Lesvos - Day 4 - 23rd April 2025

 

A www.blueeyedbirder.com adventure

It was forecast (correctly) to be a scorcher so we made our way directly to Achladeri in the hope of picking up some pine woodland species before it got too warm. One of the poppy fields on the way was already magnificent and warranted a stop.  Pictures simply never capture the true splendour.  The woods themselves were full of sound which travelled well in the quiet still air.  As usual Chaffinches were predominate and Serins jingle jangled but the other woodland birds were very subdued.  We heard Middle Spotted Woodpecker but Short-toed Treecreepers were somewhat tentative as were the Medium Tailed Tits.  The Krüper's Nuthatches proved difficult initially but eventually excellent views were had a previously used nest hole where both parents were diligently and quietly in regular attendance.  We sat quietly and did not stay long and left them to their foraging.

Krüper's Nuthatch

Krüper's Nuthatch - Jim Willett

Krüper's Nuthatch

Short-toed Eagles were heard and once in the open we spied a pair in circling display – wings tipped up, heads stretched out and up and legs dangling while Ravens tumbled. Poking under rocks produced more plump Termites but little else but amongst the pines I found a Small-flowered Tongue Orchid and a solitary Violet Limodore.

Carmine Catchfly - Silene colorata

Large Hop Clover - Trifolium aureum

Legousia pentagonia

Not sure at the moment

Tubular Water-dropwort - Oenanthe fistulosa - non-native

Upright Myrtle Spurge  - Euphorbia rigida

Violet Limodore

Small-flowered Tongue Orchid

Short-toed Eagles

mantis egg case

Termites

From here we popped down onto the beach beyond the cypress avenue where the sea gently lapped on the beach but it was getting a bit hot so we opted for Mikri Limni which at least gave us good views of a family of Short-toed Treecreepers and a Lesser Whitethroat in full song.  A single Wood White was only my second on the island.

Three Rollers lured us back towards Achladeri but there were no birds on the wires or people watching wires so we stopped for lunch and then retired to the Pela for a cold beer and a rest as the temperature was now 31c.  Even then we still managed two Red-footed Falcons and a Short-toed Eagle from by the pool.

Back out again at four although it had barely cooled off.  Down at the Tsiknias river mouth two Pygmy Cormorants were actively feeding in between the algal mats before having a good fly round and coming back to sit and have a preen on a spit.  The best and closest views I have ever had.  Only Common and Sandwich Terns were at the sand bar but there were no marsh terns.  A scan up river gave us our second Squacco – a fine orange lemon shaped heron.

Pygmy Cormorant - Jim Willett

Pygmy Cormorants

Quality time spent just above the ford may not have given us the Baillon’s Crake but two female Little Crakes showed exceptionally well as they picked at surface flies amongst the flava Wagtails and Sedge Warblers.   A pulse of over 100 Sand Martins hurtled through and eyes up gave us Marsh Harrier, Buzzard and Peregrine. A Black-headed Bunting was unperturbed by our presence.

Black-headed Bunting - Jim Willett

Little Crake - Jim Willett

Little Crake

We left the others to try their luck (they had some…) and looped round to the salt pan road where a flock of 21 ruddy Glossy Ibises were on Avocet Island before taking flight and circling up into the blue and departing.  Was beginning to wonder if we would see any this year. Down at the Pumping station corner there were three Temminck’s Stints in the side channel along with some Stilts and a very feisty Spur-winged Plover.  A Quail was shouting loudly and I scanned to see if he was on view but as usual failed.

Glossy Ibises - Jim Willett

Glossy Ibises

Glossy Ibises

Glossy Ibises

Black-winged Stilt

Spur-winged Plover

Black-winged Stilt

Spur-winged Plover

A 2cy male ringtail Montagu’s Harrier powered through and ten minutes later we had also seen a fine adult male heading across the pans and then up and over the hillside along with a female Red-footed Falcon and a female Marsh Harrier.  Two Gull-billed Terns were mooching around and we could hear Greenshank and Little Ringed Plovers (I never actually saw on in the first week) which were both new.  Dinner was really calling (begging in fact) so we bumped back through the middle and gave the Baillon’s another go but had to be happy with the Littles again which was quite ok!

White Storks

Yellow-legged Gulls were up flycatching and two 2cy Med Gulls and the Gull-billed Terns were with them and a female Red-foot joined them.  Time to call it a day…

The Barn Owl and Scops Owls were heard as I sat outside and typed that evening and the first Stone-curlew was wailing off towards the Christou.