A Birdwatching Guide to Lesvos - reprinted

Reprinted version and replacing your faulty copy

Due to ongoing problems with the binding of my book, the printer has agreed to reprint the title. We have taken advantage and corrected various typos, etc. so this is a corrected reprint, not a new edition (there are no substantive updates).

The publisher, Arlequin Press, will continue to replace any copy which has come apart. In order to get a replacement copy please send the title page from your faulty copy to –

Subbuteo Natural History Books
The Rae
Upton Magna
Shreewsbury
SY4 4UR

They will send you a new copy.

If you are attending the Birdfair at Rutland Water (20 – 22 August) and you have a faulty copy of A Birdwatching Guide to Lesvos, take it along to the Subbuteo Natural History Books stand (Marquee 3/10-14) and they will happily exchange it for a reprinted copy.

All copies purchased from Subbuteo Natural History Books after 1 August 2010 are of the new reprinted version.

Needless to say that I've been extremely upset by the binding problem of the original print run, this being pretty much the only item leading to negative feedback from those who have purchased the book. I'm thrilled that its being rectified and that purchasers can enjoy the book as intended!

Reviews | Errata to 2009 edition | book artwork for sale

Autumn migrants in July

Just heard from Terry Robinson and he has the first of the autumn migrants around Polichnitos Saltpans this morning in the form of a couple of Garganey, a Little Egret, 14 Little Stints, 4 Mediterranean Gulls, 4 Black-headed Gulls and 3 Sandwich Terns. Where did the summer go!?

New orchid for Greece found on Lesvos

Paul Manning (Wildlife of Lesvos), the man for all things orchid-related on Lesvos, has just been in touch to say:

"Steve, you wont believe this, but a new species of orchid has been found on the island!

In mid-June, following directions from myself [Paul Manning] for the extremely rare Kompers / mounts-tauri hybrid orchid I found on Lesvos in the spring (of which only two are known to exist), Greek helleborine expert Spyridon Tsiftsis has discovered Persian Helleborine Epipactis persica growing nearby in a localised colony.

The very beautiful Persian helleborine is known to grow very rarely and locally over a substantial area from Anatolia to the Himalayas. However, this is the first confirmed site in Greece (let alone Lesvos) and may represent the only site for Western Europe.

Lesvos - not only a great place for birds, but fantastic for orchids too!"

Photo: Persian Helleborine Epipactis persica, Lesvos, June 2010 © Spyridon Tsiftsis

2010 records needed

For the 2012 Lesvos annual bird report (Lesvos Birds 2012), I am requesting anyone with records from 2012 to send these on to me. If you have either records (see below) or photographs (for publication in the report), please contact me. If you have a detailed trip report please feel free to send me a copy by email or a link to your online report.

Records of all species are welcome, but in particular the following species:

Lesvos Birds 2011 - click here.

LESVOS RARE AND SCARCE BREEDING SPECIES
All records, particularly breeding records, unless otherwise stated
Shelduck Tadorna tadorna
Ruddy Shelduck Tadorna ferruginea
Scopoli’s (Cory's) Shearwater Calonectris diomedea diomedea
Black Stork Ciconia nigra
Bonelli’s Eagle Hieraaetus fasciatus
European Honey-buzzard Pernis apivorus
Levant Sparrowhawk Accipiter brevipes
Eleonora’s Falcon Falco eleonorae
Audouin’s Gull Ichthyaetus audouinii
Great Spotted Cuckoo Clamator glandarius
Long-eared Owl Asio otus
Tawny Owl Strix aluco
Scops Owl Otus scops
Common Kingfisher Alcedo atthis
Eurasian Penduline Tit Remiz pendulinus
Eastern Bonelli’s Warbler Phylloscopus orientalis
Olive-tree Warbler Hippolais olivetorum
Fan-tailed Warbler Cisticola juncidis
Barred Warbler Sylvia nisoria
Rüppell’s Warbler Sylvia rueppelli
Krüper’s Nuthatch Sitta krueperi (records outside the central pine forest area (Achladeri area) where the species is common e.g. please send records for forest areas north and west of Kalloni, Agiasos, etc.)Robin Erithacus rubecula
Song Thrush Turdus philomelos
Rufous Bush Robin Cercotrichas galactotes
Rock Bunting Emberiza cia
Cinereous Bunting Emberiza cineracea (in particular records away from known breeding sites)Hawfinch Coccothraustes coccothraustes
RARE BIRDS ON LESVOS

In addition to all HRC species (see here), I am interested in all records of the following species (for status and notes on indvidual species see here) - most of these species require a 'brief' description for lesvos Bird Records Committee which I will follow up with observers and circulate to other members of LBRC (I myself am a member of LBRC):
Whooper Swan Cygnus cygnus
Gadwall Anas strepera
Common Pochard Aythya ferina
Ferruginous Duck Aythya nyroca
Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula
Common Goldeneye Bucephala clangula
Smew Mergellus albellus
White-headed Duck Oxyura leucocephala
Red-necked Grebe Podiceps grisegena
Western Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis
Pelicans Pelecanus sp (details of all flocks)Red Kite Milvus milvus
White-tailed Eagle Haliaeetus albicilla
Egyptian Vulture Neophron percnopterus
Griffon Vulture Gyps fulvus
Greater Spotted Eagle Aquila clanga
Eastern Imperial Eagle Aquila heliaca
Merlin Falco columbarius
In addition, please send in details of any groups/flocks of raptors (e.g. large flocks of social falcons, multiple eagles, movements of Honey-buzzards, etc)Great Snipe Gallinago media
Red-necked Phalarope Phalaropus lobatus
Common Gull Larus canus
Arctic Skua Stercorarius parasiticus
Stock Dove Columba oenas
Great Grey Shrike Lanius excubitor
Eurasian Magpie Pica pica
Spotted Nutcracker Nucifraga caryocatactes
Red-billed Chough Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax
Rook Corvus frugilegus
Bohemian Waxwing Bombycilla garrulus
Eurasian Penduline Tit Remiz pendulinus
Bearded Tit Panurus biarmicus
Calandra Lark Melanocorypha calandra
River Warbler Locustella fluviatilis
Fan-tailed Warbler Cisticola juncidis
Firecrest Regulus ignicapilla
Ring Ouzel Turdus torquatus
Pied Wheatear Oenanthe pleschanka
Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush Monticola saxatilis
Semi-collared Flycatcher Ficedula semitorquata
White-throated Dipper Cinclus cinclus aquaticus
Eurasian Tree Sparrow Passer montanus
Western Yellow Wagtail Motacilla flava
All records of the following races (or birds resembling these races):
Yellow-headed Wagtail M. f. lutea
Syke’s Yellow Wagtail M. f. beema
‘Romanian’ Yellow Wagtail M. f. ‘dombrowski’ (flava-feldegg intergrade)
‘Russian’ Yellow Wagtail M. f. ‘superciliaris’ (thunbergi variant)
‘British’ Yellow Wagtail M. f. flavissima (no Lesvos records)Citrine Wagtail Motacilla citreola
Red-fronted Serin Serinus pusillus
Common Rosefinch Carpodacus erythrinus
Red Crossbill Loxia curvirostra
Eurasian Bullfinch Pyrrhula pyrrhula
Yellowhammer Emberiza citrinella

If in doubt please email me.

Thanks for you support.

Lesvos Birding's 2011 group holiday dates

Come and enjoy the real Lesvos with Lesvos Birding's Steve Dudley, author of A Birdwatching Guide to Lesvos.

Group holidays (max. 7 participants)

For 2011 spring dates for guided bird and wildlife holidays see here.

NEW for 2011 - excursions and day trips

Day trips and excursions (early mornings, half day and full day) - for more details see here.