On the back of a sheep.

Iconic Lesvos corvid around the villages.Difficult at times to capture on account of persecution through shooting.

Some what of a scarcity on Lesvos during spring, on account of hunting.

A good day for flycatchers on 09 May 2014

A Lesvos first for us in 2014.
Like London buses they came in threes,i.e. one at each of three different locations
on the same day.
Sadly the light was not good on a very dull, windy May day.

This species A Lesvos first for us in 2014.
Like London buses they came in threes,i.e. one at each of three different locations
on the same day.
Sadly the light was not good on a very dull, windy May day.

Still uncertain about this bird as I originally thought it to be slender billed larus genei.However the size of the birds bill and the size of the ear spot would appear to point in the direction of black headed.

Rare vagrant to Lesvos Four records accepted up to 2011

Roosting in same fig tree for 4 out of last 5 years.

Much more confiding in Lesvos than the UK.
One of three Nuthatch species seen on Lesvos.

Photographed shortly after drying off, following an early morning thunder storm, on a telegraph pole.

Record shot, as we drew nearer in the car, the bird [female present too] was mobbed away by crows.

Just to give a sense of size here, the raptor on the left is a short toed eagle.
The Griffo was soaring very high over the Petrified Forest.

First photograph able views on Lesvos
Sadly the light was not good on a very dull, windy May day.

Bird sports an unusually large bill.

Both dark and light throated sub-species are endemic to Lesvos.
The dark throated variety is often mistaken for oenanthe finschii.

A pair of these were nesting in a disused garage on the outskirts of Anaxos main street.

Female.
Both dark and light throated sub species breed on Lesvos.

Surprisingly difficult on Lesvos.
Whilst we had good views of the Eastern race of these tits in the holm oaks, they were not photograph able.Ray Purser though, took some excellent photos.

In alarm flight.
Thought we were too near the young, though we couldn't see them anyway.

Accepted as a record by the Hellenic Records Committee in 2013.
Rare Lesvos/Greek migrant.
From Birdlife Int:
Identification
23-26 cm. A large pratincole. Grey-brown neck, upper breast, and most of upperparts, with darker primaries and secondaries. Rump, uppertail-coverts, and lower breast to vent whitish. Chin coloured cream, encircled by black line. Non-breeding birds less distinctly patterned, and immatures lack clearly defined pattern on chin to breast. Similar spp. Collared Pratincole G. pratincola overlaps in range and is very similar, but has white trailing edge to secondaries and, as does Oriental Pratincole G. maldivarum, chestnut-wing linings. Voice High, harsh, tern-like kik or kirrik calls, sometimes a rolling kikki-kirrik-irrik.
See here for full description:
http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/speciesfactsheet.php?id=3189

Poor shot I know, but the only record shot that we have.

SAMSUNG DIGITAL CAMERA - digiscoped

Another record shot only, digi-scoped at a great distance from the hide on the main road past the salt pans to Mitilini.

Digi scoped record shot.

Only managed to locate displaying birds.
Up to three years ago, Fan Tails were very scarce on Lesvos.

Warbler Great Reed Metochi Levos 06/05/11

9th May 2014 was a good day for warblers, out west on Lesvos.

I believe that this species is only seen on passage.
Certainly they seem to disappear after the second week of May.

Mother and father feeding young perhaps, near the quarry with path to Valley of the Mills.

SAMSUNG DIGITAL CAMERA

SAMSUNG DIGITAL CAMERA

SAMSUNG DIGITAL CAMERA

SAMSUNG DIGITAL CAMERA

SAMSUNG DIGITAL CAMERA

http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/summary/157292/0
This snake was no bigger than a large worm.

http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/summary/157292/0
This snake was no bigger than a large worm.

http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/summary/157292/0
This snake was no bigger than a large worm.

SAMSUNG DIGITAL CAMERA

SAMSUNG DIGITAL CAMERA