Lesvos Birding - Part 1 of 2

We have just returned from two weeks on Lesvos, luckily Thomas Cook managed to keep going and brought us home! On the unlucky side for out first week there we were quite poorly, but thanks to the local pharmacist in Skala Kallonis, and a rest day we managed to get out and about.

Because of being under the weather we kept things pretty local for the first few days, but that's the advantage of staying in Skala Kallonis there is lots on the door step. The Salt Pans, The Christou & Tskinias Rivers, Metochi Lake and the Potamia Valley & Reservoir.

Before I go on I have to say firstly that for those who haven't been and are thinking of going for the birding, Steve Dudley's book, A Birdwatching Guide to Levos is a must, also joining the Lesvos Birders Facebook and Whatsapp Groups are also a good idea.

So to start off we had a great couple of weeks amassing 112 species of birds, plus loads of other stuff, I am going to keep it simple and just post a few photos, with what and where, rather than a detailed day be day account. Firstly we were staying in the Kalloni Bay Hotel overlooking the Kalloni Pools that are now sadly rather overgrown and silted up, but there us still some good birding to be had there...this first batch of photos were taken from our hotel room balcony.
Great Egret & Grey Heron,

 Squacco Heron,

 House Martin, (one of three actives nests on our balcony)

the Squaccos liked to roost about 5:30pm on the far side of the Kalloni Pools, this time joined by a Night Heron, (if you can find it!)

and if you found the Night Heron, now find the Purple Heron!

Only a 10-15 minute drive from the hotel are the Salt Pans, we visited these regularly, these are some of the highlights.....
Corn Bunting,

 White Stork,

 Common Tern,

 Black Stork,

 Ruff,

 Curlew Sandpiper,

 Wood Sandpiper,

 Black-winged Stilt,

 Avocet,

 Greater Flamingo,

 European Bee-eaters,

 Little Tern,

 Ruff en-masse,

 Squacco Heron,

 White-winged Tern,

 Whiskered Tern,

 and Little Stint

That's not the lot but it gives you the idea how fantastic the Salt Pans are.

Again near Kalloni are some other great sites, Potamia Valley and Reservoir, Metochi Lake, Tsiknias River, Achladeri Forest and the Christou River, we visited them all. So here are some more good bits from those visits.
Bee-eater,

 Little Ringed Plover,

 Black-headed Bunting,

 Krüpers Nuthatch,

  Kentish Plover,

 Cettis Warbler,

 Marsh Frog,

 Little Bittern, (if you can find it!)

 Little Grebe,

 Crested Lark,

 Jay,

 Woodchat Shrike,

 Little Owl,

 Nightingale,

 Black-eared Wheatear,

 Masked Shrike,

 Sand Boa,

 Long-legged Buzzard,

 Olive-tree Warbler,

 Long-eared Owl,

 Short-toed Treecreeper,

 Poppies!

 Scops Owl,

 Middle-spotted Woodpecker,

 Short-toed Eagle,

 Yellow Wagtail

 and Crested Lark.

So that covers a lot of the birds close to Skala Kalloni, in part 2 we will go further afield.