21 April 2013 - White-throated Robin (still) and more migrants arriving

Record shot of male White-throated Robin, Petrified Forest, 21 April 2013 

(Irania gutturalis) Λευκόλαιμο Αηδόνι 

© Steve Dudley

White-throated Robin still at the Petrified Forest and certainly more shrikes, flycatchers, etc. and herons today.

Petrified Forest

WHITE-THROATED ROBIN

Male again at the Petrified Forest Park at 12.30pm (very briefly) and then seen very well from 5.30pm today.

The park is closed tomorrow but the bird was viewable fro the main road this evening.

Park at the end of road by centre as normal. Walk back up the road and at c.200m look right in to park and for square concrete building with some tall, thin cyprus firs by it. The robin was feeding on the ground below these firs and bushes either side.

Wryneck 1

Eleanora's Falcon 1

Tawny Pipit 1

Chukar - several

Kalloni Saltpans & Alykes Wetlands

Slender-billed Gull 3

Pallid Harrier 2CY female

Montagu's Harrier female

Spoonbill 2

Citrine Wagtail 1

Glossy Ibis 80+

Collared Pratincole 15+

Black-tailed Godwit 13

Green Sandpiper 1

Common Ringed Plover 6

Common Snipe 1

Olivaceous Warbler 

Zitting Cisticola 

Faneromeni

Citrine Wagtail m & f - upper ford

Roller - lower ford

Night-heron 1

Collared Flycacther 4+

Pied Flycatcher 2

Sanderling 3 at inlet nr Sigri

Lardia Valley

Eastern Bonelli's Warbler 2 at first /main east end lay-by 

Metochi Lake

Night-heron 9

Tsiknias River

Pallid Swift 10

Little Crake 1

Little Bittern 1

Purple Heron 1

Night-heron 2

Skala Kallonis Pool

River Warbler between pool and Imerti Hotel

Little Bittern male 'barking' in evening

Purple Heron 9 over

Gull-billed Tern 33 over

Red-footed Falcon 5 over

Ipsilou

Eastern Bonelli's Warbler 3

Wood Warbler 2

Kavaki

Ruppell's Warbler showing very well

Audouin's Gull 1

North Coast Track

Pallid Harrier 2CY

Hen Harrier fem

Perasma Reservoir

Eleanora's Falcon 1

Christou River

Pallid Harrier 2CY

Makara

Alpine Swift 50+

Great Reed Warbler 

Short-toed Lark

Glossy Ibis 2

Mesa Wetlands

Squacco Heron 2

Purple Heron 1

Glossy Ibis 2

Papiana

Scops Owl 4+

Long-eared Owl 1 adult on nest (same site as 2012)

Soumouria 'Scops Copse'

Scops Owl - several. Please do not harass the birds!

7 May - big eagles and a big snipe

Kalloni Raptor Watchpoint (bandstand) – IMPERIAL EAGLE sub adult in from north at 1420h and again over at 1510h. Possibly same as last weeks bird seen coming in off the sea from the north on the north coast east of Efthalou. Last year we had a sub adult bird hang around the island for two weeks (see here). Eleonora’s Falcon 6.

Ioannou Valley (south of Mandamados) – GOLDEN EAGLE sub adult north at 1505h. Ruppell’s Warbler male, Pallid Swift 8, Alpine Swift 2, Golden Oriole 2.

Haramida Marsh – GREAT SNIPE 1, Pallid Swift 30+, Alpine Swift 8, Sardinian Warbler, Green Sandpiper 1.

Meladia Valley - Collared Flycatcher female, Icterine Warbler 7, Orphean Warbler 3, Pied Flycatcher 5, Sardinian Warbler 1, Bee-eater 40+, loads of Spotted Flycatchers.

Polichnitos Saltpans - Collared Pratincole 1, Temminck's Stint 1.

Kalloni Saltpans - Marsh Sandpiper 1, Gull-billed Tern 1, Collared Pratincole 3, Little Crake 1, Mallard 2.

Kalloni Mini Soccer Pitch (Scops Copse) - no sign of any Scops Owl today.

11 May 08 - bird news

Meladia River Ford - PALLID SWIFT 10+, Red-breasted Flycatcher 1.

Madaros - ROLLER 1 c.200 yrds south of dead goat bit by 'small lake'.

Kalloni Bay - 25+ Black Storks reported at 8.30pm.

Sigri - River Warbler 1, Night-heron 1.

Achladeri - Kruper's Nuthatch still actively feeding young, Long-eared Owl 2 juvs.

Thanks to Duncan Walbridge and those entering records in Hotel Pasiphae bird log.

Reporting your sightings

I left the island last week and it would be great to keep the records coming in and keep these daily summaries as complete and as interesting as possible. Please send me your records direct to -
Email steve at toadsnatcher dot com
Text 00447767787287

Reporting nationally rare birds seen on Lesvos

Like BBRC in Britain, Greece has the Hellenic Rarities Committee. Records of all nationally rare species need to be submitted to the HRC. From this years bag full of goodies, this includes all records of Blue-cheeked Bee-eaters, Great Snipe, Cattle Egret, Steppe Eagle, Scarlet (Common) Rosefinch, etc. See the HRC website if you think you have seen a nationally rare species requiring a description. A rarity description form can also be download from the site.

5 May 08 - Another big bird day

Overnight rain and an overcast morning had most of the birders scampering west this morning. And we weren't disappointed!

Weather: overnight rain gave way to a short-lived overcast morning but fine and sunny by mid-morning with scattered cloud. Moderate north-westerly wind. Max temp. c. 25 C.

Ipsilou - GRIFFON VULTURE 1 mid-morning (8th island record and first since 2002), IMPERIAL EAGLE over mid-afternoon (see Andissa below), Collared Flycatcher 4, Red-breasted Flycatcher 2, Thrush Nightingale 3, Icterine Warbler 2, Honey-buzzard 1, Marsh Warbler 6+, plus loads of common migrants inc. Red-backed Shrikes, Blackcap, Lesser Whitethroas, etc.

Polichnitos Saltpans - BLUE-CHEEKED BEE-EATER 1.

Nr Andissa - IMPERIAL EAGLE being mobbed by 3 Long-legged Buzzards mid-morning.

Meladia River Ford area - PALLID SWIFT 110+, Collared Flycatcher 1, Red-breasted Flycatcher 2, Olive Tree Warbler 1, Thrush Nightingale 1, Citrine Wagtail 2, Tawny Pipit 2, Ortolan Bunting 1, Little Bittern 1, Red-backed Shrike 30+, Lesser Grey Shrike 3.

Faneromeni area - CITRINE WAGTAIL 1, ROLLER 2, Eleanora's Falcon 1.

Skala Eresou - CITRINE WAGTAIL 1, Eleanora's Falcon 1 pale bird, Garganey 5 on sea, Squacco Heron 2.

Between Efthalou & Skala Sikaminias - LANNER1, Audouin's Gull 4.

Nr Sikaminia - LEVANT SPARROWHAWK 1 (fem).

Sigri Old Sanitorium - Rufous Bush Chat 2.

Lardia Valley – Eastern Bonelli’s Warbler 1, holding territory at eastern end. West of Vatousa park at eastern end of valley in ‘chalky’ coloured pull-in on right with small wooden gate. Walk west for three telegraph poles to small pool. Bird is in this area but can get to opposite side of valley. Rock Sparrow nesting in Rock Nuthatch nest on rocky outcrop on right from the pull-in.

Kalloni Mini Soccer – Scops Owl 1 - bird still in the fifth roadside tree from the mini soccer pitch entrance but can only be seen from along the road or safer(!) from the track opposite the soccer pitch entrance. It is c.7m up the tree and quote difficult to see.

Achladeri - Kruper's Nuthatch still showing well.

Mesotopos - no sign of yesterday's two Olive Tree Warblers just south of the Eko garage.

Thanks to everyone for their records and for those who enter their records in the Hotel Pasiphae bird log.

Printed copies of the daily Lesvosbirding.com summaries are also on reception at the Hotel Pasiphae by the bird log. Please do not remove them. Thanks.

4 May 08 - Olive Tree Warblers back in

Despite fine weather and northerly winds migrants still keep creeping in and the odd long-staying bird is still with us. After yesterday's couple of birds out west, today continued the main arrival of Olive Tree Warblers.

The seasonal pool by the Kalloni Saltworks entrance is now dry and other small pools disappearing fast (not been to or heard about the Alykes Wetlands). River levels still OK.

The Spur-winged Plover was unfortunately flushed by a photographer who entered an enclosed field. A reminder, if an area is fenced DO NOT ENTER. Enter only areas with open gates, keep to field edges and keep out of crops and groves.

Weather: fine and sunny with light northerly wind strengthening during afternoon. Max. temp c. 25 C.

Some additional news for yesterday, a singing Barred Warbler and Thrush Nightingale near Andissa.

Today’s highlights -

Kalloni Saltpans – PALLID HARRIER 1 (fem north c. 4.30 pm), SPUR-WINGED PLOVER 1 (seen to be flushed by a photographer in morning and not seen since), Osprey 1, Red-footed Falcon 6, White-winged Black Tern 11, Whiskered Tern 1, Temminck’s Stint 4, Spotted Redshank 2, Curlew Sandpiper 50+, Little Stint 50+, Ruff 465+.

Napi Valley - OLIVE TREE WARBLER 3 at roadside barrier site below masts at north end of valley.

Platania – OLIVE TREE WARBLER now 5+ at the cattle grid site, Golden Oriole 2. Between Napi Road and cattle grid 09.00 – 11.30 am - Thrush Nightingale 1, Honey-buzzard 1, Black Stork 5, Red-footed Falcon 8, Ortolan Bunting 4, Red-backed Shrike 6+ plus stacks of commons stuff such as Hoopoe, Masked Shrike, Orphean Warbler, Woodlark, etc.

Tsiknias River – RUPPELL’S WARBLER male singing (Upper Valley), Lesser Grey Shrike 1, Black Stork 1 (caught and ate a snake), Mediterranean Gull 2 (ads), White-winged Black Tern 2, Stone-curlew 1.

Meladia River Ford area - PALLID SWIFT 3, RUFOUS BUSH ROBIN 1, ROLLER 1, Little Bittern 1, Yelkuoun Shearwater c. 3000+ per hour at one point, still lots of migrants inc. Spotted Flycacther, Black-headed Bunting, Pied Flycatcher, Whinchat, Bee-eater, Turtle Dove.

Faneromeni - Red-breasted Flycatcher (along track up from ford).

Parikoila Marsh – Purple Heron 1, Black Stork 1.

Skala Eresou – Lesser Grey Shrike 1.

Lardia Valley – Eastern Bonelli’s Warbler 1, holding territory at eastern end. West of Vatousa park at eastern end of valley in ‘chalky’ coloured pull-in on right with small wooden gate. Walk west for three telegraph poles to small pool. Bird is in this area but can get to opposite side of valley. Rock Sparrow nesting in Rock Nuthatch nest on rocky outcrop on right from the pull-in.

Kalloni Mini Soccer – Scops Owl 1 - bird still in the fifth roadside tree from the mini soccer pitch entrance but can only be seen from along the road or safer(!) from the track opposite the soccer pitch entrance. It is c.7m up the tree and quote difficult to see.

Thanks to everyone for their records and for those who enter theirs in the Hotel Pasiphae bird log.