Scopoli's Shearwater

Scopoli's (Cory's) Shearwater (c) Lesvos Wildlife Hospital.

Now here's one of the more unusual finds the Lesvos Wildlife Hospital has to cope with. This Scopoli's Shearwater was found on the beach at Skala Eresou on 20 March. It weighed only 414g (should be 700-800g) and today it weighs 626g, so successful release is expected shortly!

January and February 2013 bird news

FEBRUARY 2013
I'll do the summary for Feb in species order (makes it a bit easier for me!). Rcords from Terry Robinson via OrnithoTopos unless stated.

Ruddy Shelduck
Polichnitos Saltpans 1 on three dates to 17th
Achladeri 4 on 3rd (Pantelis Thomaidis)

Common Shelduck
Up to 50 at Polichnitos Saltpans.

Shoveler
1 Nifida 2nd (Pantelis Thomaidis)

Red-breasted Merganser
2 off Polichnitos Saltpans on 9th.

Yelkouan Shearwater
Seen near daily off Polichnitos Saltpans with max. 139 on 4th.

Great Crested Grebe
Max. 893 off Polichnitos Saltpans on 1st

Black-necked Grebe
1 off Polichnitos Saltpans throughout. 1 off Vouvaris River mouth on 2nd.

Great Cormorant
1200+ off Parakila 3rd (Pantelis Thomaidis)

Greater Flamingo
Max. 118 Polichnitos Saltpans on 1st

Black Stork
1 Polichnitos Saltpans 27th
1 Skala Vasilikon 2nd
Up to 4 Christou (Kamares) River throughout (Pantelis Thomaidis)

Great White Egret
Max. 10 Polichnitos Saltpans 3rd.
3 Mesa Wetlands 2nd

Marsh Harrier
1-2 Kalloni Saltpans area throughout (Pantelis Thomaidis)

Hen Harrier
1 Alykes Wetlands 2nd (Petros Tsakmakis)

Long-legged Buzzard
1 Polichnitos Saltpans 2nd and 11th

Avocet
Max. 51 Polichnitos Saltpans 26th

Grey Plover
1-2 Polichnitos Saltpans throughout

Kentish Plover
Max. 24 Polichnitos Saltpans 24th

Spotted Redshank
1-2 Polichnitos Saltpans 12th - 20th

Common Redshank
Max. 31 Polichnitos Saltpans 29th

Greenshank
Max. 5 Polichnitos Saltpans 25th

Little Stint
Max. 23 Polichnitos Saltpans 6th

Dunlin
Max. 158 Polichnitos Saltpans 20th

Sandwich Tern
Max. 8 Polichnitos Saltpans 7th

Scops Owl
1 University Hill, Mytilini 27th (J Devalex, Observado)

Skylark
Max. 44 Polichnitos Saltpans 2nd

Common Chiffchaff
1 University Hill, Mytilini 27th (J Devalex, Observado)

Blackcap
1-3 Polichnitos Saltpans throughout
1 University Hill, Mytilini 27th (J Devalex, Observado)

Sardinian Warbler
1-2 Polichnitos Saltpans throughout

Common Starling
Max. 37 Polichnitos Saltpans 21st
1000+ Tsiknias River 2nd (Dimitris Fotiou)

Song Thrush
1-3 Polichnitos Saltpans throughout

Black Redstart
1-3 Polichnitos Saltpans throughout

Common Stonechat
up to 6 Polichnitos Saltpans throughout

Meadow Pipit
Max. 18 Polichnitos Saltpans several dates

Serin
Max. 45 Polichnitos Saltpans 23rd

Hawfinch
1 Polichnitos Saltpans 3rd & 15th

Corn Bunting
Max. 143 Polichnitos Saltpans 14th

JANUARY 2013

31 January 13
Yelkouan Shearwater 6 off Polichnitos Saltpans (Terry Robinson/OrnithoTopos)
Long-legged Buzzard 1Polichnitos Saltpans (Terry Robinson/OrnithoTopos)
Grey Plover 2 Polichnitos Saltpans (Terry Robinson/OrnithoTopos)
Sandwich Tern 1 Polichnitos Saltpans (Terry Robinson/OrnithoTopos)

30 January 13
Hen Harrier 1 Polichnitos Saltpans (Terry Robinson/OrnithoTopos)
Great Crested Grebe 143 off Polichnitos Saltpans (Terry Robinson/OrnithoTopos)
Greater Flamingo 144 Polichnitos Saltpans (Terry Robinson/OrnithoTopos)
Great White Egret 7 Polichnitos Saltpans (Terry Robinson/OrnithoTopos)
Dunlin 147 Polichnitos Saltpans (Terry Robinson/OrnithoTopos)

28 January 13
Hawfinch 1 Skala Polichnitou (Terry Robinson/OrnithoTopos)
Black Stork 1 Polichnitos Saltpans (Terry Robinson/OrnithoTopos)

27 January 13
Ruddy Shelduck 48 Achladeri Dimitris Fotiou
Common Shelduck 39 Polichnitos Saltpans (Terry Robinson/OrnithoTopos)
Greater Flamingo 137 Polichnitos Saltpans (Terry Robinson/OrnithoTopos)
Great White Egret 3 Polichnitos Saltpans (Terry Robinson/OrnithoTopos)Greenshank 1 Polichnitos
Saltpans (Terry Robinson/OrnithoTopos)
Little Stint 53 Polichnitos Saltpans (Terry Robinson/OrnithoTopos)
Meadow Pipit 13  Polichnitos Saltpans (Terry Robinson/OrnithoTopos)

26 January 13
Black-necked Grebe 1 off Skala Polichnitou (Terry Robinson/OrnithoTopos)
Skylark 75 Polichnitos Saltpans (Terry Robinson/OrnithoTopos)
Reed Bunting 1 Polichnitos Saltpans (Terry Robinson/OrnithoTopos)
Common Stonechat 3 Polichnitos Saltpans (Terry Robinson/OrnithoTopos)

25 January 13
Common Redshank 24 Polichnitos Saltpans (Terry Robinson/OrnithoTopos)
Dunlin 123 Polichnitos Saltpans (Terry Robinson/OrnithoTopos)

24 January 13
Sardinian Warbler 5 Polichnitos Saltpans (Terry Robinson/OrnithoTopos)
Linnet 9 Polichnitos Saltpans (Terry Robinson/OrnithoTopos)

23 January 13
Yelkouan Shearwater 7 off Skala Polichnitou (Terry Robinson/OrnithoTopos)
Great Crested Grebe 273 off Skala Polichnitou (Terry Robinson/OrnithoTopos)
Greater Flamingo 145 Polichnitos Saltpans (Terry Robinson/OrnithoTopos)
Great White Egret 6 Polichnitos Saltpans (Terry Robinson/OrnithoTopos)

24 January 13
Serin 73 Polichnitos Saltpans (Terry Robinson/OrnithoTopos)

21 January 13
Yelkouan Shearwater 8 off Skala Polichnitou (Terry Robinson/OrnithoTopos)
Great Crested Grebe 94 off Skala Polichnitou (Terry Robinson/OrnithoTopos)
Grey Plover 2 Polichnitos Saltpans (Terry Robinson/OrnithoTopos)
Little Stint 16 Polichnitos Saltpans (Terry Robinson/OrnithoTopos)
Dunlin 86 Polichnitos Saltpans (Terry Robinson/OrnithoTopos)
Sandwich Tern 1 Polichnitos Saltpans (Terry Robinson/OrnithoTopos)

20 January 13
Greater Flamingo 168 Polichnitos Saltpans (Terry Robinson/OrnithoTopos)
Blackcap 1 Polichnitos Saltpans (Terry Robinson/OrnithoTopos)
Black Redstart 3 Polichnitos Saltpans (Terry Robinson/OrnithoTopos)
Meadow Pipit 7 Polichnitos Saltpans (Terry Robinson/OrnithoTopos)

19 January 13
Dalmatian Pelican 1 Vouvaris River - photo (Petros Tsakmakis/Lesvos Birders Facebook Group)
Sardinian Warbler 2 Polichnitos Saltpans (Terry Robinson/OrnithoTopos)

18 January 13
Great White Egret 8 Polichnitos Saltpans (Terry Robinson/OrnithoTopos)

14 January 13
Black Kite 1 at Mesa Wetlands (Terry Robinson)

13 January 13
Black-necked Grebe 1 off Skala Polichnitou (Terry Robinson/OrnithoTopos)
WHITE-TAILED EAGLE an immature for 20 minutes at Mesa (Lefteris Kakalis, Lina Grimpylakou and Fotis Psarros) - only the 7th record for Lesvos.

White-tailed Eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla) Θαλασσαετός 

Mesa Wetlands, 13 January 2013

Photo by Fotis Psarros

10 January 13
Greater Flamingo 80 Polichnitos Saltpans (Terry Robinson/OrnithoTopos)
STEPPE BUZZARD 1  nr Kedro, Mytilini - view photo (Petros Tsakmakis/Lesvos Birders Facebook Group)
Grey Plover 1 Polichnitos Saltpans (since 2 Jan) (Terry Robinson/OrnithoTopos)
Dunlin 89 Polichnitos Saltpans (Terry Robinson/OrnithoTopos)

9 January 13
Little Stint 43 Polichnitos Saltpans (Terry Robinson/OrnithoTopos)
Blackcap up to 4 Polichnitos Saltpans in recent days (Terry Robinson/OrnithoTopos)

8 January 13
STEPPE BUZZARD 1  Molivos - view photo (Petros Tsakmakis/Lesvos Birders Facebook Group)

6 January 13
Hen Harrier 1 Petrified Forest (Jelle Devalez/Observado)
Rock Sparrow 1  Petrified Forest (Jelle Devalez/Observado)
Dunnock singles  Petrified Forest and Sigri (good records for the west!) (Jelle Devalez/Observado)

5 January 13
Greater Flamingo 500 Kalloni Saltpans (Jelle Devalez/Observado)
Great White Egret 1 Kalloni Saltpans (Jelle Devalez/Observado)
STEPPE BUZZARD 1  Molivos (Jelle Devalez/Observado)
Hen Harrier 1 Alykes Wetlands (Jelle Devalez/Observado)
Common Ringed Plover 1 Alykes Wetlands (Jelle Devalez/Observado)
Common Snipe 1 Alykes Wetlands (Jelle Devalez/Observado)
Common Greenshank 1 Alykes Wetlands (Jelle Devalez/Observado)
Green Sandpiper 1 Alykes Wetlands (Jelle Devalez/Observado)
Eurasian Curlew 1 Alykes Wetlands (Jelle Devalez/Observado)
Common Kingfisher 1 Kalloni Saltpans (Jelle Devalez/Observado)
Water Pipit 1 Kalloni Saltpans (Jelle Devalez/Observado)

4 January 13
Mediterranean Gull 1 Mytilini (Jelle Devalez/Observado)

10 January 13
Common Greenshank 4 Polichnitos Saltpans (Terry Robinson/OrnithoTopos)

2 January 13
STEPPE BUZZARD 1  near Nifida - view photo (Petros Tsakmakis/Lesvos Birders Facebook Group)
Great Crested Grebe 140 off Skala Polichnitou (Terry Robinson/OrnithoTopos)

1 January 13
Ruddy Shelduck 4 Mesa (Terry Robinson/OrnithoTopos)
Grey Plover 1 Tsiknias River (Terry Robinson/OrnithoTopos)
Eurasian Curlew 2 Tsiknias River (Terry Robinson/OrnithoTopos)
Common Sandpiper 1 Tsiknias River (Terry Robinson/OrnithoTopos)


STEPPE BUZZARDS
We have the first confirmed records of this subspecies of Common Buzzard this winter thanks to several photographs posted on the Lesvos Birders Facebook Group. For photos of the first bird seen near Kedro on the eastern outskirts of Mytilini from 17 Nov - 31 Dec 2012 see here and one seen over Pappados on 29 Nov 2012 see here. For 2013 sightings and photos see below.

The sad side of Lesvos

This Common Buzzard was found in Mechálochori near Plomari. Lesvos Wildlife Hospital has reported it to the relevant island authorities.

Visiting birders might want to think about informing their hoteliers, guest house folk or whoever you stay with on Lesvos that incidents such as this can only damage their tourist industry, not help it!

Photo courtesy of Lesvos Wildlife Hospital.

March 08 bird news

Black-winged Stilts, Kalloni Saltpans, 22 March 2008 © Eleni Galinou

These stilts were part of 50+ present around the saltpans in mid-March. Eleni also reports 35+ Ruddy Shelduck in fields by the saltpans and numbers of Swifts and hirundines present from around the 20th and Northern Wheatear and Hoopoe seen on the 22 March.

Joris and Ineke Peeters-Lenglet at the Lesvos Wildlife Hospital tell me they had the first House Martins on 14 March and Common Swifts on 18 March, and the pair of White Storks that nest on the olive oil factory in Agai Paraskevi returned on the 28 March. The pair of disabled Barn Owls at the Wildlife Hospital are breeding and have four eggs!

I hope to be able to include more regular bird news updates from Eleni in coming weeks ahead of the main birding season starting on 17 April (when I myself will be present on the island for three weeks). Anyone with news from the islands can email me at steve(at)toadsnatcher.com (work it out!) and I will carry worthy records on here as part of my more regular spring updates.

Cattle Egret, nr Sigri, December 2007

Cattle Egret, 26/12/2007, near Sigri seen by E. Kakalis and L. Grybilakou (photo E. Kakalis).

Not the large influx of Cattle Egrets seen in the UK this winter, but one for Lesvos is an excellent find given that there is next to no coverage of the island in mid-winter. This is only the sixth record for Lesvos since 1995, the first since 2002, and like the UK, it was part of an influx (64 records of 127 birds) into Greece during 2007.

Early spring weather

Skala Kallonis Pool, 20 March 2008 (© Hotel Pasiphae )

After the disastrously dry winter of 2006/07, the winter just gone has seen a return to norm, with good rainfall which will not only provide pools for spring passage migrants, but will also help to restore the underground water resources of the island.

My good friend Vasilis, manager of Hotel Pasiphae at Skala Kallonis, emailed me to say "The weather this year is much different than last year. From November with a lot of rain and then a quite big period of low temperatures from December until end of January. February dominated from mostly south west winds and mid temperatures 12 - 17 degrees light rain and humidity at night. Until now March is more or less the same with only difference the higher temperature at days with sun".

Today is sunny with moderate southerly wind and around 20 C. Click on the link to the right for up to date weather info.

The picture above of the Skala Kallonis Pool which in spring 2007 was bone dry after the exceptionally dry winter. This year however we see the hoped for high water which will hopefully remain for when most of us visit the island from mid-April onwards. Hopefully we’ll be enjoying the usual fill of crakes and herons here later in the spring.

I know a few hardy souls visit from late March so any updates on birds, weather and standing freshwater areas will be gratefully appreciated and used on this site to keep others informed. Email me at steve(at)toadsnatcher.com (you can work out what to do here!).

March 2013 bird news

MARCH 2013
Records from Terry Robinson via OrnithoTopos unless stated.

Common Shelduck
max. 45 Polichntios Saltpans 20 Mar

Ruddy Shelduck
19 Mesa 11 Mar

Pintail
1 Kalloni Saltpans 13 Mar (Petros Tsakmakis).

Mallard
3 Kalloni Saltpans 13 Mar (Petros Tsakmakis).

Teal
2 Kalloni Saltpans 13 Mar (Petros Tsakmakis).

Scopoli's Shearwater
1 off Mytilini 2 Mar (J Delavez/Observado).
5 off Vatera 21 Mar.

Yelkouan Shearwater
Seen daily off Polichnitos Saltpans with max. 4700 on 6 Mar.

Black-throated Diver
4 off Polichnitos Saltpans 29 Mar.

Great Crested Grebe
Seen daily off Polichnitos Saltpans with max. 338 on 7 Mar.

Black-necked Grebe
1 off Polichnitos Saltpans 8 Mar.

Greater Flamingo
Seen daily Polichnitos Saltpans with max. 77 on 20 Mar.
Alikoudi Pool max. 90 on 11 Mar.

Black Stork
1 Polichnitos Saltpans 8 Mar.

White Stork
First: 1 Polichnitos Saltpans 18 Mar.
1 Kalloni Saltpans 27 Mar (Dimitris Fotiou)

Glossy Ibis
First record 1 Kalloni Saltpans 23 Mar (Dimitris Fotiou) with max. 14 on 29 Mar (Petros Tsakmakis).

Great White Egret
Seen daily Polichnitos Saltpans with max. 7 on 4 Mar.

Hen Harrier
1 Polichnitos Saltpans 9 Mar.
1 Kalloni Saltpans 12 Mar (Petros Tsakmakis).

Marsh Harrier
1-2 Kalloni Saltpans throughout (Pantelis Thomaidis).

STEPPE BUZZARD
1 Larisos 18 Mar (photo: Petros Tsakmakis).

Avocet
Seen daily Polichnitos Saltpans with max. 82 on 25 Mar.

Black-winged Stilt
Polichnitos Saltpans max. 29 on 25 Mar.
Kalloni Saltpans max. 22 on 22 Mar (Dimitris Fotiou).

Northern Lapwing
1 Polichnitos Saltpans 10 Mar.

Grey Plover
1-2 daily Polichnitos Saltpans.

Little Ringed Plover
Recorded Polichnitos Saltpans from 2 Mar.  Max. 38 on 27 Mar.

Kentish Plover
Max. 39 Polichnitos Saltpans 14 Mar

Black-tailed Godwit
10 Kalloni Saltpans 22 Mar (Dimitris Fotiou).

5 Polichnitos Saltpans 29 Mar.

Common Redshank
Max. 22 Polichnitos Saltpans 23 Mar

Spotted Redshank
1-2 Polichnitos Saltpans 18-30 Mar

Marsh Sandpiper
Singles Polichnitos Saltpans 3 Mar and 18 Mar.

Greenshank
Max. 5 Polichnitos Saltpans 28 Mar

Green Sandpiper
1-2 Polichnitos Saltpans throughout.
1 Kalloni Saltpans 12 Mar (Petros Tsakmakis).
1 Alikoudi Pool 11 Mar.

Wood Sandpiper
Singles Polichnitos Saltpans 3 Mar and 11 Mar with 3 on 30 Mar. 
Recorded from Kalloni Saltpans 10 Mar (P Thomaddis)

Little Stint
Max. 69 Polichnitos Saltpans 5 Mar.

Dunlin
Max. 140 Polichnitos Saltpans 10 Mar.

Curlew Sandpiper
1 Polichnitos Saltpans 18 Mar.

Ruff
1 Polichnitos Saltpans 28-29 Mar, with 3 on 30 Mar.

CASPIAN GULL
1 Alikoudi Pool 17 Mar (photo: Petros Tsakmakis). Second record for Lesvos if accepted.

Mediterranean Gull
14 Mytilini 8 Mar (J Delavez/Observado).
1 Polichnitos Saltpans 18 Mar.

Common Tern
First record 2 Polichnitos Saltpans 26 Mar.

Sandwich Tern
Max. 4 Polichnitos Saltpans 6 Mar.

Long-eared Owl
1 Mytilini 5 Mar (J Delavez/Observado).

Scops Owl
1 Mytilini 5 Mar (J Delavez/Observado).

Common Swift
1 Mytilini 24 Mar (J Delavez/Observado).

Hoopoe
1 Kalloni Saltpans 10 Mar (P Thomaidis).
Large arrival on 22 Mar inc. 30+ Kalloni Saltpans area (Petros Taskmakis)

Woodchat Shrike
1 Kalloni 23 Mar (Petros Tsakmakis).

Barn Swallow
Recorded from Polichnitos Saltpans 9 Mar. Max. 38 on 23 Mar.

House Martin
Recorded from Mytilini 22 Feb (J Delavez/Observado).
Recorded from Polichnitos Saltpans from 9 Mar.

Red-rumped Swallow
Singles Mytiilini 26 & 29Mar (J Devalez).

Chiffchaff
1 Mytilini 5 Mar (J Delavez/Observado).

Willow Warbler
Recorded from Polichnitos Saltpans from 8 Mar.

Blackcap
1 Mytilini 5 Mar (J Delavez/Observado).
1 Polichnitos Saltpans 9 Mar and 22 Mar.

Lesser Whitethroat
1 Polichnitos Saltpans 31 Mar.

Sardinian Warbler
1-2 Polichnitos Saltpans.

Subapline Warbler
1 Polichnitos Saltpans 12 Mar.

Goldcrest
1 Mytilini 6 Mar (J Delavez/Observado).

Song Thrush
1-4 Polichnitos Saltpans.

Black Redstart
up to 5 Polichnitos Saltpans.

Whinchat
1 Polichnitos Saltpans 26 Mar with 6 on 29 Mar.

Common Stonechat
up to 5 Polichnitos Saltpans.

Common Nightingale
1 Mytilini 26 Mar (J Delavez/Observado).

Northern Wheatear
1 Polichnitos Saltpans 10 Mar max. 9 on 22 Mar.
1 Kalloni Saltpans 10 Mar (P Thomaddis)

Isabelline Wheatear
First record 1 Kalloni Saltpans 28 Mar (Petros Tsakmakis).

Black-eared Wheatear
Singles Polichnitos Saltpans 18, 26 & 29 Mar.

Yellow Wagtail
Polichnitos Saltpans from 14 Mar with max. 16 there 30 Mar

Meadow Pipit
Max. 14 Polichnitos Saltpans 25 Mar.

Tree Pipit
2 Polichnitos Saltpans 18 Mar.

Serin
Max. 56 Polichnitos Saltpans 11 Mar.
20 Mesa 10 Mar (P Thomaddis)

Corn Bunting
Max. 20 Polichnitos Saltpans 7 Mar.


Cretzschmar's Bunting
First: record 1 Eresos 23 Mar (Petros Tsakmakis).

Lesvos Wildlife Hospital news - some very sad

This female Eagle Owl was taken in to the Lesvos Wildlife Hospital on 21 February. It had a broken left wing. On arrival she weighed only 1456g (healthy weight for a female is is between 2300-3000g). By the end of the month she'd managed to get up to 1814g which is good news.

The hospital remains one of the most reliable sources of Eagle Owl records. Nearly all are foudn during the winter, including shot birds. With very few records outside the winter period this perhaps suggests moving on to the island from neighbouring Turkey (as little as a five mile sea crossing). Until someone spends some time in the west of the island in Februayr and early March we wont really know if any territorial birds are present, but judging by the complete lack of records from April onwards when birders are around the island, the presumption must remain there aren't.

Just look at the size of this bird in the hand compared to the Long-eared Owl below!

This Long-eared Owl was brought ito the hospital with a wing injury already several days old and it died.

This sub-adult male Sparrowhawk was brought in the same day as the Eagle Owl above. It too was badly underweight at only c.100g. By the end of the month it was up to full weight at 152g and the injured wing recovering well.

A more unusual patient, this Common Snipe arrived along with the Eagle Owl and Sparrowhawk above on the 21 Feb (what a busy day that was!). It was brought in by another vet who had attempted to bandage the fractured right wing but who had just caused more problems! The bird died later and a post mortem found the bird was emaciated (to the bone).

Finally, some very sad news. Runa, daughter of the hospital owners Joris and Ineke, was taken ill in Holland on 24 Feb and sadly passed away on 27 Feb. Its amazing how life events can suddenly put life itself into context. My thoughts are with Joris and Ineke.

Other birds taken in to the hospital in Feb included Common Buzzard, Starling and a Willow Warbler on 21 Feb.

All photos courtesy of Lesvos Wildlife Hospital. More news on their website here.