Autumn is well here with the first real rain on the night of 7/10 and things are much different in the Kalloni Pans- although the rest of wetlands are as dry as in August… The large flocks of Avocets (400+) of September are gone, herons and egrets making their passage and pelicans to be always around. Here are the most interesting sightings I had there on 7/10 (whole count of the birds present) and 8/10 (Eurobirdwatch 2017 birdwatching event during a sunny morning!):
1 White-tailed Eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla) My first for the island! A 2nd winter bird first spotted on 2 /10 (by Ap. Christopoulos), 4/10 (by Jan Bezemer) and seen again on 5/10 (by Lefteris Kakalis) and on 7 and 8/10 (by lucky me!) but also reported on 9/10 (by Petros Tsakmakis).
1 Black Kite (Milvus migrans) in a thermal just above our heads (together with a White Pelican and 2 Black Storks- great to watch!)
c. 50 Red-footed Falcons (Falco vespertinus)- found feeding on insects by Stelios Zannetos in the fields south of the Kalloni Pans (8/10), but had already gone by the time I went there, in the sea and towards Polichnitos!
2 White Pelicans (Pelecanus onocrotalus), 17 Dalmatian Pelicans (P. crispus)
20 Spoonbills (Platalea leucorodia), 7 Black Storks (Ciconia nigra)
63 Grey Herons (Ardea cinerea), 84 Great White Egrets (Egretta alba)
1 Black-backed Gull (Larus fuscus)- first spotted by Apostolos Christopoulos
12 Slender-billed Gulls (Croicocephalus genei)
4 Stone Curlews (Burhinus oedicnemus)
1 Alpine Swift (Apus melba)
1 Tree Pipit (Anthus trivialis), 1 Tawny Pipit (A. pratensis)
78 White Wagtails (Motacilla alba)
At the same time you still find several Wheathears, Whinchats and Barn Swallows around (also had small flocks Common Swifts and singles of of House Martins), together with Willow Warblers and Spotted Flycatchers but only few Red-backed Shrikes.
The new arrivals are Chifchafs, Robins and the flocks (30+ ind.) formed in the plain areas around the pans of: Corn Buntings, Gold and Greenfinches.
Lesvos Bird News 