1st spring arrivals 2024

Photo of the VERY 1st to arrive this year, the House Martin!!

Dates and species!

Find here a “calendar” about the birds arriving on the island for this Spring. In bold are the species on the 1st date observed.

71 species of summer visitors/passage migrants recorded by April 21st, 2024!

Thank you, all birders, for contributing with your sightings!

Apr 21

Icterine Warbler (Hippolais icterina) 1, Faneromeni (Ron Macdonald)

Eleonora’s Falcon (Falco eleonorae) 1, Faneromeni-Sigri (Des Higgins)

Apr 20

Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis) 2, 1 Christou River- Skala Kallonis (Mark Boyd) & 1 Skale eressos valley (Ivo Walsmith)

Black Tern (Chlidonias niger), 2, Kalloni Pans (Howard Vaughan)

White-winged Tern (Chlidonias leucopterus), 5, Kalloni Pans (Paul Manning & Howard Vaughan)

Apr 19

–

Apr 18

–

Apr 17

Bee-eater (Merops apiaster) 7, fields near Alykoudi marsh (Derrick Robinson)

Spotted Flycatcher (Muscicapa striata) 1, Faneromeni (Ron Macdonald)

Apr 16

Common Cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) 1, Tsichliontas valley (Meladia)

Apr 15

Stone Curlew (Burhinus oedicnemus) 1, Tsiknias to Kalloni Pans track (Paul Manning)

Quail (Coturnix coturnix) 1, calling, Tsiknias to Kalloni Pans track (Paul Manning)

Tree Pipit 1, Eressos to Sigri track (chapel) (K. Mullarney)

Collared Flycatcher 1, Eressos to Sigri track (chapel) (K. Mullarney)

Lesser Grey Shrike 1, Eressos to Sigri track (Alain Jacot, Wolfgang Sprügel)

Hobby 1, Ipsilou Monastery (Andrew Whitehouse) & 1, Agios Ioannis (Ivo Walsmit)

Lesser Kestrel 1, Makara (Ivo Walsmit)

Red-footed Falcon 1, Ipsilou Monastery (Andrew Whitehouse)

Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax) 1, Skala Eressos (Andrew Whitehouse)

Apr 14

Turtle Dove (Streptopelia turtur) 1, Skala Eressos (Steve Bird)

Apr 13

Collared Pratincole (Glareola pratincola) 1, Kalloni Salt Pans SW fields (Killian Mullarney)

Whiskered Tern (Chlidonias hybridus) 2, Kalloni Salt Pans SW fields (Killian Mullarney)

Citrine Wagtail 1, Kalloni Pans SW fields (Killian Mullarney)

Apr 12

Short-toed Lark 2, Eressos to Sigri track (E. Galinou)

Olivaceous Warbler (Iduna pallida) 2, Skala Eressos river (Psaropotamos)

Redstart (Phoenicurus phoenicurus) 1, Eressos to Sigri track

Red-backed Shrike (Lanius collurio) 1, Eressos to Sigri track

Squacco Heron 2, Skala Eressos river (Psaropotamos)

Nightingale 2, Skala Eressos river (Psaropotamos)

Apr 11

Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax) 1, Skala Eressos river (Psaropotamos)

Apr 09

Curlew Sandpiper (Calidris ferruginea) 2, Kalloni Salt Pans

Citrine Wagtail (Motacilla citreola) 1, Tsichliontas river (Eressos to Sigri track)

Cinereous Bunting (Emberiza cineracea) 2, Petrified Forest Park road & 1, Eressos to Sigri track

Willow Warbler (Phylloscopus trohilus) 1, Eresos to Sigri track

Apr 08

Squacco Heron (Ardeola ralloides) 1, Messa wetland (Thomas on Observation)

Apr 07

Ruppell’s Warbler 4, Haramida shrubs

Savi’s Warbler 1, Haramida marsh

Apr 06

Savi’s Warbler (Locustella luscinioides) 1, Dipi reedbed

Great Reed Warbler 2, Dipi reedbed

Apr 04

Wood Sandpiper (Tringa glareola) 6, Kalloni Pans west canal

Marsh Sandpiper (Tringa stagnatilis) 16, Kalloni Pans

Whitethroat (Curruca communis) 1, Kalloni Pans west fields

Nightingale (Luscinia megarynchos) 1, Kalloni area (Thomas on Observation)

Great Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus arundinaceus) 1 singing, Skala Kalloni marsh

Masked Shrike 1, Kantri

(all records E. Galinou)

Apr 03

Common Tern (Sterna hirundo) 1, Skala Kallonis bay (Danae Portolou)

Gull-billed Tern (Gelohelidon nilotica) 25, Tsiknias river mouth (Wulf Kappes)

Masked Shrike (Lanius nubicus) 5, Polichnitos area (Wulf Kappes)

Apr 02

Gull-billed Tern (Gelohelidon nilotica) 5, Kalloni Pans (Tanner Coleman)

Mar 29

Eastern Orphean Warbler (Curruca crassirostris) 1 singing male, Kavaki- Molivos (E. Galinou), – 1, Skala Eressos (Steve Bird) & 2 singing males, Haramida (E. Galinou)

Lesser Whitethroat (Curruca curruca) 2, Kavaki- Molivos (Lefteris Kakalis) – 1, Dipi-Larsos reedbed (Filios Akriotis) & 1, Haramida (E. Galinou)

Whinchat (Saxicola rubetra) 1, Haramida (E. Galinou)

Black-winged Stilt (Himantopus himantopus) 2, Messa wetland (E. Galinou)

Mar 28

Alpine Swift (Tachymarptis melba) 15, near Nifida- Polichnitos (E. Galinou)

Eastern Black-eared Wheatear (Oenathe melanoleuca) 2, near Nifida- Polichnitos (E. Galinou)

Woodchat Shrike (Lanius senator) 2, near Nifida- Polichnitos (E. Galinou)

Mar 24

Woodchat Shrike (Lanius senator) 1, Faneromeni fields, Sigri (Stylianos Zannetos)

Glossy Ibis 10, Kalloni Pans SW fields (Michael Bakas)

Mar 23

Ferruginous Duck (Aythya nyroca) 8, pm, Kalloni Pans sea (Jack Coleman)

Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus) 1, pm, Kalloni Pans SE fields (Jack Coleman)

Purple Heron (Ardea purpurea) 1, Tsiknias river (Mirsini Kladogeni)

Eastern Black-eared Wheatear (Oenathe melanoleuca) 1, Ipsilometopo (Moira Gelderman)

Mar 22

Osprey (Pandion haliaetus)) 1, pm, Dipi reedbed

Garganey 8, Dipi reedbed

Mar 20

Red-rumped Swallow (Cecropis daurica) 1, Skala Eressos

Sand Martin (Riparia riparia) 5, Messa

Northern Wheatear (Oenanthe oenanthe) 1, Sigri

Isabelline Wheatear (Oenanthe isabellina) 2, Sigri

Cretzschmar’s Bunting (Emberiza caesia) 3-4, Eressos to Sigri track

Common Swift 2, Skala Eressos

Sub-alpine Warbler 1, Eressos to Sigri track

(all records of today, E. Galinou)

Mar 19

Common Swift (Apus apus) 15-20, high over Mitilini, 5 pm (E. Galinou) & several over Parakila, pm (Ashley Perryman)

Mar 18

Garganey (Anas querquedula) 6+, Psaropotamos river, Skala Eressos (Steve Bird)

Black-winged Stilt (Himantopus himantopus) 1, Perama marsh, Gera Gulf (Panos Agiakatsikas)

Short-toed Eagle (Circaetus gallicus) 1, Parakia marsh (Efterpi Marmarou)

White Stork 2, at the Papiana church nest (Nora Karathanasi)- 3rd nest re-occupied for this Spring!

Mar 17

Sedge Warbler (Acrocephalus schoenobaenus) 1, ringed, Dipi reedbed (E. Galinou)

Short-toed Eagle (Circaetus gallicus) 1, flying high over Dipi reedbed (E. Galinou)

Great Spotted Cuckoo 1, Kalloni Salt Pans S fields (Taner Colleman)

Mar 16

–

Mar 15

Yellow Wagtail (Motacilla flava) 3 male Balkan race (feldeg), 1 male dombrowskii race, Kalloni Salt Pans S fields (by E. Galinou)

Eastern Subalpine Warbler (Curruca cantillans), single bird near Nifida, S Kalloni Gulf (E. Galinou)

Barn Swallow 2, pair near nest, Alikoudi (E. Galinou)

Mar 14

Great Spotted Cuckoo (Clamator glandarius), single bird near Hide 2, Kalloni Salt Pans (Efterpi Marmarou)

House Martin, 4 in Mitilini (E. Galinou)

Mar 13

–

Mar 12

2nd White Stork in the Kalloni square nest (Mirsini Skiadelli)

Mar 11

House Martin 1, Mitilini aiport (E. Galinou)

Mar 10

Little Ringed Plover (Charadrius dubius) 2, Ennia Kamares (Efterpi Marmarou)

Barn Swallow 2, near nest sites, Skala Eressos (Steve Bird)

Mar 9

Little Crake (Zapornia parva), single bird in the Psaropotamos river, Skala eressos (Steve Bird)

Mar 8

–

Mar 7

White Stork 1, Polichnitos chimney nest (Dimitra Lahouri)

Mar 6

Spur-winged Plover (Vanellus spinosus), single bird in Kalloni Salt Pans S fields (Moira Gelderman)

Hoopoe (Upupa epops), single bird in Skala Eressos (Steve Bird)

Mar 5

–

Mar 4

House Martin 5, Sigri (E. Galinou)

Mar 3

Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus scirpaceus), single bird ringed in Dipi reedbed

Mar 2

Black-tailed Godwit (Limosa limosa) 3, Kalloni Salt Pans (Stelios Zannetos)

Ruff (Calidris pugnax) 4, Kalloni Salt Pans (Stelios Zannetos)

White Stork 1, in the Agia Paraskevi chimney nest- most probably the Kalloni one checking around (Stratis Balaskas)

Mar 1

–

Feb 29

White Stork (Ciconia ciconia), single bird by the Kalloni square nest (Myrsini Skiadelli).

Feb 28

Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica) 2, birds moving through Kalloni (Ben Metzger)

House Martin, 8 in Agia Paraskevi (E. Galinou), 5 in Vatera (Giorgos Fransouas)

…

Feb 16

House Martin (Delichon urbicum) 10, flying over Dipi reedbed (E. Galinou)

NOTE: Before mid April, when numerous birders from abroad arrive on the island, recordings are made by a handful of local birdwatchers that go in the field at an irregular basis.