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LESBOS 

 

[ Systematic List ]

The first visit to Lesvos was made in July 1985 as part of a package holiday. Although not primarily aiming to spend the trip birding, it was inevitable that some birding would be done. I have now returned to the island four more times with two trips in September and two in May. These dates are certainly far more suitable for birding than July.

As mentioned on the home page, I don't intend to go into detail regarding sites for birding on the island as this is already well covered in the book by Richard Brooks, "Birding on the Greek island of Lesvos".  Details on the distribution of individual species on the island is also equally well covered in the above book, although I do give my views on distribution for the species I have recorded on my trips. The systematic list below is a record of all the species, currently 202, I have recorded on the five trips to the island.

As for the best time to visit, Richard Brooks recommends April as probably the prime month for catching the best of the spring migration. Unfortunately the numerous charter flights and package holidays from the UK do not usually start until the first week of May and as you can imagine they get booked up pretty quickly by the numerous birders. Having said that April is the best month, migration can always be messed up by the weather and if there is a strong northerly wind, the birds just don't try that hard. Certainly the first couple of weeks of May can be very good indeed but I do recommend the earlier the better as it is quite noticeable the decline in passage by the second week of May compared to the first. Of course, if you are that desperate to visit the island earlier in the year, then you can book a scheduled flight via Athens and book any accommodation on the internet although the costs will be a lot higher than a good old package trip.

Autumn migration through the island is a far more sedate affair and certainly lacks the spectacular flocks of birds of the spring. However, it is still well worthwhile visiting the island for it's resident 'specials' such as Kruper's Nuthatch. Unfortunately the Cinereous Buntings will have left in August along with a number of other species such as the Black-headed Buntings but the island still manages to attract birds on passage. Always worth checking out the wader flocks as Broad-billed Sandpipers can quite often turn up.

SYSTEMATIC LIST
Chukar	Frequent in the hills
Quail	Heard in the fields at the eastern end of Kalloni salt pans
Mute Swan	6 at the mouth of the east river, 3rd May 2002
Ruddy Shelduck	Frequent at Derbyshire and sometimes along west river
Common Shelduck	Frequent at Derbyshire and Kalloni salt pans
Mallard	1 Kalloni 4th May 2002
Northern Shoveler	Frequent
Northern Pintail	1 Polichnitos 8/5/2000
Garganey	Frequent in spring
Common Teal	3 mouth of West river 24/9/1999
Middle Spotted Woodpecker	Frequent
Syrian Woodpecker	1 July 1985
Hoopoe	Common, more often heard than seen
European Roller	2 Skala Kalloni 5/5/2000
Common Kingfisher	Frequent on west river in autumn
Bee-eater	Common around east river and salt pans
Great Spotted Cuckoo	1 Skala Kalloni 11/5/2000
Cuckoo	Frequent on spring passage
Alpine Swift	Common on passage
Swift	Common
Pallid Swift	1 Skala Kalloni 5/5/2000
Barn Owl	Frequent, nests in Skala Kalloni
Scops Owl	Frequent
Little Owl	Common
Rock Dove	The feral race is common in towns
Wood Pigeon	Frequent in the woods of the east
Turtle Dove	Frequent
Collared Dove	Common
Water Rail	Frequent in Kalloni II pool
Little Crake	Frequent at inland lake & Kalloni II pool
Moorhen	Common
Coot	Frequent
Common Snipe	Frequent in Kalloni II pool
Black-tailed Godwit	Frequent on passage
Whimbrel	1 East river 8/9/2001
Curlew	Frequent
Redshank	Frequent
Marsh Sandpiper	Frequent
Greenshank	Frequent
Green Sandpiper	Frequent
Wood Sandpiper	Common
Common Sandpiper	Frequent
Knot	5 Kalloni salts pans 12/9/2001
Sanderling	10 Kalloni salt pans 16/5/2000 & 5 West river 8/9/2001
Little Stint	Common on passage
Temminck's Stint	Frequent on passage
Dunlin	Frequent on passage
Curlew Sandpiper	Common on passage
Broad-billed Sandpiper	1 Polichnitos 9/9/2001
Ruff	Common on passage
Stone Curlew	Common on west river
Black-winged Stilt	Common
Avocet	Common at salt pans
Golden Plover	3 West river 25/9/99
Grey Plover	Frequent on passage
Ringed Plover	Frequent
Little Ringed Plover	Frequent
Kentish Plover	Common
Caspian Plover	1 Fields behind Kalloni salt pans 14-16/5/2002
Collared Pratincole	Frequent in spring
Audouin's Gull	Frequent off NW coast
Yellow legged Gull	Common
Lesser Black-backed Gull	1 Kalloni 5/5/2000
Black-headed Gull	Frequent in autumn
Mediterranean Gull	Frequent, best around Skala Polichnitos
Little Gull	2 Kalloni 9-10/9/2001
Gull-billed Tern	5 West river 18/5/2000
Caspian Tern	1 West river 18/5/2000
Common Tern	Common
Arctic Tern	2 East river 14-15/5/2002
Little Tern	Common
Whiskered Tern	Common in spring
White-winged Black Tern	Common in spring
Osprey	Frequent on passage
European Honey-buzzard	Frequent on passage
Short-toed Snake-Eagle	Frequent
Marsh Harrier	Frequent
Montagu's Harrier	Singles Kalloni salt pans 4,9 & 15/5/2000
Levant Sparrowhawk	1 Derbyshire 8/5/2000
Eurasian Sparrowhawk	Frequent
Goshawk	Frequent in hills
Steppe Buzzard	Common
Long-legged Buzzard	Frequent in hills of west
Bonelli's Eagle	1 eastern end of KAlloni salt pans 9/5/2002
Booted Eagle	Frequent
Lesser Kestrel	Frequent in west
Kestrel	Frequent
Red-footed Falcon	Frequent in spring
Eleonora's Falcon	Frequent off NW coast
Eurasian Hobby	Frequent on passage
Lanner Falcon	2 off Petra breeding on cliffs July 1985
Saker Falcon	1 West river chasing Grey Plover 24/9/1999
Peregrine Falcon	Frequent, breeds on cliffs between Petra & Molyvos
Little Grebe	Frequent
Great Crested Grebe	Frequent in autumn
Black-necked Grebe	5 Dipi Larssos 1/10/1999
Pygmy Cormorant	4 Dipi Larssos 1/10/1999
Cormorant	Frequent in autumn
Shag	Frequent
Little Egret	Common
Grey Heron	Common
Purple Heron	Frequent in spring
Great White Egret	Frequent in early and late passage
Squacco Heron	Common in spring
Black-crowned Night-Heron	Frequent in spring
Little Bittern	Common in spring
Greater Flamingo	Common on salt pans
Glossy Ibis	Frequent in spring
Eurasian Spoonbill	Frequent on passage
Black Stork	Frequent
White Stork	Frequent, breeds in Kalloni
Cory's Shearwater	Frequent off NW coast
Mediterranean Shearwater	Frequent off W coast
Red-backed Shrike	Common on passage, particularly autumn
Isabelline Shrike	Frequent, particularly Potamia Valley
Lesser Grey Shrike	Frequent, particularly near Kalloni salt pans
Woodchat Shrike	Frequent spring
Masked Shrike	Frequent spring/summer
Jay	Frequent
Jackdaw	Frequent
Hooded Crow	Common
Common Raven	Occasional in mountains of west
Eurasian Golden-Oriole	Frequent in spring
Blue Rock-Thrush	Common in rocky areas
Eurasian Blackbird	Common
Mistle Thrush	Frequent in woodlands of east
Spotted Flycatcher	Common, particularly autumn
European Pied Flycatcher	Common spring passage
Collared Flycatcher	2 Moni Ipsilou 7/5/2002
Common Nightingale	Common spring/summer
Rufous-tailed Scrub-Robin	Frequent behind Kalloni salt pans & upper east river
Common Redstart	1 Potamia Valley 30/9/1999
Whinchat	Common
Common Stonechat	Frequent
Northern Wheatear	Frequent
Black-eared Wheatear	Common
Isabelline Wheatear	Frequent at Sigri/Eressos road junction
Rose-coloured Starling	Frequent for a period of 3-4 weeks from around 16th May
Krueper's Nuthatch	Frequent in woodlands of the east
Western Rock-Nuthatch	Common in rocky areas
Short-toed Tree-Creeper	Frequent in woodlands of the east
Winter Wren	Common away from the coast
Sombre Tit	Frequent
Coal Tit	Common in the woodlands of the east
Great Tit	Common
Blue Tit	Common
Long-tailed Tit	Frequent in the woodlands of the east
Sand Martin	Frequent
Crag Martin	Frequent in gorges & around rock faces
Barn Swallow	Common
Red-rumped Swallow	Frequent
House Martin	Common
Zitting Cisticola	Frequent at west river Dipi Larssos
Cetti's Warbler	Common
Eurasian River Warbler	Signles west river 6th & 8/5/2002 and fields to east of Kalloni salt pans 14/5/2002
Moustached Warbler	1 Inland lake 8/5/2002
Sedge Warbler	Frequent
Eurasian Reed Warbler	Common Dipi Larssos
Marsh Warbler	1 Kalloni July 1985
Great Reed-Warbler	Frequent
Olivaceous Warbler	Common
Icterine Warbler	1 Moni Ipsilou 13/5/2002
Willow Warbler	Common, particularly autumn passage
Common Chiffchaff	Frequent
Wood Warbler	Frequent spring passage
Blackcap	Frequent
Garden Warbler	Frequent
Common Whitethroat	Frequent
Lesser Whitethroat	Frequent
Orphean Warbler	Frequent
Rueppell's Warbler	Best area is on cliffs between Petra and Molyvos
Sardinian Warbler	Best area is in dry areas along main road on NE side of island.
Subalpine Warbler	Common
Calandra Lark	2 Kalloni July 1985
Greater Short-toed Lark	Frequent
Crested Lark	Common
Wood Lark	Frequent in hills of west
Skylark	Singles Kalloni 24/91999 & 2/10/1999
House Sparrow	Common
Spanish Sparrow	Frequent in Skala Kalloni
Rock Sparrow	Frequent, nests in buildings at top of Ipsilou
White Wagtail	Frequent in autumn and early spring
Ashy headed Wagtail	Frequent
Black headed Wagtail	Frequent
Blue headed Wagtail	Common
Yellow Wagtail	Common
Grey Wagtail	Frequent along streams in east
Tawny Pipit	Frequent, check fields by salt pans
Tree Pipit	1 Kalloni salt pans 5/5/2000
Red-throated Pipit	Frequent in spring, check fields by salt pans
Chaffinch	Common
European Serin	Frequent in woods of east
Greenfinch	Common
Goldfinch	Common
Linnet	Common away from coast
Hawfinch	1 Napi Valley 11/5/2000, apparently breeds here
Cirl Bunting	Frequent
Cinereous Bunting	Common in spring/summer in the west of the island
Ortolan Bunting	2 Petra reservoir 11/9/2001
Cretzschmar's Bunting	Common in spring/summer in the hills of the west
Black-headed Bunting	Common in spring/summer
Corn Bunting	Common

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