Blue Eyed Birder: Lesvos - Part one: 30th September

30^th September

Our flight from Stansted to Lesvos was almost empty with just 26 passengers so spreading out was an option, not that it made much difference to me as I attempted to sleep for as much of it as possible. Touch down was somewhat bumpy and brakey and swervy and we were greeted but low cloud, a strong wind and light rain. It was 19c so one degree cooler than the freaky 20c that we endured overnight in Lowestoft.

Car sorted and off we went for an uneventful drive across the island to Skala Kallonis passing a close 1cy Pallid Harrier alongside the saltpans and six Slender-billed Gulls in the corner on the way where a warm welcome from Thekla, Dad and Dion (and an assortment of hounds and felines) awaited us.

Bendy trees

Hooded Crow

hanging on!

A quick cuppa while Yellowish and White Wagtails flew over and a Red-backed Shrike hunted in the gardens and then out for a drive though Louztaria. Being a bit later in the season than usual it was quieter but there were still Spotted Flycatchers, Whinchats, Northern Wheatears, Willow Warblers and flava Wagtails to be found but just in much lower numbers.

Spotted Flycatcher - ACV

Whinchat in Pokeberry

Whinchat

Single Redshank and Greenshank were at the mouth of the Tsiknias where Great Egret, three Shag and Little Egrets were seen while the ford area of the river had already had a post summer clearance leaving it almost unrecognisable but safe for the inevitable winter flash storms. It will all look green and lush come the spring so don’t panic!

Looking up the ford

Little Egret

A 1cy Red-footed Falcon was sat up on the wires until I lifted my camera and while then chatting with the Conduits, a richly coloured 1cy Pallid Harrier cruised by. As it happens it was not my one from the far saltpans as that was being watched at the time. Two Hoopoes flopped through and a Common Buzzard surveyed his patch.

1cy Red-footed Falcon

1cy Pallid Harrier

The view from the hide was a wee bit windy but there was still a Snipe, Greenshank, Redshank and lots of Flamingos to be seen and way over the back there were four Stone-curlews on a distant bund. I left the others in the hide and headed for the salt pile and race track adding a smart adult Lesser Grey Shrike on the way. Most I see in the autumn as 1cy birds.

Redshank - ACV

Black Stork

Lesser Grey Shrike

Redshank

Greater Flamingos

The sea was fairly calm despite the strong wind and in the Bay I found three Curlew, some Egrets and Flamingos, Shags, Cormorants and a Bar-tailed Godwit which is actually a rather good bird for the island.

Two Caspian Gulls (1cy and 2cy) were picked up flying around close to and another Slender-billed was added amongst the Black-headed Gulls.

The light was flat which was a bonus and meant that checking through the various piles of Pelicans was quite straightforward and the single juvenile Great White Pelican had the decency to get up and drop into the visible bit of the pan for a swim. Hopefully I will get closer in subsequent days.

I counted 52 Dalmatian in the end and wondered if there could have been more. There were 18 Great Egret, 35 Grey Herons, 12 Spoonbills and five Black Stork all sheltering from the wind and a Hobby whizzed through. The lads and lassies in the hide had now seen a male Pallid Harrier over the Alykes / Loutzaria fields but I could not pick it up from the race course river mouth but I was more than happy with the three Ospreys that I found. I watched one make a couple of low angle fishing attempts as the shallow water precludes a full vertical stoop!

Osprey

Two Tawny Pipits called as they went over and there were Willow Warblers and Wheatears with the Crested Larks on the beach and as we drove back there were ten Whinchat and three Stonechat on the Alykes Wetlands and a few White Wagtails milling around.

Northern Wheatear - ACV

The only Harrier I could find was a juvenile Marsh Harrier so we headed off to the supermarket only stopping on the way out to take some snaps of the typically obliging juvenile Greater Flamingos (Minimingos) that seem to congregate in the saltpan channel at this time of year.

Minimingos - ACV

Minimingo - ACV

Minimingo

Minimingo - such variation in plumage and size

Woolly Roadblock

Back at the Pela the long day was starting to make itself known so a chill on the balcony was needed pre dinner where I could watch the Hooded Crows heading off in one direction to roost and the flava Wagtails and Corn Buntings going off in the opposite one. Despite the wind a Scops Owl could be hear after dinner.

1^st October

Breakfast at the Pela of course involved some ornithology and a Mistle Thrush flying over was a surprise and new species for the hotel list that I do NOT keep. Red-throated Pipit, Tree Pipit and a juvenile Peregrine made for an interesting repast while the Red-backed Shrike glowed in the morning sunshine.

Red-backed Shrike

And introducing Ghost - he is a very large sheep dog but still only a puppy and loves attention and anything not normally given to a dog to eat!

After bread shopping we headed out to the Tsiknias where a 1cy Red-foot was being chased by a Kestrel and two Ospreys were out at the end where a Grey Plover poked its head over the bank. Several large flocks Spanish Sparrows coalesced to create one of 300 strong and the first Short-toed Eagle hovered in the distance. Two female Sparrowhawks spiralled around and were to become a regular sight during the day.

Short-toed Eagle

The bump through gave the car a water and in the alfalfa fields there were Willow Warblers, Wheatears and Whinchats, and a few more flava Wagtails including a Black-headed but nothing new in. I was determinedly checking every Red-backed Shrike as I had it in my head that an Isabelline-type may well be on the cards. Kingfishers peeped on the river.

On to the KSP where a Marsh Sandpiper was flushed from the channel with a Redshank and a cursory check of the roosting Yellow-legged Gulls pleasingly resulted in a rather slight 1cy Caspian Gull that ticked off all the requisite boxes.

Further along the Minimingos snorkelled in the channel and a Greenshank flipped over the bank. At Mesa a Black Stork was literally the only bird seen from that stretch of road before a short walk at the Turtle Bridge which had terrapins but not one little bird. The wind was getting up too which was not helping much.

Stripe-necked Terrapin

I skipped Achladeri and followed the beach road towards Vasilikon passing the first Sandwich Terns of the trip beating steadily into the Bay. The little harbour held the expected Shags and 11 Med Gulls with a further seven of them bobbing around just offshore.

Med Shag - ACV

Med Shag

Med Shags

Med Gulls

grumpy Grey Heron

The Olive groves look very different this time of year with no vegetation at all under them and all the black nets laid out for the harvest. In the wind they appeared bird free but I got out and walked a short way after seeing a Spot Fly and Red-backed Shrike and discovered some Turpentine trees that were alive with the subsong of many invisible Blackcaps.

I poked my head around them into a sheltered bit and finches, Cirl Bunting and a Middle Spotted Woodpecker appeared so I popped back and got the car and poked my nose just into the grove on a track and sat there and watched with those Blackcaps just outside the windows. Spot Flys did their thing and Chaffinches, Serins and Greenfinches came up from the grasses. A bird flew into the closest Olive and Andrea pointed it out. I got my bins up and was surprised to see a female Brambling flashing orange shoulders through the foliage! A new island bird for me. It soon flew out the back and did not return but there was so much more to see with at least two Common Redstarts, two male Sardinian Warblers, Sombre, Great and Blue Tits and another Red-backed Shrike. A Hoopoe paraded on the track shortly afterwards.

Spot Fly - ACV

Hoopoe - ACV

Hoopoe

Onwards, passing an adult Short-toed Eagle and another couple of Sparrowhawks and then down to the Poly Pans which were blown out and only Greater Flamingos and about 130 Avocet were seen.

Short-toed Eagle

Avocets - not a day for standing around on one leg

Greater Flamingos

It was too windy to have lunch on the beach so I headed up to Mikri Limni which, like the Olive Groves, felt deathly quiet to start with but after ten minutes or so I found a couple of Spot Flys and with them in the Pines were several Willow Warbler and then Great and Blue Tits and two tooting Kruper’s Nuthatches but keeping track on the birds in the swaying boughs was tricky.

The old dry lake had some shelter and in the sun it was actually very warm. Southern and Common Darters and Southern Emerald Damselflies were watched hawking low around the Chaste Trees where Lang’s and Long-tailed Blues danced while in the forest there were many flouncy Woodland Graylings (thanks Andy for the detective work to eliminate Eastern Rock Grayling) that were engaging in much display and ‘hop on baby’ activity while the Freyer’s Graylings just had fun pretending to be bits of pine bark. Back near the car a party of Medium-tailed Tits bimbled through the low canopy.

Common Darter

Southern Darters - note the almost wholly pale legs on the female and reddish not yellow thorax sides

Southern Darter

Common Darter

Southern Emerald Damselfly - a Lesvos tick for me

Almond-leaved Pear - Pyrus spinosa

Chaste Tree

Freyer’s Grayling

Woodland Grayling

Woodland Graylings

Some very energetic nuptials

On the route back I noticed that the ‘other’ Kruper’s Nuthatch track near Achladeri had been completely tarmacked so I followed it as far as the bridge over the river where some sort of huge pipe is notionally laid out waiting to be installed. After the bridge it goes back to dust. All very odd. Anyway, there woods were quiet but I did see couple of Keeled Skimmers and Violet Dropwings as well as the regular Rudd sized fish and some Levant Water Frogs for my troubles.

Keeled Skimmer

Violet Dropwing

Red-veined Darter

We diverted back through Loutzaria but were soon turned back by an armed soldier as they were about to s start an exercise so we cut through on the other track off the corner and had incredible views of several Red-backed Shrikes, two more Sparrowhawks, a male Goshawk, Corn Buntings and a grove filled with the jingle jangles of Serins while a Common Snipe posed nicely on the Tsiknias.

Serins

Common Snipe

Common Snipe - ACV

Datura wrightii - a giant!

Datura wrightii

And the more familar Datura stramonium

Datura stramonium

2^nd October

It was still a might breezy but a jaunt westish was on the cards so the road down to the little harbour at Parakila was the first stop and the big Turpentine tree was being well used with many small birds coming and going. Most were Great and Blue Tits and Chaffinches but there were two Spotted Flycatchers, three Lesser Whitethroats and a several Blackcaps too. A beautiful light Eleonora’s Falcon hurtled through on elastic wings.

Down at the harbour there were seven Sandwich Terns and two Med Gulls with some Black-heads and a Short-toed Eagle somehow hovered above the ridge. A stop at the tree again on the way out added a Song Thrush and two Red-rumped Swallows above me were the first of the trip.

Around the coast and over the top hearing roadside Western Rock Nuthatches and the odd Stonechat on the way. Ravens tumbled as we approached Mesotopos and then turned off down the cobbled street to Tavari all the way back down on the coast. It was clearly shutting down for the season but I was able to park up in the shade of the Tamarisks and before I had even got out I could see the huge arcs of a Scopoli’s Shearwater as it patrolled an area offshore. Barn Swallows were moving through and the stream held Red-veined Darters and a Vagrant Emperor while I tracked the peeping of a Kingfisher to a bird sitting quietly under the bridge where it was happily plunging in for tiddlers.

Scopoli’s Shearwater

Kingfisher

I followed a track slightly inland where more Red-veined Darters were keeping low and out of the wind and a small dingy butterfly caught my eye. My hopes were correct and it was my first Pygmy Skipper – a completely new species for me. I also found both the Blues and a Meadow Brown as well as huge black Wasp with bronzy wings that looked like a slightly small Tarantula Hawk Wasp but they are New World so I need to do some digging.

Blue-winged Grasshopper

Red-veined Darter

Turkish Meadow Brown

The big wasp thing

Pygmy Skipper - not that tiny!

Up to Pithariou Reservoir and monastery where you could hardly stand up on the dam but the Crag Martins and Eleonora’s Falcons were having no trouble what so ever! Violet Dropwings was as ever magnificent albeit no more than three inches off the ground!

Violet Dropwing

Eleonora’s Falcon

Down at the far end lunch was taken in the shelter of the car and down at a scan revealed some sheltering dabblers with three Shoveler, 12 Teal (why is so often 12?) and nine Mallard.

Valonia Oak

The cloud was darkening and there were a few spots from the rapidly moving clouds so the loop was continued over the top and down to Perivolis where the cats were all present, correct and healthy but the trees were being whipped around and birds almost impossible to find especially as the Willows and Planes in the river are no so tall they are obscuring the other side. If they do not clear them out they will be asking for flooding trouble.

Rock Nuthatches were vocal and I could hear Middle Spotted Woodpeckers, Cirl Buntings and Blackcaps but little else.

Wiggle, wiggle then down through Anemotia (bit of a squeeze again!) and up to Potamia Reservoir which was low but did have water but no Pelicans. I did count 53 Teal, 23 Little Grebes and a wondrous wheeling flock of at least 500 House Martins – the first I had seen. There were a few Crag Martins with them but no Swallows at all. Two Sombre Tits appeared in front, Rock Nuthatches called and a male Blue Rock Thrush flew across and up onto the crags.

Grey Heron - ACV

A short siesta and then out again and this time the Tsiknias Spotted Crake was found in no time at all as it squelched around its very sticky muddy pool where the heads of Terrapins looked decidedly alien as they poked out and cleared their nostrils! The Crake was a very well-marked bird and for once a eponymous name befitted the species.

Spotted Crake - ACV

Spotted Crake

I spent twenty minutes down at the end of the race track but other than a long grey line of Pelicans out on the pans and squadrons of incoming Great Cormorants, it was just too windy. The drive back along the salt pan channel did however see a sudden stop for a Northern Lapwing. Birding is all about context and unless you saw the lingering spring bird a few years back or have visited in the winter then you have probably not seen one here. This sort of arrival is why I chose to come so late this year. There is always something to keep you looking for the next unusual bird.

Northern Lapwing - ACV

Northern Lapwing

3^rd October

Despite a plan to head north the getting there route took us through Loutzaria where there seemed to be a few more passerines in the recently cut alfalfa fields. Amongst the 40 or so ‘flavas’ was a fine male Blue-headed and quite a selection of very smart young White Wagtails. Red-throated Pipits were in there too but were somewhat furtive. The Corn Bunting flocks were now quite substantial and the local Crested Larks were also now in groups. Two Skylarks were my first ever in the autumn and a single Common Starling was up on the wires. Two Spotted Flycatchers posed at the pumping station and two Zitting Cisticolas were bouncing around calling but not singing - it is a good call to learn.

White Wagtail - ACV

Blue-headed Wagtail - ACV

Spotted Flycatcher - ACV

I did not cover all the salt pans but was pleased to see the Northern Lapwing flying around once again. From here it was up and over the top to a rather windy Kavaki where a female Blue Rock Thrush was on one of their usual perches. The sea was rather choppy and the only birds over it were some Yellow-legged Gulls and a group of four Great and two Little Egrets that were battling their way to Türkiye.

Kavaki - you can see the wind on the water

On to Perasma where the poorly reservoir at least held some water with 12 Teal (I do count them and not just make up the number 12!) and a Pintail around the margins, 14 Little Grebes bobbing around and four Ruddy Shelduck. There were many scavenging Hooded Crows and the odd Jackdaw.

Ruddy Shelduck

A collared dog and yowly cat soon found our car and mumped and a speeding lady turned in past us and clipped the dog. She kept going up to the horse riding centre despite the yowling hound and my waving arms. The dog did the limpy thing for a minute before realising that it was actually ok. The lady entered the horse riding place and I heard her going into the paddock with the two large horses followed by much full on screaming, shouting and more agonised screaming. I looked up and continued stroking the cat. Karma.

Back over the reservoir two Eleonora’s Falcons trying their best to come down for a drink and bath but the Hoodies were not having it. When together you can really see how big the falcon is. While they were distracted, a column of Alpine Swifts and House Martins descended for similar purposes. Five Wood Pigeons flew through the oak ridge behind where a Short-toed Eagle hovered.

Dr Stinky Prime was up at Vafios so I headed that way to join him and in the process had a brief view of a Lesser Spotted Eagle drifting over the road. At the lookout it was very grey and dark but Mithymna was in the sunshine. We added three more Short-toed Eagles, two Common Buzzards and an Eleonora’s amongst the many Ravens. Two Black-capped Jays moved through and a Redstart was in the bushes.

Lunch back in Petra at Kalderimi was excellent and Sandwich Terns were fishing offshore and Jackdaws were in the town. With some Portokalopita safely purchased we came back over the top via Kalloni where a Long-legged Buzzard was on the outskirts of town.

A quick refresh and then out onto the circuit starting along the windblown Tsiknias where the alfalfa fields held Whinchats, Northern Wheatears, Tree Pipits and a couple of Red-backed Shrikes and despite the wind I heard a Penduline Tit in the reed bed and stopped for a listen and despite repeatedly calling I could not find it in the swaying foliage. My first on the island for some years.

Northern Wheatear

Corn Bunting

Down at the Bay from the end of the Alykes racetrack there were still two single Bar-tailed Godwits (obviously not buddies) and two Ringed Plover, nine Curlew, an eclipse male Wigeon with 15 Teal and 48 Black-headed Gulls while the Lesser Grey Shrike was bombing around the racetrack and avoiding photographers.

48 Black-headed Gulls

The big Pela buffet Dinner beckoned.

Roger enjoyed his Portokalopita

4^th October

My day began down at the eastern Kalloni Saltpan after heading through Loutzaria where I picked a huge wheeling flock of 500 Spanish Sparrows powering up into the blue and two Red-throated Pipits and two Skylarks in the fields. Four Kestrel and three Sparrowhawks were actively hunting.

The morning breakfast roll call (as well as the cats) #1 Paty - I think she is Greek Harehound and was dumped because of a wafty back leg

#2 Jo Jo - he was my buddy in the mornings and the next day he headed off to the Netherlands to his new home

#3 Ghost - trying the puppy dog eyes thing again.

A very brown Lesser Whitethroat

Spanish Sparrows

Tangling Sparrowhawk and Kestrels

I had offered to help Eleni with her community birdwatching morning and we assembled down the eastern track at 1030. It was a very pleasant and well attended couple of hours and everyone got some fabulous views of the Pelicans. I counted at least 66 Dalmatian and I am sure that there were more lurking over the banks. They were using the biggest ‘small’ tree as a launch pad. They would jump and then flap up onto the top before opening their wings and gain an elevated lift off. The two juvenile Great White Pelicans were both seen and Smallish Chocolate Brown Pelican would seem a better name at this age.

Dalmatian Pelicans lauch pad

Incoming juvenile Great White Pelican

juvenile Great White Pelican with two Dalmatians

juvenile Great White Pelican

A flock of 260 Avocets were feeding en masse on the first pan but there were only a few other waders with Curlew, Redshank and Greenshank and a handful of Little Stints that were zipping around.

Skywatching did not give us the hoped for Ospreys but we did find five juvenile Short-toed Eagles, three Buzzards and two more Sparrowhawks. I doubt that the Eagles will be around for much longer.

Short-toed Eagle

Twelve Mallard were roosting on the bank and amongst them were a drake Gadwall and an eclipse drake Wigeon but it was so windy and viewing was difficult.

Seventeen Slender-billed Gulls came in and were looking splendid on the water in one almost horizontal flock as they all swam along with their necks out. There were very few small birds with just the odd Corn Bunting, Crested Lark and the odd peep out of a Zitting Cisticola.

I bid my farewells and headed back for lunch before we made our way over the top to Gavathas for a paddle in the sea. It was a bit too rough and cold for swimming.

The drive from there along the track to Ancient Antissa and then Kalo Limani was enjoyable with many Willow Warblers (Flicky LIttle F*****s as they are now affectionally known) and Spotted Flycatchers, several Red-backed Shrikes and Sardinian Warblers. I heard a Chukar but could not find it and in the usual rocky area there was a pair of Blue Rock Thrushes and loads of obliging Rock Nuthatches.

Willow Warbler

Willow Warbler - I wondered about acredula race for some of these duller birds

Willow Warbler

Willow Warbler - very dusky underneath

Blue Rock Thrush - ACV

Blue Rock Thrush

Western Rock Nuthatch - ACV

'And up next to the mic is Dion! What will you sing for us tonight?' - ACV

Western Rock Nuthatch - quality wire action too

Western Rock Nuthatch

The track was sheltered and there were so many more butterflies than previously and a short walk produced quite a few zipping Millet Skippers, Small Coppers, three Blues, Freyer’s Graylings, Large and Small Whites, Scarce Swallowtail, Painted Ladies, Red Admiral and a huge gliding Two-tailed Pasha that was circling a fig tree but never landed.

Small Copper

Common Blue

Millet Skipper

A Robin ticked vigorously from cover and up above three juvenile Honey Buzzards were somewhat of a surprise as I thought I was too late this year. The tarmac of the Kalo Limani road is being extended into the Ancient Antissa track. Some is already complete and the inside curb is already in place. A new bridge is being put in at the gully that comes off the sea but even when complete all these improvements will not change the nature of this road. It will still be deserted and you will still be able to pull over when you wish. It will make no difference to the wildlife. We have to remember that these road developments are for the benefit of the people who live on the small holdings out here and not for us visiting tourists.

Starred Agama

Back over the top and down to the Alykes Sheepfields where two Bar-tailed Godwits were still in the Bay with the Curlews and the first Great Crested Grebe of the season was feeding close in. The Pelicans were mostly out of view but I did count 36 Spoonbills, 32 Great Egret and six Black Stork before bumping back for dinner after a stop to watch the Lesser Grey Shrike devouring a large Cricket.

Lesser Grey Shrike - ACV

Lesser Grey Shrike

Whinchats

Whinchat

5^th October

A Little Owl got the day going at about 5am and over breakfast we saw two Black Stork and 19 Dalmatian Pelicans from the Pela which was a fine way to start the day. It was a Go West day which began at Parakila where in calm conditions it was easier to watch the birds in the Turpentine tree although it was still the same selection of Chaffinches, Tits, Lesser Whitethroat, Blackcaps and Spotted Flycatchers. There were now 16 Med Gulls down at the harbour including a few second winter birds.

Spotted Flycatcher

Spotted Flycatcher - compare these dark birds with the Med Flycatchers seen on Mallorca!

Spotted Flycatcher

Tranquil - ACV

A Black-headed Gull and two Med Gulls

On around the coast and onto the Eresos to Sigri track. It is always much quieter this time of year but there still has to be an autumn perambulation along its dusty way.

Two Rock Sparrows got us off to a good start before the climb up to the ridge which was actually excellent with lots of Crested Lark, Stonechat, Northern Wheatear and Rock Nuthatch activity and a smart male Blue Rock Thrush.

At the top the regular pause before the decent revealed a parched and orange landscape. A large ball of Spanish Sparrows was trying to make its way up the valley but were intercepted by a pair of hunting Peregrine – one below and one from above. They were too far to see if one was taken but the whole flock flew straight towards us and dived into the big Chaste Tree clump at the top where not a squeak was heard from them for ten minutes before they started to venture out and feed on the ground underneath it.

A different world in the autumn

There were a few Northern Wheatears here too and a dinky Eastern Black-eared Wheatear nearby. Ravens were constantly on the move and I also picked up two Eleonora’s, Short-toed Eagle and two Common Buzzard while a travel kettle’s worth of four other Buzzards all appeared to be Steppe and were steadily heading south towards the sea at height. Woodlarks did their thing and there were a few Linnets and Stonechats around as we descended into the valley. Starred Agamas head bobbed from boulders as we passed.

Down at the little far more Spanish Sparrows were heading up the way we had come and two more Woodlarks were singing from the wires where Red-backed Shrikes searched for smaller prey.

Red-backed Shrike

Eyes up at the Ravens gave me a Long-legged Buzzard and lower Common Buzzard but no falcons at this section. I veered off and onto the track to the beach where I could see some alfalfa fields. The river here still had plenty of water and Kingfishers zipped to and fro and White and flava Wagtails dropped in. Two Water Rails kipped and squealed from the towering reeds.

Mediterranean Slant-faced grasshopper (Acrida ungarica)

The adjacent mown field appeared empty but most certainly was not! I spent time scanning and listening and amongst the Crested Larks I found five Skylarks, some startlingly grey and white flava Wagtails, a definite Grey-headed Wagtail, several Whinchats, Wheatears and Stonechats and three Red-throated Pipits. Tawny Pipits strode about the path before disappearing into the low herbage. In fact finding anything on the deck was surprisingly tricky. I suddenly heard the sparrowish ‘shreep’ of a Richards’s Pipit and watched it drop in and giving me a few seconds on the deck before vanishing. I was confident but it is a rare Lesvos bird so we had lunch at that spot and I kept an eye on the field and eventually got some good scope views of not one but two Richard’s and at least eight Tawnys. The Richard’s were bigger and heavier and far more richly coloured with almost cinnamon flanks making them quite obvious when they popped back into view. There were of course some finer details to note such as the pale lores but interestingly even this feature could look dark if the head was at a certain angle. My pics are not very good but you get the idea.

Richards’s Pipit

Tawny Pipit

A Common Buzzard was hunting the same fields but barely spooked anything and I think he was after crickets and such like.

I was chuffed with the finds in this field and so we continued on our way and no sooner were we past he Meladia Chapel that I spied a raptor out towards the sea. It was big and floppy winged and big white patches gleamed under each wing. Surely not? I stopped and leapt out. Yes it was a Red Kite! No yawning please. I know that for many of us these are now a wonderfully common sight back home but here on Lesvos there are a serious rarity. Eleni had one in February 2023 and Jed way back in September 2015 and I think that there may have only been a handful of prior records.

1cy Red Kite

I followed this immature bird back up the valley and inland and I suspect that it reached the sea and quite wisely changed its mind.

From here to the Cheese Sanitorium there were a few Rock Doves and Nuthatches and another cobalt male Blue Rock Thrush. There were lots of butterflies up the side track and I found yet more troubling Graylings that Andy seems to think are Balkan (Grecian) rather than Samos. There were several Mallow Skippers here and smart Small Coppers as well as Painted Ladies, Clouded Yellows, Red Admiral and Small Whites. Red-veined Darters were everywhere and I also found a Chrysotoxum Hoverfly and another smart fly that I am having trouble getting to family.

I think that this feels like a Merodon species of Hoverfly but can't match it

Chrysotoxum festivum group

Snake-eyed Lacertid

Small Copper

Red-veined Darter

Blue-winged Grasshopper (Oedipoda caerulescens)

Small Copper

Red-veined Darter

One of the Digging Grasshoppers I think

Grecian/ Balkan Grayling - Hipparchia senthes

Mallow Skipper - hooky antenna tips

Back at the car Andrea was watching three well patterned Starred Agamas clambering across the walls.

Starred Agama - ACV

Starred Agama

Out to the end at Sigri and then down to Faneromeni for a look at the sea. A few Yelkouan Shearwaters sped south and over the fields a cloud of 300 swirling Jackdaws was seen along with a group of 25 Starlings with both birds stirring memories of a happy afternoon down here many years ago with Jacklings and Stardaws causing some confusion within the group. There were a few Willow Warblers and Spotted Flycatchers, a single shiver tailed Redstart and three more Red-backed Shrikes.

Jackdaws

Red-backed Shrike

Back over the top with a pause at Perivolis before a chill at the ranch before heading back down the pans.

Oriental Hornet on the Ivy

Oriental Hornet

The five cats are all still there and looking well - no extras which is good - ACV

Very plump Olives - ACV

A 1cy Hobby sunning on a telegraph pole slowed us down for a while before reaching the Tsiknias. I was watching chats when Andrea pointed out two doves drinking down in the river. Bins up – bloody ‘ell Stock Doves!!!

Hobby

Stock Doves

They were spooked by a Grey Heron but as we crossed the ford they dropped back in and disappeared down to the edge in the reedy area to drink before another fly round. Another new island bird for me and one that I had previously hoped to see on my winter visits. Three Red-backed Shrikes glowed in the last light and four Starlings looked splendid in their full spotty winter plumage.

Stock Dove

Tree Pipit

Red-backed Shrike

Common Starling

Down the Alykes sheepfields and racetrack my coastal Bay scan produced one of the Bar-wits along with five Grey and a Ringed Plover and eight Curlew. A 2cy Caspian Gull was patrolling and a single Sandwich Tern was fishing further out.

Out on the pans I counted 53 visible Dalmatian Pelicans and both the juvenile Great Whites along with as the usual assortment of other ‘big birds’.

The sun dropped quickly and the golden glow was replaced with grey but the drive back was not dull in the last of the light with a lump on the old ruin by the pump house becoming a huge cinnamon coloured juvenile female Goshawk with piercing yellow eyes. She silently dropped from her perched and headed off to roost somewhere. A Robin was ticking away in Papiana and the local Scops Owls were already starting up.

Blue Eyed Birder

Thursday, 15 October 2026

Lesvos - Part one: 30th September - 5th October 2026

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