Birding in Lesvos 2022: Trip Report of Day 3
After two days of extensive birding in the best greek island for birdwatching (read here the relevant trip reports of Day 1 and Day 2), we decided to slow down and enjoy some less visited part of the island. We still had a few targets, and there have been reports of Great Snipe in the area, which is always a must-see species.
So, we headed to Achladeri pond, a small water reservoir right next to Achladeri forest, east of Kalloni. It was 7am and the road that goes all the way to Skala Polychnitos was already busy with birders that wanted to see this year’s highlight: the Great Snipe (Gallinago media). Numbers of this species are declining worldwide, so any sighting in Greece in important. Fortunately, there was some space left for us to park the car, and start looking for the bird. News were bad, the bird was very shy until then, only a few glimpses far out in distance. It took us more than one hour to wait, but the result was enough satisfying. Excellent view of the bird, both with spotting scope and binoculars.
We stayed for about 2 hours in the spot, watching the bird feeding behavior, which is a lot more relaxed than that of Common Snipes. Since Achladeri forest was just beside, we continued there, in order to find another target species: Krupper’s Nuthatch (Sitta krupperi).
We found
the right territory and soon after we saw 3-4 birds looking for food, small
caterpillars, from the pine trees trunks. Lesvos is the only European country
one could see and photograph this Asian species of Nuthatch, that is abundant
in Turkey. Chaffinches, Coal Tits and Great Tits were present in the wooded
areas, along with Cirl Buntings.
Another goal of this trip were the wild flowers of Lesvos. The best place for orchids, tulips and other wild flora is undoubtedly Agiassos area. The chestnut forest north of the colorful unspoiled town is rich in most striking species of plants.
During the
afternoon, we tried a complete different habitat, the Oak forest of Filia,
north of Kalloni. The target species here was Eastern Bonelli’s Warbler and
Masked Shrike. Both species hold territories in this area, and with some good
hiking in the forest, a birder can enjoy both species, together with Blue Tits,
Chaffinches, Coal Tits, Great Tits.
Spyros Skareas
Bird Guide and Certified Tour Leader
Athens, GREECE