Lesvos - Day 8 - 7th September 2025

I had to turn my moth trap light off early last night as it just illuminated the whole inside of the room from the balcony but I did catch two moths with a familiar Rush Veneer and a tatty Trent Double Stripe.

Trent Double Stripe

Rush Veneer

It was another epic failure to get up early and after breakfast we headed west along the coast passing umpteen calling roadside Rock Nuthatches and flicking Spotted Flycatchers.  

A young White Pelican had been seen at Pithariou two days before so I started there and it was quickly obvious that there was not a dirty iceberg floating around but I was very happy that the two Whiskered Terns found by Wayne were still at the far end and perched up between bouts of agile feeding.  I am not sure I have seen 1w Whiskered Terns before or if I have it was not as well as this! Every feather was edged with pale and there were still some darker scapular feathers on show.  A genuinely educational experience. 

Pithariou Monastery

Whiskered Tern

Whiskered Tern

Whiskered Tern

Whiskered Tern

Whiskered Tern

The five Crag Martins of a few days ago now numbered at least 80 with a mix of the other four hirundine species.  Six Eleonora’s Falcons were keeping thing active and around the margins I found just one Green Sandpiper and 27 Cormorants but there were now 16 Little Grebes dotted about.

The bushes and trees were alive with Spotted Flycatchers and a few Willow Warblers as well as the requisite Red-backed Shrikes. Two Cetti’s Warblers were busily scolding from the Chaste Trees.

Spotted Flycatcher

Spotted Flycatcher

We seemed to hit the Pithariou Sunday service rush hour on the way out and made our way down to Skala Eresou for another look around before heading out onto the Eresos to Sigri track.  I know full well before I set out that it will be an almost birdless drive at this time of year but somehow it feels wrong to visit the island and not bump through the autumn wastelands.

It was predictably quiet but an enjoyable drive – if a little bumpy at times. Crested Larks, Woodlark, Stonechats and Rock Nuthatches were seen and heard and there were still a few EBEWs around and I heard Rock Sparrows twice.

Down in Meladia (really should call it the Tsichliontas Valley!) where there were a few Spotted Flycatchers and Red-backed Shrikes along the fences but Willow Warblers, an Eastern Subalpine Warbler, a Whitethroat and Lesser Grey Shrike were the only other passerine migrant.  

A Hobby came out of the chapel Cypresses and rocketed up valley. The same little bird species were seen at the Sigri Cheese Sanitorium and offshore around the volcanic plug of Vrachonisida Sedousa there were at least ten Eleonora’s Falcons circling around as expected.

Sigri

Vrachonisida Sedousa 

Up to Ipsilou for the magnificent view but almost no birds at all.  The landscape is just so parched.  Only the Ravens seem unperturbed. 

View northish from Ipsilou

From here it was down to the windy beach at Gavathas for a swim.  As usual there was a trouble finding a parking space.  A bob in the somewhat choppy sea and then around the track to Ancient Antissa.  There was another concentration of the flycatcher, warbler, shrike trio with just a single juv Woodchat Shrike and ten Bee-eaters to add.  A Rock Nuthatch at last sat still for more than a second but there was no Blue Rock Thrush on the route this time although the autumn Jackdaws were around.

Woodchat (ACV)

Spotted Flycatcher

Western Rock Nuthatch

Dinner in Petra and then down to the Tsiknias as dusk fell to await the rising of the glorious red moon which was already in the process of being shadowed by the earth.  I was initially distracted by the reappearance of the 'longipes' type Oystercatcher on the spit but the moon dragged me back.

Roger had to help me with dinner

 'longipes' type Oystercatcher 

We watched it climb into a cloudless sky and get steadily nibbled away at until it was a simply a vague peachy disc at about 8.30pm.  I am not sure I have see a full moon eclipse before and it was fine way to end the day although saying that, Thekla has a local classic rock covers band in tonight and as I finish typing this just before 11.30pm, Radiohead's Creep in all its unadulterated glory is drifting through the night... magic

Interestingly it still looked slightly peachy with the naked eye and through the scope at the end it looked like this!

Lesvos - Day 7 - 6th September 2025

The Pela breakfast bird list went up by one this morning with a Pygmy Cormorant circling from the west and then made a straight line towards the Tsiknias over town.  I suspect that it had been on the old hidden Potamia reservoir.  It was a good way to start the day!

We had arranged to meet Alison and so headed over the top with a brief stop at the Kalloni Raptor Watchpoint where there was nothing but a fine view and four Ravens and then up to Kavaki for another look.  It was quiet once again although I did hear Chukar and have a Short-toed Lark fly over but there was nothing out to sea once again.

 Kalloni Raptor Watchpoint

 Kavaki view

A Hoopoe flew along the Petra seafront and a Long-lgeed Buzzard was up above Anoxos and after our catch up we headed back along the coast into darkening skies.  A half hour stop at Argennos saw me get onto seven Honey Buzzard and three Marsh Harrier almost in one kettle as they overtopped Mount Leptimnos but after that there was nothing bar the tumbling Ravens.

Argennos and Turkey

Back on the KSP there were three Curlew Sandpipers with the 50 Avocets in the south-west corner but nothing else so a tea break was required until the early evening when we headed back out onto Loutzaria once again.  A similar sweet of birds but with a definite increase in Red-backed Shrikes (14) and Tree Pipits (four).

Can you have too many Red-backed Shrikes?

Down at the Racecourse – Alykes beach I could not re-find the potential ‘longipes’ Oystercatcher but six Teal and Shoveler were new on the beach and there were also five Curlew and two Grey Plovers.  The two Lesser Grey Shrikes had been joined by two stunning juvenile Woodchats and four Red-backs and the Tawny Pipit was still striding around.

Common Redshank - but not one of the curious long billed, longer legged ones that I saw yesterday and on previous autumn trips

Great Egret

A total 23 Sandwich Terns came in to the pans to roost and in the good light I could see very nicely into the south-east corner where the Dalmatian Pelicans now numbered 24 and I am still sure that there was a juvenile Great White Pelican loosely with them.  I need to drag my backside out of bed and get down there early doors when the light is at its best and the birds at their most active.  I could also see four Black Storks and now eight Great Egrets.

Back through Loutzaria adding a fine male Common Redstart with an exceptionally bright rump and tail and a suggestion of a white wing panel consorting with Northern Wheatears, Whinchats, flava Wagtails, Willow Warblers and a delightful if somewhat insipid Hoopoe but any day than ends with one of these enigmatic birds is a good day indeed.

Common Redstart (ACV)

Common Redstart 

Common Redstart - quite striking

Whinchat (ACV)

Hoopoe

Lesvos - Day 6: 5th September 2025

With cloud bubbling up it was up to the north coast for a couple of hours speculative sky watching from the Argennos bandstands looking over towards Turkey. At that point it was a little cooler than in recent days (below 30c!) and there was enough shade to make it quite pleasant.  It was fairly quiet but enjoyable and aside from the local two Buzzards, three Short-toed Eagles, male Goshawk, male Peregrine and two Sparrowhawks, I did manage to pick up some incomers with six Marsh Harriers and seven juvenile Honey Buzzards.  Bee-eaters were constantly on the move and the best part of 200 coasted while I was there for two hours between 10 and 12.  A Common Swift snuck through with them – I say snuck, as I have just noticed it in my pics!

Marsh Harrier

Honey Buzzard

Goshawk

Short-toed Eagle

Bee-eaters with Common Swift at the very top!

Bee-eaters 

Bee-eater

I counted 21 Chaffinches and six Tree Pipits coasting south-east and Ravens were as ever my constant companions and aid in picking up raptors.  A couple of Willow Warblers were foraging in the roses and weeds.

Willow Warbler

Willow Warbler

Willow Warbler - always amazes me how dark the legs are on some

Willow Warbler

Ravens

Ravens

From here we dropped back to Skala Sikamineas hearing roadside Robins and Medium-tailed Tits in the process and seeing a Redstart flit across in front.

A banana and chocolate chunk icecream followed as per the norm before the bump back west along the north coast track.  It was back up in the mid 30’s and the whole landscape was a patchwork of golden, crispy browns with glaucous Olives and fading Oaks. A few Red-backed Shrikes, Spotted Flycatchers, both Wheatears and Willow Warblers moved ahead but it was generally quiet and I only saw four Yellow-legged Gulls on the seaward side for the whole journey.

Little fish feasting on a loaf that they made spin with all their wiggling

Back to the Pela for some roosting.  I tried skywatching from here but actually nodded off propped up against the wall. With cloud still billowing up to the north I had picked up a Honey Buzzard and three Short-toed Eagles before the lids closed and at 5pm I persuaded myself that if I went down to the Eastern Kalloni Salt Pan Track that the sun would be obscured and the temperature lower.  

Wrong on both counts but I stuck to my plan and walked down to level with the Pelican Pan where 14 Dalmatian of various ages were seen along with a much darker, more contrasting youngster that on the one occasion it popped its head up seemed to have a large bare patch around the eye. I suspect a juvenile White Pelican.  Hopefully I will get another look.

Dalmatian Pelicans

There were 33 Spoonbills and four Black Storks and a few Grey Herons and Great Egrets amongst the Flamingos and among the 18 Redshank I found seven Greenshank, Wood Sandpiper, 58 Avocets, three Grey, two Ringed and five Kentish Plovers. Five amazingly long billed Curlews were noted and two Black-necked Grebes were actively feeding on the far lagoon.

Flamingos

Avocets

Crested Lark

The weather front to the north seemed to be gathering some momentum and the wind was really getting up so with rain threatening I walked back and retreated for dinner. Of course it never rained. A quick poodle out after dinner on the Papiana tracks gave one fly through Nightjar and a Green Toad hopping across the track.