LESVOS MAY 9 th 16 th 2015

Transcription

1 LESVOS MAY 9 th 16 th 2015 THE PARTICIPANTS: LEADER: BOB HUSBAND GILL BARLOW KARIN BORG FAY BROOM MARION FARR MERLE GWYN GINA LAWRIE ROBIN MORDEN MARIAN RASTELLI YVANA REEVES IAN STEWART DON WIGMORE MIKE WILLIAMS THE PELA HOTEL SKALA KALLONI SATURDAY 9th MAY After picking up the group we were running late on our arrival at Gatwick by around half an hour. This was to our advantage however, as we were quickly aboard the aircraft and away arriving at sunny Mitileni at The transfer to the hotel took around an hour and a quarter and several birds were noted en route, including Greater Flamingo and Black winged Stilts as we passed Kalloni Salt Pans.This was an area we got to know well over the following days. After settling in at the Pela Hotel, our base for the week, and some lunch we set out for a couple of hours birding around the Christou River area. A Demoiselle Crane had been reported in this area over the previous week and we were anxious to see this first for Lesvos but we failed to find it today. A party of waders in some shallow pools to the north of the bridge tested our skills, Curlew Sandpiper, Little Stint and Wood Sandpipers were all present. Other good birds included a stunning Black headed Wagtail, Black Stork, Zitting Cisticola, and Red backed Shrike. A Green Balkan Lizard gave us prolonged views on a track through the reeds before we returned to the hotel for a pleasant dinner followed by our tick list. BALKAN GREEN LIZARD SUNDAY 10 th May

2 A reduced group went for an early morning pre breakfast walk around the Christou River area and were rewarded with views of the Demoiselle Crane. After breakfast our hired vehicles were delivered and so we managed to get away shortly after eating. Our first stop again was the Christou River and those who had missed the Crane earlier were fortunate in seeing the bird in flight. The waders were still present on the pools and we also recorded Marsh Harrier and White Storks. Moving on we drove down the west side of the Tsiknias River where we had brief views of a couple of Bee-eaters, at the ford we located the nesting Penduline Tit pair that we had been given previous information for. After some prolonged watching we managed some brief views as the parent birds entered and exited the nest. We then drove the track on to the salt pan channel area where we found Spotted Redshank, Ruff, Little Tern, Avocet and Greater Flamingo amongst others. A pool on the north side of the main road held a superb Spur winged Plover, a lifer for many. By this time a comfort stop was required and the workers at a local tractor maintenance depot allowed us to use their facilities. A Long legged Buzzard and a singing Black headed Bunting entertained the waiting queue whilst some Stripe Necked Terrapins basked in the sun in a nearby ditch. The hotel had prepared our individual lunches and we stopped for an excellent picnic at an area by the Krioneri River. We walked the track here in the afternoon heat and saw several Red backed Shrikes and two Short toed eagles. Back at the junction with the main road a small pool was humming with White winged Black Terns which gave a fabulous show accompanied by several Whiskered Terns. Another excellent meal at the hotel rounded off our first full day on the island. WHITE WINGED TERN MONDAY 11 th MAY Again the pre breakfast walk took us to the Christou River area; en route we had excellent views of a singing Nightingale and noted our first Little ringed Plover. After breakfast we drove towards Metochi Lake searching the fields as we went and found a Red footed Falcon shortly followed by a Lesser Grey Shrike. With time pressing we returned to the hotel for a comfort stop and then refuelled the vehicles before heading off to our next stop at Achladeri Forest. There were a lot of birders here who quickly put us on to the newly fledged Kruper s Nuthatches still being fed by the parents. This is the most Western breeding population of these birds so it was good to get them under our belt so soon on our trip. Another group of birders had views of Rock Bunting here, another excellent bird to find on Lesvos, unfortunately we were not to be blessed this time, but we did find Short toed Treecreeper and Mike found the local race of Coal Tit. From here we retraced our route to the Kalloni Salt Pans and drove slowly round the channel. A Black Stork was feeding close to the bank and a large group of Ruff had congregated at the bend in the channel. Further along, around the salt mound 2 pairs of Bee-eaters entertained us and at Alykes Wetland we found a singing Rufous Bush Robin. Another good dinner at the hotel rounded off another bird filled day on Lesvos.

3 BLACK WINGED STILT TUESDAY 12 th MAY The pre breakfast trip this morning took us to the olive groves west of the Christou River and Metochi Lake. We enjoyed extended views of a nesting Middle spotted Woodpecker bringing food to the nest site and a Cetti s Warbler in song was in full view at the lake. A male Little Bittern flew over and we had views of Masked Shrike in the olive groves as we returned to the hotel for breakfast. Our first stop after breakfast was the Scops Copse a small area of eucalyptus trees by the Kalloni mini football pitch famed for being the roost of Scops Owls, we found four birds on our visit today, a Persian Squirrel gave good views here as well. Acting on some information we then drove to Papiana and after some searching for the right spot located three young Long eared Owls in the olive groves opposite the local School. We then drove north to the Kalloni Raptor Watch point where we enjoyed our excellent picnics and found some new birds for our lists including, Cretzschmar s Bunting, Rock Nuthatch, Peregrine and Black eared Wheatear. Carrying on to Kavaki we stopped below the restaurants and immediately found Ruppel s Warbler on the rocks, Shag on the sea and Red backed Shrike on the vegetated slopes. We drove on a few kilometres up to Molyvos Castle to escape the heat and get a drink or ice cream. Stopping back at Kavaki we noted the same birds as before but with better views of Raven and for some who had missed the bird first time, Ruppel s Warbler. The drive back took around half an hour and we were in good time for another good dinner, followed by a treat of a Barn Owl from the hotel terrace. SCOPS OWL WEDNESDAY 13 th MAY The early morning trip today took us out to the olive groves in the Potamia Valley to look for Olive Tree Warbler and we managed some brief views, also brief was an Orphean Warbler but we obtained good views of Sombre Tit. After breakfast we

4 headed west towards Sigri and made straight for the Eressos junction, a well known area to find Isabelline Wheatear. There was a strong cool wind to contend with here but we managed to find the birds, plus Woodlark, Stonechat, Northern Wheatear, Cuckoo, Lesser Grey Shrike and plenty of Red backed Shrikes. As we boarded the vehicles we were treated to a flyover of a pale phase Booted Eagle. Moving on we searched the area at the base of Ipsilou Monastery for Cinereous Bunting but to no avail. At the Monastery we enjoyed our lunch, some of the group managed to see an Alpine Swift but the area was fairly quiet. Our next stop was on the Petrified Forest track where we had great views of a Cinereous Bunting below the first wind turbine; again this is a bird at its extreme Western breeding limit, a good bird to find on Lesvos. Other interesting birds seen on the track were Chukar Partridge and an unexpected Wood Sandpiper in a small pool. Driving on to the Sigri Viewpoint we soon found our target bird here as four Lesser Kestrels flew along the ridge, a nice showy Cretzschmar s Bunting was a bonus as was the stunning view down to the fishing village of Sigri. Not long after turning back we encountered a very inquisitive Little Owl at the roadside which entertained us for a few minutes. The last stop today was in the Lardia Valley where we added Blue Rock Thrush and Crag Martin to our list. Another good dinner at the hotel this evening. WOOD SANDPIPER THURSDAY 14 th MAY A pre breakfast drive to the Kalloni Salt Pans proved a good decision as we found several new birds here. In a small pool a couple of Red throated Pipits were feeding and were shortly replaced by a Citrine Wagtail. A young Montague s Harrier took a while to identify but the Gull billed Terns were fairly obvious. A couple of Bee-eaters rounded off an excellent session. After breakfast we changed one of the vehicles as the central locking had developed a fault and then drove up through Agia Pereskevi stopping just north of the village as a pair of Great Spotted Cuckoos flew over. We stopped at a few places in the Napi Valley and found Hoopoe, Cirl and Cretzschmar s Bunting, Woodchat, Red backed and Lesser Grey Shrikes Orphean and Subalpine Warblers. We enjoyed our picnic at the Monastery at Madamados and carried on to Skala Sikimias to look for Audouins Gull in the harbour. Out of luck this time we settled for an ice cream in this lovely little fishing village. Retracing our route we arrived back at the Kalloni Salt Pans in time to witness the spectacle of a Peregrine taking a Black Winged Stilt and the subsequent battle to keep his meal from the harrying Yellow legged Gulls. An amazing show which lasted for several minutes, giving us time to reflect on the plight of the poor Stilt. Another

5 excellent dinner at the hotel, presided over by the excellent attention of Thekla, the daughter of the hotelier Panagiotis. FRIDAY 15 TH MAY Our pre breakfast outing today took us back to the olive groves west of the Christou River. We managed to get better views of the Olive Tree Warblers here and found the nest of a pair of Masked Shrikes. Sombre Tits were feeding young in the olive groves, On the way back Bob noted a Night Heron at the bridge. We later found another 2 birds at the reservoir. After breakfast we again birded the salt pans for a couple of hours and managed to add Temminck s Stint to our list, a couple of birds affording good views at the bend of the salt pan channel. We spent some time around the salt mound where the Bee-eaters and the Rufous Bush Robin were still present but there was no sign of the hoped for Tawny Pipit or Short toed Larks. Back at the hotel at some of the group had a lunch from the hotel and continued birding around the reservoir area where they found Eleanora s Falcon. The rest of the party walked into Skala Kalloni and enjoyed lunch at a local tavern. We re- united at 3.30 and took one vehicle to explore the area to the east of the Kalloni Salt Pans, there were a couple of Spoonbills in with the Greater Flamingo flock and we obtained some distant views. The area around Mesa was quiet with a few Red rumped Swallows in classic habitat flying around the Krioneri River Bridge. Returning to the salt mound we managed to locate a couple of Short toed Larks on the race track after a good deal of searching. Another good dinner followed by our final tick list. BLACK HEADED BUNTING SATURDAY 16 th May A 6.00 a.m. start for our final pre breakfast trip. We first drove up the Tsiknias River from the village where we enjoyed excellent views of a singing nightingale just before the ford. At the ford we had prolonged views of a Great Reed Warbler also in great voice, Cetti s and Olivaceous Warblers were also in song here, something of a Warbler Fest After a tip off we crossed the ford and made our way towards the Salt

6 mound and watched a superb male Red footed Falcon feeding from the wires. Breakfast called and we made our way back to the hotel. After eating and settling our bills we said goodbye to Thekla, Asteria and Panagiotis and were picked up by our transfer bus which delivered us to the airport in good time for our flight. An uneventful flight arrived at Gatwick a few minutes after 3.00 p.m. and we then were dropped off at various locations near our homes. An excellent holiday enjoyed by all with plenty of birds (we recorded a total of 128 species ) and other wildlife encounters, an excellent hotel with great staff and good company.