Our Sightings 21/04/19 - 17/05/19
Here's mine and Mark Cassidy's tick list for the duration of our stay on Lesvos: 21/04 - 17/05/19: 21/04 - 17/05/19
When 2019 Lesvos Bird Check List. Where
21/04/19 Ferruginous Duck - Aythya nyroca Gulf of Kalloni
21/04/19 Glossy Ibis - Plegadis falcinellus Alykes Wetland
21/04/19 Greater Flamingo - Phoenicopterus roseus Kalloni Salt Pans
21/04/19 Marsh Sandpiper - Tringa stagnatilis Kalloni Salt Pans
21/04/19 Pied Avocet - Recurvirostra avosetta Kalloni Salt Pans
21/04/19 Ruddy Shelduck - Tadorna ferruginea Alykes Wetland
21/04/19 Ruff - Calidris pugnax Kalloni Salt Pans
21/04/19 Yellow-legged Gull - Larus michahellis Tsiknias River
22/04/19 Barn Swallow - Hirundo rustica Anaxos
22/04/19 Black-necked Grebe - Podiceps nigricollis Gulf of Kalloni
22/04/19 Black-tailed Godwit - Limosa limosa Kalloni Salt Pans
22/04/19 Black-winged Stilt - Himantopus himantopus Kalloni Salt Pans
22/04/19 Cetti's Warbler - Cettia cetti Tsiknias River
22/04/19 Common Buzzard - Buteo buteo Achladeri
22/04/19 Common Chaffinch - Fringilla coelebs Achladeri
22/04/19 Common Cuckoo - Cuculus canorus Kalloni Raptor WP
22/04/19 Common House Martin - Delichon urbicum Anaxos
22/04/19 Common Kestrel - Falco tinnunculus Kalloni Salt Pans
22/04/19 Common Kingfisher - Alcedo atthis Tsiknias River
22/04/19 Common Moorhen - Gallinula chloropus Metochi
22/04/19 Common Nightingale - Luscinia megarhynchos Tsiknias River
22/04/19 Common Tern - Sterna hirundo Tsiknias River
22/04/19 Common Whitethroat - Sylvia communis Lotzaria
22/04/19 Corn Bunting - Emberiza calandra Lotzaria
22/04/19 Crested Lark - Galerida cristata Kalloni Salt Pans
22/04/19 Curlew Sandpiper - Calidris ferruginea Kalloni Salt Pans
22/04/19 Eastern Olivaceous Warbler - Iduna pallida Tsiknias River
22/04/19 Eurasian Collared Dove - Streptopelia decaocto Anaxos
22/04/19 Eurasian Coot - Fulica atra Metochi
22/04/19 Eurasian Jay - Garrulus glandarius Metochi
22/04/19 Eurasian Reed Warbler - Acrocephalus scirpaceus Metochi
22/04/19 Garganey - Spatula querquedula Gulf of Kalloni
22/04/19 Great Cormorant - Phalacrocorax carbo Tsiknias River
22/04/19 Great Egret - Ardea alba Kalloni Pool
22/04/19 Greater Short-toed Lark - Calandrella brachydactyla Lotzaria
22/04/19 Hooded Crow - Corvus cornix Anaxos
22/04/19 House Sparrow - Passer domesticus Anaxos
22/04/19 Krüper's Nuthatch - Sitta krueperi Achladeri
22/04/19 Little Bittern - Ixobrychus minutus Metochi
22/04/19 Little Crake - Porzana parva Metochi
22/04/19 Little Egret - Egretta garzetta Alykes Wetland
22/04/19 Little Grebe - Tachybaptus ruficollis Metochi
22/04/19 Little Stint - Calidris minuta Tsiknias River
22/04/19 Mallard - Anas platyrhynchos Kalloni Pool
22/04/19 Mediterranean Gull - Ichthyaetus melanocephalus Tsiknias River
22/04/19 Pallid Swift - Apus pallidus Metochi
22/04/19 Red-rumped Swallow - Cecropis daurica Anaxos
22/04/19 Sand Martin - Riparia riparia Tsiknias River
22/04/19 Sandwich Tern - Thalasseus sandvicensis Tsiknias River
22/04/19 Sedge Warbler - Acrocephalus schoenobaenus Metochi
22/04/19 Spotted Redshank - Tringa erythropus Kalloni Salt Pans
22/04/19 Squacco Heron - Ardeola ralloides Kalloni Salt Pans
22/04/19 Western Jackdaw - Coloeus monedula Anaxos
22/04/19 Western Osprey - Pandion haliaetus Christou River
22/04/19 Western Yellow Wagtail - Motacilla flava Kalloni Salt Pans
22/04/19 Whiskered Tern - Chlidonias hybrida Kalloni Salt Pans
22/04/19 White-winged Tern - Chlidonias leucopterus Alykes Wetland
22/04/19 Wood Sandpiper - Tringa glareola Kalloni Salt Pans
22/04/19 Woodchat Shrike - Lanius senator Metochi
23/04/19 Cretzschmar's Bunting - Emberiza caesia Sigri
23/04/19 European Turtle Dove - Streptopelia turtur Faneromeni
23/04/19 Isabelline Wheatear - Oenanthe isabellina Ipsilou
23/04/19 Masked Shrike - Lanius nubicus Faneromeni
23/04/19 Middle Spotted Woodpecker - Dendrocoptes medius Antissa
23/04/19 Spotted Flycatcher - Muscicapa striata Faneromeni
23/04/19 Subalpine Warbler - Sylvia cantillans Ipsilou
24/04/19 Alpine Swift - Tachymarptis melba Tsiknias River
24/04/19 Collared Pratincole - Glareola pratincola Tsiknias River
24/04/19 Common Swift - Apus apus Tsiknias River
24/04/19 Great Crested Grebe - Podiceps cristatus Kalloni Bay
24/04/19 Red-throated Pipit - Anthus cervinus Lotzaria
25/04/19 Black Kite - Milvus migrans Ipsilou
25/04/19 Black-eared Wheatear - Oenanthe hispanica Meladia Valley
25/04/19 Blue Rock Thrush - Monticola solitarius Ipsilou
25/04/19 Cinereous Bunting - Emberiza cineracea Ipsilou
25/04/19 Cirl Bunting - Emberiza cirlus Ipsilou
25/04/19 Collared Flycatcher - Ficedula albicollis Faneromeni
25/04/19 Common Linnet - Linaria cannabina Meladia Valley
25/04/19 Common Redstart - Phoenicurus phoenicurus Meladia Valley
25/04/19 Common Sandpiper - Actitis hypoleucos Meladia Valley
25/04/19 Eastern Bonelli's Warbler - Phylloscopus orientalis Lardia Valley
25/04/19 Eastern Orphean Warbler - Sylvia crassirostris Meladia Valley
25/04/19 Eurasian Crag Martin - Ptyonoprogne rupestris Lardia Valley
25/04/19 Eurasian Golden Oriole - Oriolus oriolus Faneromeni
25/04/19 European Pied Flycatcher - Ficedula hypoleuca Faneromeni
25/04/19 European Stonechat - Saxicola rubicola Meladia Valley
25/04/19 Great Spotted Cuckoo - Clamator glandarius Meladia Valley
25/04/19 Lesser Grey Shrike - Lanius minor Meladia Valley
25/04/19 Lesser Kestrel - Falco naumanni Sigri
25/04/19 Lesser Whitethroat - Sylvia curruca Faneromeni
25/04/19 Long-legged Buzzard - Buteo rufinus Faneromeni
25/04/19 Northern Raven - Corvus corax Ipsilou
25/04/19 Northern Wheatear - Oenanthe oenanthe Ipsilou
25/04/19 Red-breasted Flycatcher - Ficedula parva Meladia Valley
25/04/19 Rock Sparrow - Petronia petronia Ipsilou
25/04/19 Short-toed Snake Eagle - Circaetus gallicus Sigri
25/04/19 Sombre Tit - Poecile lugubris Meladia Valley
25/04/19 Spanish Sparrow - Passer hispaniolensis Meladia Valley
25/04/19 Western Marsh Harrier - Circus aeruginosus Faneromeni
25/04/19 Wood Warbler - Phylloscopus sibilatrix Faneromeni
25/04/19 Woodlark - Lullula arborea Meladia Valley
26/04/19 Common Blackbird - Turdus merula Kavaki
26/04/19 Eurasian Blue Tit - Cyanistes caeruleus Kavaki
26/04/19 Eurasian Stone-curlew - Burhinus oedicnemus Kalloni Salt Pans
26/04/19 European Bee-eater - Merops apiaster Kalloni Salt Pans
26/04/19 European Nightjar - Caprimulgus europaeus Anaxos
26/04/19 Great Tit - Parus major Kremasti
26/04/19 Peregrine Falcon - Falco peregrinus Kavaki
26/04/19 Rüppell's Warbler - Sylvia ruppeli Kavaki
26/04/19 Temminck's Stint - Calidris temminckii Kalloni Salt Pans
26/04/19 White Stork - Ciconia ciconia Agia Peraskevi
27/04/19 Black Stork - Ciconia nigra Kalloni Salt Pans
27/04/19 Black-headed Bunting - Emberiza melanocephala Meladia Valley
27/04/19 Citrine Wagtail - Motacilla citreola Alkoudi Pool
27/04/19 Common Ringed Plover - Charadrius hiaticula Mesa
27/04/19 Common Shelduck - Tadorna tadorna Mesa
27/04/19 Eurasian Hoopoe - Upupa epops Kalloni Salt Pans
27/04/19 Eurasian Spoonbill - Platalea leucorodia Kalloni Salt Pans
27/04/19 European Goldfinch - Carduelis carduelis Achladeri
27/04/19 European Greenfinch - Chloris chloris Achladeri
27/04/19 Grey Heron - Ardea cinerea Kalloni Salt Pans
27/04/19 Kentish Plover - Charadrius alexandrinus Alkoudi Pool
27/04/19 Little Ringed Plover - Charadrius dubius Kalloni Salt Pans
27/04/19 Little Tern - Sternula albifrons Tsiknias River
27/04/19 Montagu's Harrier - Circus pygargus Alykes Wetland
27/04/19 Purple Heron - Ardea purpurea Kalloni Pool
27/04/19 Short-toed Treecreeper - Certhia brachydactyla Achladeri
27/04/19 White Wagtail - Motacilla alba Polichnitos Salt Pans
28/04/19 Common Chiffchaff - Phylloscopus collybita Ipsilou
28/04/19 Eurasian Blackcap - Sylvia atricapilla Meladia Valley
28/04/19 European Honey Buzzard - Pernis apivorus Ipsilou
28/04/19 Great Reed Warbler - Acrocephalus arundinaceusMeladia Valley
28/04/19 Red-backed Shrike - Lanius collurio Sigri
28/04/19 Western Rock Nuthatch - Sitta neumayer Meladia Valley
29/04/19 Night Heron - Nycticorax nycticorax Potamia Old Res
29/04/19 Broad-billed Sandpiper - Calidris falcinellus Kalloni Salt Pans
29/04/19 Eurasian Bittern - Botaurus stellaris Kalloni Pool
29/04/19 Eurasian Hobby - Falco subbuteo Kalloni Salt Pans
29/04/19 Gull-billed Tern - Gelochelidon nilotica Kalloni Salt Pans
29/04/19 Little Owl - Athene noctua Lotzaria
29/04/19 Long-tailed Tit - Aegithalos caudatus Achladeri
30/04/19 Black-headed Gull - Chroicocephalus ridibundus Tsiknias River
30/04/19 Eurasian Sparrowhawk - Accipiter nisus Agriosikos
30/04/19 Northern Goshawk - Accipiter gentilis Aghios Taxiarchis
01/05/19 Audouin's Gull - Ichthyaetus audouinii Petra Reservoir
02/05/19 Common Greenshank - Tringa nebularia Mesa
02/05/19 Eurasian Scops Owl - Otus scops Soumouria
02/05/19 European Serin - Serinus serinus Achladeri
03/05/19 Icterine Warbler - Hippolais icterina Faneromeni
03/05/19 Mistle Thrush - Turdus viscivorus Vatoussa
03/05/19 Rock Dove - Columba livia Meladia Valley
03/05/19 Spur-winged Lapwing - Vanellus spinosus Faneromeni
03/05/19 Willow Warbler - Phylloscopus trochilus Meladia Valley
04/05/19 Common Wood Pigeon - Columba palumbus Pelopi
04/05/19 Olive-tree Warbler - Hippolais olivetorum Platania
05/05/19 Western Barn Owl - Tyto alba Anaxos
07/05/19 Eleonora's Falcon - Falco eleonorae Faneromeni
07/05/19 European Roller - Coracias garrulus Faneromeni
07/05/19 Rufous-tailed Scrub Robin - Cercotrichas galactotes Faneromeni
07/05/19 Scopoli's Shearwater - Calonectris diomedea Faneromeni
07/05/19 Yelkouan Shearwater - Puffinus yelkouan Faneromeni
08/05/19 Sardinian Warbler - Sylvia melanocephala Kavaki
09/05/19 Eurasian Wren - Troglodytes troglodytes Agriosikos
09/05/19 European Robin - Erithacus rubecula Agriosikos
10/05/19 Grey Wagtail - Motacilla cinerea Megali Limni
12/05/19 Garden Warbler - Sylvia borin Sigri
13/05/19 Eurasian Nuthatch - Sitta europaea Aghios Taxiarchis
13/05/19 European Shag - Phalacrocorax aristotelis Kavaki
13/05/19 Steppe buzzard Buteo buteo vulpinus Aghios Taxiarchis
14/05/19 Rosy Starling - Pastor roseus Faneromeni
15/05/19 Grey Plover - Pluvialis squatarola Lotzaria
15/05/19 Long-eared Owl - Asio otus Papania
172 Species in total
Despite our efforts to chase certain species.we still dipped on a number of well seen birds, including :
Turnstone
Dunlin
Slender billed gull
Caspian gull
Cattle egret
Pallid harrier
Black tern
Sanderling
Bar tailed godwit
Levant sparrowhawk
The big raptors also managed to avoid us, including:
Golden eagle
Griffon vulture
Lesser spotted eagle
A brief report on the prevailing conditions during April and May:
Earlier this year some clearing work was done by the Municipal Council
cutting back the vegetation along rivers, streams and small lakes, including both the Tsiknias River and Metochi Lake.
Temperatures remained for the most part, in the low 20c's, feeling much cooler at times in the persistant bitingly cold wind.
The rivers and streams of Lesvos were also badly affected by winter storms washing away much of the surrounding vegetation and possibly clearing the river beds of much of the insect life and tadpoles, though the latter started to reappear in during our last week of the holiday.
Mid April saw continued heavy rain, with some fords and tracks becoming temporarily impassible , including the Tsiknias and Meladia Fords. The former being covered with silt, well into May , deterring many birders from attempting to cross. The fords at Faneromeni were running well throughout our visit, however the sight of any birds at all here on our 6 visits, was very rare in deed. No little biitterns, night herons and very few fly catchers.
While the vista at Metochi was a bit of shock at first, both Mark and I felt that in the long term the lake habitat will benefit from the clear up.
Hopefully in future, local conservationists, will be invited to contribute their thoughts . before such work is undertaken.
Birding was harder with the weather playing a big part due to the strong , cold Northerly wind that persisted through April and early May.
Who'd have thought with all that water on the ground at Alykes (opposite the Salt Works Gate), there'd actually be so few birds there. A small flock of glossy ibis foraged there , but even these disappeared into May.
There were some concerns about a "No Entry" sign placed at the entrance to "the Sheep Fields", to deter photographers driving up to the huge flooded area, a virtual lake, where many migrating birds had become resident. This confused some birders, many of whom were deterred from walking the tracks.
Unusually, compared to other years this area was being grazed, not only by horses and donkeys, but a small herd of cattle, including a couple of large bulls.
Butterflies and dragonflies were scarce in April and early May, though a friend arriving on 4th May for 3 weeks, managed getting on for 40 species of butterfly, including many less common species.
I have the same worries for Lesvos habitat's as I do for many places in the UK, where "fly tipping" , is rife. Plastic and nylon bags full of garbage, sheep shearing remnants, frappé cups, household items and building rubble dumped in rivers and streams.
Mark and I were left scratching our heads,when, as May progressed, we saw teams of Lesvos workmen, strimming the vegetation from the roadsides.to what purpose ? Surely the grass and weeds will die off anyway as summer weather progresses.
Greece, the UK and the rest of Europe needs to quickly get to grips with the disposable single use plastics culture.
The tourist season gets later and later on Lesvos, with many Taverna's and shops remaining shut , even after the first Thomas Cook flights arrived on 4 May. TUI however , were flying tourists from Holland around 20 April. Early indications are that TC's will fly in 2020 from Gatwick on 9 May and Manchester 2 May.
Ferruginous Duck (Aythya nyroca) Alykes Gulf of Kalloni 210419.JPG
Godwit Black-tailed Godwit (Limosa limosa) Kalloni Salt Pans 210419.JPG
Osprey Pandion haliaetus Cristou River 220419.JPG
Gull Mediterranean Gull - Ichthyaetus melanocephalus Tsiknias River 220419.JPG
Gull Tsiknias River Mouth 240419.JPG
