2nd half of December '21

Interesting sightings from the 2nd half of December 2021. Data and photos of the Kalloni EIC monitoring program unless stated otherwise.

Strong north winds make the maximum temperatures reach only 8 degrees, until Dec 25. There was a light snow cover on Lepetimnos and Olympus mounts and to a much lesser extent on Profitis Ilias (over Parakila) on Dec 18. Milder weather and a bit of rain towards the end of the month.

While duck numbers are stabilizing, Shelduck numbers have doubled since the 1st half of the month.

KALLONI GULF AREA

Polichnitos Salt Pans

(Dec 18)

Dalmatian Pelican 2

Flamingo 230

Black Stork 3

Avocet 60, Grey Plover 1, Curlew 1

Redshank 19, Greenshank 1

Dunlin 53, Little Stint 1

Alikoudi marsh

(Dec 18) well flooded by now

500+ Yellow-legged Gulls

Meadow Pipit, Skylark

Vouvaris river mouth and sea

(Dec 18)

Curlew 1

Red-breasted Merganser 1 

Northern parts of Kalloni Gulf

Great Crested Grebe 143 (Dec 18)

Black-necked Grebe 1 (Dec 20 by Stelios Zannetos), 3 (Dec 23)

Black-throated Loon 6 (Dec 20 by Stelios Zannetos)

Red-breasted Merganser 15 (Dec 20 by Stelios Zannetos)

Mallard 8 (Dec 18), 32 (Dec23)

Messa

(Dec 18, 23 & 26)

Ruddy Shelduck 2

Dalmatian Pelican 2 (of the ones found in the northern parts of the Kalloni Gulf) (Dec 18)

Kentish Plover 13 (Dec 18) , 13 (Dec23)

Hen Harrier 1 (Dec 18)

Crag Martin 9 (Dec 26)

Serin 60 (Dec 23 & 26)

Kalloni Salt Pans 

(Dec 17, 20, 23, and 26)

Ruddy Shelduck 227, Common Shelduck 164 (Dec 26)

Mallard 203, Wigeon 103 (Dec 26)

Teal 248 (Dec 26), Pin-tail 2 (Dec 20, by Stelios Zannetos- ebird)

Shoveler 15 (Dec 17, by Stelios Zannetos - ebird), 58 (Dec 26)

Dalmatian Pelican 6 (Dec 17, by Stelios Zannetos - ebird), 14 (Dec 23), 3 (Dec 26)

Black Stork 4 (Dec 17, by Stelios Zannetos - ebird)

Spoonbill  19 (Dec 26)

Flamingo 1485 (Dec 26)

Northern Lapwing 25 (Dec 20, by Stelios Zannetos & Dec 26)

Golden Plover 1 (Dec 26)

Curlew 9 (Dec 23), 2 in the west fields

Kingfisher 3 (Dec 17, by Stelios Zannetos - ebird)

Merlin 1 (Dec 17, by Stelios Zannetos - ebird)

Tsiknias river

(Dec 20)

Reed Bunting 1 (Stelios Zannetos)

Kalloni Pool

(Dec 25, by Michael Jackson)

Teal 10, Shoveler 7

Ennia Kamares (Christou)

(Dec 21 & 28)

Ruddy Shelduck 2, Flamingo 47 & 70

Metochi lake

(Dec 21 & 28)

Little Grebe 2, Coot 6, Moorhen 5

Kingfisher 1

Parakila marsh

(Dec 21)

Black Stork 2

SOUTHERN LESVOS

Mikri Limni forest

(Dec 18)

Crag Martin 1

Kruper's Nuthatch 2, Treecreeper 2, Firecrest 5

Megali Limni 

(Dec 18) well flooded by now

Marsh Harrier 1, Sparrowhawk 1

EASTERN LESVOS

Kratigos (south of Mitilini town)

(Dec 18)

Purple Heron 1, found exhausted and sent to wildlife hospital

Charamida marsh

Crag Martin 2, Marsh Harrier 1 (Dec 21, Valerie Karameta- Triboulot via LBN)

Coot 20 (Dec 31)

Common Buzzard 2, Sparrowhawk 1 (Dec 31)

Complete checklists submitted online can be accessed here:

e-bird  (updated throughout the year and where we submit the Kalloni EIC records in the long term)

Share your own records

Please, submit your records via the above databases, share them on Facebook (Lesvos Bird News or Lesvos Birders groups), or send them directly to us here.