Lesvos 2025 Part 5

 Our birding journey around Lesvos continues............ this is the last one honest!

So here's a nest built into the side of a rock face...

and here's the owner, a Rock Sparrow. We saw this nest last year on the Sigri-Eresos track and much to our delight it was in use again.

So a catalogue of birds seen in he last few days;

Spotted Flycatcher,

Black-headed Bunting,

Wheatear,

another Spotted Flycatcher,

Red-backed Shrike,

A cricket of somesort,

Corn Bunting,

Lacewing,

Red-rumped Swallow,

yet another Spotted Flycatcher 😅

Butterflies galore,

Spotted Flycatcher with lunch,

I'm sure that tasted nice 😏

Caterpillar nest!

Red-backed Shrike,

that Wood Warbler again, same tree as before!

Short-toed Eagle,

Juvenile Orphean Warblers,

More butterflies.

Night Heron,

Swallows having a drink.

Then after two weeks of trying, a Scops Owl at the mini soccer pitch just outside Kallonis Town.

Squacco Heron down at the Tsiknias River again,

The Terns and Gull were still hanging around at the river mouth,

with the Common Tern doing a flyby.

Back at the river, A Black Stork, Great Egret and Little Egret keeping each other company.

At the Saltpans managed to get some nice shots of a Little Stint,

Ruff

Spur Winged Lapwing

and another Little Stint, their summer plumage is magnificent.

A close up of a Black Stork,

Shelduck,

Ringed Plover,

and Reed Warbler.

Heading back to the village, I couldn't resis more Bee-eater photo opportunities

and a Black Stork flying right over us.

So that's it for another year. Hopefully we will be back again next year and we can do it all again!

 

Lesvos 2025 Part 2

 So on with more birding from Lesvos! Well the first one isn't a bird, but it's pretty!

Gulls and Terns down at Tsiknias River mouth,

Bee-eater,

White Stork in the fields by the river,

as was this Yellow-legged Gull,

Couldn't resist photographing more storks.

Shelduck are always wonderful to see wherever you are.

As are Black-headed Buntings.

A well camouflaged Ringed Plover in the gravel at the river.

The Kallonis Saltpans are always reliable for Black-winged Stilt.

There were also plenty of Juvenile Ruff about.

Now a Dalmatian Pelican up close is an amazing thing, with a 3 metre wingspan, they are very impressive.

Further afield we stopped at the Petrified Forest visitor centre in case there were any Little Owls in the adjacent farm buildings and weren't disappointed. 

From there we carried on to Faneromeni and the fords, it was very quiet (and hot!) with not much about, but this Squacco showed briefly.

We then stumbled across a pair of Rufous Bush Robin delivering food to a very well hidden nest, we watched from a distance for a while, it was awesome!

They were closely watched by this female Red-backed Shrike.

A break from birds. A butterfly!

From Faneromeni, we went for a fantastic late lunch in Sigri, then took the track to Eresos.

With plenty to see, this Cretzschmar's Bunting posed nicely for us.

And at the Meladia Chapel we found Pied Flycatcher

and a nice Wood Warbler.

Then as we approached Eresos, a well hidden Little Owl presented itself to us!

That's enough for the moment... part 3 tomorrow perhaps!