World Trip Reports
Lesvos 1st - 15th May 2008
Part one.
Despite the flight delays caused by the new Thomas Cook/First Choice partnership, once that the Manchester/Gatwick flight touched down at Miytilini and we disembarked it felt like coming home again.As we left the airport and headed inland for Anaxos, the air was filled with the heady scent of the broom that grows profusely all over the island.
Over the two weeks the weather was mostly sunny, though most days a wickedly cool wind blew from the north.
We wern't to be disapointed though, since Lesvos spring 2008 birding turned out to be as good as ever.
There were of course ups and downs, the Red Foots, Pratincoles and Spur Winged plovers hung around for pretty much all the fortnight.
Beeaters were everywhere and there was even a report of a blue cheeked.
We had the best 2 weeks of raptors ever, with Short Toed Eagles being seen practicaly everywhere, some of which appeared to be in a very ragged state though, leading to our contemplating that they might have been shot at (or is this part of a natural process ?).
An Imperial Eagle had been seen, which we may have run into near the Petrified Forest wind farm whilst tracking a short toed eagle.
Earlier we also thought that we'd also got a Black Kite, but were unfortunately unable to confirm that either.Black storks were showing well and there were plenty of little bittern's to keep us entertained.
However we dipped on Marsh Sands and a Broad Billed Sand that had been seen on the Salt Pans Channel.
Also apart from a fleeting glimpse of what might have been a little crake in flight at the inland lake, we were unable to locate any other crakes and never heard of any being spotted either(If anyone heard of a little crake at the inland lake on Wed 14th May, it would be nice to hear from them. )
Chats, bush robin and some buntings also did not seem to be as common as other years.
A greater spotted cuckoo (possibly 3) turned up near Petra reservoir, which had been drained by the way.
Whilst we had been tipped off about this bird we only got to see it by accident.
Our holidaying neighbour, Ian, also turned up hoping for a photo op. Although we had heard birds calling on the morning of Sat 10th May, we wern't certain that it was the birds. Ian played a recording to confirm it with us and as he did so one of the birds shot across the Sikaminia road into a bush, never to be seen by us again despite several attempts. Although we understand that two birds did put on a good display for many other birders.
(more to follow)
Raptors:
Short toes eagle's were visible at any upland sight sometimes in parties of two or three, especialy at Napi on 5th May and Sigri on 8th May.Whilst near the Petrified Forest wind farm, while tracking a STE, a large buff raptor with finger end primeries came into view and disapeared over the rocks.
Long legged buzzards kept us entertained ( we witnessed two dog fights with corvids) at Vatousa,Petri,Kalloni SP and the Kalloni raptor watch point. .
On the afternoon of the 2nd a Montagu's quartered the field to the right of the main drag to the salt works.
Just south of Anaxos, just off the coastal path in the early morning of the 4th, a peragrine stooped from the seaward side down the valley heading east.
On the 6th we were pleased to get our first Lanner on the Sigri coastal road.
Red foots were present in good numbers at Kalloni Salt Pans throughout the two weeks and two females and a male were present at Sigri 0n 12th May, in a freshly mowed field. Whilst 3 lesser kestrel hovered in the "greens" field oppposite.
We sighted four common buzzards at various sights, the last as we left on 15th and a female marsh harrier over the sheep fields on sun 11th.
As we drove the Stipsi/Montamdamos road on 13th an elonora's was a welcome sighting.
A kestrel was at the Napi raptor watch point on the 5th.
We also had several sightings that we couldn't identify - any help with picture 5 identification would be appreciated.
Anecdotal sightings reported by others birders included:
Imperial Eagle, Black Kite, Booted Eagle, Golden Eagle and Pallid Harrier.
Buntings and Sparrows:
House sparrows and spanish sparrows were a common sight, particularly in the scrub and arable land surrounding the Salt Pans.
We found that rock sparrow were difficult to spot and dipped on the usual spots up at the monestry. Fortunately however on 12th MaY as Tina pulled up near the triangle, for good views of a isabelline's wheatear posing on a small cairn, the fellow (rock sparrow-see record shot ) below popped up just long enough for me to snap him.
At the same time a hoopoe flew out of an adjacent small oak and minutes later a juvenile isabelline gave us a show.
Regarding buntings, corn and black headed were pretty much everywhere, however we found cretzschmar's difficult this year, with the only decent views on May 6th, along the Sigri coastal road.Cinereous were also difficult but I manged the record shot below at Ipsilou on the 8th.
I understand however that others faired better with the latter two species.