End of June, 2 full-day trips around Central and Western Lesvos

Posted on by Eleni Galinou
Motacilla citreola; Lesvos birds; Lesvos birding; Lesvos birdwatching

The highlights of these 2 full-day trips around the wetlands of the Kalloni Gulf and Molivos area (day 1) and Schalochori and Eresos areas (day 2) with Svante and Elizabeth were: DALMATIAN PELICANS, Ruddy Shelducks, Cory’s and Manx Shearwaters, AUDUIN’S GULL, KRUPER’S and Western Rock NUTHATCHES, Sombre Tit, Middle Spotted Woodpecker, ISABELLINE WHEATHEAR, RUFOUS BUSH ROBIN, EASTERN ORPHEAN WARBLER, EASTERN BONELLI’S WARBLERS, OLIVE-TREE WARBLERS, Black-headed Buntings, Woodchat  and MASKED SHRIKES, CRETZSCHMAR’S and CINEREOUS BUNTINGS, Short-toed Eagle, Long-legged Buzzard etc and a bonus of a CITRINE WAGTAIL!

A total of 99 different bird species were recorded.

(photo by Lefteris Kakalis)

Beginning of June, half-day trip around Central Lesvos

Posted on by Eleni Galinou
lesvos birds; lesvos birding; lesvos birdwatching; Scops Owl

The highlights of this morning trip around the Kalloni Gulf wetlands with Nicola, Hilary and Margaret were: DALMATIAN PELICANS, Black and White Storks, Black-winged Stilts, Spoonbills, Ruddy Shelducks, Bee-eaters, ALPINE SWIFTS, Black-headead Buntings, SCOPS OWL etc.

White Stork nest; Lesvos birds; Lesvos birding
White Stork and Spanish Sparrow nest(s)!

Beginning of May, half-day trip around Central Lesvos

Posted on by Eleni Galinou

A fine half-day trip around Agia Paraskevi, with Rex and Hanneke, walking among pasture land and olive-groves. Here are the high-lights: a pair of ROCK NUTHATCHES providing to their nest, MASKED SHRIKES, Red-backed and Woodchat Shrikes, Turtle Doves, SOMBRE TITS, Little Owl, Peregrine Falcon, LONG-LEGGED BUZZARDS, a SHORT-TOED EAGLE resting on a small tree (!), Bee-eaters, several HOOPOES, Middle Spotted Woodpecker etc. Oh, and Persian Scuirrels!

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Poecilimon mytilenensis: a basic food for most passerine nest providers!

Mid-April, half-day trip around Southern Lesvos

Posted on by Eleni Galinou

Together with Wouter and Luise, we visited the East side of the Kalloni Gulf : coastal wetlands, pine forest and olive-groves and agricultural land by Polichnitos. A day full of passing hirundines and swifts with 1st sightings of some bird species for this Spring! We had: KRUPER’S NUTHATCH, Turtle Doves, 2 PALLID HARRIERS, Ruddy Shelducks, Ruffs, Wood Sandpipers, Kentish Plovers, Black Stork, Glossy Ibisses, WHISKERED and BLACK TERNS, MASKED and WOODCHAT SHRIKES, lots of SPANISH SPARROWS etc.

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Whinchats (Saxicola rubetra) on the move!

Mid-April, half-day trip around Central Lesvos

Posted on by Eleni Galinou

Phillippe and Pascale had already been on Lesvos for a week and had seen nearly all of the island’s specialties. Our day’s targets were the MASKED SHRIKE and EASTERN ORPHEAN WARBLER. Also the Isabelline Wheather and some wild flower species. I chose a route including the birds’s prefered habitats, around Agia Paraskevi and later Agra and we got our targets within the first one hour having the rest of the trip to also enjoy some good birds (and plants!): Turtle Doves, 2 GREAT SPOTTED CUCKOOS, Purple Herons, Little Owl, Woodchat Shrikes, SOMBRE TIT, Woodlark, Subalpine Warblers, WESTERN ROCK NUTHATCH, CINEREOUS, ORTOLAN, CRETZSCHMAR’S and Cirl Buntings, etc.

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Rhododendrum luteum

Mid-April , afternoon half-day trip around Central Lesvos

Posted on by Eleni Galinou

Beatrice C. (a novice birder) had a tight program on the island so I had to create this taylor-made afternoon trip to some wetlands of the north coast of the Kalloni Gulf and pasture land near Agia Paraskevi. We had Ruddy Shelducks, GLOSSY IBISSES, Flamingos, PURPLE HERON, Spoonbills, Black Storks, SQUACCO HERONS, Ruffs, Wood and MARSH SANDPIPERS, WOODCHAT SHRIKES, SOMBRE TIT, SPANISH SPARROWSetc.

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A Sombre Tit, processing its food!

End of September, half-day trips around Central Lesvos

Posted on by Eleni Galinou

Red-backed Shrike; Lesvos

The highlights of 2 half-day (27 and 28/9, 08:00-14:00) guided birding and BIRD PHOTOGRAPHY trips around Kalloni, Molivos and the wetlands of the North coast of the Kalloni Gulf were:

DALMATIAN and WHITE PELICAN, LONG-LEGGED BUZZARDS, Sombre Tits, KRUPER’S NUTHATCHES and Middle Spotted Woodpeckers,  Rock Nuthatches, dozens of RED-BACKED SHRIKES, WHINCHATS and Willow Warblers, and of course Flamingoes, Black Storks, Ruddy Shelducks, Spoonbills etc.

(photo © El. Kakalis)

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)

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.

Birding at Molivos reservoir

Posted on by Eleni Galinou
Birdwatching; Lesvos; Molivos reservoir

Field trip with students of the Petra High School at the Molivos reservoir for birdwatching (2/3).
We had a great time birding with: 7 RUDDY SHELDUCKS, 65 MEDITERRANEAN GULLS, 14 LITTLE GREBES, 1 BLACK-HEADED GREBE (in full summer plumage!) etc. and beautiful Molivos at the background!

Birdwatching;Lesvos;Molivos reservoir