Ian Young

Not a lifer but nice to pick up. Rufous-Tailed Scrub Robin.

Sombre Tit, we seen a good few of these on some of the trails, often family groups.

An encounter with a Beech Martin while trying to find a Krüpers Nuthatch. Special moment.

Scops Owl, Little Owl and even a Barn Owl over Scala Kallonis on the way back from the Tavern made it 3 owls this trip.

Plenty of waders, Wood Sand being the most numerous. We did get onto the Broad-billed Sand that was seen over two days I think on Aylkes Wetlands. Distant phone Scope in a heat haze attached.

Eastern Black-eared wheatear where a common site on Lesvos, almost becoming ignored. Northern and Isabelline also seen. In the video you can hear Cretzmars bunting singing one rock over lol

My top target was Ruppells Warbler and it proved to be a tricky one to tie down. Heard singing at a few spots along one road but distant. We eventually had reasonable bin views of one calling. Record shots only but was very happy and a great experience.

A few of the Warblers we picked up.

Spur-winged Lapwing on the Tsiknias River.

Little Bittern Metochi Lake

Little Crake at Metochi Lake.

Shrikes everywhere and yet my photos were all fairly distant. Red backed in abundance, Masked my favourite, closely followed by Woodchat and then very few Lesser grey

Purple Heron, one of the most camera shy birds with a 6th sense of when a long lens it pointed their direction.

@miskelly_billy Jaysus lol I was still half asleep writing that 🤣🙈

@bonsaieejit Scopoli’s…😁

Straight out of Mytilene Airport into the coldest recorded day on the island in 70 years lol. We had Corys Shearwater from the door of the airport and a short time later Med Shear as well. A run to the salt pans got us the lesser flamingo. Not a bad start.

Why I wrote Corys is beyond me 🙈it is of course Scapoli ‘s shearwater. It’s been a long week 🤣

Some great Tern action over the first few days at the wetlands. Whiskered, white winged black and common, little and Gull-billed all seen last week.

Loads of Yellow Wagtails around, Feldegg mostly. The lads got a citrine wag when I was laid up with my usual trip bad neck pain. I’ll never hear the end of it.

Cinereous Bunting, initially hard to connect with until be had them on three different sites in one day. Again one of my favourite birds of the trip.

European Bee eaters were a regular sight on the island.

Krüpers Nuthatch✅ quite possibly my favourite bird of the trip. Took this with my new scope, Swarovski ATX 95 using iphone17 Promax and an Ollin snapshot scope and phone adapter.