Mick Sway
Well-known member
Lesvos Bird News 2022
Thought I'd start this, even if I don't finish it in 2022.
These updates are designed for those who are not in the Facebook groups but are still interested in the bird news.
You can catch Eleni Galinou's Lesvos Bird News updates here, but you will have to join to see her reports.
Worth visiting our new Lesvos Birders Web site, especially if you are interested in viewing Steve Dudley's annual
Lesvos Bird Reports 2009 -2015 , you can download a PDF from the Web Site here.
Other contributions welcome , in comments, if you have independent news.
Jan & Feb 2022
Late Jan and early February were characterised by freezing conditions , including snow on the hills of Mt.Olympus and above Agiassos.
Bird wise, there were few reports , except those for overwintering birds including Flamingo, grey heron, great and little egret ,
(there was little news of wildfowl flocks). Overwintering migrants included Kingfisher, black redstart, dunnock, robin, serin along
with the odd siskin( scarce on Lesvos), skylark, common starling, stonechat and cornbuntings.
Raptor reports were very thin on the ground, with the exception of sparrowhawk, kestrel, common and long-legged buzzard.
Soumaria, Eucalyptus plantation - scops owl site
The bad news for Spring visitors has been the decimation of the Soumaria, (also known as the " minisoccer pitch" site.) Eucalyptus plantation.
The local authority suddenly decided to take the chain saw to the Eucalyptus trees, rendering them branch less and offering no cover for
the scops owls that breed there every spring (image below).
This last week there has been a few sightings of scarcer birds worth reporting as follow
Kalloni Salt Pans area
Cattle egret - Bubulcus ibis 20/02/22 cc S Zannetos
Hen Harrier (Circus cyaneus) Alykes 23/02/22 cc M Kladogeni
Loutra Village
Laughing dove (Spilopelia senegalensis) 24/02/22 cc V Triboulot
Perasma Reservoir 26/02/22
Garganey -rare for Lesvos - H Vaughan
Perama, Gulf of Gera 26/02/22
First swallow and house martin of Spring - E Galinou
Kalloni Salt Pans 26/02/22
Pallid Harrier ( Circus macrourus) 26/02/22 cc M Kladogeni
Golden plover - there is currently a debate about what species (finder S Zannetos)
ie Pluvialis apricaria, Pacific GP p.fulva or American GP,p.dominica
Credits for images as stated above.
Thought I'd start this, even if I don't finish it in 2022.
These updates are designed for those who are not in the Facebook groups but are still interested in the bird news.
You can catch Eleni Galinou's Lesvos Bird News updates here, but you will have to join to see her reports.
Worth visiting our new Lesvos Birders Web site, especially if you are interested in viewing Steve Dudley's annual
Lesvos Bird Reports 2009 -2015 , you can download a PDF from the Web Site here.
Other contributions welcome , in comments, if you have independent news.
Jan & Feb 2022
Late Jan and early February were characterised by freezing conditions , including snow on the hills of Mt.Olympus and above Agiassos.
Bird wise, there were few reports , except those for overwintering birds including Flamingo, grey heron, great and little egret ,
(there was little news of wildfowl flocks). Overwintering migrants included Kingfisher, black redstart, dunnock, robin, serin along
with the odd siskin( scarce on Lesvos), skylark, common starling, stonechat and cornbuntings.
Raptor reports were very thin on the ground, with the exception of sparrowhawk, kestrel, common and long-legged buzzard.
Soumaria, Eucalyptus plantation - scops owl site
The bad news for Spring visitors has been the decimation of the Soumaria, (also known as the " minisoccer pitch" site.) Eucalyptus plantation.
The local authority suddenly decided to take the chain saw to the Eucalyptus trees, rendering them branch less and offering no cover for
the scops owls that breed there every spring (image below).
This last week there has been a few sightings of scarcer birds worth reporting as follow
Kalloni Salt Pans area
Cattle egret - Bubulcus ibis 20/02/22 cc S Zannetos
Hen Harrier (Circus cyaneus) Alykes 23/02/22 cc M Kladogeni
Loutra Village
Laughing dove (Spilopelia senegalensis) 24/02/22 cc V Triboulot
Perasma Reservoir 26/02/22
Garganey -rare for Lesvos - H Vaughan
Perama, Gulf of Gera 26/02/22
First swallow and house martin of Spring - E Galinou
Kalloni Salt Pans 26/02/22
Pallid Harrier ( Circus macrourus) 26/02/22 cc M Kladogeni
Golden plover - there is currently a debate about what species (finder S Zannetos)
ie Pluvialis apricaria, Pacific GP p.fulva or American GP,p.dominica
Credits for images as stated above.
Attachments
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Soumaria Eucalyptus plantation Lesvos former scops owl site cc G Laskaridis 240222.jpg -
Cattle egret - Bubulcus ibis Kalloni Salt Pans cc S Zannetos.jpg -
Hen Harrier (Circus cyaneus) Alykes 230222 cc M Kladogeni.jpg -
Laughing dove (Spilopelia senegalensis) Loutra 240222 cc V Triboulot.jpg -
Pallid Harrier ( Circus macrourus) Kalloni Sp 260222 M Kladogeni.jpg
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