LESVOS BIRD NEWS 2023 (1 Viewer)

[Mick Sway]

19 April 2023
Kalloni Salt Pans
Common crane - a rare one for Lesvos in Spring
Montagu's harrier - adult male

Metochi Lake
Little crake - female

Image by kind permission of Jason Coppock ( as reported on Lesvos Birders Facebook group).

 

[Mick Sway]

20 April 2023
Faneromeni
Blue cheeked bee eater photographed by the Swedish group..

 

[Mick Sway]

21 April 2023
Worthy mentions :
Meladia Valley
European roller

Potamia Valley
Booted eagle

Alykes Wetland
Pallid harrier

Megala Therma
Audouin's gull

Christou River
Spur winged plover

Kalloni Bay
Black necked grebe x 2

Agriosikos
Eastern Bonelli's Warbler

 

[Mick Sway]

22 April 2023
Notable sightings
Kalloni Raptor Watch Point
Egyptian vulture - rare on Lesvos
Common buzzard
Short toed eagle 5
Goshawk
Sparrowhawk

Perasma/Petra Reservoir
Woodpigeon 3
Red footed falcon 3 male
Booted eagle - dark phase
Alpine swifts
Common cuckoo

Sumaria
Scops owl

Kalloni salt pans
White winged terns 12
Whiskered tern 2

Tsiknias River
Great bittern

Dipi Larisos Reed Bed
Spotted crake

Alykes Wetland
Pallid harrier

Skala Sikimineas
Ruppell's Warbler - male

 

[Mick Sway]

23 April 2023
Notable sightings
Big fall of passerines, including B&W flycatchers, spot flies, common Warner’s, pipits and orioles.
Antissa - outskirts
Wryneck

Sigri Sanetorium / Cheese factory
Lesser kestrel 24
Short toed eagle 6

24 April 2023
Metochi Lake
Ballion’s crake

Meladia Valley
White-throated robin
photographed at 10:00 am but soon disappeared

All the above from Lesvos Birders Facebook Group

Observation.org
Notable sightings 24/04/23
Meladia Valley South pm
Great spotted cuckoo
Ipsilou pm
Red breasted flycatcher
Tsiknias River am
Great bittern

From eBird
22/04/2023
Mantamados
Honey buzzard
23/04/2023
Ipsilou
Levant sparrowhawk
Red breasted flycatcher

24/04/23
Potamia Valley
Barred warbler

Parakila Marsh
Little crake
Water rail

 

[Mick Sway]

Notable sightings
24 April 2023 - Observation.org
Metochi Lake
Bonell's eagle

Mesa
Cattle egret

Limonos Monastery
Steppe buzzard

25 April 2023 - Lesvos Birders Facebook Group
Potamia Valley and old reservoir
Spotted crake
Purple heron 8
Olive tree warbler

Agriosikos
Hawfinch - pair nest building
Eastern Bonelli's warbler

Tsiknias River
Black headed buntings
European beeeaters

eBird
Kalloni Salt Pans
Caspian gull

 

[Mick Sway]

Notable sightings :
Observation.org
26 April 2023
Meladia valley
Graylag goose

Petri
Great spotted cuckoo

Tsiknias River
Spotted crake

Kalloni Salt Pans
Great white pelican
Dalmatian pelican 2

eBird
25April 2023
Kalloni Salt Pans
Caspian gull
26 April 2023
Petra/Perasma Res.
Wryneck
Thrush nightingale
Booted eagle
Christou River
Whimbrel
Lafionas
Woodpigeon
Malemi Hotel, Skala Kalloni
Common gull

 

[Mick Sway]

27 April 2023
Notable sightings - Observation.org
Mesa wetland
Booted eagle - pale phase

Ipsilou
Red breasted flycatcher

Tsiknias River
Spotted crake still present
Jack snipe - very rare if true
Roller

Skala Kalloni
Cattle egret

 

[Mick Sway]

A few images courtesy of birders Derrick Robinson and Ron McDonald
Reproduced with their kind permission.
Note - Jack & Common Snipe , Tsiknias River 27/04/23 . Jack Snipe is a rarity , last one was in January 2006

 

[Mick Sway]

Very few new birds of any scarcity being reported, however here's a couple from today:
30 April 2023
Tisknias River mouth and River
Black necked grebe
Ferruginous Duck
Jack snipe - still present

Kalloni Salt Pans
Dalmatian Pellican

Perasma/ Petra Reservoir
Great spotted cuckoo

29 April 2023
Kalloni Salt Pans Sheep Fields
Red footed falcon - a " group" reported, no numbers stated

Tsiknias River
Spotted crake

Metochi Lake
Ballion's crake

 

[Mick Sway]

3 May 2023
Notable reports from different media :
Ipsilou
Honey buzzard

Kalloni Salt Pans
Booted eagle

Kalloni Raptor watch point
Roller
Black kite

Faneromeni
Rufous bush robin
Red breasted flycatcher
Roller

Meladia Valley
Levant sparrowhawk

Tsiknias River
Ferruginous Duck

 

[Mick Sway]

4th May 2023
News from Observation.org
Petra - out of Petra on the Kalloni road:
Lesser spotted eagle
Kalloni Salt Pans
Cattle egret x 3 together - an unusual sighting for Lesvos
A number of steppe buzzards, including one at the salt pans today, have been reported on this site over the past few weeks, however in my view verifiable images would be required for a positive ID.
eBird news
Faneromeni
Rose coloured starling - an early one, given as a single

 

[Mick Sway]

Observation.org Reports 06/05/23 14:15
Caspian Tern reported at the inlet, South of the racetrack at Kalloni Salt Pans, citrine wagtail also observed at the same time.

 

[Mick Sway]

Update - I've been on the island myself from 07 - 28 May 2023, with poor internet connections.
7 - 14 th May held very grey conditions with a cold Northerly wind persisting (as had been the case in late April)
often rain was threatening and although we saw a few spots, generally it staid dry. Those venturing out West
in May, were rewarded with good numbers of passerines, orioles, shrikes and flycatchers in particular.
Rollers
Early May saw a bit of a roller fest, particularly out West, with 7 being reported together at Faneromeni.
We saw three on wires at the Meladia Ford.
Barred Warblers
Several sightings and images appeared on social media during early May.
Dalmatian Pelicans
Always one or two seen at Kalloni Salt pans during May.
Rufous Bush Chat
Several pairs were showing well at Faneromeni and Alykes Wetland
Rosey starlings
Initially reported on the 6th May and through until 1st June at various locations.
In fact we saw several small flocks pass the Anaxos Hotel up to 19th May.
Here are some of the more interesting sightings gleaned from social media :
Arctic Skua
Kalloni Bay 28/05/23
Photographed flying low across the bay, headed South , by a birder initially watching bee-eaters.
The images are not great but it's clear from the size compared to an avocet captured along side it,that the bird was very large.
Lesser spotted eagle
Agriosikos/Filia mast 07/05/23
Metochi 09/05/23
Metochi 15/05/23
Agia Peraskevi 15/05/23

Bonelli's Eagle
Polichnitous Salt Pans 10/05/23

Booted eagle
Metochi 09/05/23
Tsiknias River 10/05/23
Kalloni Raptor Watch Point 15/05/23
Kremasti 18/05/23
Ipsilou 01/06/23
Skala Kalloni 03/06/23

Egyptian Vulture
Kavaki 09/05/23

Montagu's Harrier
Alykes Wetland 13/05/23
Alykes Wetland 07/0523

Pallid Harrier
Alykes Wetland 13/05/23

Honey Buzzard
Agriosikos 13/05/23
Faneromeni 07/05/23

Red footed falcon
Alykes / Kalloni Salt Pans 10/05/23 x 5

Levant sparrowhawk
Potamia Reservoir 07/05/23

Little Gull
Kalloni Salt Pans 07/05/23 & 14/05/23

Collared Pratincole
Kalloni Salt Pans 14/05/23 x 12

White Winged Tern
Kalloni Salt Pans 14/05/23 x 24

Cattle egret
Alykes 13/05/23

Red breasted Flycatcher
Ipsilou and Meladia Chapel 11/05/23
Meladia valley 08/05/23

Bluethroat
Perasma reservoir 09/05/23

Pied Wheatear
Antissa 08/05/23

Little Crake
Metochi 09/05/23

Ballion's Crake
Metochi 07/05/23

Eurasian Bittern
Tsiknias River 07/05/2

All images below are my own efforts.

 

[Mick Sway]

06 June 2023
Molivos
Adult great spotted cuckoo reported in the general area of the football pitch.

 

[Mick Sway]

Record shot images of the Arctic Skua, photographs by permission of Colin Gittens
Kaloni Bay 28/05/23

 

[Mick Sway]

19/06/23 Plomari
2 Griffon Vultures circled over Megalohori
As reported on Lesvos Bird News Facebook Group.

 

[Mick Sway]

Some recent records as recorded on eBird North Aegean
Tsiknias River 06/07/23
Slender billed gull x 2
Mesa Wetland 04/07/23
Great egret x 2
Eurasian curlew
Spoonbill x 9

 

[Mick Sway]

15 July 2023
Metochi Lake - Water Rail x 2
As reported on eBird by a local birder.

 

[Mick Sway]

As reported by Eleni Galinou on her Lesvos Bird News Facebook Group today.
A late record from 11/07/23
Kalloni Salt Pans
Light morph booted eagle