Cover photo: Cinereous Bunting (Emberiza cineracea)
Eric and his group from America were here for a week’s birding (13 to 18/04). We went around all the great spots in central and western Lesvos and had all the breeding species and an amazing variety of migrant ones. We had three photographers and an avid bird sound recorder in the team.
Here are some record photos of mine:
(cover photo: Blue-cheeked and European Bee-eaters)
Steve, Bob and I made the very best of Lesvos in Spring with five full days (18-22/04) birding (primarilly just birdwatching) all around the island.
Here are some highlight shots from our birding:
We were after certain species to photograph them for Burg’s (Holland) life list. On the first morning we had torrential rain in the west, yet we did manage to get our target birds.
Here are some highlight photos (Burg, of course, managed way better than mine..!):
Cretzschmar’s Bunting (Emberiza caesia)
Cinereous Bunting (Emberiza cineracea)
Masked Shrike (Lanius nubicus)
Woodchat Shrike (Lanius senator)
Great Spotted Cuckoo (Glamator glandarius)
Eastern Bonelli’s Warbler (Phylloscopus orientalis)
Red-throated Pipit (Anthus cervinus)
Two great days out with Marco from Italy. We had all the Lesvos specialities plus Red-footed Falcons and Collared Pratincoles in several sites.
Here are some highlight photos of mine:
Cirl Bunting (Emberiza cirlus)
Alpine Swift (Tachymarptis melba)
Masked Shrike (Lanius nubicus)
Red-backed Shrike (Lanius collurio)
Our “wetland flower” Iris orientalis
Two days out birding with Caroline and Gill from England. In the central parts of the island, and a quick visit to the west to search for the White-throated Robin.
Here are some highlight photos (not so many as we mainly just watched the birds!):
Greater Flamingos (Phoenicopterus roesus) by the Kalloni Gulf.
Collared Flycatcher (Ficedula albicolis)
Kruper’s Nuthatch (Sitta krueperi)
Isabelline Wheatear (Oenanthe isabellinus)
This couple of birders were at the spot where the White-throated Robin was seen that morning and for hours later. The male bird was seen only by the founders.
This was a photography oriented birding and here are my first photos for Spring 2023 guiding season with Hendrinck from Holland. We first explored the eastern and central parts of the island and moved to the west on the second day.
Here are some highlight photos:
Laughing Doves (Spilopelia senegalensis) at Loutra.
Black-winged Stilts (Himantopus himantopus) by the Kalloni Pans
Temminck’s Stint (Calidris temminckii).
Squacco Heron (Ardeola ralloides), one of several we had on both days.
Ruddy Shelduck (Tadorna ferruginea).
A pair of Red-rumped Swallows (Cecropis daurica) in dawn light.
Female Masked Shrike (Lanius nubicus).
Female Cinereous Bunting (Emberiza cineracea).
Two (!) Collared Flycatchers (Ficedula albicollis)- an impressive influx of them this week!
Tawny Pipit (Anthus campestris).
(with Jean-Paul from France)
During this series of four full days around Lesvos, we got the main target species to take photos from (Kruper’s Nuthatch, Olive-tree Warbler, Cinereous and Cretzschmar’s Buntings) and had a great time birding around all parts of the island.
Here are some of my record shots from our birding:
(with Fabrizio, Mario and Sandro from Italy)
I helped this group of friends photograph the Kruper’s Nuthatch, Cinereous Bunting and Cretzschmar’s Buntings, Masked Shrike, Black-eared Wheatear, Scops Owl, Stone Curlew and several more species.
Here are some of my record shots from our birding:
(with Guinderno and Paola from Italy)
During this full day around the Kalloni Gulf and Western Lesvos, we got all lifer targets Guinderno had when coming to Lesvos: Kruper’s and Western Rock Nuthatch, Masked Shrike, Sombre Tit, Cinereous and Cretzschmar’s Buntings and I got a Common Rock Thrush!!
Here are some record shots from our birding:
(with Anne and Leo from Norway)
During 2 half-days around the Kalloni Gulf and having Skala Kallonis as a starting point, we had:
Ruddy and Common Shelduck, Garganey, Flamingo, Black Stork, Glossy Ibis, Wood and Marsh Sandpiper, Short-toed Eagle, Long-legged Buzzard, Scops Owl, Woodlark, Black-headed Wagtail, Black-eared Wheatear, Eastern Orphean Warbler, Sombre Tit, Kruper’s, Western Rock and Common Nuthatch, Cinereous, Cretzschmar’s and Cirl Bunting and many more (even a Fox!) and many more.
Here are some record shots:
Lesvos Birdwatching 