Lesvos - Day 9 - 28th April 2025 for Oriole Birding

The first full day of the Oriole trip and it dawned decidedly cool and breezy (three breakfast Night Herons briefly warmed us) but we stuck to the plan and headed for Metochi.  It was Rollerless on the way down despite earlier reports but started well once we got out of the van with Bee-eaters overhead and three gloriously orangey Squaccos in the drainage channel and an even showier male Black-headed Bunting with is concertina neck making sure the other local males knew that it was his patch.  

Black-headed Bunting - he was once again a proper poser

Squacco

Down at the lake we quickly picked up the requisite Moorhens, Coots and a Little Grebe and a male Little Crake came right out of the reeds and had a bath on the edge.  A female was a little less obliging but poked her head out a couple of times.  Small birds were trickier to find in the strengthening wind but hirundines and Swifts were descending to feed and drink and the first Woodchat briefly sat up on top. 

Little Crake

Black-capped Jays moved back and forth and the Hoopoe duck was broken at long last with several views of one flying through the Olives. More Common Swifts were moving through at height and Alpines were amongst them and there seemed to be more Short-toed Eagles on view than in recent days and Black Storks dropped out of the cloud.  We started to walk back to the van when I looked up to see a Pygmy Cormorant dropping in and thankfully it landed in the same dead trees at the end as last week.

Pygmy Cormorant - minus head

Short-toed Eagle

The Squaccos and Bee-eaters were still performing back at the start and we bumped into Eleni and her group and followed them on the back road to Potamia where Thrush Nightingale had been heard.  It did not sing again but we had a very productive spell adding a male Red-backed Shrike and several Masked Shrikes and Woodchats along with at least five Golden Orioles that bombed around in the wind and disappeared into the large Elms.

Bee-eater

Swallow

Swallow

Masked Shrike

Woodchat Shrike

A calling Middle Spotted Woodpecker kept returning to a large Elm but never stopped but at least we all got to see one!  Turtle Dove, Cirl Buntings and our first Long-legged Buzzard were seen along with a bonus dark Booted Eagle that hung over the ridge.  Most we see here are pale phase birds.  

Booted Eagle - honest!

 Roman Nettle - Urtica pilulifera

 Lupinus varius

Squirting Cucumber - Ecballium elaterium

Stavesacre - Staphisagria macrosperma

We continued around into Potamia and headed up the valley a short way.  A Middle Spotted Woodpecker gave itself up on the base of an Olive tree and was watched by all from in the van to be followed by more Masked Shrike action.

There was a Long-legged Buzzard up over each ridge along with Common Buzzards and Ravens and we also saw a male Peregrine, female Sparrowhawk and Kestrel. Whilst scanning around I picked up several of the local Feral Goats way up on the vertical crags. Eastern Orphean Warblers were counter singing and one was scoped for an age and the pair of Western Rock Nuthatches were actively feeding young in an overhang nest.  With Eastern Black-eared Wheatears up above on the crags, we were quickly picking up some quality species.  Two Crag Martins were with the other four hirundines and Cirl and Corn Buntings were both to be heard around us but the Eastern Subalpines were keeping very low. 

Corn Bunting - Jim Willett

I had just mentioned that Little Bitterns have been see in the river here before when we reached a couple who promptly pointed one out to us and she watched us with beady eyes from the vegetation.  Lunch was calling so we retraced our steps but still stopped twice to check out a Common Buzzard and then a low fly by from one of the Dalmatian Pelicans!

Clematis cirrhosa

Eucera longicornis 

Dalmatian Pelican

Osyris alba

Osyris alba

Osyris alba - It seems that there is Joint-Pine Ephedra fragilis and this similar plant on the island.  The flowers and fruit gave it away this time.

Lunch back at the Pela and then out and along the coast to Mesa where the wind was absolutely howling but we quickly got onto the flock of Red-footed Falcon out around the rock island.  There were at least nine male and two female and when not sheltering from the wind, were up enjoying the conditions and evidently catching plenty of prey.  The light was flat and the birds were at eye level affording views unlike anything I have had here before.  We could barely stand up and it was perishingly cold so we ticked off a flying Spoonbill and headed back to Hide 1 where the kind occupants soon made way for our group.  We had to put rock against the inside of the door to stop it blowing open and we were grateful for the shelter it offered.

Spanish Sparrow at the Pela

Red-footed Falcon

Red-footed Falcon

Red-footed Falcon

Red-footed Falcon

Red-footed Falcon - Paul Wood

Red-footed Falcon - Paul Wood

There were more new arrivals with about 40 White-winged Black Terns and 20 Whiskered Terns feeding in one flock which were joined by four Gull-billed and several Little and Commons.  Six pinky adult Slender-billed Gulls were flying around and there were more waders to check too with Curlew Sandpipers, 46 Ruff and a few Little Stints.  Five Grey Plover and a Turnstone were found, while down in the channel there were the two Glossy Ibis and a lone Spoonbill.  It was all go!  Even the Dalmatian Pelicans were active and the strong wind seemed to be getting birds on the wing.  There were five monsters all told and they sneakily followed each other around the pans.

Greater Flamingos - Jim Willett

Cosy and braced! It was shaking so much!

Black Stork

Dalmatian Pelicans

Glossy Ibis

White-winged Black Terns

White-winged Black Terns

Pump House Corner was our final stop of the day and the Spur-winged Plover had returned to his favoured corner where Little Stints and Curlew Sandpipers were with the Ruff, Common Sandpipers, Stilts and Wood Sands.  Three more White-winged Black Terns were in the hidden pool and the 2cy male Montagu’s Harrier was hunting low in perfect light but still required a strong grip of your scope to watch it! It was getting even colder and so after watching seven White Storks up on the ridge we called it a day and retreated back to the hotel to warm up after what I hoped was a great first day for the new crew.

Common Sandpiper - Jim Willett

Curlew Sandpipers and a Ruff

Curlew Sandpipers - Paul Wood