There’s something special about Lesvos in Spring, Rolling Meadows of vibrant wild flowers nestling harmoniously among the olive groves as the Aegean sparkles like a priceless azure sapphire in the heat of the midday sun. The hustle and bustle of Mitilini the capital in contrast with the rustic laid-back charm of the villages, and the warm welcome that awaits you.
Above: Roller, Below: Flower meadow
Lesvos is the third largest of the Greek Islands but you could be forgiven for thinking otherwise as it doesn't have that big island feel, retaining its own identity and character which has resulted in the island remaining thankfully unspoilt. Taking the first direct flight out of Manchester on the 1st of May we touched down in Mitilini and after a relatively painless transfer we arrived late afternoon in the village of Skala Kallonis.
This would be our base for the next two weeks and is located at the centre of the island around an hour from the capital. A rental car had already been organised and was waiting for us on our arrival, so wasting no time we dropped off our luggage picked up our birding gear and headed out for the Kalloni saltpans.
1st May 2022: Saltpans East corner.
A Spotted crake was reported here and it didn't take long to locate it on a small dry pool adjacent to the saltpans. Temminck's stint, Corn bunting Wood sandpiper, Squacco heron, Red-throated pipit, Red-backed shrike and White wagtail was also noted along with a Little bittern in the reeds.
Above: Temminck's stint, Below left: Little stint, Below right: Spur-winged plover
From here we headed to the North corner of the saltpans spotting flocks of Greater flamingo and Pied avocet while further down the track Bee-eaters were observed burrowing in a field. Black-winged stilt, Spur-winged plover, White-winged tern, Black tern, Little egret, Common sandpiper, Little stint, Ruff, Ruddy shelduck and Little ringed plover were also noted, moving on we took the Lotzaria track where we had great views of Lesser grey shrike, Cetti's warbler, Yellow wagtail, Western marsh harrier, Hoopoe and Olivaceous warbler.
Above: Spotted crake Below left: Black-crowned night heron, Below right: Olivaceous warbler.
We then crossed over the ford heading back to town on the Tsikinas river where we saw Black-crowned night heron, Black-headed bunting, Common nightingale, Common shelduck, White stork , Eurasian jay, Great tit, Wren, Blue tit, Willow warbler, Chiffchaff, Great reed warbler, Crested lark, Hooded crow, Sand martin, Barn swallow and House martin, in just over 3 hours we had managed 52 species and by now the light was fading and so were we. Returning back we unpacked before heading back out for a few Alpha's and a Gyros.
2nd of May 2022: Kalloni saltpans - Tsikinas river
Sightings: Red-throated pipit, Great white egret, Little egret, Little bittern, Sqaucco heron, Wood sandpiper, Greater flamingo, Whiskered tern, White-winged tern, Little stint, Black-winged stilt, Olivaceous warbler, Cetti's warbler, Ruff, Lesser grey shrike and Great reed warbler.
Above: Great reed warbler Below left: Red-rumped swallow, Below right: Red-throated pipit
After breakfast we started at the Tsikinas river mouth driving North before returning South on the opposite side of the river following the Lotzaria track to the saltpans, racetrack and Alykes wetland. Sightings were: Black stork, Shelduck, Little ringed plover, Common nightingale, Yellow-legged gull, Red-rumped Swallow, Greater short-toed lark, Ruddy shelduck, Marsh harrier, Common buzzard, Kestrel, Pied avocet, Curlew, Redshank, Greenshank, Common sandpiper, Temminck's stint, Common tern, Alpine swift, Red-backed shrike, Masked shrike, Raven, Whinchat, Stonechat, Yellow wagtail, White wagtail, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Corn bunting, Cirl bunting, Black-headed Bunting, Bee-eater and Spotted flycatcher.
Above: Red-footed falcon, Below left: Corn bunting, Below right: Short-toed snake eagle
From here our final stop of the day was the Mini Soccer Pitch in Kalloni or 'Scops Copse' where the mature Eucalyptus trees have been an ideal roosting place for Scops owl. Unfortunately the trees had been cut right back offering little or no cover and the Owls could not be located, although one was heard calling from the olive grove behind. By now the rain was heavy and a passing Red-footed falcon dropped in to ride out the downpour. A pair of Middle spotted woodpecker collected food and was therefore observed from a suitable distance along with several pairs of Spanish sparrow and pair of Eurasian nuthatch. The rain stopped and off went the Red-footed falcon shortly followed by a beautiful Short-toed snake eagle.
3rd May 2022: Metochi area early morning.
Spur-winged plover, Little bittern, Purple heron, Little Grebe, Mallard, White stork, Palid swift, Common swift, Grey heron, Cirl bunting, Cetti's warbler, Jay, Red-backed shrike, Masked shrike, Lesser grey shrike, Hoopoe, Great reed warbler, Reed warbler, Olivaceous warbler and Whinchat.
Above: Purple Heron, Below left: Lesser grey shrike, Below right: Red-backed shrike
After breakfast we set off towards Achladeri forest looking for Krüper's Nuthatch, starting in the area where we found them back in 2019 we were on a pair almost straight away. Keeping a respectable distance we stayed a little while before returning back to the car. Other sightings were a pair of Black-eared Wheatear along with several Spotted flycatcher's. A Common buzzard passed overhead followed by two Short-toed snake eagles.
Above: Krüper's Nuthatch, Below left: Great snipe, Below right: Curlew sandpiper
Before returning back we called off at Achladeri pools where a Great snipe had been reported, strong winds made for a challenging photo opportunity and the bird was behind the cover of the reedbed but occasionally could be spotted in a gap in the reeds. Other birds here were Curlew sandpiper, Wood sandpiper, Little stint and Temminck's stint. Returning past the small road bridge we heard a call which sounded like a squeaky wheelbarrow, we located the bird taking a bath and it looked like a Thrush nightingale, however the general consensus afterwards was that it was in fact a rather damp looking Common nightingale.
4th May 2022: Eressos to Sigri (Meladia valley). Cretzschmar's bunting, Cinereous bunting, Black-headed bunting, Black-eared wheatear, Northern wheatear, Spotted flycatcher, Honey buzzard, Common buzzard, Rock nuthatch, Long-legged buzzard, Bee-eater, Corn bunting and Rufous tailed scrub robin.
Above: Ruddy shelduck, Below left: Montagu's harrier, Below right: Common redstart
Crossing over the ford we noted Ruddy shelduck, continuing passed the Fig tree area we spotted a healthy population of Bee-eater's, when we reached the small Chapel we noted Wood warbler, Common redstart, Chiffchaff and Icterine warbler with several sighting of two Montagu's harrier quartering over the flat area behind the Chapel. Red-backed shrike, Woodchat shrike, Masked shrike, Reed warbler, Subalpine warbler and White stork were also noted here and at this point we decided this was a good spot for our packed lunch.
Above: Rock nuthatch Below left: Common whitethroat, Below right: Lesser whitethroat
After refreshments we carried on heading towards Sigri, as we descended to the coast we stopped to observe Eleonora's falcon, Red-footed falcon and Lesser kestrel while near the Sanatorium area we spotted Common whitethroat and Lesser whitethroat. Continuing on we arrived at Faneromeni where we noted Lesser black-backed gull, Semi-collared Flycatcher, Olivaceous warbler and Tawny pipit. On the way back to Kallonis we called off at the Petrified forest and at the first pool we had Black-eared wheatear, Linnet, Isabelline wheatear, Corn bunting, Cretzschmar's bunting, Cinereous bunting and a male Spotted Redshank briefly dropped in pristine summer plumage. At the second pool we spotted a male Golden oriole as it flew into a nearby bush.
5th May 2022: Metochi and Potami old Res. Purple heron, Little bittern, Reed warbler, Great reed warbler, Cetti's warbler, Olivaceous warbler, Sombre tit, Wren, Woodchat Shrike, Hoopoe, Jay, Masked shrike, Red-backed shrike, Black-crowned night heron, Long-tailed tit and Little crake. Stone curlew at Christou marsh.
Above: Stone curlew Below left: Subalpine warbler, Below right: Masked shrike
After breakfast we saw a passing Hobby over the hotel. We set off towards Molyvos stopping at Scops Copse on the way to have another look for roosting Scops owl this time in better conditions. A few Eucalyptus trees at the rear hadn't been cut back and it wasn't long before we found one in considerable cover. Our next stop was Kavaki where we scanned the shrubs for signs of Rüppell's warbler, the best we could manage here was a pair of Subalpine warbler. Other sightings were Great cormorant, and a pair of Peregrine falcon's.
Above: Collared pratincole, Below left: Woodchat shrike, Below right: Long-legged buzzard
In Molyvos we stopped for lunch before carrying on to Perasma reservoir where Ruddy shelduck were noted with ducklings looking vulnerable around the Yellow-legged gulls. On the way back we spotted a Lesser mole rat at the edge of the road and calling off at the Raptor Viewpoint we spotted a large Glass Lizard next to the bandstand. Sightings here included Woodchat Shrike feeding young, Long-legged buzzard and Raven. Back at the saltpans we noted Little stint, Pied avocet, Black-winged stilt, Greater flamingo, Black Stork, Common tern, Whinchat and Bee-eater. We also had great views of 3 Collared pratincole near the Pumping station.
6th May 2022: Saltpans, Tsikinas and Lotzaria.
Sightings: Ruddy shelduck, Common shelduck, Black-headed bunting, Common sandpiper, Pied avocet, Great reed warbler, Common nightingale, Marsh harrier, Montagu's harrier, Corn bunting, Yellow wagtail, Olivaceous warbler, Black-winged stilt, Greater flamingo, Wood sandpiper, Bee-eater
Above: Greater flamingo, Below left Wood sandpiper,Below right: Black-winged stilt
From here we headed for Ipsilou where we noted Eleonora's falcon, Blue rock thrush, Red-rumped swallow, Alpine swift, Spotted flycatcher, Stonechat, Semi-collared flycatcher, Northern wheatear, Raven, Black-eared wheatear, Common swift, Wood warbler, Short-toed snake eagle, Isabelline wheatear, Cinereous bunting, Cretzschmar's bunting, Linnet, Whinchat, Lesser kestrel and Short-toed treecreeper.
Above: Cinereous bunting, Black-headed bunting, Below: Semi collared flycatcher, Cretzschmar's bunting
7th May 2022: Metochi area early morning.
Olivaceous warbler, Great reed warbler, Cetti's warbler, Woodchat shrike, Masked shrike, Red-backed shrike, Common Buzzard, Short-toed snake eagle, Sombre tit, Hoopoe, Black-eared wheatear, Jay, Chukar partridge, Little bittern, Little grebe, and Middle spotted woodpecker.
Above: Sombre tit, Below left: Orphean warbler, Below right: Olive tree warbler
Along the walking path to Leimonos we had great views of a Honey buzzard which briefly landed in a shrub before taking off towards the lake area, other sightings included Orphean warbler, Olive tree warbler, Little owl, Golden oriole, Icterine warbler, Greenfinch, Cirl bunting, Raven, Goldfinch, Corn bunting, Blue rock thrush, Common nightingale, Eurasian nuthatch, Grey heron, Red-rumped swallow, Barn swallow, Little swift, Alpine swift, Common swift, Chaffinch, Reed warbler, Rock nuthatch, Eurasian magpie and Jay.
Above: Honey buzzard, Below left: White-winged tern, Below right: Little tern
Returning to Skala Kallonis via the saltpans we headed for the Tsikinas river mouth where Gull-billed tern had been reported but sadly we had missed it, we did however note several Whiskered tern, Little tern and White-winged tern along with Collared Pratincole, Black stork, White stork, Greater flamingo, Pied avocet, Black-winged stilt, Marsh harrier, Yellow wagtail, Long-legged buzzard, Temminck's stint, Common tern and Black tern. From here we headed back after what had been a day of over thirteen hours of birding.
8th May 2022: Tsikinas river early morning. Eurasian bittern, Little bittern, Wood sandpiper, Great reed warbler, Black-headed bunting, Cetti's warbler, Common nightingale, Shelduck, Little egret, Olivaceous warbler, Great white egret, Bee-eater, Corn bunting, White-winged tern, Yellow wagtail, Whiskered tern and Common tern.
Above: Great white egret, Below left: Whiskered tern, Below right: Common tern
After breakfast we headed towards Metochi and followed the track towards the Potamia valley. Sightings were Cirl bunting, Little ringed plover, Crag martin, Olive tree warbler, Cretzschmar's bunting, Black-eared wheatear, Red-backed shrike, Eurasian nuthatch, Black stork, Little grebe, Middle spotted woodpecker, Common buzzard, Moorhen, Coot, Hoopoe, Goldfinch, Woodchat shrike and Masked shrike. At the weir we stopped to observe a Fox for a while before heading back towards Kalloni.
Above left: White stork Above right: Black stork, Centre: Fox, Below left: Turtle dove, Below right: Ringed plover
Returning back through town we headed back to the saltpans and along Lotzaria to the lower ford on the Tsikinas river before making our way back to the hotel, sightings here were Collared pratincole, Mallard, Greater flamingo, pied avocet, White stork, Grey heron, Black-winged stilt, Little stint, Wood sandpiper, Common swift, red-rumped swallow, Great reed warbler, Reed warbler, Ruff, Jay, Raven, Barn swallow, Turtle dove, White stork, Ringed plover and Yellow wagtail.
9th May 2022: Kremasti and the Napi valley.
Heading to Kremasti the fields looked stunning with wild flowers in full bloom, on a post was a Little owl while Common swift, House martin and Barn swallow swooped down from overhead. Near the bridge a Turtle dove was calling and not long after we located several birds.
Above: Road to Kremasti, Below left: Persian squirrel, Below right: Cirl bunting
A Persian squirrel sat in the dappled shade of an olive tree while Hoopoe and Middle spotted woodpecker busied themselves foraging in and out of the olive groves. A Masked shrike chased a Cirl bunting who had found a large caterpillar while Black-headed bunting, Sombre tit and Short-toed snake eagle were also noted.
Above: Short-toed snake eagle, Below left: Cattle egret, Below right: Dalmatian pelican
Further on we reached the Napi Valley where we noted Turtle dove, Subalpine warbler, Masked shrike and Red-backed shrike. The valley was alive with butterflies and dragonflies and a group of enthusiastic youths attempted to net them presumably for recording purposes. From here we decided to return to the saltpans where we had great views of Black stork, White stork, Bee-eater, Little stint, Black-winged stilts, White-winged tern, Great white egret, Little egret, Spur-winged plover, Lesser grey shrike, Marsh harrier, Short-toed snake eagle, Great reed warbler, Yellow wagtail, Cattle egret and Dalmatian pelican.
10th May 2022: Meladia starting from Eressos.
Rock nuthatch, Blackcap, Rock sparrow, Black-eared wheatear, Cretzschmar's bunting, Spotted flycatcher, Cinereous bunting, Red-backed shrike, Rufous scrub robin, Orphean warbler, Subalpine warbler, Common whitethroat and two Golden oriole sat in a tree next to the track.
Above: Rufous tailed scrub robin, Below left: Wood warbler, Below right: Icterine warbler
Great reed warbler, Olivaceous warbler, Lesser whitethroat, Woodchat shrike and Lesser grey shrike were also noted while at the chapel we had Spotted flycatcher, Sombre tit, Wood warbler and Icterine warbler. Black-headed bunting, Cetti's warbler, Bee-eater and Corn Bunting were abundant. Overhead we noted Common buzzard and Short-toed snake eagle.
Above: Golden Oriole, Below left: Little Owl, Below right: Little ringed plover
Further along the track a Little owl perched on a post and overhead Lesser kestrel, Palid swift and Common swift. Returning home using the same route we stopped off at the Parakoila wetland where we noted Greater flamingo, Black-winged stilt, Wood sandpiper, Little stint, Moorhen and Little ringed plover's with chicks. Our final stop was the Tsikinas River mouth, here we noted Curlew sandpiper, Grey plover, Ringed plover, Black-crowned night heron, Common tern, Little tern and Spur-winged plover.
11th May 2022: Charamida and Loutra.
This morning we set off specifically to find two birds the first was Rüppell's warbler down South in Charamida and the second was Laughing dove in the nearby village of Loutra. In Charamida it wasn't long before we were on a pair of Rüppell's which we watched for a while from the roadside.
Above: Charamida, Below left: Laughing dove, Below right: Black-eared wheatear
In total we spotted three pairs Rüppell's warbler in the area along with several Sardinian warbler and a Lesser whitethroat we also noted a pair of Black-eared wheatear. At the beach we checked out the marsh and had a packed lunch before heading towards Loutra in search of the Laughing dove. We parked the car and walked up the hill into the village, almost immediately we saw a Laughing dove on the road opposite the butchers shop. The bird dodged cars and scooters as they zoomed up the busy road through the village, little wonder it retreated to the relative safety of overhead cables and remained there.
Below: Rüppell's warbler, Above left: Squacco heron, Above right: Alpine swift photo bombing
We stayed for a while and had reasonable views even managing a few flight shots of the bird as it flew from wire to air-conditioning unit. Other sightings included Collared dove, Red-rumped swallow, Barn swallow, Common swift, House martin and an Alpine swift photo bombing a Common buzzard. Next we headed towards Kalami marsh and then the saltpans where we had sightings of Water rail, Squacco heron, Zitting cisticola, White stork, Spur-winged plover, Curlew sandpiper and Bee-eaters in some great afternoon light.
12th May 2022: Tsikinas river Lotzaria track.
A Spur-winged plover was spotted along with a group of 4 Ferrunginous ducks close to the ford. On the Lotzaria track a Roller was observed in a nearby tree. Other sightings here were a female Marsh harrier and 4 Rosy starlings which had just dropped in and were feeding on a Mulberry bush.
Above: Ferrunginous duck, Below left: Rosy starling, Below right: Western marsh harrier
After breakfast we returned to the Lotzaria track to look for the Roller and managed to locate it in the same area as earlier but a little closer this time, using the car as a hide we observed it for some time catching insects on the wing and returning to the same bush allowing us to get some descent flight photo's of this colourful bird. Having missed out on this species on previous trips it was great to see the bird at such close quarters without the risk of disturbing it, definitely one of the highlights of our trip.
Top: Roller, Above left: Eurasian nuthatch, Above right: Middle spotted woodpecker, Below: Scops Owl
Eventually and somewhat reluctantly we had to move on and arriving at Metochi we noted Little grebe with chick's, Little bittern and Olive tree warbler while over at Potami old reservoir we saw Black-crowned night heron and Turtle dove. From here we drove through town to Scops Copse where we spotted Scops owl and this time it was in the open allowing us a chance to grab a few images. Other sightings included Short-toed snake eagle, a pair of Eurasian nuthatch and a pair of Middle spotted woodpecker.
13th May 2022: Ipsilou. We had three birds in mind when we set off this morning, Isabelline wheatear, Blue rock thrush and Rock sparrow. Isabelline Wheatear was the first and obliging while Blue rock thrush was proving a bit more challenging eventually catching one at the very top while Rock sparrow was by far the hardest.
Above: Isabelline wheatear, Below left: Rock sparrow, Below right: Spotted flycatcher
Plenty of Sparrows about but were they Rock sparrow, I suspected not, other sightings we had here included Wood warbler, Spotted flycatcher, Cretzschmar's bunting, Cinereous bunting, Black headed bunting, Rock nuthatch and Raven. Leaving Ipsiou we took the short drive to the Petrified forest and finally caught up with a Rock Sparrow close enough to identify, other birds were Linnet, Black-eared wheatear and Corn bunting.
Above: Blue rock thrush, Below left: Eleonora's falcon, Below right: Citrine wagtail
From here we continued on to Sigri and the Old sanatorium where we saw an Eleonora's falcon perched on a utility pole along with Sardinian warbler, Orphean warbler and a Lesser kestrel. Returning back through the saltpans and Tsikinas river we spotted Citrine wagtail, Kentish plover, Grey plover, Grey heron, Little stint, Great reed warbler, Olivaceous warbler, Little tern and Common tern.
14th May 2022: Tsikinas river (our last full day).
Sightings Included: Olivaceous warbler, Masked shrike, Turtle dove, Little bittern, Hooded crow, Little stint, Common nightingale, Reed warbler, Great reed warbler, Cetti's warbler, Black headed bunting, Bee-eater, Grey heron, Gull-billed tern, Common tern and Little tern.
Above: Common nightingale, Below left: Cetti's warbler, Below right Crested lark
Heading down to the saltpans we made our way to the Alykes wetlands to check the beach area where we had Rufous-tailed scrub robin, Dalmatian pelican, European shag, Great cormorant, Greater flamingo and Pied avocet. And at Kalami marsh we had Little egret, Squacco heron, Red-rumped swallow, Black-winged stilt, Great tit, Yellow wagtail, Red-backed shrike with young, Long-legged buzzard, and White stork.
Returning back on the Lotzaria track we observed a pair of Bee-eater's hawking while above the ford area on the Tsikinas river a Little bittern was stood in shallow water catching fish. Further down the Tsikinas past the bandstand Shelduck, Grey plover, Stonechat, Greenfinch, Yellow-legged gull and Crested lark.
From here we took the short drive through Papiana towards Ariana and at the T junction for the main road a Long-eared owl was roosting along with at least two Owlets which were branching in a stand of several trees along the roadside. Both adult and young were under the cover of the tree canopy making them difficult to photograph so we decided to return early the next morning before we had to head off for the airport.
15th May 2022: Early morning Ariana.
As we had no car we walked the short distance from Skala Kallonis through Papiana to Ariana stopping at the olive grove opposite the school house to check for owls. it was quiet with the exception of a Eurasian Jay busy with a rodent. Continuing on a little further we reached the stand of trees next to the main road in Ariana.
Above: Eurasian Jay, Below left: White stork, Below right: Long-eared owlet
We began to check out the trees for signs of the Long-eared owl and it wasn't long before we located an adult and a youngster both were still under the cover of the tree canopy on this busy road but we did managed one or two images before heading back through to Papiana where on the Church, White storks were in residence once more and could be seen having an Egyptian grasshopper breakfast, a great finish to this fantastic trip.
A total of 164 individual bird species was recorded from 1st May - 15th May 2022 see link below for the list.
Full bird list: Lesvos sightings list 2022
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