Starlings and floods

Part of the flock of 10,000 Common Starlings which spent a day around Skala Polichnitou and the Polichnitos Saltpans. They were seen in previous days at Kalloni.

Well, the snow has given way to rain and this means floods and poor Terry and Sue Robinson's house is under water.

Birds around the saltpans in recent days have included small influxes of both Hen Harriers and Sparrowhawks, a Marsh Harrier, a Slender-billed Gull, 2 Ruddy Shelduck, 7 Snipe, 6 Pintail and 2 Wigeon. Flocks of Coot at Potamia Reservoir (plus 32 Little Grebe) and Skala Kallonis Pool, with Shoveler, Teal and Mallard also on the pool. Red-breasted Merganser are again scarce this year with the only birds seen so far 2 off Vouvaris River Mouth.

Gadwall, Avocets and winter snow

Gadwall, Polichntios Saltpans, 25 January 2010 © Terry Robinson

Worsening winter weather, with snow on the hills and night-time temps down to -9C, has delivered some wildfowl to Polichnitos Saltpans including these four Gadwall on 25 Jan, only the fourth record for the island!

Snow on the hills of Petoni (between Parakila and Agra) viewed from across the Gulf of Kalloni at Skala Polichnitou © Terry Robinson

Avocets feeding in the middle of the Gulf of Kalloni viewed from Polichnitos Saltpans © Terry Robinson

Terry also reports lots of Skylarks around, this flock of Avocets (above) off Skala Polichnitou and regular Hen Harrier sightings the last few days around Polichnitos Saltpans. On 27 Jan counts of 2 Wigeon, 13 Teal, 81 Shelduck (record site count), 4 Black Storks, 1 Common Snipe, 300+ Skylarks and 7 Reed Buntings.

Lesvos on the BBC

In the 4th century BC the Greek philosopher Aristotle travelled to Lesvos and witnessed how it was teeming, then as now, with wildlife. His fascination with what he found there, and his painstaking study of it, led to the birth of a new science - biology. Professor Armand Leroi follows in Aristotle's footsteps to discover the creatures, places and ideas that inspired the philosopher in his pioneering work.

The programme is largely filmed on Lesvos and provides some great landscape images and some good wildlife footage.

Available on the BBC iPlayer here until 9.59pm, Sunday 24 Jan 2010.

Happy New Year - with a bang!

1 January 2010

Terry Robinson celebrated his birthday and the new year with not only an island tick, but only the second, and first wholly confirmed, record of Common Goldeneye (above) for Lesvos! This male was present in the Gulf of Kalloni off Kofinas. The only other record is of three reported off Achladeri in April 1986 (Brooks 1998) but their are unconfirmed reports of up t0 100 birds seen in the Gulf in winter.

Lesvos hosts major ornithology conference

3rd International Eurasian Ornithology Congress

University of Aegean, Mytilini, Lesvos, 8-11 April 2010

Organised and run by the Mytilini college of the University of the Aegean, the conference will include a two-day scientific programme and a full day excursion.

For further information see the IECC website.

Lesvos features high in HRC 2008 rarities report

Juvenile Pectoral Sandpiper, Polichnitos Saltpans, 20 Sept 08. © Steve Dudley
This first record for Lesvos and only the fourth record for Greece was found by Terry Robinson and was present for just one day.

The Hellenic Rarities Committee has just published the Greek rarities report for 2008.

Among the many records in the report are plenty of accepted records from Lesvos from 2008 and previous years. These include at seven (!) new species for the island such as the above Pectoral Sandpiper, plus Steppe Eagle, Dotterel, Knot, Little Swift, Bluethroat and Southern Steppe Shrike.

Satellite tracked Eleonora's Falcons update

Eleonora's Falcon, Katapetros Valley, May 2009 © Steve Dudley

In October, four Eleonora's Falcons were fitted with satellite trackers and released for their southern migration to east Africa. One of the four birds reach Madagascar around the 8 November with a second bird known to be crossing the straights between Mozambique and Madagascar on 11 Nov. on 11 Nov the other two birds were still way to the north around the Sudan - Central African Republic border.

You can see their progress online here.

A late Wryneck at Poli Pans

Wryneck, Polichnitos Saltpans, 18 Nov 09 © Terry Robinson

Wryneck is an elusive species on the island and this bird is only the third confirmed record this year (Skala Kallonis Apr 09, Meladia Sept 09). This is certainly the latest record for the island. They do occasionally turn up in open areas away from trees such as this bird at Poli Pans.

It is a sedentary resident species in some areas along the North African coast and on Corsica (which lies further north than Lesvos).

Eastern Stonechat

Eastern Stonechat, nr Vatera, 15 November 2009 © Terry Robinson

Terry Robinson found this Eastern Stonechat near Vatera on 15 November. It is very pale with clean, pale (the belly appears almost white), broad pale fringes visible on the outer tail feathers and an plain, unstreaked rump.

If accepted by the Hellenic Rarities Committee as an Eastern/Siberian Stonechat it will be the first record for the island. The Birds of Greece (Handrinos & Akriotis, 1997) lists only one 'Eastern Stonechat' for Greece from Keri Lagoon, Zakynthus in November 1986 (date fits with this record) and there is a second record from Strogyli, Arta (HRC 08 - due Dec 09). Terry's will therefore be a third for Greece if accepted.

Eastern Stonechat, nr Vatera, 15 November 2009 © Terry Robinson

Slender-billed Gulls - record count!

Slender-billed Gulls, Polichnitos Saltpans 8 Nov 09 © Terry Robinson

Terry Robinson has emailed to let me know he had a flock of 25 Slender-billed Gulls at Polichnitos Saltpans on 7 November. His previous highest count is only seven, and I've never heard of a double-figure flock being reported before, so I make this an island record count! 17 stayed on until the 8 Nov (see photo above).