CactusD
ἀρχός οἰω
15th April, Lesvos Day 2
Today I was up bright and early for another visit to Metochi Lake, followed by a drive to the Kalloni saltpans via the Tsiknias River, plus a drive down to the race-track area past the saltworks, and a walk in the sheep fields area. The weather was (unusually!) sunny. After lunch, I went down to Achladeri Forest, and then back up to Kalloni for another trip around the saltpans and sheep fields. Altogether a highly productive day, including 6 lifers.
The Metochi Lake area (and the short drive there) produced the following birds today:
Yellow-legged Gull, Hooded Crow, Swallow, Swift, Moorhen, Reed Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Great Reed Warbler, Squacco Heron, Purple Heron, Cetti’s Warbler, Little Crake (3+), Kingfisher, House Sparrow, Corn Bunting, Crested Lark, Common Whitethroat, Lesser Whitethroat, Jay, Blue Tit, and Little Grebe.
Seeing the Crakes agile enough to clamber all the way up the Phragmites was very cool, as was seeing the stunning Squacco Heron in the beautiful dawn light.
The Tsiknias River area then produced the following:
Collared Dove, Common Tern, Greenshank, Little Egret, Yellow Wagtail, Green Sandpiper, Ringed Plover, Little Ringed Plover, Flamingo, Great White Egret, Little Bittern (1), Nightingale.
The Saltpans and flooded fields produced (just on a drive-by):
Wood Sandpiper, Black Stork (1), Avocet, Black-winged Stilt, Ruff, Little Stint (3+), Glossy Ibis, Ruddy Shelduck (2), Marsh Harrier, White Wagtail, Dunlin.
The Sheepfields / Alykes wetlands produced:
Alpine Swift, Stone Curlew (1), Common Shelduck, Northern Wheatear, plus 1 Common Curlew on the shore, and 3 Black-necked Grebes offshore in the gulf.
After lunch it was time to try my luck with Krüper’s Nuthatch. 2 were finally located at the well-known stump, though they were quite hard to find – and it subsequently turned out during the next couple of weeks that the birds had abandoned the stump they’d used for the last few years. On this visit I managed 2 sightings in 2.5 hours, with no photos, so I’d have to come back again and have another look.
Birds here were as follows:
Woodchat Shrike, Tree Pipit, Short-toed Eagle, Sparrowhawk, Chaffinch, Great Tit, Blackbird, Krüper’s Nuthatch (2), Chiffchaff, Long-legged Buzzard, Masked Shrike.
Late afternoon took me back to the Saltpans and associated wetlands. This time round I picked up:
Hoopoe (2), Cormorant, Hen Harrier (f), Gull-billed Tern, Short-toed Lark, Tawny Pipit, Common Kestrel, Curlew Sandpiper, Kentish Plover.
Day-list: 70, including 7 lifers.
Day 2 updates to the year list:
134. GREAT REED WARBLER
135. Squacco Heron
136. Common Kingfisher
137. Lesser Whitethroat
138. Green Sandpiper
139. Great White Egret
140. LITTLE BITTERN
141. Common Nightingale
142. Wood Sandpiper
143. BLACK STORK
144. Avocet
145. Little Stint
146. RUDDY SHELDUCK
147. Marsh Harrier
148. Alpine Swift
149. STONE CURLEW
150. Northern Wheatear
151. Black-necked Grebe
152. Woodchat Shrike
153. Tree Pipit
154. Short-toed Eagle
155. KRÜPER’S NUTHATCH
156. Masked Shrike
157. Hoopoe
158. Hen Harrier
159. GULL-BILLED TERN
160. Short-toed Lark
161. Tawny Pipit
162. Curlew Sandpiper
163. Kentish Plover
Some shots below
Today I was up bright and early for another visit to Metochi Lake, followed by a drive to the Kalloni saltpans via the Tsiknias River, plus a drive down to the race-track area past the saltworks, and a walk in the sheep fields area. The weather was (unusually!) sunny. After lunch, I went down to Achladeri Forest, and then back up to Kalloni for another trip around the saltpans and sheep fields. Altogether a highly productive day, including 6 lifers.
The Metochi Lake area (and the short drive there) produced the following birds today:
Yellow-legged Gull, Hooded Crow, Swallow, Swift, Moorhen, Reed Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Great Reed Warbler, Squacco Heron, Purple Heron, Cetti’s Warbler, Little Crake (3+), Kingfisher, House Sparrow, Corn Bunting, Crested Lark, Common Whitethroat, Lesser Whitethroat, Jay, Blue Tit, and Little Grebe.
Seeing the Crakes agile enough to clamber all the way up the Phragmites was very cool, as was seeing the stunning Squacco Heron in the beautiful dawn light.
The Tsiknias River area then produced the following:
Collared Dove, Common Tern, Greenshank, Little Egret, Yellow Wagtail, Green Sandpiper, Ringed Plover, Little Ringed Plover, Flamingo, Great White Egret, Little Bittern (1), Nightingale.
The Saltpans and flooded fields produced (just on a drive-by):
Wood Sandpiper, Black Stork (1), Avocet, Black-winged Stilt, Ruff, Little Stint (3+), Glossy Ibis, Ruddy Shelduck (2), Marsh Harrier, White Wagtail, Dunlin.
The Sheepfields / Alykes wetlands produced:
Alpine Swift, Stone Curlew (1), Common Shelduck, Northern Wheatear, plus 1 Common Curlew on the shore, and 3 Black-necked Grebes offshore in the gulf.
After lunch it was time to try my luck with Krüper’s Nuthatch. 2 were finally located at the well-known stump, though they were quite hard to find – and it subsequently turned out during the next couple of weeks that the birds had abandoned the stump they’d used for the last few years. On this visit I managed 2 sightings in 2.5 hours, with no photos, so I’d have to come back again and have another look.
Birds here were as follows:
Woodchat Shrike, Tree Pipit, Short-toed Eagle, Sparrowhawk, Chaffinch, Great Tit, Blackbird, Krüper’s Nuthatch (2), Chiffchaff, Long-legged Buzzard, Masked Shrike.
Late afternoon took me back to the Saltpans and associated wetlands. This time round I picked up:
Hoopoe (2), Cormorant, Hen Harrier (f), Gull-billed Tern, Short-toed Lark, Tawny Pipit, Common Kestrel, Curlew Sandpiper, Kentish Plover.
Day-list: 70, including 7 lifers.
Day 2 updates to the year list:
134. GREAT REED WARBLER
135. Squacco Heron
136. Common Kingfisher
137. Lesser Whitethroat
138. Green Sandpiper
139. Great White Egret
140. LITTLE BITTERN
141. Common Nightingale
142. Wood Sandpiper
143. BLACK STORK
144. Avocet
145. Little Stint
146. RUDDY SHELDUCK
147. Marsh Harrier
148. Alpine Swift
149. STONE CURLEW
150. Northern Wheatear
151. Black-necked Grebe
152. Woodchat Shrike
153. Tree Pipit
154. Short-toed Eagle
155. KRÜPER’S NUTHATCH
156. Masked Shrike
157. Hoopoe
158. Hen Harrier
159. GULL-BILLED TERN
160. Short-toed Lark
161. Tawny Pipit
162. Curlew Sandpiper
163. Kentish Plover
Some shots below
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