Lesbos Day 6

Thurs 23rd

A sunny morning but only 9 degs as we watched the bitterns, ibises and purple herons on the Kalloni pool.

 We headed north to the Napi valley finding masked shrike at the beginning but little else as we drove along the track throught the olive groves, although as we exited onto the Petra road we came across a sombre tit and red-backed shrike.

The next stop was on the Kavaki cliffes immediately seeing Ruppell's warbler and a couple of alpine swifts, ravens and black-eared wheatears. 

Ruppell's Warbler

After a nice lunch at Petra we took a look at the reservoir above Molivos but there was hardly anything of note except two long-legged buzzards. Working our way back we stopped briefly at the raptor view point only getting a couple of photos of Cretzschmar's bunting.

 Cretzschmar's Bunting

We ended up at the East River again seeing the pendulines plus a kingfisher. olivaceous warbler, whitethroats reed and sedge warblers.

 Moving onto the saltpans a few whinchats were on view plus a couple of redfoots and lastly at 7.00pm 12 gull-billed terns.

The Red-Foots were swooping onto the ground catching beetles

Gull-billed Tern

The Local Patch

Since coming back from Lesbos I have had a few outings to Seasalter but not seen anything out of the ordinary.  Virtually all the waders have gone except for the daily sightings of c.40 black-tailed godwits feeding just off the sluice and a few more further out. It seems odd as up until now this year I have hardly seen one.  The other odd sightings are those of up to 72 shelduck again feeding daily in the same place.  Also there have been up to five buzzards this week, one sparrowhawk and  marsh harriers plus the usual whitethroats, several lesser whitethroats, a couple of groppers and a regular cuckoo plus my first hairy hawker. Today the shelduck numbers were down to 34 but there was a count of 28 common terns, alas, no little terns.

Lesbos, Day5

Wed, 22nd April

We had great views of one of the two great bitterns on the Kalloni pool first thing this morning and it continued to parade itself for several days until everybody had their fill! Also, the little bittens, squaccos and ibises continued to attract daily attention. 

Onto the saltpans hoping to get views of the great spotted cuckoo that kept being reported but the bulk of us failed to connect however, the arrival a spur-winged plover partially made up for it.   The roadside pool held 4 marsh sandpipers, 4 garganey and 1 greenshank plus woodsands and stilts etc.. 

A thunderstorm was brewing up over the hills to the north so we headed south to Acklederi but the rain soon descended upon us so we took the beach road to Polichnitos saltpans and parked to sit out the storm seeing a few grt flamingoes on route.

The temperature went down to 7 degs.  The saltpans were a disappointment just a couple of mallard, stilts and 16 ruff but on the way back we saw 3 red foots on the wires plus a few whinchats and 4 cuckoos together. The village looked a bit dead as we had a little drive around, apparently the cats are keen on motorcycles.

Back at the saltpans a couple of kestrels and 6 red foots then I spent some time trying to get photos of swallows and red foots

Lesbos, Day4

Tues. 21st April

Today we went west to Sigri stopping at various spots along the route. The temperature was cold, only 12 degs. but squacco herons, little bittern and great bittern were still active in the Kalloni pool. The first stop on the drive west was at the Limonas monastry seeing two short-toed eagles and a peregrine. 

The next was at the Lardia valley or grand canyon as we call it, here we saw blue rock thrush, crag martins and a rock nuthatch. 

 Lardia Valley

 Blue Rock Thrush

 At the very high Ipsilou monastry it was only 9 degs and a gale force wind blowing, too much to walk in let alone bird, however I did see raven.  Dropping down to Sigri we saw several jackdaws and turning right toward Faneromeni found 2 pied flys, 13 turtle doves together on a field plus huge flocks of Spanish and house sparrows. 

 Huge Flocks of Spanish Sparrows

Further on, up to 4 collared flycatchers plus a couple of spotteds and a handful of blackcaps, chiffs and assorted whitethroats, very poor for this area. On the beach pool 4 little stints, 2 LRPs and a nice spotted redshank. Turning back for the hour and a quarter drive back to the hotel we saw a golden oriole as we left Faneromeni.

 Spotted Redshank

Faneromeni lower ford

Lesbos, Day 3

Mon.20th April

Woke up to a cold morning, 11 deg (according to the car as thermometer) as we left the hotel for the village shops. An abrupt halt on the road as I saw a smallish gull just off the beach - slender-billed gull, a good start. Making our way to the saltpans there were good views of the second summer pallid harrier, northern wheatear, red-rumped swallows and jay.

Slender-billed gull

 Pallid Harrier

Northern Wheatear

At the saltpans pumping station a common sandpiper and plus a starling, an unusual visitor! Another look over the sheep fields but nothing new although the first olivaceous warbler in the bush at the entrance was new. 

 Several Great White Egrets

Crested Lark, one of the commonest birds

Other birds here were 3 gull-billed terns and 3 red-footed falcons and a short-toed eagle. I drove up the upper E.River finding a redstart and hoopoe by the grain silos and calling in at the scops site found another 3 (7 being the record found here as far as I am aware). 

Scop's Owl

Then a quick drive into the Potamia valley finding two orphean warblers, black-eared wheatears, woodchat and grt tits.  Another visit to the inland lake at Metochi finding 2 little crakes, 1 night heron, little grebe and grey heron. 

 Little Crake

Woodchat

A cup of tea back at the hotel before I went back to the saltpans seeing; c20 whiskered terns, 1 white-winged black tern and 4 Temmink's stints. Spent some time photographing the swallows before seeing 14 collared pratingcoles then at 7.00 back to hotel.

One of four Temmink's Stints and Wood Sandpiper

 Barn Swallow

Yellow Wagtail

Collared Pratincole

Lesbos, Day2

Sun. 19th April

As usual the first site to check is the saltpans and the East River (Tsiknias river) and the first bit of excitement was of a pair of penduline tits nesting close to the ford. Still nest building, and almost complete except for the 'tubular' entrance which we saw a few days later. 

Penduline tit nest under construction

  

Plenty of hirundines swooping about and a couple of the 'feldegg' wagtails on the river plus a reed warbler, moorhens, nightingales, little bittern, and sedge warbler.

 Reed Warbler

Yellow Wagtail - Feldegg

Crossing the concrete ford we continued on the bumpy track through the fields to the saltpans seeing goldfinches, grt tits and whitethroats plus red-rumped swallows.  The roadside waterway around the pans was fairly deep and didn't hold many birds although several black-winged stilts and a dozen or more wood sandpipers and LRPs were present.  The road which then turns to a track finishes by the 'sheep fields', wet in many places but also has dry 'dunes' closer to the beach. Here we saw kentish plovers, 4 red-throated pipits, ruff, whinchats, 3 shelduck, 2 ruddy shelduck, 1 grt white egret and little terns plus lots of crested larks.  A small group of Irish birders had found a tiny skink in the grass which caused a bit of discussion.

Known as the 'sheep fields' but now donkeys and ponys as well

The flooded field in front of the saltpans is usually teeming with birds but was quite empty, just a couple of mallard, ibises and shelduck.  Earlier we had views of a ring-tailed harrier, thought to be pallid and a female marsh harrier was cruising about over the fields.  Making our way back to the village for lunch we recorded linnet, lots of corn buntings and crested larks plus several nightingales. No song from olivaceous warblers yet so migration must be a bit late, or was it the cold, only about 10 -14 degs this week and windy!

 Red-rumped Swallow

 Little Ringed Plover - common

Corn Bunting - maybe the commonest bird!

Returning pm to the same area we saw the only wood warbler of the fortnight (hardly any this year), lesser whitethroats, sedge warblers, red-backed shrike on the wires, woodchat, 2 common buzzards and the pendulines of course.  The small pool on the other side of the main road held 2 marsh sandpipers, 2 garganey and 1 greenshank. we then made a dash over to the mini soccer pitch getting a poor view of scops owl. The cold wind was blowing up so back to the hotel at 6.20pm for tea, never before have we needed the heater on in the room each night!

Wood Sandpipers - numbers seemed down this year

Lesbos, Day 1

18th April

Yet another trip to the Greek island of Lesbos just off the coast of Turkey and lately, an every year visit, I love it.  Can seem crowded with birders in times but its easy to get away on your own although its nice to bump into others to get any new bird info. There are lots of dutch birders visiting as well and fortunately they all speak good English and know the bird names as well, puts us to shame!

We set off on the 7.40 Thomas Cook flight arriving just over three hours later. As usual the whole flight appeared to be all birdwatchers including several groups and other individuals such as Ian Lewington.  Collecting the car at the airport it took a further hour's drive to arrive at Skala Kalloni in the middle of the island where we stayed at the Kalloni Bay Hotel. The famous 'pool' was still overgrown but full of water due to the exceptionally heavy rain this winter and cold temperatures, -8 being recorded I was told, most unusual.

It was mid afternoon so a bit of time for birding around the pool which held 9 garganey, 3 coots, 1 little bittern, 30 glossy ibises plus at least 1 great bittern which was to give some close views in the next few days but this afternoon it was distant. 

 Kalloni Bay Hotel and 'pool' from the beach road

From the opposite direction - plenty of water in the pool!

Great Bittern