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Lesvos Spring 2010 - Share Your Experiences ? (1 Viewer)

large black millipede experience

An experience that has just come back to me, with a judder, was experiencing my first ever large black millepede. I was putting my walking socks on first thing in the morning and felt what I thought was a ruck in the back of the sock I had just put on. I went to smooth it with my fingers and it moved! I immediately whipped off my sock to see a 4-inch long, thick (pencil width) millipede drop out of my sock and leg it under the bed. I went to look for it but it disappeared completely.

I'm not usually jumpy with such things, but this big sod freaked me! The millipede left its mark too. When stressed they secrete a fluid which burns. I had a stingy rash and double-indentation where the millipede had been coiled against my skin for about a week afterwards.

I've since learnt that these things are by no means uncommon and some buildings are plagued with them. First I ever seen anywhere in Europe.
 
Anyway on the subject of photographs I turned up a couple of ringed birds when sorting through my own.

I thought that I'd post them in case they are of any interest.

Mick, without being able to read the ring numbers they can't be reported.

Cracking Temminck's Stint photo!
 
On the subject of ringed birds. Where should I report a colour-ringed Flamingo from Kalloni saltpans too?

Mark, you can report them direct to [email protected]. I already have details of one bird (via Mike Hodgson) which was ringed Turkey the previous spring.

If anyone reports ringed flamingos, or any other ringed bird seen on Lesvos, I'd appreciate the details for inclusion in the 2010 report.
 
Ditto. I'm afraid nothing surpises me with photographers on Lesvos.

We were told about a photographer who drove right up to the nuthatch site at the army camp and shot his photos from within his large vehicle! Unbelievable.
 
Sadly for some, no distance from the subject is near enough and no lense big enough,even in the UK. In March, at Salthouse, we witnessed a photographer lying on the ground, three feet away from a snow bunting, sure the bird did not appear distressed, but is it necessary?

I've seen the absence of fieldcraft, consideration and basic common sense from the minority of photographers in Lesvos, and also back home in the UK occasionally. I agree that it's pretty depressing stuff, especially when disturbance at the nest is concerned (e.g. Penduline Tits this spring)...

but with respect, what you describe from Salthouse is a totally different scenario, and clouds the issue unhelpfully (in my opinion).

As many birders will surely appreciate, Snow and Lapland Buntings are often exceptionally confiding, and will approach stationary photographers without concern. To be clear - that's them approaching the camera, not the other way round. In such a scenario, for the photographer to move would result in the birds being flushed. So they keep still, and the bunting might even end up inside the minimum focus distance!

Other species are similar, too. For instance, I've had exceptionally close views (i.e. within 2 metres) of Grey Phalarope, Red-breasted Flycatcher, Yellow-browed Warbler and Desert Wheatear in the last couple of years, simply by waiting patiently for them to come past me. At certain points, you would've seen a bloke with a camera within a few feet of a bird, and might make all sorts of false hypotheses about how they got there. In reality, they've made a judgement based on experience of the species, and placed themselves appropriately to let the bird get close.

Basically, my point is this: the chance to get photos (or just awesome views) of birds is conditional on the species in question, where it is, and what it's doing. If you have a reasonable degree of knowledge of the birds concerned, you can sometimes leverage it. The problem arises when photographers know virtually nothing about the birds in front of them, so they don't know what's appropriate - 2 metres or 200 metres.

I think that's the problem on Lesvos... either that or sheer bloody-minded selfishness, which I reckon (hope) is less likely.
 
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Hi All,

We could not make it this year, but are already planning a week's visit next year (late April) - so I promise to write a report similar to last year afterwards (there are bound to be plenty of laughs like last year since we always seem to "attract" incidents.

For those who have not read last year's escapades (14,000 words and my fingers are still complaining) here is the link.

http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=141736

See you all in 2011

Ian

ps - my compensation for 2010 is 3 weeks in Australia during November!
 
Just back last Saturday - so busy sorting through the notes and photographs, mainly to confirm what we saw before reporting a list but I promise to "get a round tuit" soon!
Great to meet people there - especially Sandra (of the purple hair) and Bob (trust the beer tankard arm is improving!), Joan & John and others who gladly shared sightings, tips and advice about where the finest Mythos was to be had!
Highlights: An embarrassment of "lifers"! The wonderful countryside and generous Greek people. Some good butterflies and a (very) few orchids.

Lowlights: Going to the Scops site 4 times without success and dipping out on the Ruppell. Also, no Golden Oriole, Hoopoe and, for me, being too busy watching White winged and whiskered tern and not paying enough attention to what I thought was a single bee-eater on the wires behind me at the entrance to the salt works (and which may well have been the reported blue-cheeked bee-eater!).
However, this does mean that we have an excuse to return!
 
The problem arises when photographers know virtually nothing about the birds in front of them, so they don't know what's appropriate - 2 metres or 200 metres.

I think that's the problem on Lesvos... either that or sheer bloody-minded selfishness, which I reckon (hope) is less likely.

Dave is right re. comparing the different situations with the nonsense we have to put up with on Lesvos (and which is also sadly increasing in Britain).

But to his point above, I think its mixed. There are many photographers now who simply don't know their subject and so lack the relevant fieldcraft or care for their subject (and others) and this impacts on the wildlife, on other photographers, birders and continues to portray photographers in a bad way. But there is increasingly the 'sheer bloody-mindedness' and simple lack of respect for others coming to the fore, and sadly this is also from the those who should know better. There's a bit of 'well, if they can get away with it, why can't I' at play. Just because one photographer does something bad, doesn't mean others should follow (its the same for badly behaving birders too).

Ian - hope to see you back out there next year.

Roy - I see you've been bitten like so many of us! See you out there. Sorry I wasnt around when you called in the Pasiphae.
 
Very nice thread, and I also enjoy reading Steve's blog while he's out there and following things up with his book. I reckon that Lesvos will our birding holiday destination next year, in mid-late April; must get a road map. I'm both a birder and a photographer, but with the popular books and some reasonable fieldcraft I hope not to do anything bad to annoy anyone!
Most years I go to Greece quite a lot for work, so it will be interesting to finally go to a place there where there are lots of other birders; mostly I get odd looks when I'm out and about myself and am asked questions about why the hell I'd be wanting to look at birds rather than shoot them or eat them...:h?: Remembering a time in a taverna near Skhinias wetlands in Attika, and the shotgun cartridges everywhere; at least I got my first feldegg Yellow Wag there...
 
Just finishing off one of my trip reports from this spring, I realised I forgot to do something! I never went to visit the Natural History Museum at Vrisa. I only discovered the museum whilst watching a TV programme over the winter and had made a note to go visit it this spring. Then I forgot. Has anyone ever been to this museum?

And talking of museums, I always take my groups to the Petrified Forest Museum at Sigri (not the actual park near Ipsilou, but the new (opened in 2005) museum on the outskirts of Sigri town). Its absolutely brilliant and a bargain at just €5 entry fee. You can even learn about volcanos and ash (sore subject I know!).
 
just a few queries

Steve and other good folk,
Here are a few photos that I need a bit of help with - the raptor looks like Eleonora's (?) but we are not certain about the small dark wader which is shown in relation to the other much bigger birds in the last two images. These latter photographs were taken at the small pool by the cattle grid at the Kalloni Saltpans on Saturday 15th May in the morning when it was raining quite hard. Our thoughts are that it may just be a Broad-billed Sandpiper as one had been seen later that day at the Saltpans. (Apologies for the poor quality of the photos - taken in a hurry from inside the car!).
Also, any ideas about the ID of the lovely "lacewing-type" insect (We have seen this also in Turkey) or the orchid (we saw this growing in various places) - no leaves apparent at all - would be appreciated?
Many thanks in advance.
Roy
 

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Hi Roy,

Picture one is an adult Peregrine - note the barring across all the underparts.

Pictures 4-5 are not a Broad-billed Sandpiper (I didn't know one had been seen on the 15th). There was much talk about a small dark wader (which despite searching, I never came across), but others tell me it was a dark (soiled? melanistic?) Little Stint. Perhaps this is what you have images of here.

Picture 3 is a Thread Lacewing (I think).

Can't help with the Orchid I'm afraid
 
Talking of sharing your experiences, I've started to add the first trip reports from this spring to the Lesvos Birding website (trip reports link on right). If you are publishing a trip report on the web then please send me the URL. If you don't have the facility to post your own report, you can always post them here on BirdForum or you can contact me to see if i can help.
 
Hi Roy

Agree with Mark about the Peregrine - in addition to the barring the tail and wings are too short and broad for Eleonora's.

Insect - Mark's right, it is a Thread Lacewing.

Wader - looks to large for a Little Stint. Can you send me an unedited/uncropped image by email please for me to look at. Ta.

Orchid - look at the Orchids of Europe website.
 
Lesvos 2010 high & low lights

Our first visit to lesvos: Aegeon Appartments, Skalaa Kalloni, 8th - 22nd May 2010.
Some of the birds we thought we might have seen but missed: Chukar - Scops Owl - Golden Oriole - Hoopoe - Crake - Ruppell's Warbler - Spur-winged Plover - Penduline Tit

However, approximately 120 species noted with photographs where possible:
Common sightings included: Crested Lark - Cetti's Warbler - Bee-eaters - Corn Bunting - Hooded Crow - Black-headed Bunting and Yellow-legged Gull.

Notable Sightings (for us!):
Fan-tailed warbler - by the Aegeon Hotel, a good start to our visit (8/5)
Stone Curlew - a pair, apparently trying to nest South of the West River bridge, despite the best efforts of the local dog patrol (8/5 - 22/5). Also, calling VERY early and not to be confused with the local shepherd's spookily sound-alike whistle!
Eleonora's Falcon - a pair flying very close over the West River towards the monastery (8/5) and five seen from the Raptor Watch Point looking West (16/5).
Temminck's and Little Stint - 3 and 8 repsectively on mud banks of the East River (8/5) and more Little Stint at the Kalloni Salt Pans pool during the week.
Short-toed eagle - One, "floating" over the Aegeon Appartments (8/5).
Barn Owl - Sk. Kalloni, just off the square at 8.45pm (!) - blink and you missed it (8/5 - 22/5).
Kruper's Nuthatch - Achladeri site but good views away from the shattered trunk (and the photographers!). Male feeding the female (10/5 and 17/5).
Short-toed treecreeper - Achladeri site (10/5) 3 seen together whilst watching the Nuthatch.
Bee-eaters - Skala Vasilika (10/5) where there were 38 on the lines like musical notes on a stave, plus many other sightings including a flock of about 60 over the Raptor Watch Point (16/5) and one that flew onto a stick less than a metre away from us where we sat in the car at the Kalloni Salt Pans and waited patiently to be photographed.
Masked Shrike - Achladeri Forest (10/5) and Napi Valley (18/5).
Purple Heron - Vouvaris River Bridge (10/5) and Salt Pans Road canal (17/5).
Whiskered Tern - Two together along the entrance road canal to the Salt pans (11/5) and then singletons (14/5) and (19/5) at the pans.
Shag - sitting on the pier at the salt pans beach (11/5).
Red-rumped Swallow - drying off on the wires at the Salt Pans race track (11/5).
Kentish Plover - Salt Pans pool (11/5 and 15/5); East River and Alikoudi Pool (17/5).
Rufous Bush Robin - salt Pans pumping station (11/5); on the pale-coloured, low, thorny bushes at the salt pans beach area and along the East track of the East River, displaying! (14/5).
Long-legged buzzard - Potomia River Valley (12/5) and Raptor Watch Point (16/5) where 5 were spotted drifting North-East.
Woodchat Shrike - Potomia Valley (12/5), Metochi Lake (19/5) and Aghios Ionnia chapel (14/5).
Rock Nuthatch - along the walk to Metaxi - five in total (3 juv.).
Black-eared wheatear - quite a few!
Nightingale - Opposite Potomia Valley Weir (12/5), singing for over 20 minutes as we lunched - sublime!
Red-breasted flycatcher - same place (and initially mistaken for a young robin!)
Olive-tree warbler - by Potomia Valley Reservoir (12/5) and in the olive groves - Achladeri to Skaminoudi (17/5).
Crag Martin - Lardia Valley (13/5)
Turtle Dove - On wires, Lardia Valley (13/5)
Blue Rock Thrush - Lardia Valley (13/5)
Middle-spotted woodpecker - Perivolis monastery (13/5) feeding at a nest.
Icterine Warbler - Perivolis monastery (13/5)
Spotted Redshank - Faneromeni ford (13/5) - dark plummage - super spot!
Night Heron - smae place - flushed by a passing moped.
Alpine Swift - Faneromeni Beach (13/5) - 5 seen.
Red-throated pipit - Faneromeni beach (13/5) on wire near to river mouth.
Little Bittern - Meladia River Ford (13/5) and Metochi Lake (19/5).
Cretzschmar's Bunting - Meladia valley to Eressos track (13/5) and Aghios Ionnis Chapel (14/5)
Isabelline warbler - Meladia valley to Eressos track (13/5)
Citrine Wagtail - female at Kalloni Saltpan pool (14/5)
Orphean warbler - Aghios Ioannis chapel (14/5)
Red-footed falcon - singleton, low over Skala Kalloni harbour (15/5)
Great Egret - Kalloni Salt Pans Road Canal - (15/5, 18/5 and 19/5)
Lesser Grey Shrike - On wire over Kalloni Salt Pans (15/5) and Achlederi Forest (17/5)
Litle Owl - Cattlesheds at the Kalloni saltpans fields (15/5)
Sub-alpine warbler - Kavaki (16/5) whilst trying (unsuccessfully) for the Ruppell's warbler!
Lesser Kestrel - Perasma Reservoir (16/5) "buzzing" the gulls and a family of Ruddy Shelduck (9 juv.)
Peregrine - Kavaki (16/5) and Napi (18/5)
White-winged black tern - Alikoudi Pool (17/5) amongst 35 Common tern
Cirl Bunting - Achladeri to Pesa Springs road (17/5) and Napi (18/5)
Sombre Tit - at first elusive for us but eventually found quite a few at the stop before Napi, along the river and opposite slopes (18/5)
Sardinian warbler - Metochi Lake (19/5)
Olivaceous warbler - walking around Metochi Lake (19/5)
Marsh Harrier - West of the Kalloni Salt Pans Road, low over fields
Swift - 100+ over the Kalloni Salt pans (20/5)
Rose-coloured starling - (20/5) Kalloni salt pans fly over and (21/5) in bushes along the West track of the East River following a raptor stoop
Grey Plover - East River estuary (21/5)
Ring Ouzel - East River (21/5)
Curlew sandpiper - (22/5) on marsh, opposite Aegeon appartments

... not to mention Black Stork, White Stork, Pallid Swift, Squacco Heron ...

Butterflies: (that we could ID)
Eastern Dappled White
Balkan Marbled White
Small Skipper
Ilex hairstreak
Eastern Pale Clouded Yellow
Spotted Fritillary
Swallowtail
Scarce Swallowtail
Small Copper
Amanda's Blue (prob.)
Nettle Tree
Painted Lady
Clouded Yellow
Red Admiral
Lattice Brown
 
Hi Roy,

Nice list - I'm sure Steve will be interested in the Fan-tailed Warbler (if he doesn't already know about it), as according to his book the last island record was in 2004. Super bird.
 
Hi Roy,

Nice list - I'm sure Steve will be interested in the Fan-tailed Warbler (if he doesn't already know about it), as according to his book the last island record was in 2004. Super bird.

Mark - Steve has already taken me to task over the FTW - and I can only hold my hand up as having it as a presumptive, based on a brief sighting (sadly no camera to hand as we had just arrived) but with one having been seen in the same area by others (not certain when).

It was a super fortnight and the numbers as well as the different species far outweighed what we had expected - especially as we couldn't get an earlier date and had presumed we would miss the "good" birds!
(Dipping on the Scops still bugs me!)
 
Fan-tailed Warbler

The ghost of Fan-tailed Warbler lives on around Christou River I'm afraid. Every year we get at least one report from this area, the last known breeding site for the species on the island, but none are ever followed up when LBRC ask for a description. When LBRC members and other regulars check the area (which we do annually) between us we've never seen one here (or anywhere else on the island) since 2004.

I suspect its a hangover from those still following the (now very out of date) Richard Brooks book, as FWT is listed for this area.
 
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