2 May - Calandra Lark and Great Snipe

Calandra Lark, Alykes Weltands, 2 May 2013 
(Melanocorypha calandra) (Κοινή) Γαλιάντρα © Bob Buckler

A much better day with significantly more birds arriving including star bird, Calandra Lark (11th record for Lesvos), seen by quite a few this evening. Lots of waders and terns at Kalloni Saltpans plus a large arrival of Red-backed Shrikes and other passerines out west including two Red-breasted Flycatchers. Also a Great Snipe (unfortunately flushed by a photographer) and Booted Eagle, Griffon Vulture and Black Kite all seen out west.

Petrified Forest

WHITE-THROATED ROBIN

One male seen 06.30 briefly and again 07.25 - 07.35. No news for rest of day.

We now have confirmation that we have two males and a female robin in the park. The males are holding territory close to one another and a female has been seen with the male near the concrete building. We are now treating this as a breeding attempt. Please therefore view only from the road and not from within the park to avoid disturbing them.

I've been told that the police are aware of misbehaviour here, including the use of recordings (illegal here) and are now going to be making patrols of the area, especially when the park is closed, to ensure that no one is using recordings or harassing the birds now they are presumed to be breeding. Please be sure to pass this message around.

It also means they are expected to hang around! Which is good news to those arriving today and next week.

Kalloni Saltpans & Alykes Wetlands

CALANDRA LARK 1 - 17.30 - 18.30 in sheep fields of Alykes Wetlands east of race track

Rufous Bush-robin 2 in beach tamarisks (view from shoreline, please don't walk through bushes)

White-winged Tern 47

Whiskered Tern 32

Sandwich Tern 2

Gull-billed Tern 5

Little Gull1 

Spoonbill 1

Glossy Ibis 2

Quail 1

Ruddy Shelduck 2

Red-throated Pipit 23

Tawny Pipit 2

Short-toed Lark 5

Collared Pratincole 2

Ruff 520

Temminck's Stint 3

Black-tailed Godwit 13

Curlew Sandpiper 21

Grey Plover 4

Spotted Redshank 2

Turnstone 1

Mallard 1

Common Starling 1

Sigri & Faneromeni area

GREAT SNIPE 1 lower ford (unfortunately flushed by a photographer so many people failed to see it)

Black Kite 2

Spotted Crake 1 (lower ford)

Wryneck 1

Citrine Wagtail 1

Roller 1

Red-backed Shrike 70+

Lesser Grey Shrike 4

Masked Shrike 1

Temminck's Stint 2

Wood Warbler 1

Bee-eater 5

Eleanora's Falcon 1

Nightjar 1 - same roosting branch for third day

Mt Ordimnos

GRIFFON VULTURE 1

Apothika

Booted Eagle 1

Meladia Valley

Red-breasted Flycatcher 2 (fem + 2CY male)

Ortolan Bunting 4

Roller 1

Purple Heron 1

Collared Flycatcher 1

Red-backed Shrike 30+

Spotted Flycatcher 40+

Ruddy Shelduck 1

Sigri Old Sanotroium

Great Spotted Cuckoo 1

Lesser Grey Shrike 3

Golden Oriole 2

Common Redstart 1

North Coast Track

Great Spotted Cuckoo 2

Molivos castle

Great Spotted Cuckoo 2

Collared Flycatcher 1

Ipsilou

Olive-tree Warbler 1

Red-footed Falcon 4

Eastern Bonelli's Warbler 2

Wood Warbler 1

Golden Oriole 2

Napi Valley

Honey-buzzard 1

Hawfinch 1 (Mavria)

Red-footed Falcon 1 (Mavria)

Metochi Lake

Night-heron 11

Little Crake 2

Little Bittern 9

Nr Skamioudi

Olive-tree Warbler 1

Konditsia Valley

Bee-eater 36 (20 over, 18 

Olive-tree Warbler 1

Track very poor in places - drive down with care!

Achalderi

Kruper's Nuthatch - female incubating and male visiting infrequently, expect to wait!

Kavaki

Ruppell's Warbler showing very well

Papiana

Scops Owl 

Long-eared Owl adult by nest with 3 young (same site as 2012)

Soumouria 'Scops Copse'

Scops Owl 5l. Please do not harass the birds!

24 April 2011 - Finsch's Wheatear & Calandra Lark

Scops Owl, Soumouria. One of three birds found at the traditional 'Scops Copse' Site © Steve Dudley

Another day of wall to wall sunshine with only a light northerly wind for company. A couple of very rare finds (Finsch's Wheatear and Calandra Lark), and still lots of flycatchers around, especially in the west, and new birds arriving including the first wave of Black-headed Buntings.

Semi-collared flycatchers – really? See here.

FINSCH'S WHEATEAR - an adult male was found today at 1055h on the approach to Ipsilou. The bird was on the hillside in the last of the Isabelline Wheatear lay-bys at Vigla (above the Eresos road juntion). It was seen by four birders briefly but lost on the open hillside. If accepted this will be the third record for Lesvos and Greece.

Kalloni Saltpans (and surrounding fields and wetlands) - CALANDRA LARK 1 at 0945h (by beach cafe when flew in to fields towards Tsiknias River), Black-headed Bunting 1 at 0830h,Honey-buzzard 1, Montagu's Harrier 2, Hen Harrier 1, Marsh Harrier 2, White-winged Black Tern 2, Collared Pratincole 29, Purple Heron 1, Spoonbill 1, Gull-billed Tern 52, Pallid Swift 1, Alpine Swift 20, Curlew Sandpiper 1, Little Stint 30, Dunlin 1, Oystercatcher 1, Bar-tailed Godwit 2 (?), Mediterranean Gull 3, Red-throated Pipit. East track Great Spotted Cuckoo 1, Whiskered Tern 3, Slender-billed Gull 1. Pool on main road by turn to pans Citrine Wagtail 1, Water Pipit 1, Temminck's Stint 1. On sea Black-necked Grebe 2.

Tsiknias River - SEMI-COLLARED FLYCATCHER fem, Audouin's Gull (at mouth), Little Bittern 2, Purple Heron 4, Squacco Heron 4, Common Kingfisher 2.

Konditsia Valley - SEMI-COLLARED FLYCATCHER 1, Red-footed Falcon 1, Lesser Kestrel 22, Montagu's Harrier fem, Cinereous Bunting 4.

Napi Valley - SEMI-COLLARED FLYCATCHER 1.

Sigri/Faneromeni - SEMI-COLLARED FLYCATCHER fem, Barred Warbler 2, Bee-eater 6, Little Bittern 4, Night-heron 1, Little Crake, 1 Purple Heron 3, Green Sandpiper, Grey Wagtail 1, Whisker Tern 1, Pallid Harrier fem, Hen Harrier fem, Common Cuckoo 3, lots of Collared Flys, Woodchats and Turtle Doves; Yelkouan and Scopoli's Shearwaters offshore.

Meladia Valley - SEMI-COLLARED FLYCATCHER male, Barred Warbler 2, Purple Heron 1, Hen Harrier fem, Marsh Harrier male, Woodchat (lots).

Pithariou Reservoir - SEMI-COLLARED FLYCATCHER fem, Purple Heron 1, Little Bittern 1.

Skala Eresou - SPUR-WINGED PLOVER 1 (since 22/4), Collared Pratincole 3.

Ipsilou - Ring Ouzel fem (since 22/4), Eastern Bonelli's Warbler 1.

Agra Towers - Wryneck 1.

Lardia - Eastern Bonelli's Warbler 1 (singing c.50m west of layby with wooden gate).

Christou (Kamares) River - Lesser Grey Shrike 1, Fan-tailed Warbler 1, Pallid Swift 1, Slender-billed Gull 3.

Skala Kallonis - Black-headed Bunting 1. Hotel Pasiphae Gargeney 2 (on pool behind hotel), Long-eared Owl 1. Beach Mediterranean Gull 2. Pool Savi's Warbler 1.

Kalloni Raptor Watchpoint - Ortolan Bunting, Common Cuckoo.

Vigla (Isabelline Wheatear lay-bys) - Ortolan Bunting 2, Cinereous and Cretzschmar's Buntings.

Kavaki - Barred Warbler 1, Rufous Bush-robin, Ruppell's Warbler, Blue Rock-thrush.

Metochi Lake - Little Crake 10, Purple Heron 1, Little Bittern 1, Squacco Heron 1, Hen Harrier 1, Common Starling 2.

Lotzaria - Marsh Sandpiper 5, Spotted Redshank 2, Curlew Sandpiper 7, Dunlin 73, Little Stint 120, Greenshank 4, White-winged Black Tern 11, Stone-curlew 1 (plus Spur-thighed Tortoise - first reported of the year).

Efthalou - Golden Oriole 1, Yelkouan and Scopoli's Shearwaters.

Perasma - Ruddy Shelduck 2.

Makara - Purple Heron 8 (flock), Little Bittern 1, Lesser Kestrel, Alpine Swift, Little Stint.

Late news for yesterday -

BLUETHROAT (second record for island) and Black-headed Bunting at Upper Tsiknias River.

14 April - Calandra Lark

The 12th CALANDRA LARK for Lesvos was found by Terry Robinson near Polichnitos Saltpans in the evening but there was no sign the following morning. Photo © Terry Robinson.

Achladeri - Kruper's Nuthatch 2.

Kalloni Saltpans (floods) - Little Crake 2.

Hotel Pasiphae, Skala Kalloni - Long-eared Owl 2 (Shena & John Maskell)

Mesa - Ruddy Shelduck, Purple Heron, Black Stork (Shena & John Maskell)