Lesvos the final day 1st May 2017

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Today was intended to be a "mop up day", with Eastern Bonellis Warbler, Audouins Gull and Scopolis Shearwater, the target species.

We stopped off at a well known Bonellis site, but to no sightings only the contact call, so off to Persama for Audouins and a possible Pochard, 100's of Y L GUll and a few Ruddy Shelduck 😞, a little inland 2 HONEY BUZZARDS were compensation.

Honey Buzzard (Wikipedia)

So off to Eftalou and a quick drink in a lovely Taverna where a few Yelkouan Shearwaters and a distant but identifiable SCOPOLIS SHEARWATER skimmed by!


Scopolis Shearwater (Wikipedia)

A drive up on to the coast road yielded a briefly perched, flyby, ORTOLAN BUNTING.


Ortolan Bunting (library photo)


A return to Persama reservoir and still no  Audoiuns Gull.

Packing to be done before the return to WALES......................

 A 2 hour pre dinner visit to the Kalloni Salt Pans was well worth it with, perhaps the star bird of the trip, an ELEONORA'S FALCON, chasing, catching and eating a hapless Corn Bunting.


Elenora's Falcon (Wikipedia)


Then followed a chase to find Black Necked Grebe to be disappointed but then rewarded with SHORT-TOED LARK.




Short-toed Lark


I've used a few Wikipedia photographs as I don't have any of my own, I thought non birding readers would like to see some of the more unusual birds mentioned

Normal? service will resume later in the week...

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