This may sound boring but we had another terrific day, with hazy sunshine, nice temperatures and virtually no wind. The bird watching was superb we clocked over 90 species and added some good species to our running tally.
WOODCHAT SHRIKE (NOTICE THE PINKISH/ORANGE FLANKS OF THIS EASTERN RACE
At 6am we set off to the small pool called Metochi where we saw Little Crake (8), Water Rail, Night Heron and lots of Reed, Sedge and Great Reed Warblers. Along the track on the way back to the hotel we added Common Starling (a pair were feeding young - this is a very good breeding record for Lesvos) we also saw Black-headed Bunting (2).
WRYNECK - WE HAD PROLONGED VIEWS OF THIS BIRD OUT IN THE OPEN FIELDOur journey out to the west of the island took us through Parakila where we stopped at the chapel and found some interesting species. The symbolic Cinereous Bunting showed very well as did Cirl Bunting, Cretzchmar's Bunting, Western Rock Nuthatch and Black-eared Wheatear.
The coast road from Eresos to Sigri takes you through some stunning scenery and into the Meladia valley. Along this route we had some great sightings. There were a huge number of Flycatchers, Collared, Spotted and Pied, we also saw several Hoopoe, Common Cuckoo (4), lots of Common and Lesser Whitethroats.
HOOPOE - ONE OF FIVE SEEN THIS AFTERNOONAt the chapel beyond the ford we stopped for lunch and saw Common Redstart, Ortolan Bunting (2), they were so close we didn't need optics to watch them! A group of Gull-billed Terns hawked the grass fields and a couple of Short-toed Eagles drifted over.
A SMALL SAMPLE OF THE TERRIFIC WILD FLOWERS ON DISPLAY THIS YEAR
In and around Sigri we visited the two fords at Faneromeni and the surrounding fields where we found Hoopoe (5), Golden Oriole (10+), Little Bittern, Green Sandpiper, Little Crake, Orphean and Wood Warbler, Chiffchaff and lots of Flycathcers again.
One particular ploughed field produced an incredible 15 species!!
The whole field was covered with birds, Yellow Wagtail (100+), Yellow-legged Gull
(24), Whiskered Tern (2), Whinchat (10) Northern Wheatear (2), Black-eared Wheatear (3), Tawny Pipit (2), Short-toed lark (4), Red-throated Pipit (2), Wryneck (1), Common Nightingale (1), Corn Bunting (2), Crested lark (1), House Sparrow (5), Woodchat Shrike (2).
What a great sight so many species in one place - only on Lesvos could you find such a rich diversity of Species.
We also saw a flock of 25+ Black-headed Buntings and in an adjacent olive grove we saw Rufous Bush Robin and Great Reed Warbler.
SQUACCO SEEN IN THE MIDDLE OF A GRASS MEADOW - NO WATER IN SIGHT!The only downside to our near perfect day was that our bus broke down on the way home!! We got back to the hotel very late, it spoilt the evening but not the superb day!
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