Lesvos Bird Reports 2018 (1 Viewer)

20 April 2018 Alykes Wetland

20/04/18
More detailed reports by visiting birders on Lesvos Biders FB group:
Report 1
Alykes wetland
Collared pratincole 2
Med gull 6
Pallid harrier 2 (1cy male + 1cy female)
Red throated pipit 25
Golden plover 1
Garganey 10
Glossy Ibis 50
Whiskered Tern 1
Dalmatian pelican 7 (flyovers)
Short toed eagle 8
Tawny pipit 1
Short toed lark 1
great crested grebe 2
Stone curlew 2

Salt pans
temminck's stint 5
Spotted redshank 3

Tsiknias River
Black headed bunting 1
curlew 2

Report 2
Polichnitos Salt Pans:
Red-footed Falcon 7
Marsh Sandpiper 3
Ruff c20
Spotted Redshank
Greenshank 2
Kentish Plover
Little Stint

Achladeri:
Krupers Nuthatch (where the main track splits over the stream).
Short-toed Treecreeper 4
Alpine Swift 2
Black Stork 2

Salt Pans and back fields:
Black-headed Bunting
Red-footed Falcon 5
Black Stork 4
White Stork
Gull-billed Tern 28
Whiskered Tern 5
Little Tern c15
Middle-spotted Woodpecker

Potania River:
Night Heron

Kalloni Salt Pans
A late report that the Black-winged Pratincole was seen again in the morning, opposite the Alykes hide

21 April 2018 - Sat - Meladia Valley Levant

21/04/18
Reports by visiting birders:
Maladia Valley

Levant Sparrowhawk (m) North of the fig Orchard.
Pallid Harrier 2+
Short-toed Eagle 4
Long-legged Buzzard
Lesser Kestrel 2
Purple Heron 3+
Collard Flycatcher
Pied Flycatcher 2
Spotted Flycatcher
Alpine Swift 4
Golden Oriole
Red-backed Shrike c6
Hoopoe 2
Rock Nuthatch 2

Ipsilou:
Wood Warbler 6+
Golden Oriole
Cinereous Bunting 7
Pied Flycatcher
Spotted Flycatcher 2

Kavaki
Ruppell’s Warbler
Orphean warbler
Sub-alpine warbler
Blue rock thrush

Tsiknias River
at the mouth
grey plovers 3

23 April 2018 Kalloni Salt Pans

Sunday 22 April 2018
A brief report from me as we made our way to our accommodation
Via a short trip to the salt pans.
Back at the Jewel of the Aegean with thanks
to Tina for letting me come with our good friend Mark Cassidy, who thankfully was able to navigate the Kalloni Salt Pans and surrounds, on the ĺate afternoon of a beautifully sunny spring day, our first stop before heading for Anaxos,
Tsiknias River mouth 5 tern species
5 gull billed tern
2 sandwich tern
2 whiskered tern
2 common tern
1 little tern
2 great crested grebe in the bay

Alykes wetland
50 c red throated pipit on the wires
glossy ibis only one seen
30 c flock of bh wagtail

Salt pans channel by pump house
5 Marsh sand
1 spotted redshank
8 wood sandpiper
30 c ruff
2 mallard

Mini soccer
Scops owl 1, which we managed to locate for a nice Dutch couple.

Plus many egrets, ruddy shellduck, ringed plover and the usual suspects.

23 April 2018 More Harriers @ Kalloni S P

Some notable sightings from today Mon 23/04/18
Metochi
3 little crake 1 male 2 female
1golden oriole
3 Woodchat shrike
1 Red backed shrike
1 Masked shrike
2 Squacco heron
3 little bittern
1 great reed warbler

Christou River
8 greenshank
1 golden oriole

Achladeri
1 honey buzzard
2 Kruppers nuthatch - looks about to fledge
5 short toed tree creeper

Kalloni salt pans
1 pallid harrier female
1 Marsh harrier female
1 black winged tern
28 gull billed terns
1 Curlew sandpiper
2 Temmincks stint
30 ish yellow wagtails
30 ish red throated pipits
6 Squacco heron
Fields East of Salt Pans this evening
2 pallid harrier
Looked like 1 X 1cy and 1 female

Monday 23 April 2018
Summary of sightings by visiting birder, out West/ Sigri area:
23/04/18
Laddie Valley
Blue rock thrush
Rock sparrow
Crag Martin
Eastern bonellis warbler
Goshawk
Somber tit
Woodlark
Alpine swift
Pallid swift

Isabelline wheatear
Bee-eater

Ipsilou
Cinereous bunting
Chiff chaff
Northern wheatear
Woodlark
Blue rock thrush
Orphean warbler
Eleonoras falcon
Cretzschmar's bunting

Faneromeni - water level said to be low at the fords already
Pied flycatcher
Collared flycatcher
Spotted flycatcher
Tree pipit
Short toed eagle
Marsh harrier
Lesser kestrel

Melodically Valley
Cretzschmar's bunting
whinchat
Purple heron
Pallid harrier
Short toed eagle
Rock nuthatch
Blackcap
Pied flycatcher
Red backed shrike

24 April 2018 Monte,s Tawny Pipit

Highlights from our trip out West Today 24/04/18
Lardia Valley
Rock sparrow 2
Long legged buzzard with lizard
Blue rock thrush
Eastern Bonelli's warbler
Crag martin

Mount Ordimonas
Tawny pipit bathing in quarry pits
Common buzzard
Usual wheatear and bunting

Ipsilou
Golden oriole X 4
Montegus harrier X2
Sub alpine warbler
Chukka
Masked shrike
Usual buntings and wheatear

Faneromeni
Turtle dove 10
Collared flycatcher 1
Pied flycatcher 2
Spotted flycatcher 1
Alpine and common swifts
Sand martin
Rock dove
Shearwater sp
Lesser kestrel
Woodchat and rb shrike

sigri
Little owl
No herons sadly and whats happened to the giant fennel?

Passerine and raptors hard to find

24/04/18 Golden eagle reported
Reports from visiting birders included:
Tsiknias River am
8 Red footed Falcons
Alike Wetland
Citrine wagtail
Kalloni Raptor Watchpoint
Golden eagle

25 April 2018 Greek Army go wild

Wed 25/04/18
Mesa Wetland
From early this morning to mid afternoon the Greek Army conducted manoeuvres, parachuting National Servicemen onto Mesa Wetland at Skala Kalloni Salt Pans, from Chinuke type helicopters.
At least one pair of stone curlew were nesting where they were landing and
Migrating passérines were scattering this way and that.
We have been a bit limited by the above today as that's where we intended to go.
Kavaki
Ruppel's Warbler
Sub alpine warbler
Raven
Yeloukan shearwater
Bottle nosed dolphin x 2 - probable

Mesa Wetland
Gargany -x4

Alikudi Pool
Green shank
Marsh sandpiper
Breeding avocet,black winged stilts
Common migrant waders

Polinictou Salt Pans
Little stints 8
Wood sands
Marsh sands 2
Ruff 20
Plus avocets,BW stilts, common & little tern
Achladeri
Common buzzard
White wagtail
Red-backed shrike
Kentish plover

Kalloni Salt Pans - late afternoon
Collared pratincole 4
Stone curlew 2
Gull billed terns 20+
Marsh harrier
Black stork 2
Spoonbill
+ common waders

25April 2018 - Western Lesvos Report

Report from visiting birder We'd 25/04/18
Faneromeni
Collared flyc 5 (4 upper valley in olive groves)
Pied fly 6
Wood warbler
Sedge warbler 2
Willow warbler
Whinchat 2
Red-backed 10-15
Woodchat shrike 10
Masked shrike 5
Golden oriole 20 (8 beach area, 12+ orchards)
Turtle dove 25-30
Squacco heron 1
Little bittern 1
Tree pipit 4
Red-footed falcon 2
Hoopoo 2
Wood sandpiper 6
Red-rumped swallow 8
Lesser whitethroat
Whitethroat
Blackcap 3
Tawny pipit 2
Long-legged buzard
Sardinian warbler

Thurs 26 April 2018 West -Ortolans Bunting,Pallid Harrier

Mark and I headed for the Wild West today.
The birding was hard in the burning mid day sun, with temperatures touching 27c in the shade today. Although we found a steady flow of water and the stream was full of taddies, we couldn't find a single heron at Faneromeni Ford and only 2 wood sands at the lower ford.
Birds seen
Faneromeni
Collared fly 2
Pied fly 2
Whinchats
Red-backed 5
Woodchat shrike 3
Masked shrike
Golden oriole heard
Turtle dove 5

Sigri
Petrified forest museum
Lesser white throat
Common white throat
Jackdaw

Old Sanitorium
Lesser kestrel 3
Orphean warbler
Stonechat

Meladia Valley
Northern wheatear 3 female
Black eared wheatear - both races
Yellow wagtail - mixed flock blue/black headed
Little owl - 2
Cretzchmars bunting
Black headed bunting
Corn bunting

Meladia Chapel
Pied flycatcher
Wood warbler
Spanish Sparrow

Meladia Ford
Ortolans bunting - fem
Short toed eagle 2
Hen harrier juv
Peregrine
Collared flycatcher
Spotted flycatcher
Purple heron 2

Lardia Valley
Middle spotted woodpecker
Eastern bonellis warbler
Rock sparrow
Cirl bunting

Report from another birder
Semi collared flycatcher reported out West, verification requested on Lesvos Biers Facebook group.

27 April 2018 - Cattle Egret, 2 spur winged plover

27/04/18 Kalloni Salt Pans
Reports from other birders.
Alykes Wetland
A cattle egret was photographed following the sheep at Alykes this morning and 2 spur winged plovers were reported in the same area.
Despite spending all day in the area we couldn't find them ourselves, though one spur wing was reported again at 6 pm.
Our sightings.
New birds for us at the sheep fields were:
Lesser grey shrike 2 - Tsiknias River
Mallard 2
Great white egret
Eurasian curlew
Other birds at Kalloni SP
White wined tern 3
Gull billed tern 1
Common and little tern present in good numbers
Stone curlew 2 - on Salt Pans ditches
Collared pratincole 2
Red throated pipit and wagtail sp plentiful
Temmincks and little stint present in ones and twos
Ruff and wood sands in big counts
Little ringed plover x4
Curlew Sandpiper a single in channels
Purple heron fly bye
+all the regular breeding warblers,buntings,stilts,egrets and flamingos

Metochi/Inland Lake
Night heron 3 - roosting in northern end
Little bittern 1
Little crake 1 female

27/04/18
Report from visiting birder:
Ipsilou this morning.
Chiffchaffs.
Lots of Golden Oriels.
3 Red Footed Falcons.
Rock Nuthatch.
Cretzmars & Cinerious Buntings.
2 Woodlarks.
Faneromeni this afternoon.
2 Pied Fly.
1 Spotted Fly.
1 Eleonoras Falcon.
1 Black Headed Bunting.
3 Alpine Swifts.

28/04/18 Faneromeni

28/04/18 Report from visiting birder:
Faneromeni

1 dark Honey Buzzard
1 female Marsh Harrier
2 Eleonora’s Falcon
1 Male Lesser Kestrel
1 Night Heron
3 Purple Heron
4 Greenshank
5 Common Snipe
1 Great Snipe
21 Turtle Doves
13 Red-backed Shrike
1 Olive-Tree Warbler (singing, not seen)
1 River Warbler (singing, not seen)

Other birders reported the following on Lesvos bird news,Facebook Group:
Siri/Meladia Valley Highlights
Rufous-tailed bush robin see prev rep
E. Bonelli’s warbler briefly singing at chapel
Cuckoo 1 chapel, 1 upper valley
Collared fly 3 males of which one (sub)singing in platan trees in valley and one in dense pine next to track to Sigri, c. 500 m N of chapel
Pied fly 10s
Redstart
Wood warbler
Hen harrier 1 ringtail
Purple heron 3
Golden oriole 5
Squacco heron
Rock nuthatch 3
Mallard
Red-footed falcon female
Peregrine
Marsh harrier male
Red-backed shrike 10s
Rufous bush robin
Barred warbler

Other highlights from 28/04 as reported by visiting birders
Kalloni Salt Pans
Cattle egret - seen again am
Collared pratincole 2
Tawny pipit 3
Whimbrel - rare for Lesvos
Slender billed gull 6
Red footed falcon
Pallid harrier
Turnstone 3
Marsh sandpiper
Curlew sandpiper
White winged terns
Gull billed terns

Parakila
Olive tree warbler 3

Raptor Watchpoint (Kalloni)
Booted eagle 2

Achladeri/Polinichtou T junction
Roller

Tsiknias River
Spotted crake

Vatera
Sardinian warbler 5

28 April 2018 - Sat
A long day for Mark and I as we chased birds without much success, on yet another day
When the temperature peaked at 30c on the car thermometer. While I understand that there's a chance
of rain on Monday, the general outlook is for the hot weather to continue.

Kavaki
We watched four loud photographers chase Rupells warblers up and down the hill
for an hour, big lenses, no bins. Distant views only for us.
Also seen here:
A turtle dove ,gently churred on a wire while a cirl bunting reeled near bye.
A subby and blue rock thrush briefly appeared, while in the bay at least a hundred
Med shearwaters mingled with yellow legged gulls.
Petra Reservoir
2 auduin's gulls were a new tick for us here , while a common kestrel hovered on the
hillside as Ravens did a sky dance.

Chasing the roller on the T junction above Achladeri drew a blank, a large encampment
of scouts here, would of probably put pay to any thoughts of it sticking around.


Vatera
Searching for Sardinian warblers, led only to fleeting glimpses of 2 males.



So onwards to
Polinichtou Salt Pans for a cooling Frappe.
A disappointing visit here too.The standing water, present a few days ago holding good numbers
of waders had dried up, along with the birds.Only flamingo,stilts and avocet for company here.

Alikudi Pool
More fruitful here.
Hundreds of common waders here, including avocet, stilts, wood sands, ruff, Kentish plover
and a single greenshank.
2 bee-eaters were new for this trip, while 2 short-toed Eagles hunted along the meadows
surrounding the Gulf of Kalloni.

29 April 2018 - common starling Alykes

29/04/18 Sunday
Another baking hot day.
Tsiknias river still a disappointment for us and few bee-eaters seen
Mark and Is sightings:
Metochi Inland lake
Little crake- female
Little bittern

Alykes Wetland/Kalloni Salt Pans
Common starling
Marsh sandpiper 18
Gargany - single female
White winged tern 3
Whiskered term
Temmincks stint 4
Still holding large numbers of:
Ruff
Wood sandpiper
Little stint
Red throated pipit
Yellow wagtail
Flamingo
Avocet
Black winged stilt
Little egret
Small numbers of
Little ringed plover
Black stork occasional flyovers

Kremasti Valley
Common buzzard
Masked shrike 3
Wood chat shrike
Red backed shrike
Long tailed tit.

Other reports.
Achladeri
Krupppers nuthatch fledged yesterday - 4 chicks
Wryneck seen

Faneromeni
Great snipe apparently flushed by someone driving the river

Tsiknias River mouth
Little gull

30 April 2018 - Faneromeni- Sigri Bee-eaters in

30/04/18
A day when the wind changed direction, bringing a cold Northerly wind which kept the temperature down to a bearable 24C.No sign of rain though.
At Faneromeni dozens of bee-eater dropped in, feeding, bathing and preening in small parties, between the fords at Faneromeni and Meladia.
Some highlights from our sightings:
Anaxos
Eleanoras falcon

Lardia Vallley area
Short toed eagle 3
Eastern bonellis warbler
Sub alpine warbler
Blue rock thrush

Faneromeni
Pied flycatcher 3
Collared flycatcher
Golden oriole 2
Great snipe - well hidden lower ford
Jackdaws 30+
Red-backed and woodchat shrikes present in good numbers
Note - barred warbler photographed here am, not seen by us

Meladia chapel
Lesser white throat
Spotted flycatcher
Collared flycatcher - displaying male and female

Meladia Fig Grove
Collared flycatcher - 4
Pied flycatcher - 2
Spotted flycatcher- 8
Wood warbler 4

Meladia Ford
Friends informed us of 2 male cuckoo here in the morning, which they
Photographed.Icterine warbler also reported here plus 2 lesser grey shrikes, a rufous bush robin and a wryneck.Sadly we failed to connect .Our drive through to Eressos was univentful.

All the usual buntings,chats,wheatears,larks and shrikes present, though no lesser greys for us.

Other sightings yesterday.
Kalloni Village bridge
Great bittern - we couldn't find it

Kalloni Salt Pans
Dalmatian pelican 6
Whiskered tern 41
White winged tern 14
Slender billed gull 5
Cattle egret - a single and flock of 31 reported ?
Rufous bush chat

Mesa Wetland
Gargany 4
Common snipe 1


Olive tree warbler - reported to be on several territories

1 May 2018 - Little gull - Kalloni pans

1 May 2018
Stipsi Rock
On a day when the car thermometer touched 33c, we spent a couple of hours old school bird watching here .
Both peregrine and raven nesting here , on ledges , several hundred feet up on the South facing slope. The peregrine adults were feeding, at least 2 fairly advanced young, which looked about to fledge.
Surprisingly given the predatory nature of the falcons on the rock face, it also hosted a large number of crag martin.
A male blue rock thrush briefly entertained us ,as a pair of eastern bonellis displayed either side of the road.
One of the adult perrigrines buzzed a short toed eagle, mobbing it North while a sparrowhawk zipped past down the valley.Two more short toed appeared later , briefly doing a meweling sky dance.
A scopes owl called, echoing down from it's hiding place among the rocky landscape.
Scarce swallow tails fluttered by along the grass verge as Mark fired up the gas stove for another refreshing brew.
As lunch became a memory we packed up to head for Platania , just as 2 long legged buzzards drifted overhead.

Platania / Napi Valley Track
As Mark commented, the track would be difficult to navigate without an off road vehicle. We spent a couple of hours here
at one of the original olive tree warbler sites and weren't disapointed with satisfying views of three displaying males. A couple of masked shrike were also showing their frisky side as we viewed the woodland from the shade of an oak. The only other species of note here, were 2 more short toed Eagles and the eastern race of swallow tail butterfly.
On to the salt pans.

Kalloni Salt Pans.
A brief stop here before heading back.
Mark quickly scoped a little gull from the main road hide, one of which we later found out had been seen at the river mouth that morning. Other than that more of the same, save for excellent views of Marsh sandpiper (still good numbers to be seen on the pans and remaining wetland) and a single greenshank, to finish off a superb days birdwatching.

Photos : Little gull, masked shrike , olive tree warbler.

Olive Tree Warbler 01/05/18

Location is the Platania track.
Formally known as the Napi Valley track, it runs parallel
to the main road to Napi.
See image, record shot.

1 May 2018
Other sightings reported from various sources on the May Day public holiday.
Metochi Inland Lake
Little crake 4
Little bittern 4

Tsiknias River
Sand boa (snake)
Rufous bush robin 2
Spotted crake

Alykes Wetland
Great snipe
Citrine wagtail - female
Osprey
Collared pratincole 5
Red footed falcon 2
Oystercatcher

Kalloni Salt Pans
Dalmatian pelican
White winged tern 8
Dunlin

Mesa Wetland
Garganey 4
Little gull
Ottoman viper 2 - photographed displaying

Faneromeni
Great snipe
Collared, pied and spotted flycatchers
Bee-eaters
Blackcap

Meladia Valley
Great spotted cuckoo

02 May 2018 Oriental honey buzzard

Photographed by Stillionas Zannetos ,who found a mega for Europe, an Oriental (Crested) Honey-buzzard at Alifanta (near Mililani) this morning.
Image by his kind permission.
I guess that the jury is out.