Lesvos

11th-18th May 2006

Kalloni Saltpans & Inland Lake

Little Stint (Calidris minuta)

The saltpans to the east of Kalloni attract good numbers of shorebirds during migration. The majority of the birds present while we were there were Little Stints and Ruffs along with a few Wood Sandpipers and Kentish Plovers.

Ruff (Philomachus pugnax)

Wood Sandpiper (Tringa glareola)

male Kentish Plover (Charadrius alexandrinus

female Kentish Plover (Charadrius alexandrinus

Little Ringed Plover (Charadrius dubius)

Several pairs of Black-winged Stilts were nesting in the drainage channel surrounding the saltpans.

Black-winged Stilt (Himantopus himantopus)

Egrets were relatively common along the ditches.

Great White Egret (Egretta alba)

Great White Egret (Egretta alba)

There was also a flock of about 200 Greater Flamingos, but these were always quite distant and I had to use stacked 2x and 1.4x converters on the 600mm lens to get enough magnification to take the photo below.

Greater Flamingo (Phoenicopterus ruber)

Small numbers of bee-eaters were usually present and occassionally perched quite close (but usually against the sun and at midday when the light was terrible!).

European Bee-eater (Merops apiaster)

Drabber nesting birds included numerous Corn Buntings...

Corn Bunting (Miliaria calandra)

Nearby, at the 'inland lake' Balkan (Stripe-necked) Terrapins were abundant along the drainage ditches...

Balkan Terrapin (Mauremys rivulata)

European Pond Terrapins also occur but are quite rare on Lesvos.

immature European Pond Terrapin (Emys orbicularis)

Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica)

We noticed a Swallow was consistantly landing on the same perch to sing in between foraging flights.

Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica)