Lesvos | 30 April 7 May 2010 | Leo Tukker

From 30 April to 7 May I went for the third consecutive year to Lesvos. Again this time with my wife. We stayed again in the Pela Hotel in Skala Kallonis. In the vicinity of the hotel we saw already the most common species, which you virtually anywhere on the island encounter: Barn Swallow, Collared Dove, Corn Bunting, Crested Lark, Hooded Crow, House Martin and Yellow-legged Gull. I shall not mention these species anymore in this report. I went walking straight away along the beach to Christou River. On the beach were two Grey Plovers in breeding plumage. In the mouth of the river were both Great- and Little Egret. I also saw Black-headed Wagtail, Common Buzzard, Squacco Heron, Sombre Tit and Wood Sandpiper. After unpacking the suitcases we started walking along the beach to Tsiknias River. When we reached the mouth of the river there was a group of German birders who showed us a Collared Pratincole, that was sitting on the beach among some driftwood. We also saw Black-headed Bunting, Common Coot, Common Shelduck, Common Tern, Glossy Ibis, Goldfinch, Grey Heron, House Sparrow, Nightingale, Red-backed Shrike, Spanish Sparrow and Whiskered Tern. The next morning our rental car for the week was delivered. After breakfast we went to Tsiknias River and on to the Kalloni Saltpans. Like last year there was much water on the fields opposite the Saltworks Entrance. So there were many birds. It was also very crowded with birders. It seems to be busier every year. There were even some groups with a coach riding around the island.

At Tsiknias River we saw Cettis Warbler, Goldfinch,Little Egret, Little Owl, Nightingale, Olivaceous Warbler and Red-backed Shrike. At the Kalloni Saltpans we saw Avocet, Black-winged Stilt, Common Redshank, Curlew Sandpiper, Garganey, Glossy Ibis, Greater Flamingo, Grey Heron, Gull-billed Tern (lifer), Lanner Falcon (lifer), Little Egret, Little Stint, Long-legged Buzzard, Ruddy Shelduck, Ruff, Squacco Heron, Whiskered Tern, White Stork, White-winged Black Tern and Wood Sandpiper.

Then we went to see the old bridge of Kremasti and drove to the Kalloni mini-soccer pitch to look for the Scops Owl. Because other birders had already discovered the bird, I found the bird fairly quickly. Again a lifer. After dropping my wife at the hotel, I went for a walk to the Potamia Valley. I saw Blackbird, Common Buzzard, Great Tit, Masked Shrike, Middle Spotted Woodpecker, Northern Wheatear, Red-rumped Swallow and Woodchat Shrike. I then went to Lake Metochi and saw Common Swift, Little Bittern, Little Grebe, Moorhen, Squacco Heron, Stripe-necked Terrapin, Western Rock Nuthatch and Whiskered Tern. In the evening, after we had eaten in Skala Kallonis, I told my wife that a Barn Owl was seen regularly in the village square. I had just finished speaking when we saw him fly (again a lifer). Later we learned that the Barn Owl emerged every night from the chimney of a house where a Dutch man with his German girlfriend had started a gift shop. Every night there was, therefore, from 20:30 a group of people waiting until the bird showed. We also went every night and we missed the bird only once. The next morning I was at the Saltpans very early. While walking along the beach I saw the Rufous-tailed Scrub-robin very close. At the fields opposite the Saltworks Entrance I saw a lot of the same birds as the day before plus Collared Pratincole, Common Tern, Great Ringed Plover, Greenshank, Red-footed Falcon and Red-rumped Swallow. I went back to Skala Kallonis by the Tsiknias River and saw Black-headed Bunting, Black Stork, Great White Egret, House Sparrow, Little Egret, Squacco Heron and Spanish Sparrow. After breakfast we drove to the woods near Achlader to watch Krper's Nuthatch. They had their nest in the same old tree in which they nested the past two years. We also saw Blackbird, Chaffinch, Eurasian Jay, Goldfinch, Masked Shrike and Short-toed Treecreeper. We drove for lunch to Skala Polichnitou. The Saltpans had no water at all. In the Almyropotamos near Lisvori we saw Grey Wagtail and Yellow Wagtail. My wife wanted to go swimming at the hotel and I went to Agios Ioannis near Parakila where I saw Common Kestrel, Cretzschmar's Bunting, House Sparrow, Short-toed Eagle and Turkish Ghekko. In the early morning of the next day I went to Lake Metochi. Both Baillons Crake and Little Crake showed themselves very well. There were also Little Bittern, Little Grebe, Moorhen and Squacco Heron. Then I went again to the Kalloni Saltpans. Long-legged Buzzard and Temmincks Stint were there beside the regular birds. After breakfast we went to Molivos. Between Petra and Molivos we stopped at Kavaki to see Rppels Warbler. We also saw Alpine Swift, Black-eared Wheatear, Crag Martin, Lesser Kestrel, Shag and Subalpine Warbler. I met Steve Dudley, author of the book "A Guide to Lesvos bird watching" and known to the website www.lesvosbirding.com. He turned out to be a very nice guy. When he asked my name he remembered even we had emailed each other last year. In the afternoon I went alone to Madaros where I saw Black Stork, Blackbird, European Beeeater and Woodchat Shrike. After that I went to Achladeri, where I saw Blue Tit, Common Buzzard, Cirl Bunting, European Greenfinch, Eurasian Jay, Goldfinch, Great Tit, Masked Shrike and Short-toed Treecreeper,

Starred Agama at Madaros On Tuesday we went to the west of the island and we visited the monastery of Ipsilou and the area around Sigri and Faneromeni. At Ipsilou we parked the car below and walked up to the monastery. We saw Aegean Wall Lizard, Balkan Green Lizard, Blue Rock Thrush, Blue Tit, Chaffinch, Cinereous Bunting, Eleonoras Falcon, Eurasian Jay, Isabelline Wheatear, Linnet, Rock Sparrow, Sombre Tit, Spur-thighed Tortoise, Starred Agama, Whinchat and Wood Lark. After buying some groceries in Sigri we went to Faneromeni. We ate our lunch at the beach and visited both fords. We saw Black-winged Stilt, Collared Flycatcher, Eurasian Skylark, Little Bittern, Little Egret, Little Ringed Plover, Red-backed Shrike, Red-rumped Swallow, Ruddy Shelduck, Shag, Whiskered Tern, Wood Sandpiper and Woodchat Shrike. In the early morning of Wednesday I went to a lake in the Potamia Valley. A Dutch birder told me he had seen a large group of Night Herons there the other day. Unfortunately they were no longer present. There was only Common Coot and Moorhen. I wanted to drive to Lake Metochi, but it was very crowded, so I decided to go to the Saltpans instead. After breakfast we drove to Agiasos and stayed there a few hours walking in the mountains around the city, known for the many species of orchids and other flowers, including peonies. We saw different species of orchids and anemones. On the way back we stopped at the forest of Achlader and an English birder showed me a nest with two young Raven on the ridge opposite the parking place. There were also Chaffinch, Cirl Bunting, Goldfinch, Krpers Nuthatch, Masked Shrike and Spanish Sparrow. On Thursday, May 6 (my 50th birthday) was the last day that we had access to the car. Early in the morning I went to Makara. I saw Black-eared Wheatear, Black-headed Bunting, Cettis Warbler, Common Stonechat, Cretzschmar's Bunting, Eurasian Jackdaw, Eurasian Jay, European Greenfinch, Little Owl, Red-backed Shrike, Red-footed Falcon, Red-rumped Swallow, Shag, Sombre Tit, Western Rock Nuthatch and Whinchat. After breakfast we went to the Salt Pans again and to the Kalloni Raptor Watch Point. There was already a group of British birders who were very experienced in observing raptors. At large distances they saw something regularly. In most cases I saw nothing. I only saw a Northern Goshawk and a Short-toed Eagle.

I discovered that staring at a speck on the horizon is not my idea of birdwatching and we moved on. At Aghios Ioannis near Parakila we could see that the Black-eared Wheatear and Cretzschmar's Bunting had a nest. Some youngsters flew out of the nest and we could these little ones very well. We also saw Blackbird, Black-eared Wheatear and a Golden Oriole. My wife wanted back to the hotel to start packing and I went to Madaros and for the last time to the Kalloni Saltpans, which is one of my favourite spots on Lesvos. At Madaros I saw Goldfinch, Orphean Warbler, Red-backed Shrike, Rufous-tailed Scrubrobin, Starred Agama and Whinchat. The regular birds were at the pans. Back at the hotel we saw European Tree Frogs in the hotel swimming pool. The next morning at 06:15 we were picked up by the bus to take us to the airport of Mytilini. We flew at 09:30 and at 14:30 we were back home. On Lesvos we had beautiful weather all week with temperatures around 28 C. In the Netherlands it was about 10 C. and it was raining. We had a wonderful holiday. I saw 108 different bird species, including 4 lifers.