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Lesvos Bird News 2022 (1 Viewer)

Mick Sway

Well-known member
United Kingdom
Lesvos Bird News 2022
Thought I'd start this, even if I don't finish it in 2022.
These updates are designed for those who are not in the Facebook groups but are still interested in the bird news.
You can catch Eleni Galinou's Lesvos Bird News updates here, but you will have to join to see her reports.
Worth visiting our new Lesvos Birders Web site, especially if you are interested in viewing Steve Dudley's annual
Lesvos Bird Reports 2009 -2015 , you can download a PDF from the Web Site here.
Other contributions welcome , in comments, if you have independent news.

Jan & Feb 2022
Late Jan and early February were characterised by freezing conditions , including snow on the hills of Mt.Olympus and above Agiassos.
Bird wise, there were few reports , except those for overwintering birds including Flamingo, grey heron, great and little egret ,
(there was little news of wildfowl flocks). Overwintering migrants included Kingfisher, black redstart, dunnock, robin, serin along
with the odd siskin( scarce on Lesvos), skylark, common starling, stonechat and cornbuntings.
Raptor reports were very thin on the ground, with the exception of sparrowhawk, kestrel, common and long-legged buzzard.

Soumaria, Eucalyptus plantation - scops owl site
The bad news for Spring visitors has been the decimation of the Soumaria, (also known as the " minisoccer pitch" site.) Eucalyptus plantation.
The local authority suddenly decided to take the chain saw to the Eucalyptus trees, rendering them branch less and offering no cover for
the scops owls that breed there every spring (image below).

This last week there has been a few sightings of scarcer birds worth reporting as follow

Kalloni Salt Pans area
Cattle egret - Bubulcus ibis 20/02/22 cc S Zannetos
Hen Harrier (Circus cyaneus) Alykes 23/02/22 cc M Kladogeni
Loutra Village
Laughing dove (Spilopelia senegalensis) 24/02/22 cc V Triboulot

Perasma Reservoir 26/02/22
Garganey -rare for Lesvos - H Vaughan

Perama, Gulf of Gera 26/02/22
First swallow and house martin of Spring - E Galinou

Kalloni Salt Pans 26/02/22
Pallid Harrier ( Circus macrourus) 26/02/22 cc M Kladogeni
Golden plover - there is currently a debate about what species (finder S Zannetos)
ie Pluvialis apricaria, Pacific GP p.fulva or American GP,p.dominica

Credits for images as stated above.
 

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  • Soumaria  Eucalyptus plantation Lesvos former scops owl site cc G Laskaridis 240222.jpg
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26 Feb 2022 - As reported by visiting birder H Vaughan, first day on the island
Kavaki
Yellow-legged Gull 100's
Med Gulls 21
Audouin's gull 1
Shags
Yelkouan Shearwater 1
Greater Flamingos 71 - heading towards Turkey
Sardinian Warblers singing
Robins, Wrens and a couple of Dunnocks
Middle Spotted Woodpecker calling
Rock Nuthatch + Chaffinches + Goldfinches

Perasma Reservoir
Yellow-legged Gull
YLGs,
Ruddy Shelduck 14
Black-necked Grebe 1
Cormorant
Garganey 2
Long-legged Buzzard 2
Common Buzzards
Sparrowhawk
Kestrel
Cirl Buntings
Robins
Blackbirds
Song Thrushes
Dunnocks 2
Sardinian Warblers
Serin invisibly sang.

Molivos Castle
Black Redstart 12
Jackdaws
Little Owl called

Klapados Woodlands
Goshawks 2
Sombre Tits
Blackcaps
Wood Nuthatch w

Skala Kalloni Pool
Coot, Teal and Little Egrets.

Lotzaria and along the Tsiknias River
Meadow Pipits 120
Corn Bunting
Chaffinch
Woodlarks 7
Chiffchaffs -several
Siberian Chiffchaff (tristis) - seen and singing
Reed Buntings 4
Cetti's Warblers
White Wagtail
Green Sandpiper
Common and Long Legged Buzzards
Peregrine

Alykes Wetlands, Racecourse and Fields
Goldfinches, Linnets, Chaffinches, Greenfinches and Serins
Crested Larks
Skylark 23 birds + Meadow Pipits
Black Redstarts 3
Stonechats
Kestrel
Marsh Harriers 3
Great White Egrets 5
Ruddy Shelduck 129
Common shelducks

Kalloni Salt Pans
Black-tailed Godwits 2
Redshank
Little Stint 4
Curlew 4
Grey Plover
Spoonbills 9
Great Whites egret
Greater Flamingos (flock)
Wigeon 168
Gadwall 8
Shoveler 62
Mallard 14
Teal 6
Beach area
Curlew 8
Grey Plover 1
Slender-billed Gulls 3
Black-headed gulls
Sandwich Terns 11

Kalloni Bay
Great Crested Grebes 268
Black-necked Grebes 8
Red-breasted Mergansers 4
Black-throated Divers 4.

Christou River
Goshawk
 
Alykes Wetland 27/02/2022
One of the key questions a visiting Spring birder asks, is what is the state of the wetland ?
Occasionaly the spring rains fail and the area remains dry , but barring the onset of a heat wave, it's looking good
for when the migrating waders and herons arrive.
Eleni Galinou kindly sent me an image this morning, adding that further rain is expected this week.

Alykes.jpg
 
27 Feb 2022 - Sightings as reported by visiting birder H Vaughan
Worth a mention that black redstarts, dunnock & common thrushes are winter birds and seldom seen by Spring Birders.
Firecrest is rare on Lesvos

A cooler, cloudier day
Skoutaros to Skalachori
Siskins
Mistle Thrushes
Song Thrushes
Robins
Wren
Dunnock
Black Redstarts, 2
Cirl Buntings singing
Middle Spotted Woodpeckers 3 t
Wood Nuthatch 2

Ancient Antissa
Meadow Pipit
Greenfinch
Blue Rock Thrush
Chiffchaffs
Black Redstarts,
Robins
Sombre Tits
Ruddy Shelduck
Great White Egret
Green Sandpiper
Skylarks 17 a
Woodlarks 5 g
Goldfinches
Chaffinches
House Martins 9
Jackdaws 80
Hooded Crows
Raven
Common Buzzards
Steppe Buzzard candidate

Perivolis Monastery
Wood Nuthatch
Hawfinch calling
Siskins
Grey wagtail
White Wagtails
Kingfisher called
Black Redstarts
Black Stork
Long-legged
Common Buzzards
House Martins 4
Eastern Long-tailed Tits
Firecrests seen & singing’
 
28 Feb 2022 - Sightings as reported by visiting birder H Vaughan
Lotzaria and the Tsiknias
Woodlarks 11 - near the river mouth bandstand
Greenshank
Redshank
Green Sandpiper w
Chiffchaffs 30 j
Siberian Chiffchaff
Reed Buntings 5

Ruff 2
Skylarks and Meadow Pipits - small flock
Corn Buntings

Alykes Wetlands
Ruddy Shelduck 70
Golden Plover 3
Siberian Stonechat 2

Common Snipe
Serin 21
Yelkouan Shearwaters very large passage out at seas
Wildfowl - as yesterday

Metochi
Coot and Little Grebes
Cormorants 2
Sardinian Warblers

Kerami Reservoir up the Potamia
Coot and Little Grebes and a solitary Great Crested
Common Sandpiper 3
House Martins 25
Crag Martins 12
Long-legged Buzzard 2
Common Buzzard
Chiffchaff
Siberian Chiffchaff
Hen Harrier female

Potamia River mouth
Merganser 4

Sandwich Terns

Salt Pans
Flamingos (about 1284)
Dalmatian Pelican
Avocets 6
Black-tailed Godwit 3
Little Stint 80
Greenshank
Grey Plover 3
Redshank 30
Pintail -female
Great White Egrets 8
Pallid Harriers 2 first-winter & adult female.

Skala Kalloni
Barn Owl

Siberian Stonechat - heavy crop - cc H Vaughan
Siberian stonechat (Saxicola maurus) Alykes Lesvos 280222 cc H Vaughan.JPG
 
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01 March 2022 -Sightings as reported by visiting birder H Vaughan

Tsiknias Lower Ford & River

Barn Swallow
House Martins
Ruff 2
Snipe
Green Sandpiper
Reed Buntings
Spoonbills 2
Great white & little Egret
Slender Billed Gull

Parakilia
shearwaters - great raft
Flamingos and Egrets
Kingfishers 2
Siberian Chiffchaffs 4 calling
Chiffchaff 11

Pithariou Reservoir
Yellow-legged Gulls
Crag Martins 14
House Martins 12
Grey and White Wagtails - on the river.

Skala Eresou
Buzzards 6
Ravens 14

Faneromeni - upper ford almost birdless

Ipsilou (Chukars 2 - Petrified Forest)
Common Buzzard 1
False Apollo butterfly

Perivolis
Firecrest
Siskins

Kalloni Saltpans and Mesa
Black Stork and a few Flamingos
Dunlin 43
Grey Plover 8
Golden Plover 9
Kentish Plovers 2
Curlew 21
Marsh Harriers 2
Northern shoveler
Garganey 6
Pintail 2

Alykes sheepfield

Pallid Harrier juv
Hen Harrier - adult male
Reed Buntings & Meadow Pipits
Stonechat.

Papiana and Kerami

Long-eared owl 2
Scops Owl 2
 
02 March 2022 -Sightings as reported by visiting birder H Vaughan
Conditions cold and gusty


Tsiknias lower ford.
Chiffchaff
Reed Buntings 2
Sparrowhawk
Ruff 2
House Martins 24
Barn swallow
On round the Bay with a stop at
Mesa & Gulf
Great-crested Grebes raft offshore - 1196
Black-necked Grebe
Mergansers 2
Yelkouan Shearwaters 6
Sandwich Terns 45

Achladeri
Kruper's Nuthatch - calling
Chaffinches
Short-toed Treecreeper
Eastern Long-tailed Tit
Coal Tit

Gulf Coastal Road
Golden Plover

Polichinitos salt pans

Greater Flamingos 32
Dunlin 11
Little Stint
Redshank 6
Kentish Plovers 3
Reed Buntings 2

Mikri Limni
Short-toed Treecreeper
Eastern Long-tailed Tits
Siberian Chiffchaff
Goldcrest 3
Firecrests 2

Great White Egret

Dipi Larsou
House Martins flock
Cetti's Warblers
Coot 2
Water Pipit
Hen Harrier female
Marsh Harrier 2 female
Chiffchaff 2
Robins
Moustached Warbler 4

Evergetoulas Bridge
Grey wagtail 2

Mesa Sanctuary
Cirl buntings & Serins

Alykes Sheepfields
Skylarks s
Serin flock 30
Common starling 2

Image cc Howard Vaughan Achladeri, 02/03/22 - Long-tailed Tit Aegithalos caudatus alpinus
1646251954429.jpeg
 
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03 March 2022 -Sightings as reported by visiting birder H Vaughan
Conditions : bright and gusty
Dipi Larsou reed bed, ringing with Eleni Galinou and Stylianos f
Cetti's Warblers,Water Rail and Little Grebe vocal
Water Pipit
Reed Buntings 2
Net Result
House Martins dropped in and Buzzards and Marsh Harriers were above the reeds.
Net result, a single :
Moustached Warbler - weighed and fat scored and released, pre ringed as first trapped on the 5th December 2021

Loutra
Laughing Dove
( first found breeding in 2021)

Mesa
Marsh Harriers 3 female terrorising the ducks and waders.

Skala Kalloni Salt Pans
Hen Harrier 2

Wigeon 150
Shoveler 60
Teal 42
Mallard 18
Gadwall 26
Pintail 2
Grey Plover 12
Ruff 14
Golden Plover 2 + 45 more were out circling Alykes
Spoonbills 9
Starlings were gathering, parties of Larks and Meadow Pipits

Skala Kalloni
Long-eared and Scops Owls - calling.

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbi...fYVWlXqXI-b-HC2MibBoosSC4snC4Y&[B]tn[/B]=EH-R
laughing dove (Spilopelia senegalensis) , Loutra , 03/03/22 cc H Vaughan
May be an image of bird and outdoors

moustached warbler (Acrocephalus melanopogon) Loutra, 03/03/22 cc H Vauhgan



May be an image of bird and nature

 
04 March 2022 -Sightings as reported by visiting birder H Vaughan, before flying home today
Conditions : grey and heavy rain

Tsiknias River Mouth
Cormorants 100+
Great White Egret 2
Grey Heron
Spoonbills 4

Lotzaria and Kalloni Saltpans
Hen Harrier male
Meadow Pipits and Skylarks
Chiffchaffs
Reed Bunting
Ruff 3 i
Dunnocks 2
Long-legged Buzzard
Marsh Harriers
Corn Buntings
Flamingoes

Alykes Sheepfields
Mergansers 2 female
Great Crested Grebe
Sandwich Terns 13
Ruddy Shelducks

Kalloni Raptor Watchpoint
Ravens 45

Perasma Reservoir
Green Sandpiper
Long-legged
Common Buzzard

Kavaki
Black Redstart

Thank you Howard
Howards's reports are much more detailed in terms of habitat , occasional flora and insects.
You can catch up with them here , if you are on Facebook.
 
08 March 2022
Eressos Beach Road - first Spring record

One of 3 returning Hoopoe' s (upapa epops) seen by local wildlife enthusiast Steve

Hoopoe  Upupa Epops  Eressos 080322 cc Steve.jpg
 
Not Bird News , but Lesvos weather 10/03/22
Spring has not yet arrived , with freezing temperatures persisting into this week end.
Actually snowing today on the hills.
Lesvos Weather 10 March 2022.JPG
 
Having been away for the past week , here are some updates.
Sat 19 March 2022
Lesvos' cold snap continues with snow falling on the hills this morning.
Spring 2022 Migration News from Lesvos Bird News Facebook Group
Kalloni Salt Pans

11/03/22
First Short-toed Eagle (E Galinou)
Great white egrets 18, Spoonbill 5 (Mario Polypathelli)
17/03/22
Zitting cisticola Kalloni SP Alykes/sheep fields ( S Zannetos) - still a scarce breeding species on Lesvos
Mesa wetland
18/03/22
Gargany 3 Ferruginous Ducks 4 (E Galinou)
Parakoila Marsh
18/03/22
First Black-winged Stint x 6 (Mario Polypathelli)
Eressos (Steve ex pat resident)
12/03/22
First Northern Wheatear
13/03/22
Garganey on sea x 15
 

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Migration news
General info week ending 26/03/22

Several hundred white storks were seen over the Chalandra River , Eressos over the 20-21st March.
Good numbers of wildfowl including , Ferruginous Duck , Garganey and Shoveler have
been seen at Skala Kalloni salt pans, Mesa Wetland and Eressos.
A flock of Mediterranean gull were at Haramida on the 23rd
Full updates on Lesvos Bird News facebook group.

24/03/22
Skala Kalloni

Still a rare bird on Lesvos , vagrant only with a few sightings annually.
Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis - foraging in a garden , found by local photographer Aris Christidis (images by permission & thanks )

25/03/22
Eressos

Glossy Ibis - a single, the first of the season

Images
Glossy Ibis (CC Steve, Eressos) Cattle Egret (CC Aris Christidis) Gull, Kalloni Harbour (CC Aris Christidis)
 

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Weekend 26-27 March 2022
While the white storks are back on the nest at Kalloni the temperatures have picked up into the mid teens c.
A few waders are coming through in small numbers, including at Kalloni Salt Pans & surrounds:
whimbrel (scarce on Lesvos), spotted redshanks and greenshank.
Northern wheatears have been reported at most coastal locations.
Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus) at the Tsiknias River mouth 27/03/22 by permission of local enthusiast Mirsini Kladogeni.
 

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Migration update
29/03/21 Kalloni Salt Pans - first Wood sandpiper of Spring, possibly the commonest spring wader
30/03/21 Militlini - Eleni Galinou reports 6 common swifts over the port.
Image :Wood Sandpiper Tringa Glareola Kalloni Salt Pans 29/03/21 CC Mirsini Kladogeni
(green sandpier and spotted redshank also at the same location)

Wood Sandpiper Tringa Glareola Kalloni Salt Pans 290321 CC Mirsini Kladogeni.jpg

 
More birds are on the move, some Lesvos Spring firsts, as reported by Eleni Galinou on the Lesvos Birdnews group :
31/03/22 firsts
Haramida

Cretzschmar's bunting (Emberiza caesia) Rüppell's warbler (Curruca ruppeli)
Arisvi fields
Woodchat Shrike (Lanius senator)
 
1st April 2022
Spring arrivals as reported on Observation.org
Yellow wags are in :
Tsiknias River:
Blue headed yellow wagtail M.flava
Black headed yellow wagtails M.f.feldegg
A Dutch birder photographed the above this morning.
 
2nd April 2022 - just arrived
From Lesvos Bird News Facebook group
Alykes Wetland
Red throated pipits - small flock
From Observation.org
Skala Kalloni
Field between Caprice Taverna and the outdoor disco
Cattle Egret bubulcus ibis
Alykes Wetland (Sheep field)
Wigeon mareca penelope x 6

 
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