End of May 2016, half-day trip around CENTRAL LESVOS

Posted on by Eleni Galinou
Rose-coloured Starling; Lesvos

The highlights of this half-day (07:30-13:30) guided birding and BIRD PHOTOGRAPHY trip around Agia Paraskevi, Kalloni and the wetlands of the North coast of the Kalloni Gulf were:

ELEONORA’S FALCONS, Scops Owls, Squacco Heron, BLACK TERN, Bee-eaters, family parties of Hoopoes, Sombre Tits and Middle Spotted Woodpeckers, singing males RUFOUS BUSH ROBINS, Black-eared Wheatears, EASTERN ORPHEAN and SUBALPINE WARBLERS, Rock Nuthatches, MASKED SHRIKES, ROSE-COLOURED STARLINGS, several Black-headed Buntings and of course Flamingos, Black Storks, Ruddy Shelducks, Black-winged Stilts etc.

(photo © Vic Duncombe)

Birdwatching with the kids of Kalloni

Posted on by Eleni Galinou
Birdwatching at the Kalloni Salt Pans, Lesvos

The 1st Kindergarden of Kalloni had been playing/studying birds throught 2016 (see: http://stononeironmasthnakrh.blogspot.gr/2016/05/e-twinning-young-scientists.html).

I was really happy to show them some live birds on the morning of 17 May 2016! We watched a group of 15 Black-winged Stilts by the Kalloni Pans NW corner canal with 3 of them trying to establish a nest and a few Common and Little Terns and 2 Avocets feeding close by. Also Flamingos, Little White Egrets and Black Stork!

Mid-May 2016, half-day trip around WESTERN LESVOS

Posted on by Eleni Galinou
Isabelline Wheathear; Lesvos

The highlights of this half-day (08:30-14:30) guided birding trip around SIGRI and ANTISSA areas were:

Short-toed Eagles, CHUKARS, AUDUIN’S GULL, Bee-eaters, ISABELLINE and Black-eared Wheathears, many Red-backed Shrikes, BLACK-HEADED BUNTINGS, Cirl Buntings (a family!), Spanish Sparrows etc and of course CRETZSHMAR’S and CINEREOUS BUNTINGS.

Mid-May 2016, full-day trip around WESTERN LESVOS

Posted on by Eleni Galinou
Black-headed Bunting; Lesvos

The highlights of this full-day (08:30-19:30) guided BIRDING PHOTOGRAPHY trip around AGRA, ERESSOS, SIGRI and ANTISSA areas were:

ELEONORA’S FALCONS, LESSER KESTREL, CHUKAR (a parent with 12+ chicks), Rock Dove, Little Owls, Hoopoes, Bee-eaters, RUFOUS BUSH ROBINS, ISABELLINE, Northern and Black-eared Wheatears, Eastern Orphean Warbler, ROCK NUTHATCHES (among several, a family party!), many BLACK-HEADED BUNTINGS etc. and of course CRETZSHMAR’S and CINEREOUS BUNTINGS.

This trip was part of a 3-day Lesvos trip (a Northern Greece trip extension) for Birding Ecotours. View the full trip report here.

Beginning of May 2016, full-day trip around WESTERN LESVOS

Posted on by Eleni Galinou
Roller; Lesvos

A very warm sunny day with moderate intensity wind towards the afternoon.

The highlights of this full-day (08:30-19:30) guided birding trip around ERESSOS, SIGRI and ANTISSA areas were:

ELEONORA’S FALCONS, LESSER KESTREL, Little Bitterns, Bittern, Yelkouan Shearwaters, Rock Dove, Little Owls, Alpine Swift, Hoopoe, ROLLER, Bee-eaters, Red-rumped Swallows (at mid-day roost!), CITRINE WAGTAIL (a female), RUFOUS BUSH ROBINS, ISABELLINE and Black-eared Wheathears, Eastern Orphean Warbler, Olivaceous Warblers, RED-BREASTED FLYCACHER, many BLACK-HEADED BUNTINGS etc and of course CRETZSHMAR’S and CINEREOUS BUNTINGS.

 

Begining of May 2016, half-day around the E parts of the KALLONI GULF

Posted on by Eleni Galinou
Black Stork; Lesvos

The highlights of this half-day (08:30-14:30) guided birding trip around KALLONI GULF:

RED-FOOTED and ELEONORA’S FALCONS, LEVANT SPARROWHAWK, Little Bitterns, Squacco and Purple Herons, Little Owl, Temminck’s and Little Stints, Curlew Sandpipers, Mediterranean Gulls, Bee-eaters, Alpine Swifts, Masked, Red-backed and Woodchat Shrikes, Black-headed Buntings etc.

Beginning of May 2016, half-day around CENTRAL LESVOS

Posted on by Eleni Galinou
Hoopoe; Lesvos

The highlights of this half-day (08:30-14:30) guided birding trip around AGIA PARASKEVI:

RED-FOOTED and ELEONORA’S FALCONS, Little Owl, Hoopoes, Bee-eaters, Alpine Swift, Sub-alpine Warblers, Sombre Tits, Masked, Lesser Grey, Red-backed and Woodchat Shrikes, Rock Nuthatch, Golden Oriole etc.

End of April 2016, half-day around the E parts of the KALLONI GULF

Posted on by Eleni Galinou

The highlights of this half-day (08:30-14:30) guided birding trip around the KALLONI GULF with a short stop in the MIKRI LIMNI pine forest:

Squacco and Purple Herons, COLLARED PRATINCOLES, Temminck’s Stints, Curlew Sandpiper, Bee-eaters, Red-rumped Swallows, Sombre Tit, Masked, Red-backed and Woodchat Shrikes, KRUPER’S NUTHATCH, Black-headed Buntings, etc.

Mid- April 2016, half-day trip around WESTERN LESVOS

Posted on by Eleni Galinou

The highlights of this half-day (08:30-14:30) guided birding trip around ERESSOS and AGRA:

Purple and Squacco Herons, Little Owl, Red-rumped Swallows, Isabelline and Black-eared Wheathears, Sub-alpine Warbler, Sombre Tit, Masked and Woodchat Shrikes, Cinereous and Cretzschmar’s Buntings, Rock Sparrow etc

Article for the Molivos Tourism Organisation’s annual magazine

Posted on by Eleni Galinou

The Molivos Tourism Organisation publishes a free-press magazine each summer. About activities, products and sites of Lesvos Island. THis year’s magazine (no 6) had an extensive article about tthe wetlands of lesvos,  script and photos by Lesvos Birdwatching.

Read the magazine here (p.23-24)