A day began just a few hundred yards from the hotel as we
picked up a pair of Masked Shrikes at the end of the road on our way out and I
suspect that these are the closest to the hotels that I have ever seen the
species. I had to pop back to the hotel
and collect the bread and left the happy crew watching their first of this
enigmatic species. Onwards to Soumaria to check the Eucalypts for pesky Scops
Owl. We could hear one in the trees
closest to the road and two others out in the Olive groves but try as we might
we could not find one roosting amongst the dense regrowth. A Middle Spotted Woodpecker called behind and
Olies and the first Eastern Subalpine Warblers were heard. I could not find any Wood Nuthatches in the
mighty Oriental Plane.
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| Egyptian Grasshopper with breakfast |
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| As usual birding on Lesvos was taken seriously... |
Up the hill and around the bends to the Kalloni Raptor
Watchpoint. It was now quite warm and
over 30 Ravens were cavorting across the vista opposite. They have certainly increased dramatically in
recent years. Common Buzzards were
displaying all around and five Short-toed Eagles were noted along with a
hulking female Goshawk that was being bravely pestered by a female
Sparrowhawk. Black and White Storks
circled through and a glance up at one of the former had me shouting at my
party and the other couple present to get eyes up on the adult Egyptian Vulture
circling through. It was a fair way up
and quickly moving north but was a magnificent bird, gleaming in the
sunshine. This is a very rare bird
indeed for the island and not one that I ever expected to bump into.
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| Black Stork |
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| Egyptian Vulture |
Swifts zoomed through too but I could not find any Alpines
while down on the burnt hillside there were singing Beethoven Buntings (sorry,
Cretzschmar’s), Greenfinches, Cirl Buntings, Eastern Subalps and a pair of
Stonechats. Eastern Orpheans sung in the
trees below and a couple of Woodchats perched up but it was proving quite
difficult to find the small stuff actually perched up.
Feeling quite chipper at finding a new bird
for my Lesvos list we mooched on across the island to Kavaki which of course
had no birders due to the lack of Ruppell’s Warblers but we spent a fabulous
hour there taking in the stunning views and watching Blue Rock Thrush,
Peregrines, Med Shags and Eastern Subalpine Warblers and a calling Chukar was eventually
found by Mandy perched up on a rock where it sat for long enough to be scoped.
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| Chukar |
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| Blue Rock Thrush |
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| Reseda alba |
Eastern Dappled Whites flitted around us and Sardinian
Warblers scolded further down the slope but once again seeing any Warblers was
proving tricky!
Up now to Persama but I kept driving past the poorly
reservoir and parked up for lunch down the slope where the concrete track
ends. The Kermes Oaks were home to
chattering scratchy Subalpines and we eventually saw a couple well but Eastern
Orphean, Wood Warbler and Blackcap were all heard in song but could not be
found which was frustrating and followed up but also hearing both Pied and
Collared Flycatchers along the track but seeing neither! I hoped tomorrow out West would rectify
this.
A Middle Spotted Woodpecker drummed – the first time I have
heard one here do that and Eastern Black-eared Wheatears fizzed overhead as
they displayed and flashed all their black and white bits and bobs. Skywatching
over the next hour was superb with straight up views of hovering and displaying
Short-toed Eagles, Long-legged and Common Buzzards, three male Red-footed
Falcons together, two Common Kestrels, a lump of a female Peregrine and a dark
phase Booted Eagle that almost snuck through.
Alpine Swifts zoomed over with some big flocks of mixed Common Swifts
and hirundines and a Turtle Dove purred and Cuckoo briefly joined the
chorus.
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| Short-toed Eagle |
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| Short-toed Eagle |
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| Short-toed Eagle |
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| Booted Eagle |
Wall Brown, Spotted Fritillary and Long-tailed Blue joined
the Butterfly list along with a large Cream Spot Tiger Moth that dazzled us
with the clashing colours.
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| Cream Spot Tiger Moth |
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| Sheep Train - ACV |
Back at the bus a Tree Pipit came up from the small pool
where it had obviously been drinking and continued north and Red-veined Darter
and two Vagrant Hawkers were the only dragonflies seen while a Cirl Bunting gave itself up. The reservoir itself was looking even worse
that in September and had 12 Ruddy Shelduck and a vast number of Yellow-legged
Gulls that I checked for Audouin’s with no joy.
A male Red-backed Shrike was seen on the way out and we wiggled our way
back over the top and down to Kalloni where Stylianos very kindly showed us
where that pesky Scops Owl was hiding before leaving with his own party. It was very obscured but you could see it all
if you moved around a bit!
A quick Pela stop and then off towards the eastern Saltpans
where we could hear thunder rumbling. Six Spoonbills were seen on the
north-west pan as we drove past and once down at the east end we immediately
got onto the flock of 12 White-winged Black Terns that soon headed back to the
south -west corner. The walk down was
pleasant and we were accompanied by four Fizzing Pepsicolas (thanks Annie!) –
sorry Zitting Cisticolas. They showed
very well and were energetically keeping each other in their place. Corn Buntings and a Black-headed Wagtails
sung and Olies chattered in the Tamarisks.
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| Black-headed Wagtail |
A Short-toed Eagle spooked everything form the far end with
a low pass and 40 Ruddy Shelduck appeared from somewhere along with a lone male
Mallard. The dread of Terns settled and
with some nifty scope angles we managed to find all 12 WWBTs and the two dusky
Whiskered Terns on the islands with Commons and Little Terns along with a bonus
Curlew.
Four single Black Storks flew low and west and a Little
Ringed Plover was heard displaying which was crazily the first we had
encountered on the trip. After watching
the Greater Flamingos dance we walked back in the cooling air and I found an
large Scolopendra Centipede under a rock.
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| Greater Flamingos |
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| Scolopendra Centipede |
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| Trifolium resupinatum |
The Spoonbills at the other end flew off just as we pulled
up but we did see a lovey lemon shaped Squacco on the near bank of the channel.
Loutzaria was fairly quiet but 38 Wood Sandpipers came up off the beach pool
and two Marsh Harriers were out hunting.
Down at the Tsiknias a final Pallid Harrier scan failed once again but
we did see a bonus Snipe lurking in the grasses and a hoard of Sand Martins and
Swallows descended to feed low over the river while up above five Med Gulls
noisily called as they headed towards town. Identifying these for eight North
Kent birders was not difficult! A male Whinchat posed nicely for us. On
crossing the ford Andrea fond a Great Bittern standing just up river and it
allowed itself to be seen by all before stalking back into the reeds to round
up a very memorable day that was actually meant to be spent around at
Achladeri!
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| Whinchat |
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| Whinchat |
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