Lesvos Bird Reports 2017 (2 Viewers)

[Mick Sway]

10/09/17

Please forgive any spelling or other errors as I am working from a phone, all thumbs no fingers
Various other reports :
Eressos
Cycling around Skala Eresou this afternoon, 3 Hobby flew over, 1 Goshawk, 1 Eleanor's Falcon, loads of Red Rumped Swallows, 2 flocks of Bee-eater flew over, heard but not seen.
7. - 9 a.m. 10th September

Tsiknias lower ford and fields nearby.

Four Temminck's stints at the ford (photo to follow)
Many willow warbler
Several red backed shrikes
Three northern wheatear
Two corn bunting
Whinchat
One hoopoe
Many yellow wagtails ( fewer than two days ago. Hay now baled in field)
Kalloni Salt Pans
Eastern end Kalloni salt pans

Two Dalmatian pelicans
Four black storks
Many flamingoes
One black tailed godwit
One redshank
Four great egret
Two northern wheatear
Many avocet, grey heron, cormorant, little egret

Yesterday 09/09/17
Skala Kalloni
Christou River PM. 1 White Stork 6 Black Storks many Grey heron 10 Kentish plovers 1 Great White Egret 6 Little Egret 1 Kingfisher 1 Eleonora's falcon 2 Lesser grey shrike 2 Curlew 2 Northern Wheatear
Eressos
A Short Toed Eagle this morning just below Mesotopus. 6 Wood and 2 Green Sands on a small marsh between Eressos and Mesotopus and 5-6 Golden Oriole around Skala Eresou over the last couple of days.

 

[Mick Sway]

11/09/17 Out West

Mon 11/09/17
11/09/2001 was sadly a very bad day for all, it was also the last time that we were on the island in September .
Lardia Valley
Late afternoon 5 bee eaters on a wire.
Ipsilou
Long legged buzzard
5 ravens
Black eared and northern wheatears
Spot flies
Willow warbler
Mt.Ordimonas
Black eared wheatear
Linnet
Rock nuthatch
Bee-eaters - literally hundreds swarming overhead heading south.

Faneromeni
Small numbers of yellow wags and red backed shrikes.
Northern and blackeared wheatears - haven't seen any of the dark throated ones today.
Nothing like what passed through Kalloni SP last week.

Petrified Forest
Common kestrel
Lots wheatear
Rock nuthatch
Whinchat
Linnet

Skoutoris
Black kite

Car thermometer peaked at 31 too hot to get out and walk.Hope it's better for others if they venture out West.

 

[Mick Sway]

11/09/17 Other Reports

11/09/17 Other birders reports
Eresos
A pr of Black Redstarts in Skala Eresou this morning, and 25 Bee-eaters flying over. Monastery reservoir had 2 Hobby, 1 Ruddy Shelduck, 3 Little Grebe, 2 Sombre tits and 1 each of Common, Green and Wood Sandpipers.
North coast

Molyvos Marianthi apts this morning 10+ Red-rumped Swallow, Bee-eater over, Whinchat & Northern Wheatear. North coast track late morning/early afternoon 8 Audouin's Gull together 3 km east of Efthalou. Northern Wheatear, Marsh Harrier south.

Kalloni SP Napi
Black Kite drifted North over west side of Kalloni pans at 16:50. Earlier today quite a few (c40) Honey Buzzards just west of Napi. Worth keeping an eye out for the Kite to drift back later. Single Black Kite also yesterday in off north coast.

Kalloni SP
2 juvenile Montagu's harrier over Kalloni saltpans fields @12.23 also Marsh harrier (female)through @ 12.30 . 20+ Bee-eater at Tisknias river mouth.

 

[Mick Sway]

Tues 22/09/17

12/09/17
Petra
Short toed eagle
Tsknias Ford
Temmincks stint 1
Wood warbler
Lozaria track
Bee-eaters 46
Monte's 1
Common buzzard 1
Pipits,wagtails, willow warblers and shrikes
Northern wheatear and whinchats
Achladeri
Kingfisher
Poly Pans
Marsh sandpiper
Redshank & spotted redshank
Greenshank
Curlewsands
Little and ringed plover
Blackwinged stilts
Avocet
Little egret
Flamingo
Med gull
Black headed gull
Yellow legged gull
Sandwich tern
All the above relatively common/ watchable.
Also
Slender billed gull 3
Black tern juv 1
Woodchat shrike adult 1
Hoopoe 1
Plus common shrikes, wheatear, whinchat.credted lark ect.

Kalloni Salt Pans
Dalmatian pelican 2
Great White egret 5
Stone curlew 12
Other reports
5 spoonbill at Mesa Wetland am
Raptor watchpoint above S.sykamenia midday.
3 Short-toed Eagles , 1 light phase booted Eagle ,long-legged buzzard and 2 common buzzard.
Eresos
1 Shag, 1 Black Stork,3 Common Buzzard,4 Moorhen, 1 Coot, 1 Yellow Legged Gull, 3 Rock Dove, 4 Collared Dove, 2 Turtle Dove, 1 Hoopoe, 25 Bee-Eater, c20 Crested Lark, Barn Swallow, many Red Rumped Swallow, House Martin, Sand Martin, 1 Tawny Pipit, several Yellow Wagtail, 1 Nightingale, few Northern Wheater, c25 Black Eared Wheatear, 1 Blackbird, 1 Blue Rock Thrush, 2 Blackcap, 1 Whitethroat, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 1 Olivaceous Warbler, loads of Willow Warbler, 2 Cettis Warbler,several Spotted Flys, 1 Lesser Grey, 1 Woodchat and many Red Backed Shrikes, 4 Jay, Jackdaw, Hooded Crow, House sparrow, 4 Greenfinch,

Field opposite Imerti Hotel, Scala Kalloni: Tawny pipit 3, Woodchat shrike 1 juv, RB shrike 2, Lesser grey shrike 1, White wagtail 1, Yellow wagtail 50+
Kalloni SP
9 Slender-billed Gulls Kalloni Saltpans, also many Little Stint and single Temminck's Stint early afternoon. 40 Bee-eater Lozaria late morning. 150+ Yellow Wags & 2 Whinchat Tsiknias River fields.

Potamia Reservoir 3.30 -
Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Greenshank, LRP, 2 Pintail, 7 Garganey, 4 Crag Martin.

 

[Mick Sway]

13/14 Sept 2017

Thurs 14 Sept 2017
Lozaria track
Still plenty of wagtails and tawny pipits.also seen lots of wood and willow warblers along with a couple of common whitethroat at the Mulberry tree.juvwnile Marsh harrier and a single common kestrel were hawking the fields along with hundreds of hirundine.Still quite a few red backed and the odd lesser grey shrieks about.At Achladeri a kingfisher , a 20 bee eater flybye and three woodlarks were the only birds to note.
Late afternoon from the Salt Pans west hide I counted 6 slender billed gulls along with the usual mix of common gull species and wading birds.
Yesterday Wed 13th Petra Res only stop we made .
Coots, dab chicks,grey heron, cormorant, 2 ruddy shellduck, singles of teal, northern shoveler and common pochard.A common buzzard and hobby flew over.

 

[Mick Sway]

Geranium bronze recorded for the first time last year.

This one at Petraeus 14/09/17
Phone shot.

 

[Mick Sway]

15/09/17 Various locations

Temperatures continue in the low 30s with no immediate change in prospect.
Apparently Lesvos has had only a single shower in July, since May.
The heat has made birding very tiring.
Sept 15 Skala Vasilicon with Mark Cassidy Snr :
Little crake (male) briefly seen on marshland pool, East of harbour, before vanishing into reeds.
Kingfisher
Cornbuntings
Achladeri
2 woodlark.
Lozaria
Marsh harrier
Common whitethroat at berry tree next to Mulberry bush
Hoopoe
100's of hurundine
Tsiknias River
3 slender billed gulls also 6 on pans
Other than that still plenty wagon tails , willow warblers and a few tawnies.
Other reports.
Sikiminia
The band stand on the coastal road here overlooks the Turkish coast, about 4 miles away.

" Osprey in off at 3.40 then a quite
30mins or so then things really livened up with 2 male Pallid harrier 2 male Montagu,s harriers 3 ringtail harrier pallid /Montagu,s 5+ marsh harrier
11 Honey buzzard 1 common buzzard and the large Falcon seen yesterday again circled the coastline before heading low over the sea towards Turkey.
Correction after checking images it seems all males are Montagu,s harrier "
Kalloni Salt Pans

"A single Pintail on the pelican pan was the only new species of the holiday this morning although Pelican count back up to at least 11 and 16 Spoonbills today"

 

[Mick Sway]

16/09/17

16/09/17 SkalaSikiminia watch point 11:30 - 17:00
raptor migration continues with dozens of honey,common and long legged buzzards, harriers, eagles (possible Aquila) and singles of:goshawk,peregrine, osprey and sparrow hawks.
Also a massive passage of hirundine over the sea from Turkey.
After 2pm it all died off with only the occasional buzzard drifting by.

 

[Mick Sway]

17/09/17 Skala Sikiminia raptor watch point

17/09/17 Sikiminia Watch Point / picknic sight
10:30 - 11:30 with 10 other birders.
Booted eagle, 6 Marsh harriers, 4 honey buzzards, 8 common buzzard, 1 male monties
12:30 update
Other birders join the party including Michael Smith.
Singles of:
Booted eagle - dark phase tatty plumage
Goshawk
Sparrowhawk
Short toed eagle
In addition at least a dozen each of honey buzzard and Marsh harrier.
Afternoon things quietened off with Marsh harriers and honey buzzards coming by 2/3s every 1/2 hour or so ,along with a dueling pair of sparrow hawks, a ring tail harrier and a hobby. After 4pm pretty dead.
Other reports
One of the group reported 2 black kites,elsewhere along the North Coast.
A local enthusiast reported Somewhere Between the airport and Haramida, the following:

"Another amazing day for raptor's migration.
3 Booted eagles (2 pale morphs juveniles/1 dark)
2 Short-toed snake eagles
1 Honey buzzard (it was flying together with the 2 juveniles Booted)
1 Goshawk
1 Sparrowhawk
1 Red-footed falcon
1 Hobby"

The same observer at the same location yesterday, 16/09/17 reported the following:
"Today was a super day for raptors!! Our observations near Haramida :
2 Black-kites
7-8 Honey buzzards
1 Booted eagle light morph
3 Falco vespertinus (2 females/ 1 male)
1 Falco subbuteo"
Lesvos 17 september. 2017.
Polichnitos Saltpans gave us today 9 White-winged Terns, 5 Med gulls, 6 Slender-billed Gulls, 16 Wood Sandpipers, 22 Sandwich Terns, 2 Kentish Plovers and 6 Black Storks and at Olympus Mountain we found surprisingly 2 Krueper's Nuthatch.
Note:
As far as I am aware Lesvos and in particular the North Coast has never been noted as a major passage point for migrating raptors in autumn. These kinds of numbers and variation in species has, therefore been under reported.
It's thanks to a long standing Lesvos wildlife enthusiast and photographer from the East Midlands, who first recorded the event last week, that a few of us have been able to carry on monitoring the migration since his report appeared.
It may well be the case that the passage of raptors from the coast of Turkey, over the straights here has been going on for days if not weeks and has been undereported for years.
Opinions and comments welcome.

 

[Mick Sway]

18/09/17

Last day.
Our last day today.
18/09/17 am Sikiminia
Honey buzzard 5
Marsh harrier 3
Montague harrier (male) 2
Common buzzard 1
Sparrow hawk 1
Above seen between 11:00 - 12:30
Relatively quiet compared to other mornings.



Popped down to Kalloni Salt Pans
Only new birds 2 tre pipits on wires at Lozaria.
Still many yellow wags but passerine numbers appear down.
18/09/17 Filia track pm
Short toed eagle
European nuthatch
Middle spotted woodpecker
Ortolan buntings - small flock, just beyond pig farm, mixed with chaffinch. Individuals IDD by myself, Tina and Mark Cassidy Snr.
A camberwell beauty butterfly buzzed by, while purple hairstreak were still in plenty in the oaks.
Other reports today:
4 Eleonoras falcons near Sigri

 

[Mick Sway]

Late news from visiting birder:
1 Caspian Tern, Polichnitos Saltpans15/9.

 

[Mick Sway]

19 September Sikiminia

Back to posting other peoples reports:
19 September 2017 Sikiminia
Report by visiting birder:
Another fine morning on the headland at Sikamnia. Osprey. Peregrine. Levant sparrow hawk. Booted Eagle. Small numbers of marsh harrier. And honey buzzard. One group of 15 Honey buzzards.
Skalachori turtle pool L
4 spotted fly. 2 male Blackcaps. Yellow wagtail. Cuirl bunting. Crag Martin coming in to drink. Some marsh harriers and Honey buzzard passing.
Different Visitor:
Lotzaria 8:50,
2 male red footed falcons and 1 female on the wires.
Another report:
Yesterday 18/09/17
Eressos to Sigri and Ipsilou
16 Black Storks and 6 Eleanoras
K. Saltpans with sight on 20 Stone Curlews and 1 Scops Owl at Papiana.

 

[Mick Sway]

22/09/17

Other birders reports.
22/09/17
Water rail Tsknias River am
Kalloni Salt Pans
Pump house overspill AKA "stinky pool"
Greenshank, curlew sandpiper, lots of little stint and a ruff

21/09/17
Green sandpiper Kalloni Salt Pans
Serins Skala Vasilikon

Sikiminia Band Stand
75 Marsh Harriers
7 Long-legged Buzzards
2 Common Buzzards
2 Honey Buzzards
2 Kestrels
1 Peregrine
1 Red-footed Falcon
1 Hobby
1 undentified big Falcon
6 UFR's ( Unidentified Flying Raptors)
1 Wood Pigeon
Same party's other sightings:
Napi Valley gave us 1 Hoopoe and also 2 Hoopoe seen nearby Achladeri.
Great day with also :
2 Tree Pipits, 1 Black-winged Stilt, 15 Med Gulls, 3 Northern Pintails and 2 Wigeons.
Haramida!
3 Grey herons
1 Marsh harrier
1 small falcon possibly Hobby

20/09/17
Kalloni Salt Pans:
Slender Billed Gulls, Little Stints, Ringed Plovers at the Smelly Corner and Curlew on the Beach.
Haramida :
11 Grey herons, 1 juvenile Marsh harrier, 1 Hobby, 1 Sparrowhawk and 1 Short- toed eagle.

14/09/17
Rose coloured starling juvenile Tsknias River

 

[Mick Sway]

Photos from last week.

A couple of my images from last week
Montagu's Harrier Kalloni Salt Pans
Osprey Sikiminia
Honey buzzard Sikiminia

 

[Mick Sway]

23 Sept 2017

23/09/17
Sightings by a holidaying birder from various locations:

Redstart - Pasephae Hotel Skala Kalloni
Little owl Skala Kalloni
Ringed plover ,Duniln, Little Stints - Salt Pans pump house overspill pond
Spoobill 26 Kalloni Salt Pans
Dalmatian pelicans 13 Kalloni Salt Pans
Dark phase marsh harrier Kalloni Salt Pans
Lessergrey shrike - Lotzaria track
Black redstart Lardia Valley
Isabelline wheatear Mt Ordimonas
Tawny Pipit Mt Ordimonas

Another individual reported:
Red footed falcon male & female - Agia Peraskevi

 

[Mick Sway]

24/09/17 Roller - Kalloni Salt Pans

24/09/17 Roller Kalloni Salt Pans
Photo from today by permission of Michael Smith

 

[Mick Sway]

25 September 2017

Report from the same birder as Roller yesterday.
Sikiminia Watchpoint
Honey buzzards 6
Goshawk 2
Sparrow hawk 2
Marsh harrier 1
Common buzzard 3
Sparrow hawk 1
-unidentified falcon larger than the sparrow hawk (above)it was with
Kalloni Salt Pans
Roller (still present at 16:00)
Sanderling - smelly pond with gulls.
Perasma/Petra reservoir
Female pochard
Haramida - a different correspondent
2 Sparrowhawks and 2 Common buzzard

 

[Mick Sway]

26 September 2017

Skala Kalloni area - report by visiting Dutch birder:
Hike towards the salt pans and back there where :
roller 1
middle spotted woodpeckers
osprey
Red footed falcons 6
Little owl

Other reports:
Wryneck heard - Filia Agriosikos Mast
Hobby 2 - Meladia valley
Osprey 1 - Kalloni fields

 

[Mick Sway]

27 September 2017

Facebook report by holidaying birder:
Kalloni Raptor Watch Point 27/09/17
Wood lark
Sand Martin
Redstart
Booted eagle 1 pale phase I dark phase
Goshawk
Spotted eagle species,lesser/greater, - unconfirmed

Kalloni Fields
Red footed falcon 10
Chiichaff
Tree pipit
Roller
Peregrine falcon
Long legged buzzard

 

[Mick Sway]

28 September 2017

28/09/17
Haramida
Local bird report.
Lesser -spotted eagle (Aquila pomarina)

Skala Kalloni Salt Pans area
Corn bunting flock 30
Icterine warbler hippolais icterina 1

Kalloni Raptor watch point
Blue rock thrush monticola solitarius

For more up to date sightings from other birders click here!

Petri
Sombre tit poecile lugubris