Lesvos Bird News 2021 (1 Viewer)

[Mick Sway]

Week commencing 21 March 2020
A influx of migrating and breeding birds has been reported this week .
The weather has been described as inclement with showers , with temperatures rarely above 10c
Eressos :
Movements of hoopoe, barn swallow, common swift, alpine swift, black headed wagtails and grey heron reported.

 

[Mick Sway]

25 March 2021 Spur Winged Plover Alykes / Kalloni Salt Pans
On a day when Lesvos endures another cold snap and Agiassos resembles a Christmas card scene ,
local wildlife enthusiast Petros Tsakmakis, turned up two passing Spur Winged Plovers at Alykes.
Telephone photo with his kind permission.
As reported on local naturalist Eleni Galinou's Facebook Group.

​

 

[Mick Sway]

25/03/21 Eressos - Falcons
My expat Eressos resident correspondent, reports on Lesvos Birders Facebook group :
"A flight of 9 small Falcons over my place early morning today (Red-Footed/Hobby size)".
The more likely of the two would be Red Footed Falcons.
Also below a couple of images posted by Steve from earlier this week of feldegg yellow wagtail
and a large influx of grey heron, no doubt weather inspired.
Photos with his permission.

 

[Mick Sway]

26 March 2021 Kalloni Salt Pans - Pallid Harrier
Eleni Galinou found a beautiful male Pallid Harrier at Kalloni Salt Pans this morning.
As reported on Lesvos Bird News Facebook Group.

 

[Mick Sway]

28 March 2021 - Kalloni Salt Pans
Spoonbills and Slender Billed gull
As reported today on Lesvos Birders Facebook group.
Local wildlife enthusiast Mirsini Kladogeni has kindly given permission to reproduce her images here.
No specific dates or numbers of species are available, other that March 2021.

 

[Mick Sway]

A great place to keep up with new arrivals is Eleni's Kalloni Environmental Centre Website :
Click on the link above for your up to date Lesvos Bird News.
Sub-alpine Warbler (Sylvia cantillans) - Mar 13, a male, Eftalou - Molivos (Christos Samaras) | Mar 28, a male, Kalloni Pans
Common Whitethroat (Sylvia communis) - Mar 26, Kalloni Pans SE fields
Lesser Whitethroat (Sylvia curruca) - Mar 28, 1 ind. Tsichliontas river
Eastern Orphean Warbler (Sylvia hortensis) - Mar 28, 1 singing male near Parakila
Sedge Warbler (Acrocephalus schoenobaenus) - Mar 26, Kalloni Pans SW fields | Mar 28, 2 ind. Tsichliontas river
Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus scirpaceus) - Mar 28, Kalloni Pans
Great Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus arundinaceus) - Mar 28, 1 ind. Tsichliontas river
Redstart (Phoenicurus phoenicurus) - Mar 24, 2 males, Charamida | 28 Mar, 1 male, Tsichliontas river
Northern Wheatear (Oenanthe oenanthe) - Mar 26, 2 males, Mitilini , 2 males, Kalloni Pans S fields, 1 male, Pamfila Mar 28, 2 males near Makara
Black-eared Wheatear (Oenanthe hispanica) - Mar 28, a pair at Makara, 2 ind. near Agra
Spur-winged Plover (Vanellus spinosus) - Mar 25, 2 ind., Kalloni Pans SW fields , still present on Mar 26
Oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus) - Mar 26, 5 ind., Kalloni Pans coast | still present on the 28th
Wood Sandpiper (Tringa glareola) - Mar 13, 3 ind. in the south fields of the Kalloni Salt Pans SW
Green Sandpiper (Tringa ochropus) - Mar 6, 2 ind. Messa
Marsh Sandpiper (Tringa stagnatilis) - Mar 28, 1 ind. Kalloni Salt Pans
Spotted Redshank (Tringa erythropus) - Mar 28, 1 ind. Kalloni Pans canal
Black-tailed Godwit (Limosa limosa) - Mar 6, 22 ind. Kalloni Salt Pans SW parts
Ruff (Calidris pugnax) - Mar 6, 45 ind. Kalloni Salt Pans SW parts
Click on the link above for up to date Lesvos Bird news
Black-winged Stilt - Mar 21, 10 ind. Polichnitos Salt Pans Mar 25 & 26, 7 ind. Kalloni Pans SW fields
Little Ringed Plover (Charadrius dubius) - Mar 24, 1 ind., Skala Kallonis Mar 28, 1 ind. Kalloni Pans canal & a pair at Makara estuary

 

[Mick Sway]

3 April 2021 Kalloni / Polichnitos Salt Pans
Further evidence of ongoing migration with photographs shared on Facebook of :
Glossy ibis, Purple Heron, Wood Sandpiper, Little ringed plover,Redshank, Marsh Sandpiper, Northern wheatears, hoopoe.
No counts given.
See images below reproduced by kind permission , with the credits of local wildlife enthusiasts as stated.

 

[Mick Sway]

4th April 2021
Ipsilou Area
Eleni Galinou reports an influx of Cinereous and Cretzschmar's Buntings.

Meladia Valley
A few collared flycatchers seen.

Alykes Wetland
Mersini Kladogeni reports Garganey Anas querquedula and Ferruginous Duck Aythya nyroca at Alykes Wetland

The above as reported on Lesvos Bird News Facebook Group , no counts stated.

 

[Mick Sway]

6th April 2021
Gulf of Kalloni
Yelkouan Shearwaters 3000+ as reported by Eleni Galinou

Chalandra River, Eressos

Collared flycatchers, night and purple Heron reported by Eressos resident Steve Bird - no counts stated

Reports as they appear on Lesvos Bird News Facebook Group. Images with permission and thanks.

 

[Mick Sway]

02 April 2021 Kalloni Salt Pans - late news
Mersini Kladogeni found a Eurasian Bittern , see her photo below.

 

[Mick Sway]

9 April 2021
Kalloni Salt Pans
E Galinou reports 14 Gull Billed Terns in at the pans.
Lesvos Bird News Facebook group.

Water levels at Alykes Wetland are good for anyone interested.
Another spring missed due to covid.

 

[Mick Sway]

10 April 2021 Perama - south island , Gulf of Gera
Local report of the first little crake of the season reported along with sedge warblers.

 

[Mick Sway]

17 April 2021 - Ipsilou - Hooded wheatear
After a relatively quiet time , outside of the expected species for the time of year, Eleni Galinou
was able to bring us the fantastic news of a mega rarity for Greece , spotted during a migration
monitoring exercise in the Petrified Forest Park zone, a Hooded Wheatear (Oenanthe monacha)
was well watched for sometime yesterday. More details here.

 

[Mick Sway]

Ipsilou 22/04/21 Barred Warbler
Struggling for reports outside of the ordinary at the moment.
However I did get permission for the attached photo today.
Thanks to ASalafa Deri , on Lesvos Bird News.

 

[Mick Sway]

23 April 2021
Haramida - Charamida
Wryneck
Mesa Wetland
Citrine wagtail - female
Spur winged plover
Ferruginous Ducks 2

 

[Mick Sway]

24/04/21
Kalloni Salt Pans
Eurasian Bittern

Plus selection of images from the past few days , including the above, with credits as they appear on Lesvos Bird News.

 

[Mick Sway]

30 April 2021
Although Greece is slowly opening up to travellers, as far as I'm aware the 21:00 to 05:00 curfew remains in place
as do travel restrictions for Greek Nationals.
On the birding front , most of the annual breeding bird species are now in, with European bee eater ,, black headed bunting
and masked shrike being reported over the past week. No lesser grey's as yet.
Eressos
Local resident Steve Bird , reporting on his own patch of fields found a red breasted flycatcher yesterday.

 

[Mick Sway]

02 May 2021
Eressos - Rufous bush chat Cercotrichas galactotes
First of the season reported by local resident Steve bird

 

[Mick Sway]

06 May 2021 Kalloni Salt Pans
A few images appearing on Face book of common migrant waders and marsh terns.
Photos attached by permission of local resident ex pat , Steve Bird.
Achladeri
A Krüper's nuthatch territory/nest site has been located by locals.

No counts available sadly.

 

[Mick Sway]

10 May 2021
Kalloni Salt Pans
Dalmatian pelicans x 6 reported by, local conservationist, Eleni Galinou
Imerti Hotel , Skala Kalloni, pine trees
Long eared owls , 2 young fledged, even though the pines have been, apparently trimmed.
Other than the above images of all the regular migrating passerines ie : buntings, shrikes, warblers and wading birds
are being shared on facebook. However no recent rarities.
Talking of Lesvos rare birds , on this day in 2017 , I found a pectoral sandpiper at Alkoudi Pool.

Tsiknias River
Local wildlife enthusiast , Michael Bakas gave me permission to share images of the
recently excavated of vegetation Tsiknias River , apparently one of the Rosey Starling, old Mulberry trees
at the main ford, has been taken down too. This work has been carried in order to help prevent "winter flooding".
This imop is a very naive approach as the shrubs , bushes and trees help to stabalise the riverbanks.
It's been proven all around the world, removing it leads to erosion, land slides etc.
I'm not a structural engineer though.

Image: April 2021 Tsknias River , upstream near the abattoir , I believe.