Lesvos Bird News 2019/2020 (3 Viewers)

[Mick Sway]

7th September 2019

The two (separate) UK birders on the island continue to report :

7th September - Makara.
Greenshank 2
Dunlin 2
L. R. Plovers 3
these were the only waders at the river mouth

Apothika/Makara Pool
Green Sandpiper
Common Snipe

2nd report
Lotzaria field tracks early

Wheatears (black eared and northern) small flocks
Yellow wagtails
Willow warblers
Short toed eagle
Montagus harrier juv and adult female,
Marsh harrier,
Common kestrel
Lesser kestrel 2 *
Bee eaters 60
Roller maybe juv
Shrikes - all species

8 Re lesser kestrel - not too many sightings at this site, confusion is easy

 

[Mick Sway]

8th September 2019 - Honey Buzzards

8th September 2019
Local expert Stylianos Zannetos , reported on Lesvos Bird News at:
Megali Limni
Honey buzzards 5 kettling

Another observer reports on Observado, at:
Agiasos
European bee-eaters 20

Another new observer reports on Lesvos Bird News:
A lot of small passerine migration:
Skala Kalloni-Lotzaria-Kalloni Salt Pans:
Willow Warbler
Winchat
Northern Wheatear
Cetti‘s
Yellow Wagtai
Tree pipit
Red-throated Pipit
European Bee-eater 80
Roller
Marsh-harrier
Montagu‘s Harrier.
Salt Pans
Dalmatian Pelican
Black Stork
Flamingos
Greenshank
Redshank
Little Ringed plover
Ringed Plover
Little Stint
Avocet
Ruddy Shellduck.

The same birder reports pm:
Christou River
Stone Curlew 8 - opposite the entrance to Aegean Hotel Scala Kalloni
Black Stork 5

Metochi Lake,
many Red-backed Shrike
Short-toed Eagle 2
Sparrowhawk 2
Black-eared Wheatear 1
Bee-eater 40
Whinchat
and many Willow Warbler

Further report from a different observer :
Ipsilou Monastery
Black eared Wheatear
Cirl Bunting
Sombre Tit
Short toed Eagle
Lesser Whitethroat
Redstart
Spotted Flycatcher
Chukar
Raven

 

[Mick Sway]

September 2019

A visiting biders has posted a late brief report on Facebook, as follows:
4 September 2019
Metochi Lake
Black Stork 50
Little Egret 12
Great White Heron 2
Spoonbill 4
Glossy Ibis.

Kalloni Saltpants:
Montagu´s Harrier 3 (1ad. female and 2 juv)
Pallid Harrier1 juv.
Many young shrikes arround the Island (all 4 species).

Polichnitos Saltpans
Marsh sandpiper 4

Christou river
Stone Curlew 21

7th September 2019
Kalloni Salt Pans
Dalmatian Pelican 19

 

[Mick Sway]

9th September 2019 Coal tits, wood pigeon

9th September 2019
A visiting birder reports :
Metochi Lake
Little Grebe
Greenshank 3
Common Sandpiper
Little ringed Plovers
Woodchat Shrike
Black Stork
Marsh Harrier.

Achladeri Forest *
Coal Tits 2
Mistle Thrush 2
Wood pigeon
* the three species seen here are scarce birds on Lesvos

 

[Mick Sway]

10th September 2019 - Ortolan bunting

Two different birders, reported from 2 locations yesterday.
10th September 2019
Ipsilou Monastery.
Black-eared Wheatear many
Cirl Bunting
Eastern Rock Nuthatch
Willow Warbler
Sombre Tit
Middle Spotted Woodpecker
Lesser and Common Whitethroat
Raven

2nd Report
Lotzaria (Tsiknias River track to Salt Pans)
yellow wagtails
Wheatears
Whinchats
Red backed shrikes
Woodchat shrikes
Tree pipit
Red throated pipit 2
Ortolan bunting
Roller
Buzzard
Long Legged Buzzard
Short toed Eagle
Spotted flycatcher
Willow warbler

A third birder , reporting on Lesvos Birders, observed at :
Kalloni Salt Pans main Channel
A single glossy ibis

 

[Mick Sway]

10th September 2019 - Terek Sandpiper

10 Sept and Still Present 11 September 2019
Kalloni Salt Pans main channel
After viewing his photos from yesterday, a UK birder, discovered what he thought was a redshank is actually a Terek Sandpiper.
A rare sighting for Lesvos.
The bird was relocated in the same area by another birder this morning 11/09 and at 19:00.

Other sightings
Christou River
Common Kingfisher
Montegu's Harrier
Stone Curlew 12

Lotzaria
Roller

 

[Mick Sway]

12 September 2019 am
Kalloni Salt Pans
Terek's reported as still present at the same location.

A visiting birder reports on Lesvos Birders Facebook Group:
12 September 2019
Korakas headland (north Lesvos)
Middle spotted woodpecke
Willow warblers
Blue tit
Great tit
Blackbird
Spotted Flycatcher
Mediterranean Flycatchers
Bee eaters overhead fly bye
Short toed Eagle

Sikaminia watch point
Honey Buzzard
Raven
Short toed Eagles 2

Petra/ Perasma reservoir

Gulls (Large numbers of - possibly yellow legged )?
coots
Grey Heron
Mallard 15
Ruddy Shelduck 4
Black Stork

Kalloni Salt Pans
Terek Sandpiper
Spotted Redshank
Little and Temmincks Stints
Curlew Sandpiper
Little Ringed plover
Ringed Plovers
Common
Wood Sandpiper
Greater Flamingos
Black headed Gulls
Avocets.

Other sightings reported:
Charamida - Bee eaters approx 6

 

[Mick Sway]

13 September 2019 - Terek's still present

13 September 2019
Kalloni Salt Pans
Terek's Sandpiper (s)
As of this afternoon , confirmed as two, possibly juvenile and adult.
Local widl ife expert , Stylianos Zannetos‎, photographed this rare Lesvos visitor this morning (13/09).
The image below is reproduced with his kind permission.

 

[Mick Sway]

13th September 2013 - Other sightings

13 September 2019
Visiting birders report:
Potamia Valley Reservoir
Ruddy shelduck
Blue rock thrush
Peregrine falcon
Short toed eagle

Skala Kalloni
Alpine swift 4

From observado:
Skalochori
Eleonora's falcon

Tsknias River (mouth)/ Lotzaria
Sender billed gulls
Sandwich Terns 4
Bee eaters maybe 40+ birds
Roller

Eressos
Bee-eater 200
Short-thoad Eagle 6
Isabeline Wheatear 1*

* non breeding Northern wheatear may cause confusion

Kalloni Salt Pans
Dalmatian Pelican 16
Spoonbills - several (no number stated)
Black Storks 100
Purple Herons 3 + many grey Heron

 

[Mick Sway]

Some interesting sightings just appeared on Observado:
A couple of interesting sightings appeared this morning on Observado:
12/09/19
near Antissa
Golden Eagle - Aquila chrysaetos

13/09/19
Skalochori
Cretzschmar's Bunting - Emberiza caesia
This would be a late stayer.

08/09/19
Agiasos area
GPS 39.055, 26.399
Hawfinch

 

[Mick Sway]

14th September 2019

14 September 2019
Kalloni Salt Pans
Terek sandpiper (still present am)

A Little gull was reported in the same area this morning, however it is disputed as being a little tern.
Just found this link

Change over day today for UK visitors.

Sightings that I have queried from Observado
Kalloni Salt Pans
13/09/19
Broad-billed Sandpiper - Calidris falcinellus 4 - probably dunlin
12/09/19
Lesser Yellowlegs - Tringa flavipes 2 - possibly common redshank
Semipalmated Sandpiper - Calidris pusilla 4 - probably little stint

 

[Mick Sway]

15 September 2019 Red footed falcon

15 September 2019
Lotzaria & Skala Kalloni Salt Pans
Visiting birders report that :
Terek's sandpiper x 2 still present
Little gull still present
Lotzaria
Red footed falcon

 

[Mick Sway]

15 September 2019 - Osprey

Some interesting sightings recorded on Observado yesterday
15/09/19
Kalloni Salt Pans pumping station/Alykes wetland
Tawny Pipit - Anthus campestris 2
Western Yellow Wagtail - Motacilla flava 51
Kalloni Salt Pans
Stone curlew Burhinus oedicnemus 16 -
(viewed from Mitilini Rd GPS 39.222, 26.257)
Black-headed Gull - Chroicocephalus ridibundus 101
Vouvaris river mouth
Western Osprey - Pandion haliaetus 1
Common Kingfisher - Alcedo atthis 2

 

[Mick Sway]

Little Gull , Kalloni Salt Pans 15/09/2019

Visiting Birders Frank and Sheila Wood have kindly granted permission to use
their images from Kalloni Salt Pans Yesterday 15/09/2019.

Red backed shrike juv Lanius collurio, Lotzaria
Terek sandpiper (Xenus cinereus) Kalloni Salt Pans channel
Little gull, Hydrocoloeu minutus. Kalloni Salt Pans channel

 

[Mick Sway]

16th September 2019 -Honey Buzzards

16 September 2019
Several birders report their observations:
Sikiminia , north coastal road:
Honey buzzard 8

Polichnitos saltpans
slender billed gulls 5
sandwich terns 15
red throated pipit

Tsikinas river mouth
Sandwich terns 28

Pasiphae Hotel Skala Kallonis
Scops owl still calling

Christou River
Opposite the Aegean Hotel
Stone curlew 8

Lotzaria fields
red footed falcon - male

Persama Reservoir - very quiet
grey heron
cormorant 7

 

[Mick Sway]

17th September 2019 - another Golden eagle

Apparently very hot still in Lesvos at the moment, high 20's c.
New sightings from Lesvos Birders Facebook group members:
Tsiknias River
Yellow wagtail

Petrified forest
Chukar

Lotzaria
Whinchat 2

Sigri
Common whitethroat
Common redstart
Black redstart
Black eared wheatear
Rock sparrow

New sightings from Lesvos Bird News Facebook group
As recorded by Eleni Galinue
Lardia Valley
Golden eagle - juvenile mobbed by ravens

Sigri irrigated fields
Roller

Skala Polichnitos (16/09/19)
Greater short toed lark 3
Marsh sandpiper

Other birder on the same group:
Tsiknias River
Slender billed gull
Kalloni salt Pans
Terek sandpiper
Dalmatian pelican 32
Spoonbill 2

From Observado:
Lardia Valley
Northern goshawk

 

[Mick Sway]

16 September 2019
If it is accepted,this would be a great record for Lesvos
Mount Olympus
Ring ouzel x 2

 

[Mick Sway]

18 September 2019
Not much to report today.
Kalloni Salt Pans
While controversy reined today over whether it was a Western or Semipalmated Sandpiper ,
consensus ruled that it was indeed a moulting little stint (main channel). Which having put some one right on a
photo purported to be the latter, elsewhere last week, was a bit of a relief to me.
Dalmatian pelican 38
Spoonbill 18

Lotzaria
Tree pipit

Metochi
Isabelline wheatear
Little owl

Petra
A few sightings of common birds from Observado:
Blue rock thrush 2
Willow warbler
Red backed shrike
Stonechat
Yellow wagtail
Spotted flycatcher 10
Common sandpiper

 

[Mick Sway]

17 September 2019
Some late records from the Observado website:
17/09/19
Mitlini GPS 39.038, 26.609
Black Redstart - Phoenicurus ochruros 6

Eresos Pithariou Reservoir
Eurasian Hobby - Falco subbuteo
garganey (Spatula querquedula) 6

Eresos Pandeleimonas Pools
Eleonora's Falcon - Falco eleonorae


From Lesvos Bird News
17/09/19
Agiasos
Collared flycatchers + many spotted flycatchers

Mesotopos pools
Purple heron

Kalloni Salt Pans
Tree pipit

Lardia Valley
Northern Goshawk - Accipiter gentilis

Christou River
Eurasian Stone-curlew - Burhinus oedicnemus 4

Vouvaris river mouth
Common Kingfisher - Alcedo atthis

Ipsilou area
Honey Buzzard 14
Marsh Harrier 8

Red back and lesser grey shrike recorded regularly
Also short toed eagle, common and long legged buzzard, european bee eaters and common passerines.

 

[Mick Sway]

19th September 2019 - Ducks In

19 September 2019
Sightings reported on Lesvos Birders today:
Tsiknias River Ford
Spotted flycatcher

Lotzaria
Tree pipit
Roller
Yellow wagtail - large numbers
Shrikes - still a few lesser grey and red backs passing through
Common cuckoo - juvenile

Perasma Reservoir
Common snipe
Cirl and corn buntings

Faneromeni Beach
Citrine wagtail

Kalloni Salt Pans (East)
Tawny pipit
Mallard 30
Wigeon 6
Teal 2
Pintail 2
Grey plover
Eurasian curlew 4

Kalloni Salt Pans main channel
Ruff - single , not previously mentioned this September
Terek sandpiper, still present
Little gull - juvenile still present