Lesvos - Day 4 - 16th January 2026

Out west along the coast after breakfast pausing to watch the silvery swirl of the wader flock on the Kamares before stopping Parakila Marsh but as usual it was almost empty with just a single Great Egret despite the water level being so good.  Both Common Chiffchaff types called from the bushes along with Cetti’s Warblers.

Dunlin and Little Stints - and yes the pale super long billed one is also a Dunlin

Dunlin and a Little Stint

Common Snipe

Hairy Lupin I think - ACV

On again to the village and down to the little harbour.  It was good to see water in the rivers but there was little in the olive groves although Andrea did see a Persian Squirrel. A fishing boat had come in and had attracted a few Gulls and I counted 21 Black-headeds, eight Med Gulls and 6 Yellow-legged Gulls waiting for aerial gifts. A Silver Y was nectaring on the Virginia Stocks.

Black-headed and two Med Gulls

Three Black-headed and five Med Gulls

Silver Y 

Virginia Stocks.

Black-capped Jay

Black-capped Jays - ACV

Down to Apothika next to check out the little estuary I found two autumns ago.  Three Rock Sparrows were up on the wires on the way in but other that Black Redstarts, Robins and Stonechats around the small farmsteads, it was very quiet. 

Robin - they are difficult to get close to

Black Redstart

I walked out to the river bridge spooking Redshank and Greenshank and three Starlings.  A Curlew was down at the mouth and 80 Yellow-legged Gulls were along the village front across the bay.  It looked like they were already setting up for the season on Vrachonisida Erimonisi offshore and a Dalmatian Pelican was sat at the far end.  I did not walk up to the imposing wall of Rodotoichos this time.

The views from here on are always special but there was a colour shift from the straw coloured parched hillsides and blobs of green Oaks that we see in the spring that become intensified in the autumn when the ground becomes almost orange.  At this time of year the roles are reversed with fresh green underneath and the canopy of bare branches and grey brown leaves above.  The Valonia oaks keep their brown leaves almost until we arrive in April.

Lunch at Pithariou Monastery was pleasant and the sun had come out too pushing the temperature up to 15c and as if by magic Red Admiral, Small Copper and three Clouded Yellows appeared and were attracted to the Oxalis pes-caprae but the Violet Carpenter Bees kept pushing them off.  Another Silver Y was in attendance too.

Clouded Yellow on Oxalis pes-caprae 

Violet Carpenter Bee

The sun was eclipsed but a large black cloud and that was that – they all disappeared just as quickly.  The water level is at least 20 feet up on the September visit I reckon but there were only two each of Shoveler, Little Grebe and Cormorant.

Buzzards called above but it was odd to have no eagles or falcons to look for.  An immature female Goshawk barrelled through the oaks on the opposite side but must have stopped out of sight which was a pity.  I walked a little way back down the track and found four Firecrests which after a little while showed very well.  A word for anyone coming out this time of year, just be aware that most of the calls they make are far more Goldcrest-like than the familiar FC piping.  There were countless Crowned Anemones lining the road and tuck away in little spots of green but I could not find any other spring  bulbs.

I love these ancient Planes jammed in amongst the stream boulders

Maidenhair Fern

Calicotome villosa

Firecrest (and green islands for the moth-ers out there!)

Firecrest

Firecrest - purely a winter visitor here - like Goldcrest, Black Resdstart and so many others that we never see in the spring

Skala Eresou looks very different in winter mode and they too are undergoing pergola alterations along the front from the look of things.  The village was almost deserted but the bakery was still open!  The sea was fairly calm but even so I was not expecting five Yelkouan Shearwaters heading north up the coast.  Black Redstarts dotted the rooftops but there was not one Collared Dove to be found, let alone any Laughing Doves. Amazingly a Camberwell Beauty cruised across in front of the car on the way out.

The Turtle Bridge had Mullets and Terrapins and two Moorhens while Cetti’s Warbler called from the reeds.  I was hoping for Moustached Warbler but had no joy but there was something sub-singing in the dense bushes which had curious melodic scratchy notes but I could not quite place it.  It was not a Blackcap and felt more ‘Chatty’ and I wondered about Bluethroat?  May have to go back for another look.

Up through the hills from here and down to Perivolis once again.  It was quite late and things were quiet but the Siskin flock was now up to 26 in the Oriental Planes and Song Thrushes seemed to be heading off to roost and while I was snapping some Yellow Star of Bethlehem I found two more Firecrests in one of the very large Olives.

Fly mines on young Hollyhock leaves

Yellow Star of Bethlehem - Gagea lutea

With the light going so early I called it a day and we headed back to town for provisions and dinner.