 |
| Black-winged Stilt feeding. |
Having had
to cancel a trip to Lesvos in April 2020 due to the pandemic we finally made it
this year between 19th and 29th of April. Previous trips to
the island at this time of year have resulted in seeing significant movements
of migrant birds and of course the special resident and summer visiting species
that the are stars of any birding visit.  |
| Woodchat Shrike |
The weather in the Eastern Mediterranean
has been a bit unpredictable this year just as it has here, and it has had a
significant impact on the pattern of migration. |
| Glossy Ibis |
We did not
see migrating birds in the large numbers that we had had on previous occasions.
We only saw one Red-footed Falcon, a female, whilst in previous years there had
been parties of thirty or forty moving through.  |
| Female Red-footed Falcon |
The pools and wetlands beside
the entrance to the salt works were dry and there was a much more limited suite
of birds to be found there.  |
| Eastern Bonelli's Warbler displaying |
We saw only one Montague’s Harrier and no Pallid
Harriers on the whole trip, again in stark contrast with previous visits. Ruppell’s
Warblers were not present in their regular haunt between Petra and Molivos.
 |
| Bee-eaters at the saltpans. |
 |
| Meladia Valley Little Owl |
There
have been some changes in places that we have visited in the past, the fords in
the Meladia Valley for instance, and they will take some time to re-naturalise and
re-vegetate.
 |
| Cinerous Bunting Ipsilou Monastery |
We still
found and enjoyed Cinereous and Cretzchmar’s Buntings, found a pair of Kruper’s
Nuthatches at a nest hole and had great views of a displaying and singing
Eastern Bonnelli’s Warblers. |
| Kruper's Nuthatch |
One of the highlights for me was three displaying
Great Spotted Cuckoos at almost point-blank range,
 |
| Great spotted Cuckoo |
another was the colony of
Great Reed warblers near the ford in the Tsiknias River
 |
| Great Redd Warbler |
and a displaying Chukar
Partridge so pumped up that it ignored us!
 |
| Chukar Partridge |
Another treat in Lesvos are the
Nightingales that seem to be singing everywhere and the amazing abundance of Corn
Buntings, almost the default bird in farmland.
 |
| Nightingale and Corn Bunting |
We saw some
great things and of course loved the unspoiled nature of the island and its
fabulous wildflowers, olive groves and woodlands. The hospitality and warmth of
the islanders was as welcoming as it has always been, the Greek Orthodox
celebrations in Skala Kalloni were both spectacular and moving. I am quite certain
that I will be going back again another year.
 |
| Little Stint and Temminck's Stints side by side |
 |
| Black-headed Wagtail (Yellow Wag ssp.) |
 |
| Red throated Pipit |
 |
| Tawny Pipit |
 |
| Whinchat |
 |
| Rock Nuthatch |
 |
| Spotted Crake |
 |
| Hoopoe |
