Lesvos - Day 7 - 26th April 2025

 

A www.blueeyedbirder.com adventure

A foggy start with mist rolling in from the sea which smothered the town in a strangely warm blanket.  It felt like it should burn off so we stuck to the plan and headed out after breakfast and around the Bay calling at the Long-eared Owls on the way and failing once again to actually see a Scops Owl. 

Long-eared Owl - Jim Willett

Long-eared Owl

A walk down the Eastern salt pan track began with two richly coloured Glossy Ibis circling around us and a Black Stork coming up out of the channel and the sedges were dotted with thousands of newly emerged Dark Spreadwings with the sunlight glinting of their wings.  All we needed was the marsh terns to appear to glean them in graceful dips but I have gone all week without seeing one and today was no exception.

Black Stork

Wood Sandpipers

Dark Spreadwing

Dark Spreadwing

Black Stork

It was not even 9am and the pans were already hazy but I still picked out three Grey Plover, eight Ringed Plover and a few Little Stints in the corners but alas not one Mallard – in fact, other than both Shelducks I  had not seen any wildfowl this week.  A lone Collared Pratincole circled us for a while, caught a bee and after a moment decided that was a daft thing to do and spat the poor insect out.

Collared Pratincole - Collared Pratincole

There were three Dalmatian Pelicans on their favourite end pan and two in the channel which soon moved to join them.  Two Spoonbills dropped in next to them and as usual looked ridiculously small compared to huge porridge coloured (thanks Nick!) hulks.

Little Egret

Dalmatian Pelicans and friends

Common and Little Terns were active and several Black Storks drifted across, arriving from their roost sites. Corn Buntings and Crested Larks were the main songsters and several Zitting Cisticolas bounced along on invisible strands of elastic but not once landed in view.  It was good to see our first Fox as well. We retraced our steps and found a couple of Common Blues and what I think is Levantine Skipper and there were a few Eastern Dappled Whites too.  

Levantine Skipper - not sure - entirely orange antennae

Neoscona adianta

Common Blue

On around the coast  but there was no sign of the Rook out on Mesa (although it appeared shortly afterwards…) and we studiously checked wires all the way round to Achladeri and beyond.

Down on the beach road there were Common Sandpipers and Yellow-legged Gulls on the edge and the pool held a couple of Wood Sandpipers but no other waders.  A female Red-backed Shrike and two Whinchats were in bushes around the edge. Still no Rollers…

Red-backed Shrike - Jim Willett

We spent some time at the mown field where the Richard’s Pipit and Ortolans had been seen the previous days but they hay was being turned and the light was harsh but it was fun sifting through the various flava Wagtails to find the odd Red-throated Pipit, Crested Lark and Whinchat.  I was sure I heard the Dick’s calling. A 2cy Med Gull flew over as we moved on again but was not to be found in the little harbour and as we turned into the Skala Vasilikon olive groves we slowed to a crawl to listen for Olive Tree Warblers. 

Yellow-horned Poppy

ACV

Corn Bunting - ACV

I was not expecting any joy despite other reports from Potamia but suddenly I could hear one gurking from alongside.  We stopped and got out for a listen and to my delight Jacqui picked it up as it descended down to almost ground level to briefly forage before heading back into the canopy. They arrival date of this species definitely seems to be getting earlier.  Three warblers with the Eastern prefix sung around us and the odd Turtle dove purred but there were no chatterings from Middle Spotted Woodpeckers.

Skamioudi Pool had water and two Shelduck were quite literally the only birds there so we did not linger long and moved onto the Polichinitos salt pans.  Most were almost bird free but one held 28 Little Stint, three Ruff, Curlew Sandpiper and a Kentish Plover and three Tern species were noted.  Sardinian and Cetti’s Warblers were heard but it was generally very quiet – not a phrase I like to use.

Back up into the hills after a picnic lunch on the beach at Skala Polichinitou and then a short stop at a pull off in the pines opposite that lush horticultural valley of Migali Limni.  Short-toed Treecreepers were far easier than at Mikri Limni while a singing Kruper’s Nuthatch flew into the trees above us and proceeded to energetically call while poking around in the larger pine cones giving excellent views.  There is always something very satisfying about finding one away from Achladeri.

Kruper’s Nuthatch

Pines - ACV

A coffee stop at the Enigma Café in Agia Dimitrios was restorative but the Grey Wagtails failed to appear at this spot where we sued to wait for Blue Rock Thrush and Woodpeckers.  Medium-tailed Tits moved through the Oriental Planes above us and a Subalpine Warbler was foraging.  It was just good to temporarily wind down.

The cloud rolled in whilst stopping at the Evertagulous River and it was frustratingly bird free with just a Grey Heron and four Little Egrets and no passerines bar a Nightingale and no insects at all which was disappointing.

Grey Heron

Back down to Mesa where the Rook was eluding us but we did see a pair of Stone-curlews trying to be invisible and a few prospecting Bee-eaters.  Coots, Little Grebe and a Squacco were on the Kalami Pool while the marsh on the other side of the road held a Purple Heron and Black Stork and probably dozens of Crakes, Rails, Bitterns and such like!  A chance glance up by Jim just as we were about to play Frogger across the road gave us the pesky Rook flying overhead and over the nearest ridge.

I love this flattened little Fig tree on the old road bridge at Mesa.  It tries so hard

Corn Bunting

It was the last night for Nick and Gill so we did not intend to be out too late and so had a short while down on the western pans road as far as the Pump House Corner and back.  There were many Wood Sandpipers, a single Ruff and several gangly Stilts to watch and the Spur-winged Plover flew in to his usual pool. Red-throated Pipits called and Bee-eaters were up on the wires before we opted to call it a day to give time for packing and a final meal at the Pela.

Black-winged Stilt & Wood Sandpipers

Black-winged Stilt 

Black-winged Stilt 

Wood Sandpiper