In the afternoon of August 16 several photos of a Flamingo chick by the Skala Eressos bay appeared on the Lesvos Bird News Facebook group (a group administrated by the Kalloni EIC!) The bird seemed exhausted under the hot midday sun. Fortunately, people volunteered and to collect it and safely transport it to the Kalloni Pans, the perfect habitat for a Flamingo on Lesvos! The following video was taken the following morning and it shows the bird in good shape taking its breakfast!
Flamingos can be observed here any time of the year and in hundreds by the coastal wetlands of the Kalloni Gulf. But they do not breed on our island (nor in Greece!). Nevertheless, there is a common communication of the Lesvos flamingo population with populations in coastal or inland populations in Turkey, where the species has several breeding colonies.
Every mid-August we get to see the first chicks of the year to arrive on the island from Asia Minor. Usually at the Kalloni Salt Pans, the local hotspot for them. The young birds are much darker (brown) with black legs and grey bills and can usually be observed feeding altogether and away from the adult (pink) birds. The very first 1st calendar year birds have already been reported a few days ago.
