Lesvos - Day 1 - 20th April 2025

A www.blueeyedbirder.com adventure:

Lesvos beckoned and after getting up at stupid o clock to get to Stansted for our 6am flight we were soon touching down with a plane load of fellow birders in glorious warm sunshine.  We were swiftly through the airport and Alison and Costas (Lesvos Car Hire) had sorted out our cars and then we were on our way.

It was Gill’s first time to the island and so we opted to bump through the middle to get to the Pela which gave her the chance to see the Flamingos, Spoonbill and Black-winged Stilts and Wood Sandpipers on Stilt Corner along with a moulting adult Curlew Sandpiper.

Eastern Olivaceous Warblers sung in the pink Tamarisks and ubiquitous Corn Buntings and Crested Larks were as ever either perched up jangling or scurrying just in front of the cars. Early Bee-eaters were around the Mulberry trees by the ford and a sandy Long-legged Buzzard was perched up on the wires.

I resisted stopping at the Tsiknias river mouth where Nightingales sung and more Bee-eaters greeted us as we drove into Skala Kallonis.  A warm welcome from Thekla, Dad and Dion; a leisurely drink by the pool where Nick Green joined us and then back out to meet back up with Jacqui and Jim to have a proper look around.

As were reached the river mouth once again, we picked up 13 Purple Herons dropping in from up high and they spent and age circling before heading up river where the acquired some more making 19 in one sluggish flying flock of snaky bulging necks and oversized feet.

Purple Herons

Purple Herons

The Long-legged Buzzard was getting grief from a Hooded Crow, and Common Buzzard and female Marsh Harriers were seen while down at the river mouth there were 12 Sandwich, eight Common and four Gull-billed Terns loafing around with a Great Cormorant and Great Egret for company.  I scanned the river edges for Pygmy Cormorants but only found Moorhens but then Jim picked up one of these primitive looking Micro-rants purposefully flying from near the river mouth east towards the salt pans around the Bay.  A very welcome early addition to any trip.

Cruising Mullet - Jim Willett

The Bee-eaters were heard but not seen and Eastern Ollies and Blackbirds sung behind us. We carried on and over the Ford and out into Loutzaria where gangs of gleaming Spanish Sparrows sat atop the Chaste Bushes and three Woodchats were noted as we bumped along.

Down at the Saltpan Channel the Spur-winged Lapwing was standing motionless in the dry area just beyond the Pump House Corner and then managed to vanish without us seeing it ever move at all while Great Reed sung from the compound. There were now Wood Sandpipers everywhere and between there and the end of the road we counted over 300 along with 40 Ruff, Avocets, Greenshank and Stilts but no small Plovers at all. A single richly coloured Collared Pratincole was sat on the mud before a short fly about took it to the other side of the bank and out of view. There were a few Little and more Common Terns out there and on the other side of the road two Gull-billed Terns were hunting while three White Storks bill clattered as they strode through the Crown Chrysanthemums snapping up crickets and other edible snacks.  Marsh Harriers quartered but I could not find the Roller but was quite happy with hearing two singing Quail and seeing an on the deck Short-toed Lark and a couple of dapper Whinchats. 

White Storks 

Down at the end hide a distant shimmering grey blob waved its bill and became a Dalmatian Pelican although a typo rendered it temporarily a Salvation Pelican which seemed almost appropriate from Easter Sunday!

Six Spoonbills were asleep on the bank and a single adult came into Stilt Corner for a short while and two more Purple Herons were peering along oversized bills out of a big patch of sedges back where the Quails were.  Upping the scale a little we picked up the first of three Black Storks circling over the pans and a Short-toed Eagle cruised through and then went up and hovered over the hillside.  I promised Gill that we would see one closer.  There were 16 Ruddy Shelduck (Nick did not remember these as he was having a little doze) on the Alykes (Vaguely) Wetlands.

Purple Heron

Purple Heron

Two Red-throated Pipits were with some Black-headed Wagtails by the salt pile and actually posed very well on the fence which is highly unusual for day one and after I suffered some serious sandal trauma (followed by disintegrating sandal rage…) we opted to follow the other crews back to the Tsiknias where a Great Bittern, Little Crake and Citrine Wagtail had all be seen above the Ford.

Black-headed Wagtail & Red-throated Pipit

There were quite a few Wagtails worming their way in and out of the reeds above the Ford including Black and Blue-headed and one curious female that actually looked like a British type bird which is not something I have ever seen here before.  The Citrine reappeared - a 2cy male, being very smart but still with some patchiness on the crown and nape.  A stunning bird and a new bird for the crew. There were many Sedge Warblers fossicking around in the reed bases but they were silent unlike the singing Reed Warblers that were mostly out of sight.  Two Wood Sandpipers popped out and I saw a male Little Crake briefly scurry along the back edge. Zitting Cisticolas zitted and a Sand Martin was with the Swallows.

Citrine Wagtail - Jim Willett

Citrine Wagtail

Citrine Wagtail - Ron McDonald

Interesting (or not!) female flava Wagtail - Ron McDonald

It had been an exceptionally long day and dinner was needed so we carried on back to our hotels and planned for food at the Pela.  Red-rumped Swallows and Common Swifts greeted us back at our digs and the Spanish Sparrows were settling down in the tall Malemi palms.

Our first dinner was excellent as ever and capped off by seeing a well grown Long-eared Owl chick in a box that had been rescued from the cats and was on its way back to hopefully be reacquainted with its local parents.

The Scops Owl started up and the Eastern Tree Frogs and Levant Water Frogs were going for it out off towards the Kallonis Pool while the Nightingales were warming up in the citrus scented air.  As ever, it was good to be back.