns. We had briefest of views of a male Kruppers in the pine canopy , while a cuckoo called, at Achladeri but we were unable to locate any nesting site. Our four attempts , over 2 days, to catch the great bittern have drawn a blank but we were handsomely compensated by superb views of a common cuckoo in a Holm oak, when Mark pulled up to check out a woodlark on a telegraph wire, what luck ! Many more birds were seen on a glorious Lesvos spring day.

23 April 2019
Out West
On a cool overcast day, we headed out to the Sigri area where there was a massive influx of passerines.
Below is a report from a well known birder staying in the area. While Mark and I can't match his tally , I can say that the site of yet another collared flycatcher became surprisingly boring.
A note for Lesvos regulares.
Both the fords at Faneromeni are running fairly deep but fast and without any heron food, no insects or tadpoles.
Faneromeni Area



Semi-collared Flycatcher 5 (2m, 2f, 1 heard)
Collared Flycatcher 111
Pied Flycatcher 34
Spotted Flycatcher 17
Icterine Warbler 3
Lesser Whitethroat 68
Common Whitethroat 25
Blackcap 9
Wood Warbler 15
Eastern Bonelli’s Warbler 1
Chiffchaff 5
Sedge Warbler 1
Eurasian Reed Warbler 2
Great Reed Warbler 7
Thrush Nightingale 1
Whinchat 9
Common Redstart 2
Sombre Tit 2
Citrine Wagtail 1 fem
Yellow Wagtail 20
Golden Oriole 15
Masked Shrike 2
Common Cuckoo 2
Hoopoe 1
Eleanora’s Falcon 1
Short-toed Eagle 3
Common Buzzard 1

A quick pop in to the Faneromeni fords and beach on our return yielded the additional birds from this morning:

Pied Flycatcher 3
Collared Flycatcher 2
Hoopoe 3
Northern Wheatear 2
White Wagtail 6
Yellow Wagtail 120+

Adult male Semi-collared Flycatcher, upper Faneromeni valley

Meladia Valley
2 barred warblers and a great spotted cuckoo were reported here today.

Having the greatest difficulty posting using an android phone.Unfortunately the iPad sends me into a "log in loop" everyone I try to post.Does anyone know why.

I have been to this island many times, as has Mick. Sadly this time I and many others have experienced and seen some of the worst behaviour ever from one pair of male photographers. Total disregard for the birds and wildlife, private property and other people. Displaying ignorant, arrogant and worse aggressive behaviour to other Birders when spoken to. Sadly there are other examples creeping in that start to taint the reputation of Birders to the locals who are so dependant on the valuable income, this behaviour will put people off visiting again. Before people jump on and say I am anti photographer I’m not as I’m a birder who is also a keen photographer. I just hope they are members of this forum and read this in the hope it will make them see how others view their actions. Nothing but nothing justifies disturbing wildlife for a photograph let alone treating others with such contemptuous ignorance. Rant over. Phil

Update

Terrible news Phil.
The only thing that I can add is that on two occasions birders have very selfishly, left their cars right in the middle of access points to tracks used by farmers and other birders.

Bird News
I do find it most difficult to keep up with updates while on the island as we have very little time between getting back and going out again. Suffice it to say that most breeding species are in now.
Over the past few days there's been an influx of black headed bunting and red backed shrine.

Middle spotted woodpeckers are on the nest at Antissa and ruddy Sherlock have had at least 5 young, probably more, in the Sigri area.

Passwords migration had dropped off a little over the past few days, however yesterday at Meladia we were still seeing a few b &w and spot flies along with the odd warbler.

At Ipsilou yesterday we had 8 golden people , a honey blizzard and an unusually (for Lesvos) singing chiffchaff.Rock sparrow were breeding there too.

A few of the more exotic sightings:
24/04 sanderiling Sigri
24/04 golden eagle, Ipsilou
25/04 black kite Ipsilou
26/04 cattle egret Kalloni Salt pans
27/04 broad billed sandpaper Kalloni SO
27/04 turnstone Kalloni SO

Last week Mark and I saw 150 ish collared participle passing over
d
hawking insects, at he Tsiknias River.A brilliant sight.
We've also had 3 Citrine and 1 superciliaris wagtail this last week.
Unfortunately I'm not on the What's App group so I don't get to here everything.

Some great spell-check miss-corrections there, Mick!

foresttwitcher said:

Some great spell-check miss-corrections there, Mick!

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Brilliant, Mick ! I expect those golden people had been hit by the honey blizzard !
Thanks for the updates, always of interest to those of us who know the place but aren't out there this time.
Regards, Bill

29 April 2019 Broad billed sandpiper

A brief report of our sightings from yesterday.
29/04/19
Kavaki was quiet, for 5 mins.The mini bus emptied and a dozen loud people crowded that bush as we sat in the car.Too much for us, so we dipped.
Metochi was quite but for masked shrike and a long legged buzzard. On to the old Potamia reservoir for 2 night heron and a mallard.
After 7 attempts we finally managed to catch up with the great bittern on Kalloni Pool, distant views but another Lesvos tick.
A marsh harrier patrolled the wetland and a short toed eagle did a fly bye. A gull bill tern drifted past us on the pans, while the pump house corner housed a good number of common waders the exception being the broad billed sand.
Once again we failed to find the Krupers nest site or any sightings of the species.I felt for a couple from Boston that I met at Achladeri Who were there specifically for the species.Eastern long tailed tits and short toed treecreepers kept us busy with our bins here though, while a nearby common cuckoo's call echoed through the trees.

Other news
2 great spotted cuckoo's at Petra res.
Baltic gull photographed late afternoon at Tsiknias River mouth.

30/04/19
Christou River
2 spur winged plover reported on the Whats App group.

Spell checker

cheshirebirder said:

Brilliant, Mick ! I expect those golden people had been hit by the honey blizzard !
Thanks for the updates, always of interest to those of us who know the place but aren't out there this time.
Regards, Bill

Click to expand...

Ha ha Bill and Forest Twitcher, as long as I keep you entertained.
I'd rather do the reports on a lap top rather than rushing them on my phone.
I appreciate the Feedback, hope Mac Town stay up.
Best Mick

Enjoy your stay there Mick, you are hereby ordered to never but never get bored of Collared Flycatchers

Update

Jos Stratford said:

Enjoy your stay there Mick, you are hereby ordered to never but never get bored of Collared Flycatchers

Click to expand...

Thanks Jos
News
29/04/19
Ipsilou
Desert wheatear
Mark and I met a Belgian birder who insisted that he had a
Desert wheatear at Ipsilou on 29/04
As this would be a first we urged him to submit it to the Hellenic records
Committee.


30/04
Kalloni Salt Pans
2 Caspian terns
2 black terns
1 Dalmatian pelican

01/05/19
Faneromeni
1 spur winged plover
Tsiknias River
1 Spur winged plover

Update

2 May 2019
Sunny but the cold strong Northerly wind persists.
The only birds of note for us today were:
Kalloni mini soccer
Scops owl 1
They have been very difficult this time out
Kalloni Salt Pans
Female Montegus harrier

3 May 2019
Vatousa
Mistle thrush 2

Ipsilou
A few warblers foraging the canopy Inc:
Wood warbler
Subalpine
Whitethroat
Eastern bonellis
Also
Collared flycatcher 1
Rock sparrow 3
Golden oriole 8
Short toed eagle 2
Plus the usual:, raven, common buzzard,
Wheaters and buntings.

Faneromeni
Spur winged plover - field adjacent winery
Lesser kestrel 4
Pied flycatcher 1
Common cuckoo 1
Red backed shrike 15
Golden oriole 2
Icterine warbler 1
A few wood warblers and whitethroats still
To be seen along with Woodgate and masked shrine but very
unconfiding.

Meladia Valley
Great reed warbler
Willow warbler
Nothing exciting, usual buntings, larks and weatear, occasional shrike. Singles of short toed eagle and long legged buzzard.
Chapel was dead except for consciences and a Skippy vole, species unknown

Note.
A big influx of black headed buntings , with small parties buzzing about the West. 5 males and 3 female in one very small bush.
Ruddy shellfish have also bred at Meladia, sporting 5 healthy chicks with adults honking their disapproval every time you went within 20meters.
Bee-eaters
Parties of c20 seen frequently, though they are not reported
to hAve settled anywhere yet.
Only one roller reported so far, at Perasma last week.


Other news
03/05/19
Kalloni goat pit track
Griffon vulture
Kalloni pans
Cattle egret seen again

07/05/19 Wild West Wildlife Show - Mark and I trip over to Sigri
Lost count of the short toed eagles we've seen this trip, half a dozen more added to the tally as we headed out West looking for the missing spare tyre cover, with Mark Cassidy.
After being blasted at Ipsilou with this persitant chill wind, we spent most afternoon at Faneromeni, just blown away by the sheer numbers of bee-eaters, Shearwaters and hirundines passing through out West.
Top birds seen amongst the many ; olive tree and icterin warbler, bush robin, roller and Eleonora's falcon . Spot fly's and the odd pied still on view with shrikes seemingly less confiding than normal. We dipped on the spur winged plover this time, as it had been flushed earlier. Many birds seen and many a smile had in the process.

Update

An apology
Sorry for not being in a position to update this thread.
Over the last two weeks of our stay in Lesvos, we had no internet at
the apartment and therefore couldn't update it.
In addition when I had the opportunity to do so, I tried to log onto Birdforum site from my ipad , I through me in a loop to log in again.
Readers may however be interested in some of the sightings of scarcer birds,logged on the Observado Web site , by Dutch and Belgian birders over the past few weeks, as detailed below:
Some Observado Entries :
Citrine Wagtail - Motacilla citreola Alykes 23/04/19
Montagu's Harrier - Circus pygargus Cristou River 23/04/19
Eurasian Wigeon - Mareca penelope 3 Kaloni SP 25/04/19
Eurasian Bittern - Botaurus stellaris Kalloni Pool 25/04/19
Grey Wagtail - Motacilla cinerea Agiasos 25/04/19
Western Osprey- Pandion haliaetus Kalloni SP 25/04/19
Little Crake - Porzana parva 5 Metochi Lake 25/04/19
Eurasian Whimbrel - Numenius phaeopus phaeopus Kalloni SP 25/04/16
Eurasian Curlew - Numenius arquata Kalloni SP 25/04/19
Savi's Warbler - Locustella luscinioides singing Faneromeni 25/04/19
Semicollared Flycatcher - Ficedula semitorquata Faneromeni 25/04/19
Ortolan Bunting - Emberiza hortulana Petrified Forest 26/04/19
Black-crowned Night Heron - Nycticorax nycticorax 7 Vouvaris River 27/04/19
Black-necked Grebe - Podiceps nigricollis Gulf of Kalloni 27/04/19
Greater Short-toed Lark - Calandrella brachydactyla 15 Alykes 27/04/19
Red-throated Pipit - Anthus cervinus 19 Alykes 27/04/19
Water Rail - Rallus aquaticus 2 Metochi Area 27/04/19
Zitting Cisticola - Cisticola juncidis Faneromeni 25/04/19 -
also one singing at Alykes 27/04/19
Audouin's Gull - Ichthyaetus audouinii Persama Reservoir 28/04/19
Collared Pratincole - Glareola pratincola 12 Alykes 28/04/19
Goldcrest - Regulus regulus singing Ambeliko Valley 28/04/19
Hawfinch - Coccothraustes coccothraustes Lampou Mili area 28/04/19
Western Cattle Egret - Bubulcus ibis Lotzaria 28/04/19 -
also Kalloni SP 27/04/19 and Alykes 09/05/19
Common Redstart ssp samamisicus -
Phoenicurus phoenicurus samamisicus Perasma 28/04/19
Caspian Tern - Hydroprogne caspia 2 Kalloni SP 30/04/19
Common Quail ssp coturnix -
Coturnix coturnix coturnix 2 singing Metochi Area 30/04/19
Great Spotted Cuckoo - Clamator glandarius Meladia Ford-Eressos 30/04/19
Dalmatian Pelican - Pelecanus crispus Kalloni SP 30/04/19
European Nightjar - Caprimulgus europaeus Filia 30/04/19
Spur-winged Lapwing - Vanellus spinosus Kalloni SP 01/05/19 also 2 Christou River 02/05/19 Faneromeni 1 06/05/19
Broad-billed Sandpiper - Calidris falcinellus Alykes Bridge 01/05/19
Red-footed Falcon - Falco vespertinus 2 Lotzaria 01/05/19
Coal Tit - Periparus ater singing Polichnitos 02/05/19
Icterine Warbler - Hippolais icterina Meladia Valley fig grove 02/05/19
Tawny Pipit - Anthus campestris Meladia Valley ford 02/05/19
Sardinian Warbler - Sylvia melanocephala 3 Mandamados 03/05/19 -
( reporter has 7 other sightings various locations)
Lesser Grey Shrike - Lanius minor 1 Kalloni Village/Vergias River 03/05/19
Olive-tree Warbler - Hippolais olivetorum Platania 03/05/19
Eastern Rufous-tailed Scrub Robin -
Cercotrichas galactotes syriaca Alykes 05/05/19
European Roller - Coracias garrulus Persama Reservoir 08/05/19
Caspian Gull - Larus cachinnans cy2 Tsknias River 10/05/19

Other News

W/E 18/05/19

Rosy starlings (Pastor roseus)
First came in at Faneromeni on 13/05/19
By the time Mark and I got to Faneromeni on 14 May, there were approximately 200 , flying in parties , back and forth between Mullberry bushes in the fields parallel to the beach.
Red Breasted Flycatcher. 14/05/19
Mark and I were lucky enough to discover 2 at Meladia Chapel .
Looked for again by others on 15/05 and they appeared to have moved on.
Long eared Owls , Skala Kalloni 15/05/19
Someone found a pair openly roosting in pine trees near to the Imirti Hotel.
One appeared to have been blinded in one eye.
Obviously this generated some considerable interest from birders and photographers.
Krupers Nuthatch (Sitta krueperi)
The Kruper's Nuthatch nesting site at Achladei, was finally discovered by someone last week, south of its traditional site, by the forest path stream.
A pair were also found along the track towards the Vouvaris River ford.


Reports from Eleni's Lesvos Bird News

18/05/19 Ipsilou
Griffon vultures 2

19/05/19 Ipsilou
Golden eagle juvenile Aquila chrysaetos

Reports from Lesvos Birders

19/04/19 Kalloni Pool
Great bittern 2
Purple heron 4
Great egret 2
Water rail

22/04/19 Makara
Great spotted cuckoo

23/04/19 Kalloni Bay
Slavonian grebe
Black necked grebe 2

29/04/19 Kalloni Salt Pans main channel
Dunlin
Broad billed sandpiper

03/05/19 Alykes wetland
Montagu's harrier cy2

05/05/19 Kalloni Salt Pans
Spur winged plover

05/05/19 near Napi
Hare - very scarce on Lesvos (2 reports this spring other at Meladia Valley)

06/05/19 Ipsilou
Golden oriole 6

06/05/19 Faneromeni
Spur winged plover 2

07/05/19 Faneromeni
Yelkouan Shearwater - Puffinus yelkouan 200 regular parties flying off shore
Scopoli's Shearwater - Calonectris diomedea small parties of 5-10 flying off shore

08/05/19 Faneromeni Ford (upper)
Citrine wagtail - male

08/05/19 Metochi
Ballion's Crake

08/05/19 Makara
Red footed falcon female

09/05/19 Faneromeni upper fields
Levant sparrowhawk

09/05/19 road near Ipsilou
Garden warbler
Icterine warbler


12/05/19 Metochi Lake
Lesser spotted eagle

12/05/19 Polichnitos
Citrine wagtail female

14/05/19 Alykes wetland
Cattle egret

14/05/19 Mesa
Spoonbill 2

15/05/19 Petra-Kalloni road
Honey buzzard

20/05/19 Alykes Wetland
3 collared pratincole

21/05/19 Alykes Race Track
2 displaying rufous bush robin

21/05/19 Faneromeni
c200 Rosey Starlings

23/04/19 Perasma Reservoir
Common cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) 2

07/05/19 Kalloni SP
Night heron 12

16/05/19 Agriosikos
Eleonora's falcon 12

17/05/19 Persama res
Roller

23/05/19 Platania
Lesser grey shrike - very few sightings this spring

23/05/19 Metochi Inland Lake - reminder that all the local vegetation was severely cut back this winter
Little crake - female

24/05/19 Kalloni Salt Pans[/B]
Dalmatian Pelicans 2 (photo Michael Smith)

Caspian or Steppe Gull Tsiknias River 08/05/19

Tsiknias River Mouth 08/05/19
A Caspian or Steppe Gull was seen here and photographed by ace
digi scoper, Craig Shaw.
The bird was also seen by several Dutch birders.
As far as I understand it the exact species/sub species remains unresolved.

Lesser Spotted Eagle - Aquila pomarina Metochi 12/05/19

Lesser Spotted Eagle - Aquila pomarina Metochi 12/05/19
Paul Barsby kindly gave permission for the record shot below.

Ballion's Crake Metochi Lake 08/05/19

Ballion's Crake Metochi Lake 08/05/19
Paul Barsby discovered the Ballion's at Metochi and has given his kind
permission for the photo below.
Unfortunately Mark and I were unable to find the following day.