Gary E. and Austin M. were excellent birders and good friends for years and the day was really enjoyable! We started very early from the central parts of the island for the Kruper’s Nuthatch and then headed West for the other island’s specialties.
You can find out more (species and photos) at Austin’s blog:
http://austinmorley.blogspot.com/p/lesvos-greese-2019.html
Our meeting point was Eressos village and DonM. and I had only a few morning hours available for our birding. Nevertheless, we had a great birding morning!
The great views of nest providing and singing Cinereous and Cretzschmar’s Bunting and Rock Nuthatch would be just enough for us but we got even more: a female Orphean Warbler providing its 3 recently fledged chicks, Black-headed Bunting, Bee-eaters, Eleonora’s Falcon, Crag Martin, Ruddy Shelduck, Long-legged Buzzard!
A lovely day in the West with Yon and Chara H. from Holland. A slow but very productive birding mostly by walking around Sigri and Eressos villages. Interesting birds we had together were: Cinereous, Cretzschmar’s and Black-headed Bunting, Isabelline and Black-eared Wheatears, Rock Sparrow, Bee-eaters at a nesting site, Golden Orioles (more than 25!), Masked and Woodchat Shrikes, Lesser Kestrel, etc.
Hanna and Emil, South African birders, had a full-day trip around the island to enjoy the most of the birds of Europe.
We started from the Agia Paraskevi area and continued to Eressos and Sigri for some of the island west’s specialties. The afternoon found us back in the Kalloni Salt Pans for some wetland birds.
We managed to see 57 different bird species, having as highlights: Masked and Woodchat Shrike, Cinereous, Cirl and Cretzschmar’s Bunting, Orphean and Oriental Warblers, Purple Heron, Glosy Ibis, Curlew and Marsh Sandpiper, Long-legged Buzzard, Short-toed Eagle, Little Owl, etc.
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)
The highlights of this afternoon trip around Eresos with Hilary, Nicola, Heather and Margaret were: Cretzschmar’s, Cirl and Black-headed Buntings, Oliaceous Warblers, Western Rock Nuthatches, Bee-eaters, Woodchat Shrikes, Short-toed Eagle, Long-legged Buzzards etc.
Here are the highlights of our trip with Pat and Ros A., around Antissa dn Sigri: CINEREOUS and CRETCSHZMAR’S BUNTINGS, ISABELINE, Black-eared Wheatear, EASTERN ORPHEAN, Sub-alpine and Olivaceous Warblers, Black-headed Buntings, ROCK SPARROWS, Crag Martins, LESSER KESTREL, Blue Rock Thrush, etc.
Hans and I spent the day in the vast garrigue areas of Western Lesvos (Agra and Sigri). Our main target was the Cinereous Bunting and the birds found in this specific habitat. It was a windy and relatively cold day but we managed to get what we wanted. Fantastic photos of the Cinereous Bunting, Chukar, Linnet and a bird Hans had for the first time photographed: the Wood Lark. We also found: BLUE ROCK THRUSH (a male singing and displaying for a long time), Sombre Tit, MASKED and Woodchat SHRIKES, CRETZSCHMAR’S BUNTING, ISABELLINE WHEATEAR, Ruddy Shelducks, Rock Pigeons, Orphean Warbler, Collared Flycatchers, Short-toed Eagle etc.
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.
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 Wheathears, 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.
