(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:
Konstantine, an experienced birder from Germany, wanted to see the Kruper’s Nuthatch and some waders. The plan was to visit the pine forest around Mikri Limni and then as many wetlands as we could.
We started from the Kalloni Salt Pans south parts, then continued to the pine forest and followed the coastline from Skala Polichnitos to the north back in the wetlands of the west parts of Skala Kallonis. For the end a route within the pasture land and olive groves around Agia Paraskevi.
We managed to see 80 different bird species, having as highlights: KRUPER’S NUTHATCH (in two distinct breeding territories), Western Rock Nuthatch, MASKED and Woodchat Shrike, Purple Heron, Glosy Ibis, LITTLE CRAKES, a single BLACK-WINGED flying among 11 COLLARED PRANTICOLES, Curlew and Marsh Sandpiper, Temminck’s Stints, STONE CURLEWS, Whiskered Tern, PALLID HARRIER, Short-toed Eagles etc.
Here is a 2-morning birding report by L. Kakalis and L. Grimbilakou, at the very begining of April (2 & 3/4) with sightings (and photos!) of some of Lesvos most wanted species: KRUPER’S NUTHATCH, CINEREOUS and CRETZSCHMAR’S BUNTINGS, RUPPELL’S WARBLER, ISABELLLINE WHEATHEAR, MASKED SHRIKE and more!
photo ©: Lina Grimbilakou
Here are the highlights of this day’s HALF-DAY guided BIRDING trip around the east and north coast of the Kalloni Gulf and Mikri Limni Pine forest:
Glossy Ibis, Black Storks, Great White Egrets, Flamingos, Ruddy Shelducks, Garganeys, Marsh and Wood Sandpipers, Spotted Redshanks, Black-winged Stilts, GULL-BILLED TERNS, Zitting Cisticola’s and GREAT SPOTTED CUCKOO. Kruper’s Nuthatch (of course!).
Here are the highlights of today’s HALF-DAY guided BIRDING trip to wetlands around the northern coasts of the Kalloni Gulf, Molivos and Mikri Limni Pine Forest:
Ruppell’s and Orphean Warbler’s, Little Bitterns, Little Crakes, Black Storks, Glossy Ibisses, Ruddy Shelducks, Short-toed Eagles, Scops Owls and Kruper’s Nuthatch.
Lesvos Birdwatching 