Lesvos - Day 2 - 21st April 2022

My mind kept my body in bed a little longer than anticipated last night but I still shuffled in for breakfast at 7.30 before deciding to stay local and recharge prior to my afternoon airport run.

I popped to the Bakers and picked up a Koulouri for lunch and then pottered out to the Tsiknias via Papiana where I failed to find a Scops Owl but did see an illuminous Wood Warbler in the Olives along with both Willow Warbler and Blackcap, a smart Black-capped Jay and a wire walking Persian Squirrel. The Lower Ford reedbed was heaving with Acros with a constant chunter of Reed, Sedge and Great Reed Warblers. I counted 12 of the latter and they put on a superb show. The waders were as before and a female Garganey was unconcerned by my presence but there were strangely still no Little Bitterns.

Persian Squirrel

Persian Squirrel

Black-capped Jay 

Wood Sandpiper hiding from me

Wood Sandpiper

Great Reed Warbler

Garganey

Little Egret

Little Stints

Great Reed Warbler and friends

I followed the Lotzaria Triangle and once again saw Woodchats, Whinchats and Whitethroats along with a showy male Collared Flycatcher and several Spotteds. Corn Buntings sang all around and an Eastern Olivaceous Warbler came out and said hello. Several dapper Tree Pipits were feeding in a recently ploughed grove and a Common Kestrel looked only slightly bigger than the Alpine Swifts cruising around.

Collared Flycatcher 

Woodchat

My loop took me down alongside the KSP but there were only five Gull-billed Terns and nothing new so I came back through Kalloni and had a look at the White Storks on their nest as I navigated the 'interesting' attempts at parking before veering back off and up to Metochi. It was quiet but I did see a few Shrikes and Red-rumped Swallows and both Nightingale and Pied Flycatcher.

White Stork

Whinchat

Whinchat

Walnut flowers

Back to the hotel for an attempt at writing up yesterday before lunch and a final check of my afternoon client pick up plan.

There was time to spare so I stopped at the North East KSP for a ten minute look which revealed the Dalmatian Pelican paddling around in the Channel, two Black Terns (always a scarce bird here), the first Little Terns and both Ringed and Kentish Plovers on the first pan.

On again and I opted not to tackle a congested Mytilini and instead headed South around the east side of the Gulf of Jera. The scenery was magnificent and I have never driven this whole route before. The Olive groves looked fabulous and certainly contain some of the oldest looking trees I have encountered. As is the norm this side of the island I could hear Sardinian Warblers whenever I stopped and Middle Spotted Woodpeckers chattered within the trees. Once out on the coast the low coastal scrub was blooming with pink and white Cistus, Broom and Gorse. Eastern Black-eared Wheatears and Cretzschmar's Buntings were soon seen and Short-toed Eagles and a Lesser Kestrel were noted but I did not have long to stop and look around. Once at the airport I could see small parties of Yelkouan Shearwaters flicking South.

Helichrysum conglobatum I believe

Short-toed Eagle

Short-toed Eagle

Cretzschmar's Bunting

Cretzschmar's Bunting

A slightly odd feeling Eastern Black-eared Wheatear

Red-rumped Swallows

The 3.45 touched down on time and I was soon underway with Peter and Lynne, the first of my four clients. I asked if they wanted the hotel or birding en route. The answer was resoundingly ornithological.

I was aiming for the western pans and Lotzaria but the lure of that Pelican was too much as they are prone to escaping unseen and so we pulled over and then very successfully did the track adding not only the Iceberg back on the usual island but a host of seemingly newly arrived waders with a summer plumaged Grey Plover, 35 Little Stints, nine Curlew Sandpiper, the earlier Plovers, 19 Greenshank, Marsh Sandpiper and a few more Ruff and Wood Sandpipers. I even relocated the Bar-tailed Godwit from yesterday. A first summer Little Gull was preening with some Terns but the Blacks had already moved on. To the east of the track three Zitting Cisticolas bounced around on invisible elastic bungees. It is so good to have this species back on the island.

Dalmatian Pelican

A dark backed Squacco circled us and even landed long enough to get the scope onto and two White Storks and a Black Stork were added to Peter and Lynn's fast growing list. Spanish Sparrows, Red-throated Pipits and flava Wagtails were off with some sheep and three Short-toed Eagles and a Kestrel were up over the ridge.

With time pressing on we headed down the other side of the pans where the Gull-billed Terns were still loafing and a Common Buzzard was watching for prey. A paraglider (with a big fan) was very low and buzzing the whole area although to be honest we probably would not have seen the Hoopoe by the pumping station if it had not just gone over!

Whinchats lined our route back through Lotzaria before a superb final session at the Lower Ford amongst a blizzard of Sand Martins and Swallows. The Great Reed Warblers once again performed very well and two Glossy Ibis and the Garganey had not moved far.

Little Ringed Plovers

Little Egret

Garganey

Great Reed Warbler

Great Reed Warbler

It was time to go but I almost added a perched Nightingale to their first afternoon tally but had to make do with Blackbird, Spotted Flycatchers and House Martins as a finale.