Lesvos Spring 2015

By Sue and Steve Wilce

25th April – 9th May 2015

For the first time ever we decided to try a package holiday rather than find our own

accommodation and flight.

The first direct flight to Mytilene Airport was with Thomas Cook on the 26th April, flying from

Gatwick, so we booked that together with a self-catering studio at the Imerti Resort Hotel in

Skala Kalloni.

Because we had an early flight we stayed overnight at the Waterhall Hotel in Crawley which

offered on-site parking at a very reasonable rate, and a taxi to and from the airport for

£10.00 each way.

Hire car was booked with Costas Car Hire and representatives were at the airport to greet us

on arrival. The car was a Hyundai, which although very reliable and served us well, was not

as powerful as we would have liked.

The flight over was through thick cloud and it was overcast and chilly when we landed. After

completing the paperwork for the car, we decided to avoid driving through Mytilene so took

the far more scenic, but longer route around Cape Lera, through Loutra, passing the Gulf of

Gera. We had driven this route on our previous visit in 2011 and found it much less stressful

than driving through Mytilene. When leaving the airport instead of heading left for Mytilene

go right and take the very quiet coast road and join the main island road further on, this cuts

out all the Mytilene congestion.

We arrived at Skala Kalloni and quickly found the Imerti Resort Hotel. We had a friendly

welcome from the owner Christos who showed us to our studio and even carried our heavy

suitcases up the flight of stairs. The room was freshly decorated with new fittings and a

large comfortable bed. Everything was extremely clean. We had a small area with a

refrigerator and sink unit with a double hot plate unit, kettle and toaster. The bathroom had

the usual shower, toilet and hand-basin. There were patio doors leading to a balcony with

table and chairs. The studio was cleaned daily and fresh towels were provided every 3rd day

and fresh bed linen every 3rd or 4th day. The room also had a hairdryer and a safe.

A very varied breakfast was available from 8.00 am at a reasonable cost, but apart from the

first morning we were out bird watching by 6.00am and made our own arrangements.

We settled into our accommodation and relaxed on the balcony until the evening when we

walked the half mile into Skala Kalloni for a relaxing meal and a drink at the Dyonisis

restaurant. It started to rain later at about 7.30pm and rained throughout the night.

The following morning we spoke to a couple of birders who had arrived the previous week

and they told us that it had been cold and rainy most of the time with a thunderstorm on

the Thursday. Unsurprisingly the birding had been poor. We hoped it would pick up for us in

the weeks to come.

We bought drinks and supplies to make sandwiches for the following day from one of the

several mini markets around the square. There is plenty of choice with a wide variety of

goods and even a small bakery with a wood fired oven which sold bread, pies and some

delicious apple pastries.

Weather

Our previous visit in 2011 had been cold but sunny with a few days rain. This year the sun

shone every day and temperatures increased as the weeks progressed reaching the high

30’s. By 10.00 am it was too hot for birding some days, so we made sure that we were out

by 6.00 am and went out in the evening when it was a bit cooler.

Sites Visited and Directions Information about most of the sites we visited was obtained from Steve Dudley’s Birdwatching in Lesvos and from our previous experience of the island, but we were directed to some places by other birders Tsiknias River We came here every day, morning and evening as you never knew what would turn up Kalloni Salt Pan Kalloni Mini Soccer Pitch Kavaki Petra Mesa

Achlederi Napi Valley Sigri Fields Faneromeni Ford and beach Ipsilou Monastery Wetland opposite Achlederi Junction Apothika track Long Eared Owl site near Skala Kalloni River Bridge near Achlederi

Mesotopos pull in Agra Potamia Valley

Skala Vasilika Skala Skamnioudi Sunday 26th April 2015 The clouds had passed and it became sunny all day

Eastside of Tsiknias River (9.00am)

We had booked breakfast at the hotel that morning so had a late start. While we were

eating another couple arrived, their faces were familiar and then we realised we had been

on a guided birding holiday to Cape May in 2005. They told us that there was a pair of

Penduline Tits nesting near the Tsiknias river ford, so that was our starting point. On our

way we found two Masked Shrikes and a Jay on the wires. There were several birders at the

ford and they pointed out the nest: a long sock shaped construction suspended from a

branch of a tree above the reed bed. It was not long before the male arrived, perched on

the branch and then disappeared into the nest - What a beautiful bird.

We crossed the river because the eastern side is the best side to view the river in the

morning light. Just above the ford there is a space in the vegetation where you can look

down onto the river and reed beds. This area was alive with birdsong from melodic

Nightingales to the rasping call of Great Reed Warblers. There were at least two pairs of

Great Reed Warblers in the reeds along with Reed, Cetti’s and Sedge Warblers. A nice

surprise was a Lesser Whitethroat, a male Pied Flycatcher along with a Spotted Flycatcher. A

female Marsh Harrier quartered the fields adjacent to the river and a group of 24 Collared

Pratincoles were disturbed from a potato field and circled overhead. It was only then we

noticed a Little Owl perched on the chimney of a nearby farmhouse.

There were plenty of Swifts, Swallows and House Martins catching insects above the river.

Small flocks of Spanish Sparrows and Goldfinch added to the variety of bird life.

A group of Yellow Wagtails flew on the flat muddy area near the ford, they were stunning –

Black Headed, Blue Headed and Grey Headed. They were quite content to feed amongst the

vegetation, totally ignoring the birders and photographers.

Further along, on the river we saw numerous Wood Sandpipers, Common Sandpipers, 3

Glossy Ibis, several Little Egrets and Squacco Herons, one Black Stork and a Purple Heron

which flew up the river and landed in some vegetation. The camouflage of the Heron’s

plumage was so good that it blended with the background and if we had not seen it landing,

we never could have picked it out.

Kalloni Mini Soccer Pitch

After a picnic lunch we visited the now famous site for Scops Owls which roost in a group of

Eucalyptus trees just outside Kalloni.

We located two Scops Owls nestling together in a tree nearest the roadside (they seem to

prefer the roadside trees for some reason). Another Scops was calling a short distance away

but we did not locate it. A Middle Spotted Woodpecker came out of the Olive Grove and

landed on a telegraph pole, we noticed that there were a couple of nest side holes in the

pole so it’s likely she was nesting in one.

We returned to the hotel for a shower and returned to the Tsiknias River around 6.30pm

when most birders had left and it was very quiet. Most birders never go to the river in the

evening and they really miss out, we recommend an evening visit before dinner because

when things are quiet you can see a lot of birds. This time we were rewarded by wonderful

views of a Black Stork that came out of the tall reeds just downriver from the ford to feed

along the edges of the bank. I don’t know what his starter was but the main course was a

big frog which he managed to get down at the second attempt. The stork seemed

comfortable, walking towards us all the time and Steve was able to get some close up shots

of this wonderful bird.

On the way back to Skala Kalloni an Eastern Hedgehog crossed the road and there were

several Black Headed Wagtails in the small cultivated field just outside the village.

We had dinner at the Dyonisis in Skala Kalloni Square. They serve a variety of Greek and

European dishes and have fresh fish delivered daily from the local harbour. Every meal we

had there during our holiday was well cooked and presented, very tasty and reasonably

priced. The staff are friendly and helpful. There is also a birding log held in the restaurant

where people can record their sightings. This is very helpful especially if there is a rarity you

want to locate.

Monday 27th April 2015

Sunny and hot

Tsiknias River

A 6.15 a.m. start for us today, crossing over the ford and walking a track towards some

cultivated fields.

The first bird we saw was a Woodchat Shrike but it was against the sun and difficult to

photograph. We walked toward the potato field to see if the Collared Pratincoles had

returned, but no luck. Several Quail were calling from the long grass but there was no hope

in seeing them. It was nice to hear them though. Three Black Headed Buntings moved along

the hedgerow, showing well.

Back along the river the male and female Penduline Tit were feeding in the reeds and small

bushes near the ford. It was unexpected to see a Little Crake feeding along the banks of the

river. As we watched the crake moving along we noticed a Little Bittern hiding in the reeds

and three Squacco Herons posed in the middle of the river. Blackcap, Cetti’s and Nightingale

and a Black Headed Wagtail were also seen here. Further up the river a group of 18 Glossy

Ibis were feeding with several Little Egrets. A Ruddy Shelduck flew low over us, probably

heading for the Salt Pans and a Cuckoo was seen briefly as it headed out of sight across the

fields and Olive Groves.

Kalloni Salt Pans

We took the short cut to the salt pans - driving down the rough track near the east side of

the ford which came out behind the pumping station on the salt pans.

As we got out of the car we heard Bee Eater above us but they were flying too high for us to

see.

We drove a short way down a rough track which was next to a small pool. From the bottom

we could see some Ruddy Shelduck but they soon moved a little further away to a distance

they were comfortable with. A Gull Billed Tern was hunting the pools and marsh for food

and a female Pallid Harrier made a short appearance. All of a sudden a small bird flew onto

the mud bank in front of us – it was a male Citrine Wagtail in pristine condition. It started

feeding in a ditch and shortly moved around the bend, out of sight. We waited a while but it

did not reappear.

Napi Valley

At the first pull in, just past the parking area, a Turtle Dove was calling from the overhead

wires. We disturbed a Hoopoe which quickly flew out of sight. In the field where the horse

and donkey are we saw both Masked and Woodchat Shrike, but they were not showing well

so we decided to try another day, but earlier in the morning. A Star Agama Lizard basked in

the sun on one of the stone walls.

Further up the valley there is a track on the left hand side, almost opposite the Plantania

track. We had been here on our last visit and the area yielded a good number of birds. There

is a variety of wildflowers here which attracted many butterflies including Painted Lady,

Swallowtail and Scarce Swallowtail

The first bird we saw was a male Red Backed Shrike, a Hoopoe was calling and a Jay and

Kestrel flew over. Further along there is some scrubby bushes and here we saw a Subalpine

Warbler with a beak full of food, obviously nesting close by, and also a pair of Cirl Buntings,

both taking food to a dense bush. A Whinchat was on the fence – the only one we saw on

the holiday. We had good views of Turtle Doves as we overlooked some trees further down

the slope and a Masked Shrike was quite confiding.

It was only 2.30 so we decided to return to the salt pans to see if the Citrine Wagtail had

returned. On the way we bought ice cream from a garage and pulled over to eat it under

some Eucalyptus trees next to a culvert. We were entertained by Red Rumped and Barn

Swallows swooping down catching insects above the water.

Kalloni Salt Pans

We were in luck: the Citrine Wagtail was back and showing well on the banks of the little

pool. Not only that, some lovely Black Headed Wagtails arrived. We stayed in the car to

watch them, they came very close and Steve got some great shots.

As we made our way back to Skala Kalloni, we passed the usual birds in the “moat” (Little

Egrets, Wood Sandpiper, and Black Winged Stilts) which are there all of the time.

A rough track at the bottom of the western side of the Tsiknias River (just before the

viewing platform) is a short cut to the village of Skala Kalloni. As we approached the village

we saw a Stone Curlew landing in some vegetation. We stopped the car and waited; before

too long the Stone Curlew came into view and Steve got some good shots before it

disappeared again.

After shopping for supplies in the village we returned to the hotel to rest and freshen up.

An early evening visit to the Tsiknias River yielded a Long Legged Buzzard which obligingly

landed on a post, and a female Marsh Harrier quartering the fields. Plus many of the usual

birds which abound here.

Tuesday 28th April 2015

Cloudy at first but soon brightened up

Kalloni Salt Pans

Just a brief visit to check if the Citrine Wagtail was there but it wasn’t.

We saw all the usual birds for this area are Ruddy Shelduck, Glossy Ibis, Black Storks, Little

Egrets, Wood Sandpipers, Black Winged Stilts, Little Terns and Flamingos and Avocets on the

far pans,

Achlederi

The tree that the Kruper’s Nuthatch had been nesting in previous years had fallen over and

unfortunately we did not locate the new nesting site, or indeed hear the bird calling. There

were plenty of Serins in the treetops. Two pairs of Short Toed Treecreepers, Greenfinch,

Goldfinch and Chaffinch but not a lot else on this visit.

Kalloni Mini Soccer Pitch

We had our lunch under the trees as it is cool and shady here. We located two Scops Owls in

different trees this time and the Middle Spotted Woodpecker flew in. We met some birders

there that told us about a MSW’s nest site at Limonas Monastry. When we arrived Red

Rumped Swallows, Barn Swallows and a few Swifts were flying about. The MSW’s nest was

in an old, dead tree in the garden at the back of the café but Steve photographed the bird

from the car park on a telegraph pole.

Coffee and chocolate cream doughnuts in the café were very nice.

It had become very windy by now and difficult for birding so we called it a day.

Wednesday 29th April 2015

Very hot today with a brisk wind from the south

Kavaki

Kavaki is an acknowledged sight for breeding Ruppell’s Warblers and many other warblers,

such as Subalpine and Barred are often found in the scrubby bushes here.

We arrived about 8.00 am. The first layby was very quiet, we didn’t hear or see a bird so we

drove to the second layby at the top of the hill. We had better luck here but nevertheless

were disappointed by the general lack of birds. We eventually saw a male Ruppell’s Warbler

and then a female. They appeared to favour one particular bush and kept returning there.

We wondered if this was their nest site. Two Subalpine Warblers landed in this bush. The

female totally ignored them but the male was very vocal and agitated and eventually chased

them off. A Blue Rock Thrush was also chased off a rock by Ravens which appear to be

nesting on the cliff. There was one male Black Eared Wheatear and Yelkouan Shearwaters

out to sea.

At the third layby were Cirl Bunting, Turtle Dove and a distant Chukar. Swifts were overhead

and we spotted at least 2 Alpines amongst them. We went to Petra reservoir but it was very

hot and full of people so we gave it a miss. We could see Ruddy Shelduck and some Gulls on

the water’s edge but there was a bad heat haze. We took the road back towards Kalloni and

passed a river channel. We stopped to let a large Tortoise cross the road. We had seen one

hereabouts the last time we were here in 2011.

On the way back we called in to see the Scops Owls at Kalloni mini soccer pitch - only found

one today. A Persian Squirrel sat at the top of the Telegraph Pole

At the Saltpans the Citrine Wagtail gave very close views and a Zitting Cisticola (or Fan

Tailed Warbler –much nicer) was there. All the usual birds were there including Avocets,

Black and White Storks, a female Marsh Harrier and a Peregrine Falcon flew through being

mobbed by a gull.

Thursday 30th April 2015

Sunny and hot again

Sigri and Faneromini Fields

We left for Sigri early in the morning and drove around the fields and olive groves. We were

rewarded with a good selection of birds: the first birds of the day were 6 Golden Orioles in a

small olive grove followed by 2 Pied Flycatchers, Blackcap, 2 Turtle Doves, Zitting Cisticolas,

numerous Black Headed Buntings and Spanish Sparrows. The whole area was full of Shrikes

and we saw the full set – Woodchat, Masked, Lesser Grey and Red Backed Shrikes, the most

numerous surprisingly was the Red Back Shrike which on other visits to the island we have

struggled to see. We also counted 6 Pallid Harriers high above us.

Faneromini Beach and Ford

There was plenty to see on a small pool on the beach so we parked the car and watched

through the windows: “20 Wagtails (Black Headed and Blue Headed) Red Rumped and Barn

Swallows, 3 Lesser Kestrel, 1 Raven, Swifts and House Martins.

At Faneromeni Ford there was a Little Bittern, Common and Wood Sandpipers, Orphean

Warbler and a Lesser Whitethroat.

We drove back to Skala Kalloni via Ipsalou Monastery.

As we drove towards the monastery we saw a Shrike at the side of the road. We pulled over

and watched a Lesser Grey Shrike hunting the area alongside the road. Crossing over the

road to look into a gully we saw Rock Sparrow, both Cretzchmars and Cinereous Buntings

and two Turtle Doves. There was also a Red Backed Shrike and Northern and Black Eared

Wheatears. We could hear Wood Lark calling but could not locate it.

Friday 1st May 2015

Sunny and hot but with some welcome cloud

It was the May Day Bank Holiday in Lesvos and many families were enjoying their day off in

the sun and picnicking in some bird watching sites so we were limited in our choice of

location today

A very early morning visit to the east bank of the Tsiknias River produced some nice birds:

along with the usual birds along the river were both Woodchat and Red Back Shrike, 2 Black

Headed Buntings, Cetti’s Warbler, Purple Heron and Greenshank. We then headed off to

the Napi Valley

Napi Valley

1st pull

Not much about except a Masked Shrike showing very well and a Woodchat Shrike.

2nd pull in

This was much more productive with Red Backed, Masked and Woodchat Shrikes, a pair of

Sombre Tits, Cretzchmars Bunting, Subalpine Warbler, Cirl Buntings and Turtle Doves.

On the way we passed a sign for Krematis Old Bridge which sounded interesting so on the

way back we drove down to explore. It was a beautiful bridge built in the 16th Century and

has a legend that the builder’s wife is buried in the foundations. It was the middle of the day

by now and very hot, the only bird we saw there was a Masked Shrike.

After lunch we drove the tracks around the very hot Salt Pans and watched five different

species of Tern fishing: Common Terns, some beautiful Black Terns and White Winged Black

Terns, Whiskered Terns and 2 Little Terns completed the set.

There was also two Spotted Redshank, one in full summer plumage and about 50 -60 wood

Sandpipers. We saw a few Zitting Cisticolas in the rough fields on the opposite side of the

track.

We had noticed a small wetland area to the left of the junction to Ancient Pyria and

Achlederi so we decided to have a see what birds were there. It was quite productive and

we saw a Little Bittern, Black Winged Stilts, Great White Egret and Little Egrets. Sedge

Warblers were in the reeds.

It was too hot for us by now so we went back to Skala Kalloni to enjoy an ice cream in the

village ice cream parlour.

Saturday 2nd May 2015

Sunny most of the day, cloudy in late afternoon

Driving west

First stop was the Apothika track, we only drove a short way down because the track looked

a bit too rough for our car to proceed further, but we saw plenty of Cretchzmar’s Buntings

and a few Black Eared Wheatears, a Rock Nuthatch and a Yellow Legged Gull.

Back on the main road we continued west and stopped in a pull-in just before the garage in

Mesotopos. This proved fortuitous because we encountered a variety of birds in the small

trees and bushes adjacent to the pull-in. We spent a very pleasant hour watching and

photographing two Male Red Backed Shrikes who obligingly posed at the top of the bushes

and seemed in no hurry to depart. We could hear a Hoopoe calling and hoped it would

appear but no luck. However, a Golden Oriole made a sudden appearance in one of the

bushes and stayed for a short while before flying over our heads and away into the distance.

As we watched it we saw a Short Toed Eagle drifting west.

We decided to follow the road towards Argra, through Erossos and up towards Ipsilou.

We stopped beside a scenic lake between Argra and Erossos which looked as if it would be a

good location for birds but we only saw Little Grebes.

I took some pictures of a lake with my Lumix camera which I keep handy for taking

snapshots of anything of interest we see. I put it on the bonnet of the car when we had a

snack but got distracted by some quarrelling Little Grebes and forgot all about it when we

drove off. Half an hour later I wanted to take another snap and remembered what I had

done, we drove back to see if we could find it at the pull in but no luck. The camera was

quite old and replaceable, but I had lost all my photos of this trip and could not take any

more.

Various species were encountered along the way towards Ipsilou including Red Backed

Shrikes, numerous Black Eared Wheatears, Cretchzmar’s Buntings, a few Cinereous Buntings

and a Golden Oriole.

On the way back to Kalloni we took the old road to Agra. On our outbound journey we used

the new by-pass and missed some of the good locations to see birds we’d found in previous

visits. This area is called Sideras. Just outside the village are the ‘two towers’. Either side of

the two towers are good for birds but we parked just outside them where the road sweeps

down in a long bend. There were plenty of birds on the rocky hillside slopes; we watched a

pair of Blue Rock Thrushes taking food back to their nest, saw quite a few Cinereous

Buntings on the slopes and on the telegraph wires overhead. There were Linnets,

Stonechats and Rock Nuthatches. Overhead we saw a couple of Lesser Kestrels, a Buzzard

and a Juvenile Short Toed Eagle.

We had a quick tour of

Kalloni Salt Pans before we went back to our hotel. Birds of note in the moat were 4 Ruff, 2

Marsh Sandpipers, I Curlew Sandpiper, White Winged Black Terns, Common and Little Terns

and a Black Stork. A Marsh Harrier hunted the adjacent meadows,

After an enjoyable evening meal at Diyonisis and a stroll around the harbour in Skala Kalloni

we returned to our hotel and enjoyed a glass of wine on the balcony.

Sunday 3rd May 2015

Sunny and hot

Our early morning drive our along Tsiknias river produced a nice collection of birds

including: Little Egrets, Squacco Heron, White Stork, WW Black Terns and Whiskered Terns

amongst the other regulars seen there.

We had enjoyed our birding at Agra the previous day but Steve had been unable to

photograph the Cinereous Buntings so we returned for a second try, which turned out to be

more successful.

Birds seen on this occasion: Cirl Bunting, Cretchzmar’s and Cinereous Buntings, Linnets, Rock

Nuthatch, BE Wheatears, Blue Rock Thrush and a Common Buzzard.

We stopped at the water fountain on the way to Ipsilou and watched a comical Persian

Squirrel. There were two Jays in the trees, and Rock Nuthatch and Red Rumped Swallows

overhead.

At Ipsilou we stopped at a pull-in to eat our packed lunch. Steve said “I’m sure I can hear a

woodlark singing” so we jumped out, sandwiches abandoned, and listened more carefully -

sure enough we heard the Woodlark’s distinctive song, but where? One bird was singing

some distance away, but then we heard one much closer. We looked up and there was

three Woodlark on the wires above us. There then followed a mini ‘purple patch’ with

Alpine Swifts and Raven above, a Hoopoe was flushed from some rough ground as we tried

to see a bird flitting around in a low bush – it turned out to be a Subalpine Warbler and in

the same bush was a Cirl Bunting. In an enclosed area or rough grass and bushes we saw a

Masked Shrike, Black Headed Buntings, Blue Rock Thrush, Stonechats and Black Eared

Wheatears. We really did not know what we going to see next. After the flow of birds had

petered out we went back to our lunch quite elated. Why can’t birding always be that good?

Monday 4th May 2015

On our early morning visit to Tsiknias River we found a Red Footed Falcon on the wires just

above the ford.

We paid another visit to Kavaki hoping to have better views of Ruppell’s Warblers but there

was very little showing – only one Ruppell’s (which was disappointing, in other years they

had been much more numerous).

There was one Sardinian Warbler and a pair of Subalpine Warblers. A Short Toed Eagle

passed by and we also saw a Jay, Turtle Dove and Kestrel.

The road to Petra reservoir had turned up some good birds in the past - and so it proved

today. We saw a Male Red Backed Shrike, so pulled over and parked on a hill overlooking a

row of low shrubs. Another RB Shrike was in flight carrying a faecal sack. It was good to

know that it was a breeding pair. In the low hedge we located two Olivaceous Warblers and

a Sardinian Warbler. Further up the hill was a Woodchat Shrike and a Common Buzzard in

flight. Suddenly a small head poked out of the vegetation and a tortoise appeared, totally

ignoring us, intent on its journey across the road. We followed it across making sure it

reached the other side safely. I always love to see a Tortoise and can’t get used to the idea

that they are living in the wild.

Tuesday 5th May 2015

We were at Kalloni Salt pans by 9.15 am and it was a slightly misty start to the day. We

came across quite a spectacle – on the reeds, for about 20-30 metres in distance, was a

hatch of blue Damselflies. How beautiful they were, It first glance I thought they were

flowers. The Damselflies had a blue body, a blue tip to the tail and had a dark spot on each

wing. As the sun broke through and warmed them they gradually began to take flight and

within an hour they had all gone. We felt privileged to have seen them.

Amongst the usual birds at the pans were 2 Garganey, a Purple Heron and several Ruff.

We paid a short visit to the Potamia Valley. On a whole it was very quiet but we did see the

following birds: RB Shrike, Woodchat Shrike, Olivaceous and Orphean Warbles, Cirl Bunting,

Turtle Dove and Middle Spotted Woodpecker.

At Achlederi car park we lucky to come across a group of Kruper’s Nuthatch that had just

fledged and were in the trees all around us. They were calling to each other and making

quite a commotion, then as quickly as they came – they had gone, but it was great to see

them so close.

Wednesday 6th May 2015

Very hot and sunny – 20 degrees by 9.00 a.m. 31 degrees at midday

Achlederi

We arrived early hoping to the young Krupers Nuthatch’s but they had dispersed and we did

not see or hear anything except for Serins singing at the tops of the trees. A nice find was a

Woodlark and there was Cirl Bunting and Masked Shrike. As we were close by we decided to

take the road to Skala Vasilikon, the only birds there were Yellow Legged Herring Gulls. We

continued on to the pretty harbour of Skala Skamnioudi. We found a shaded bench and sat

watching an elderly fisherman on his moored boat using a long hooked pole to hook crabs

and other unidentified things from the sea bottom. In the nearby fields were two or three

Red Backed Shrikes and some Black Headed Buntings. In the Olive Groves an Olive Tree

Warbler was heard and seen briefly and there was also Masked Shrike and Cirl Buntings.

We drove up to meet the main road again and returned to Achlederi to eat our packed

lunch under the shade of some trees. A Hoopoe flying passed us disrupted our lunch as we

had to jump out and see where it landed. We located it and a second Hoopoe in long grass

near stony spoil heaps. While we were there we saw one Krupers Nuthatch and a few Short

Toed Treecreepers.

Before we returned to Skala Kalloni we made a regular drive through the Salt Pans just in

case there was anything new there – it was deserted of birds and birders alike although we

did see two lovely Black Storks in the moat. We decided to abandon birding and go for an

ice cream instead at Pagelli’s in Skala Kalloni Square. We sat in the shade in their lovely little

garden enjoying our favourite flavour ice cream. Then back to the hotel balcony to relax

with fresh strawberries, red wine and an easy crossword puzzle and watch House Martins

building nests in the corners of our balcony.

Thursday 7th May 2015

Hot and sunny in morning but hazy and humid in the afternoon. Top Temperature 29

degrees.

It was Election Day in Britain – we were glad we’d avoided all the pre-election media frenzy.

We had posted our vote before we left.

Mesa

Got up at 5.15 and we were on our way to Mesa by 6.00 am

There was a Spoonbill amongst the many Egrets but it did not stay long. There were 2

Shelduck and 2 Ruddy Shelduck (Better views of them here than at the Salt Pans), There

were two Garganey, several Grey Herons, a Black Stork, Black Headed Wagtails and a Black

Headed Bunting.

Achlederi

It was already too hot for us and we did not feel like searching much but we saw 2 Masked

Shrike and one Cuckoo.

At the River Bridge it was much shadier and cooler. An unexpected find was a Kruper’s

Nuthatch which Steve was able to photograph as it was feeding reasonably close to us.

There was quite a selection of birds there: Cirl Buntings taking food back to the nest, two

Subalpine Warblers, Nightingale and Olivaceous Warbler.

The river was teeming with small fish and many Striped Necked Terrapins and one European

Pond Terrapin. Persian Squirrels were in the trees.

Tsiknias River Ford and its upper regions

A Little Bittern was showing well at the ford. Nine Night Heron flew past, in the river were

Squacco Heron, Little Ringed Plover, Glossy Ibis, numerous Wood Sandpipers and a female

Red Back Shrike in the bushes near the ford.

Kalloni Salt Pans

There was a small party of waders in the moat which included 11 Little Stint, 1 Kentish

Plover, 2 Little Ringed Plovers, 1 Ringed Plover and Wood Sandpipers. Also a Black Stork,

Little Egrets and Black winged Stilts.

As we approached the main road to leave the pans there were a number of White Winged

Black Terns, some Little Terns and Common Terns fishing in the moat.

As we watched the Tern a large group of Flamingos took flight from one of the further pans-

what an incredible spectacle of colour- black scarlet and pink!

Another colourful episode came when a Balkan Lizard ran across the path in front of us –

stopped in the middle of the road to pose for a photo and then off into the long grass.

On the way back from our Evening in Skala Kalloni we got talking to some people who told

us about a Long Eared Owl site only 10 minutes from our hotel at Papiana. We walked

towards this area and we could hear the owls calling from the high tree tops. We resolved to

make an early start the next day to try to locate them.

Friday 8th May 2015

Sunny and hot 29 degrees

Our last day in Lesvos!!

We rose early and went to the olive groves at Papiana where the Long Eared Owls had been

seen. It was not long before Steve noticed a movement in one of the trees- it was a Long

Eared Owl Chick. We took some photographs and decided to leave as we did not want to

disturb the birds or bring too much attention to the Chick. As we were leaving another

couple of birders arrived and told us that the day before they had seen two chicks together

in the Olive Grove.

We returned that evening - there was no sign of the chick but we found an adult LE Owl high

in one of the pine trees on the roadside. Fabulous birds!

Tsiknias River east side, nearest the sea

We found two Rufous Bush Robins here, they were quite hard to see as they flitted about in

the low shrubs and bushes, but we eventually got some good, if brief views of them. When

we passed the ford a Red Backed Shrike was on a bush.

We decided on one last visit to Achlederi, and in a pull in on the opposite side of the road,

we found another Rufus Bush Robin. It proved to be a good location as we found Orphean

Warblers, Subalpine Warblers, Cirl Buntings, Black Headed Buntings, Red Backed Shrike and

a Hoopoe.

A very nice finish to our holiday.

Lesvos, once again had delivered a wide variety of beautiful birds in numbers that we have

not seen in other Mediterranean locations.