Well here goes, this is gonna be a big blog from my 2 weeks in Lesvos so ill do it in 2 parts i think, ill start with saying ive just had probably the best two week abroad ive ever had, finding some great and challenging birds, an excellent array of plants with many new Orchids and just some great food, drink and seeing some great people, the Greeks are awesome. So 192 Species later ill start my daily blog with some digiscoped pictures as i go.
Day 1 20th April
Early morning Jet2 flights as usual got us into Mytilene by 1230, car hire is always easy, baggage is great and getting through security is always fairly quick. So we did our usual drive south through Charamada picking up 2 Ruppells Warblers,8 Sardinians, many Cretzmars Buntings, Ravens and already our first Chucka, never easy.
Moved onto Loutra and just outside the village a great display of over 100 Alpine Swifts, with a few Short tailed eagles mixed in. Our disappointment when we reached Loutra was, our usual Taverners was closed, we were a week earlier than normal so we had to go hungry. The 4 Laughing Doves more than made up for it though.
Serins seemed plentiful once we left the village. Onto Messa but it was fairly quiet here but Flamingos were great as were the Squacco Herons that were here. Bee eaters were overhead and 2 Glossy Ibis flew North, our first Black Stork was on the marsh.
Onto the Saltpans, hide 3 a Dalmatian Pelican and a white Stork. Hide 2 and the channel was incredible with no less than 250-300 Wood Sandpipers with many new in. 6 Spoonbill, many many Ruffs, Greenshanks and my first Whinchat. Up by the Stinky pool a Gull Billed Tern and a Quail calling.
The Spur Winged Lapwing was hiding and showing occasionally, never mind i'll get better views later. Drove along the track to Tsiknias river stopping on the way and heard a Savi's warbler singing from some nearby reeds. Onto the river which was looking good and it was, Found a 2cy male Citrine Wagtail whilst watching my first Little Crake of the trip that I had also just found.
Many Yellow wags of varying races. Sedge Warblers seemed abundant this year, not usually very easy. Great Reed Warbler, Bee eaters over, a flock of 41 and 23 Purple Heron was awesome. We had been up early so we headed for our Hotel the Aegeon to check in and nip out for our first beers and lunch out at our favorite tavener Sampos...
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Day 2 21st April
A proper full day today, but as relaxed as can be, Breakfast at the Aegeon is always great as it looks over the Christou River, making birding so easy, usually just with my bins though until later. Still Purple Heron most days, 14 Wood Sandpiper dropped in a Great White Egret again daily. Flamingos showed well from here too. The usual Kentish Plover, Little Stints and small flocks of Hooded crows. A Kestrel was one of only a handful seen.
Moved onto Metochi lake where I found 2 Little Crakes and my first Little Bittern of the trip. A Pygmy Cormorant was now a regular rooster here this year and up to last year I'd never seen one, so this one showed well. A flock of Bee Eaters put in a great aerial display. A Juvenile Night Heron joined the Pygmy Cormorant. After lunch we headed for the Tsiknias River where I spotted another Little Crake, a Female Citrine Wagtail and 2 Whiskered Terns. At the river mouth 5 1st Summer Med Gulls, 1 Adult winter Little Gull, Little Ringed plover and a showy Great White Egret. A Great Crested Grebe in the bay.
Walking to the School in Skalla Kalloni, I found an adult Long eared Owl and 2 young which were very well hidden up, The scops were great too peeking out a hole in the Eucalyptus.
Finally headed to the Saltpans for the remaining couple of hours of the day picking out 44 Gull Billed Terns, 4 Temmincks Stint with the Wood Sand, Ruff and little Stints, 2 Quail heard singing their hearts out and 2 Woodchat shrikes. Finished the evening after our meal outside Diana's old shop where the Barn owl was always reliable to be seen here breeding in the chimney, it took but 5 minutes for the owl to quickly fly in and out again. Perfect end to the day.
Day 3 22nd April
Best birds whilst sat having breakfast were the 3 Turtle Doves that dropped in briefly. We then made our way up to the Petrified forest, which was on the cards today so birding was going to be limited, however I always manage some birds when doing these things. We could hear chucker up and down the valley and then one appeared close to the road, too quick for pics though. Cinereous, and Cretchmars Bunting seemed plentiful, Isabelline wheatear were doing their dangly legs display and a Cuckoo gave flight views as we reached the VC. Inside the Petrified forest birds were good, Little Owl showed well, Cirl Bunting, Wood Warbler and Bonelli's Warbler were in, A few Pied Flycatchers had me checking each one for something rare. An Orphean Warbler had me searching the pines as this is a great little bird to see. Other cast of birds were Turtle Dove, Black eared Wheatears of both races, Crag Martins, Subalpine Warblers and Ravens. The only Raptors spotted were Lesser Kestrel and Short Toed eagle.
On the way to Sigr, 2 Eleonora's Falcons. At Sigri, the usual sea watching had many Yelkouan and a few Scopoli's shearwaters passing the bay. After lunch we headed to the Faneromeni road and passed 2 cracking, Spur winged Plovers and a stop at one of the woodlands had Pied, Collard and spotted Flycatchers, flyby singing Golden Orioles too. Wood warbler and Nightingale gave us some views too.
An Isabelline Shrike had been found at the Kalloni Saltpans in the morning as we were on our way to Sigri already. I hoped the bird would stay till our return, luckily it did and I managed great views from the sheep field. Luckily, the light was better in the evening. One last bird whilst watching the shrike was a nice Greater Short toed Lark.
Day 4 23rd April
Days were flying by but still felt relaxed as we had 2 weeks here, So Breakfast birds were 3 Grey Plover, 1 Curlew, the Great white Egret again and 18 Little Egrets, The usual waders and Terns. The Flamingos were showing well again. Today was Spent up Mount Olympus, the highest mountain on Lesvos, we were plant hunting and as we found plenty i've decided to do a separate Blog on the Orchids and plants we found here on Lesvos......Link Here once done. We parked at Agiasos and saw unusual birds such as Robin, and Song Thrush, short toed Treecreeper was nice as were a few Golden Oriole. The Greek Tortoise was under our feet almost and a Balkan Green Lizard was stunning. This took most of the day so we headed back for a rest.
Day 5 24th April
Didn't have breakfast today as I headed out early to Kalloni pans area, i'm so glad I did too as I found a very nice male Ortolan Bunting on the racetrack, accompanying birds were 6 Greater Short toed Larks and 3 Tawny Pipits. Once the crowds started to come down for the Ortolan it was time to move on. Headed to Skala Kalloni where I met Rach for a walk along the beach to the Tsiknias River picking out a nice Male Red Footed Falcon, on the sea Shag Great Crested Grebe and a few more Mediterranean Gulls. Lots of Red Throated Pipits were on the move and as were a flock of 18 Grey Herons. We headed back to pick up the car so we could take a look at Parakila Harbour where we had seen some Thread wings last year but no joy this time. Moved onto Makara and this was great for the historical giant wall that had been built here. Birdwise it was quiet with a few Greenshanks, Ruddy Shelduck, LRP and Bee eaters, Sparrowhawk was the best bird seen here. Back to Skalla for tea and whilst having a beer and some food from Sampos and Yelkouan Shearwater flew past. Barn Owl from the hotel room finished the day off.
Day 6 25th April
Picked Rach up from the hotel where she was having breakfast, whilst sat there i spotted 2 Dalmation Pelican and then 2 Red Footed Falcons on the Christou River
We then headed South past the Kavaki pools were a Richard's Pipit had been found after some searching and other birders pointing it out in the mass of heat haze i came away happy id seen it along side many wagtails, pipits and larks. Started back North East towards Skala Sikamineas where we picked out our first Roller on the wires but couldn't stop on the busier roads. At Kamasta Bridge another Roller distantly, Turtle Doves everywhere, as so it seemed were Golden Orioles. Onto Skala Sikamineas where it was great to see closer 160+ Yelkouan and 30+Scopoli's shearwaters as well as close in shag, all whilst eating our freshly caught fish lunch in the fabulous Taverners.
Moved along the coast to Molyvos where we spent some time up at the Reservoir, watching 2 Great Spotted Cuckoos, a fabulous Thrush Nightingale singing behind me in a bush and a nice pale Honey Buzzard with the local buzzards and Short toed Eagles. A roller was high up on the hill with Common Cuckoo and a few Sombra Tits. 6 Wood Pigeons and 4 Alpine Swifts were a highlight too. Onto Molyvos for tea and finish the day here. A Beech Martin whilst walking through Molyvos was a surprise. Over Petra whilst up the church a Griffon Vulture moved over west. Wow, typical though i didn't have me camera.
Day 7 26th April
Normally be going home today so it was great to wake up knowing we had another week, the day started amazingly too with a report of a Giant Peacock moth at Kalloni bay just around the corner, This is the biggest moth in Europe so i just had to go see it, what a beast. A striped Hawk Moth accompanied it too. Thanks to the hotel for sharing.
Walked some of the Tsiknias River again this time seeing a Spotted Crake and 2 Little Crakes, bird of the day however was the Great Snipe which showed only briefly to me. Black headed Buntings were now trickling in with 4 individuals singing. 1 Long legged Buzzard hunted the fields behind.
Headed past Mesa and sort of twitched a Rook that someone had found the day before, it was an Island tick so felt rude not seeing it, especially as it's the first seen since about 2002. An Osprey with fish headed over the marsh. Headed back to the east side of the pans, more Purple Herons, 2 Curlew Sand, 5 Dalmation Pelicans and 1 Spoonbill, Quail singing, 3 Gull Billed Tern and 8 More Curlew Sand. My one and only Slender Billed Gull. That was the end of the day although managed Barn Owl again in the village.
I'll Finish this blog as part 1 of my trip. I still haven't looked through any photos as I type this so i'll go do that and then you'll see the finished week 1 Blog. i'll also add that i had a new Camera just as i came out here so i'm learning as i go so the pics aren't great but good enough for now.
