Lesvos Autumn 2009 - Bird Species and Status

 

BIRD LIST (Note only birds seen are included in this list)

Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis  30> birds at Pithariou Reservoir with similar numbers at the other reservoirs visited.

Red-necked Grebe Podiceps grisegena  A singleton was seen on Kalloni Bay on the 5th day and remained for 3 days.

Scopoli’s Shearwater Calonectris diomedea  Several birds seen from Agios Fokas Headland on the 12th day.

Yelkouan Shearwater Puffinus yelkouan  2 birds seen from Agios Fokas Headland on the 12th day.

White Pelican Pelecanus onocrotalus  An immature bird at Polichnitou Salt Works.

Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo  Common on the coast with roosts at both Salt Works.

Shag Phalacrocorax aristotlis  Odd birds seen in Kalloni Bay at Parakila & Achladeri.

Little Bittern Ixobrychus minutus  Only birds seen were at the Inland Lake, with 2 birds being the highest count.

Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax  One sighting only of a female with a damaged wing on the East River.

Little Egret Egretta garzetta  Birds very common at suitable locations.

Great Egret Egretta alba  Many birds encountered at both Salt Works and a resident bird fishing each morning on Kalloni Bay.

Grey Heron Ardea cinerea  Abundant, both on the island and flying through.

Black Stork Ciconia nigra  Birds encountered in good numbers at both Salt Works, with 15> at Polichnitou and 10> at Kalloni Salt Works each visit. Both the West & East Rivers also held a few on most days.   

Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia  A single bird at Polichnitou Salt Works on day 13.  

Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus roseus  Numbers fluctuated during the trip with approx 1,000 birds at Kalloni Salt Works on our arrival, reducing by half on our departure. 

Shelduck Tadorna tadorna  200> birds at Kalloni Salt Works on our arrival, then no other sightings. 

Common Teal Anas crecca  A flock of 4 birds at Kalloni Salt Works on day 4.

Short-toed Eagle Circaetus gallicus  Birds seen at specific sites throughout the trip, possibly establishing winter territories.

Long-legged Buzzard Buteo rufinus  Birds seen most days, usually in the same areas, giving the impression that winter territories had been established. 

Common Buzzard Buteo buteo  Odd birds encountered during the second week.

Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus  1 sighting on day 6.

Common Kestrel Falco tinnunculus  Odd birds at suitable locations.

Red-footed Falcon Falco vespertinus  Small numbers seen throughout the trip. Most sightings were confined to Kalloni Salt Works, where birds would roost on the wires overnight. 5 was the maximum number.

Hobby Falco subbuteo  Only one bird seen by us, but many sightings reported. 

Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus  1 bird at Ipsilou on the 5th day.

Chukar Alectoris chukar  A flock of 8 birds seen at Pithariou Reservoir on day 3 and 4 birds at the Molivos lay-by on the 11th day.   

Corncrake Crex crex  A single bird flew across the vehicle into dense cover near the East River.

Moorhen Gallinula chloropus  Small numbers at suitable locations.

Coot Fulica atra  Two birds seen, 1 on Kalloni Bay and 1 in the small square irrigation pool in the Potamia Valley.

Avocet Recurvirosta avosetta  The Salt Pans hold approximately twice as many as seen in spring, with 300> individuals seen.

Little-ringed Plover Charadrius dubius  Small numbers confined in the main to the Polichnitou Salt Works.

Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula  Small numbers at the Polichnitou Salt Pans.

Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrinus  Commonest wader by far, although numbers weren’t great. 

Sanderling Calidris alba  3 birds feeding with the Little Stints at Polichnitou Salt Works on day 12.

Dunlin Calidris alpina  Small numbers seen mainly at the Polichnitou salt works.

Curlew Sandpiper Calidris ferruginea  Just a few at Polichnitou Salt Works during our 3rd trip.

Temminck’s Stint Calidris temminckii  A couple of birds feeding with Little Stint at the Polichnitou Salt Works during our 1st visit. 

Little Stint Calidris minuta  20> birds at Polichnitou Salt Works during each visit.

Green Sandpiper Tringa ochropus  2 birds chasing each other at the Inland Lake.

Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos  Odd birds encountered.

Redshank Tringa totanus  Odd birds seen at suitable locations.

Spotted Redshank Tringa erythropus  Up to 8 birds at Kalloni Salt Works during the trip with odd birds at the Polichnitou Salt Works.

Greenshank Tringa nebularia  Sightings confined to both Salt Works where small numbers were present during the trip.

Marsh Sandpiper Tringa stagnatilis  Sightings of single birds at Kalloni Salt Works on days 4 & 5.

Curlew Numenius arquata  Just 1 sighting during the trip.

Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus  1 encounter, a singleton at the mouth of the East River.

Snipe Gallinago gallinago  A sighting of 2 birds at the Inland Lake.

Ruff Philomachus pugnax  5 birds at Polichnitou Salt Works.

Black-headed Gull Larus ridibundus  Birds at both Salt Works and the East River

Slender-billed Gull Larus genei  Several birds at the Polichnitou Salt Works and a single bird at the East River mouth.

Mediterranean Gull Larus melanocephalus  Birds at Polichnitou Salt Works on days 2 and 6 .

Yellow-legged Herring Gull Larus michahellis  Abundant.

Little Gull Larus minutus  A single bird present at Polichnitou Salt Work during each visit.

Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto  Very common, birds seen daily.

Little Owl Athene noctua  Two sightings, 1 at the goat track near East River and 1 at the Kalloni Salt Works.      

Scops Owl Otus scops  An obliging bird seen on a post at the football pitch on 2 consecutive nights whilst walking back from Skala, after our evening meal.

Hoopoe Upupa epops  Birds surprisingly difficult with just a handful of encounters. 

Kingfisher Alcedo atthis  Common at suitable locations.

Middle-spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopus medius  4 sightings for the trip, with birds seen during both our trips to the  Nappi Valley.

Crested Lark Galerida cristata  Probably the commonest bird on the island.

Woodlark Lullula arborea  Only 1 sighting of a couple of birds at the Achladeri Krüper’s nest site.

Sand Martin Riparia riparia  1 encounter, a few birds in a mixed hirundine flock on day 6.

Crag Martin Hirundo rupestris  Birds seen at Pithariou Reservoir and the Potamia Valley.

Eurasian Swallow Hirundo rustica  Usually early morning encounters with small loose flocks heading north towards the Turkish coast.

Red-rumped Swallow Cecropis daurica  Not uncommon, again small family groups on wires after overnight roosts.

House Martin Delichon urbica  Only a couple of sightings with birds in mixed flocks of swallows.

Tawny Pipit Anthus campestris  A couple of birds seen on 2 occasions.

Meadow Pipit Anthus pratensis  A couple of sightings during the trip.

Tree Pipit Anthus trivialis  A single bird seen at the Eresos Fig Fields on day 8.

White Wagtail Motacilla alba  Mainly restricted to the second week with good numbers at both Salt Works.

Yellow Wagtail Motacilla Flava  Seen every day, anywhere where crops were being irrigated or mown.

Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea  2 birds feeding with Yellow Wagtails on day 9.

Redstart Phoenicurus phoenicurus  A single male at Ipsilou Monastery on day 8.

Northern Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe  Common passage migrant although not in large numbers.
 
Black-eared Wheatear Oenanthe hispanica  Again just 1 at the Eresos Fig Fields.

Whinchat Saxicola rubetra  Birds appeared common especially for the first week of the trip.

Stonechat Saxicola rubicola  Surprisingly few sightings, with all restricted to the west of the island.

Blue Rock Thrush Monticola solitarius  Birds not uncommon on the west of the island at suitable locations.

Blackbird Turdus merula  Very common over most of the island.

Blackcap Sylvia atricapilla  Small numbers encountered.

Sardinian Warbler Sylvia melanocephala  Surprisingly few sightings.

Whitethroat Sylvia communis  Several birds at the Fig Fields on the 5th day

Lesser Whitethroat Sylvia curruca  Birds encountered on 4 separate days.

Eastern Olivaceous Warbler Hippolais pallida  1 encounter for the trip at the Eresos Fig Fields.

Cetti’s Warbler Cettia cetti  4 sightings with most occurring at the inland lake.

Willow Warbler Phylloscopus trochilus  Birds abundant over the whole island.

Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita  Same status as Willow Warbler.

Spotted Flycatcher Muscicapa striata  A common bird encountered most days.

Great Tit Parus major  Same status as Blue with slightly more sightings.

Blue Tit Cyanistes caeruleus  Small numbers encountered at suitable locations.

Sombre Tit Poecile lugubris  Small numbers especially around mature olive groves.

Rock Nuthatch Sitta neumayer  Many birds seen, especially on the west of the island.

Krüper’s Nuthatch Sitta krueperi  1 sighting for the trip only, although others faired better.

Red-backed Shrike Lanius collurio  The commonest of the shrikes, with birds encountered most days.

Woodchat Shrike Lanius senator  Only sightings were on days 1 & 4.

Lesser Grey Shrike Lanius minor  A few birds about for the first few days of the trip, then no further sightings.

Jay Garrulus glandarius  Very common over the whole island and seeming to be on the increase.

Jackdaw Corvus monedula  The small colony that used to be confined to Sigri is spreading through the island, with birds seen at Ipsilou Monastery and Polichnitou.

Raven Corvus corax  Several birds seen on 4 occasions.  

Hooded Crow Corvus cornix  Prolific all over the island.

Starling Sturnus vulgaris  A flock of 8 birds flew past the hotel on day 11.

House Sparrow Passer domesticus  Very common.

Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs  Not as common as spring, with most sightings confined to the conifer woods.

Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis  Only a few sightings during this trip.

Greenfinch Carduelis chloris  Not as common as expected, with only 2 sightings throughout the trip.

Linnet Carduelis cannabina  Small numbers seen, mainly in the west of the island.

Cirl Bunting Emberiza cirlus  Just 2 sightings during the trip.

Corn Bunting Emberiza calandra  Numbers built up during the trip with 8 in a bush at the Kalloni Pool and 23 on the wires at the  East River lanes.

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