[Steve Dudley]

Originally Posted by swarovskiuser

Hi Nick,you will be in good company on the 5th! will practically be all birders on that flight I assume your flighing from Manchester. It should be ok booking a car when you arrive in Lesvos but there's still time to pre-book look at Tsalis car hire on Steve Dudleys site they are local to Skala Kalloni and are offering a discount on Lesvos birding site .
Standard hatchback ok for all main site's but if exploring "uncharted" tracks I would recommend that 4x4 because it can be tricky in places!.

check out my lesvos gallery
http://www.pbase.com/raypurser

Some tracks are VERY bad this year. Platania in particualr (I advise driving only the first 1km in normal cars and walking the rest of the way). The track through Lotzaria between the Tsiknias River and the Saltpans is very bumpy but passable. So please beware - lots of people having problems and I know of two people who have smashed up the bottom of their cars - expensive!

[Mick Sway]

Hi all
I understand from Thomas Cook that Saturdays, Manchester flight to Lesvos is again fully booked, which is very great news for the local tourist trade.
At the risk of my wife giving me a thumping for saying it, the continued fair weather and high spring temperatures is disappointing from the point of view of river water levels.
I seem to recall that last year April was wet and cool.
There seems to have been a good passage of Rollers this year,
which is always nice to see.
Lets hope that the Ballion's hangs around a little while longer.
Mick

[Steve Dudley]

Its hot and birding is hard. End of! OK, some out there dont think 30C is hot, but for us pastey Brits, 30C is hot.

OK, stayed local around the Gulf of Kalloni taking in the Kruper's Nuthatch and other local sites. Four Purple Herons was our reward (thin on the ground like everything else this year) and still loads of terns around the Kalloni Saltpans.

Others fayred better with Spur-winged Plover, Broad-billed Sandpiper and Booted Eagle.

Todays update now on the Lesvos Birding website.

[Steve Dudley]

Originally Posted by Mick Sway

Hi all
I understand from Thomas Cook that Saturdays, Manchester flight to Lesvos is again fully booked, which is very great news for the local tourist trade.
At the risk of my wife giving me a thumping for saying it, the continued fair weather and high spring temperatures is disappointing from the point of view of river water levels.
I seem to recall that last year April was wet and cool.
There seems to have been a good passage of Rollers this year,
which is always nice to see.
Lets hope that the Ballion's hangs around a little while longer.
Mick

Water levels looking OK at present Mick. But Rollers are thin on the ground - like everything else. And we're still awaiting the bush-robins arrival. Odd spring. Far too settled and birds must be piling past with few dropping in from clear skies.

[swarovskiuser]

Hi Lesvos birders,does anyone know if hand luggage is being checked for weight at Manchester this year(thomas cook ) I have a 500m f4 and finding a way to reduce it in any Kind of bag down to 5kg is almost impossible. Had to give the problem to the Mrs who because of her supreme sewing ability produced a padded waterproof carry on bag which with Lens weighs in at exactly 5kg .How do other people get around this 5kg limit?.

[birdboybowley]

Think most airlines now worry more about the dimensions of hand luggage rather than the weight....never had any problems on any airline ever in this regard

[Steve Dudley]

Bush-robins! They're in at last. I was asked by a number of folk last night about them and I said that if they didn't turn up today I'd report them missing! And three today on traditional territories. Good stuff.

A Great Spotted Cuckoo and a couple of River Warblers fresh in today and Rollers and Citrine Wags still trickling through.

Me, I saw stuff all unusual today, just the expected stuff out west, but a thoroughly enjoyable day none-the-less! Kept my Kalimari diet up too!

Full update on the Lesvos Birding website

[Steve Dudley]

Originally Posted by swarovskiuser

Hi Lesvos birders,does anyone know if hand luggage is being checked for weight at Manchester this year(thomas cook )

TC check in staff were weighing hand luggage coming out on the 21 April from Gatwick. Dont know about other flights.

[Mick Sway]

Hi Steve
What's the condition of the Meledia Valley track, i.e. is it passable in a hatchback?
Many thanks
Mick

[Steve Dudley]

Originally Posted by Mick Sway

What's the condition of the Meledia Valley track, i.e. is it passable in a hatchback?

Hi Mick. Meladia is absolutely fine. Lots of people using it in normal hire cars without any problems.

[Steve Dudley]

Another day, another day trip and seven happy punters enjoyed cracking views of Ruppells' Warbler this morning with the usual other Kavaki goodies plus a 2CY Audouin's Gull.

The Kalloni Pans performed again with Slender-billed and Little Gulls and a Black Tern. Three Great Spotted Cuckoos up Napi and a Lesser Spotted Eagle over Platania. More tomorrow please!

Todays bird news update on the Lesvos Birding website.

[Steve Dudley]

Change over day for many and fewer birders out in the field. Late news of a Dalmatian Pelican arriving at the Kalloni Pans at 1900 last night saw some down the pans early morning to find the bird on the sea. Other than that, nothing major reported and I enjoyed a day of Cinereous Buntings, Eastern Bonelli's Warblers and Bush-robins on my day off. Spur-winged Plover reported again from Dipi Larisos but no sign of the Pygmy Cormorant.

Todays update now on the Lesvos Birding website.

[Tony Knight]

Originally Posted by Steve Dudley

Some tracks are VERY bad this year. Platania in particualr (I advise driving only the first 1km in normal cars and walking the rest of the way). The track through Lotzaria between the Tsiknias River and the Saltpans is very bumpy but passable. So please beware - lots of people having problems and I know of two people who have smashed up the bottom of their cars - expensive!

Hi Steve

I think the cattle grid at Plantania is about 5km from the main road - does that mean a 4km walk there and back after parking the car if ony the first 1km of the track is driveable safely ? That might have to rule it out for me due to time.

Also, 5 years ago i used to drive a circuit from molyvos along a track past petra dam (reservoir) and down into petra. The book suggests walking this but is it stll driveable?

thanks v much
Tony

[Steve Dudley]

I headed out west again with a new group of eager birders. Migrants were, as expected now due to the settled weather, few, but we had a great time with masses and great views of Cinereous Bunts, Red-backed Shrikes, Eleonora's Falcons, Lesser Grey Shrikes and much more.

The flooded fields at Kalloni Saltpans pulled off two great finds - Great Snipe and Broad-billed Sandpiper. A couple of Levant Sparrowhawks too. The female harrier at Lotzaria continues to frustrate folk with it being reported as both Montagu's and Pallid (at least not Hen like last week), but from the description its the same dark female Monty's which was present a few days back.

Today's update now on the Lesvos Birding website.

[Steve Dudley]

Originally Posted by Tony Knight

I think the cattle grid at Plantania is about 5km from the main road - does that mean a 4km walk there and back after parking the car if ony the first 1km of the track is driveable safely ? That might have to rule it out for me due to time.

The cattle grid is 2.5km from the road (5km was a type in the first print of the book). Park within the 1km cos the track is very rough in places, then walk the rest, so c.3km round walk - and one of the best walks on the island!

Originally Posted by Tony Knight

Also, 5 years ago i used to drive a circuit from molyvos along a track past petra dam (reservoir) and down into petra. The book suggests walking this but is it stll driveable?

I've not been down the Perasma Reservoir track beyond the reservoir itself for a couple of years, and dont know anyone who has this year, so I don't know if its drivable or not. Sorry.

[Tony Knight]

Originally Posted by Steve Dudley

The cattle grid is 2.5km from the road (5km was a type in the first print of the book). Park within the 1km cos the track is very rough in places, then walk the rest, so c.3km round walk - and one of the best walks on the island!



I've not been down the Perasma Reservoir track beyond the reservoir itself for a couple of years, and dont know anyone who has this year, so I don't know if its drivable or not. Sorry.

thanks for the info Steve

Tony

[Steve Dudley]

The Broad-billed Sandpiper by the saltworks entrance performed well most of the day and was watched until dusk. A Common Snipe present at the same site, and said to be present yesterday too, casts a shadow over yesterday's claimed Great Snipe from these pools. A Lesser Spotted Eagle was seen near Molivos and Scops Owls remain in the Soumouria Scops Copse and at Papiana.

Today's bird news update now on the Lesvos Birding website.

[Steve Dudley]

Another warm, sunny day. Birding was again hard, particularly out west, and apart from the Broad-billed Sandpiper, nothing of real note reported today. A few Slender-billed Gulls were seen at two Gulf of Kalloni sites and the expected Eleonora's Falcons out west.

Todays bird news update now on the Lesvos Birding website.

[Steve Dudley]

White-throated Robin! Nuff sed.

Todays bird news update on the Lesvos Birding website.

[Steve Dudley]

Hoorraahh! We woke to cloud cover and drizzle over high ground and with immediate effect, out west at least, with masses of Red-backed Shrikes, Black-headed Buntings and a few warblers. Star bird of the day was a Spur-winged Plover at Faneromeni, but no sign of yesterday's White-throated Robin or Broad-billed Sandpipers.

Todays bird news update now on the Lesvos Birding website.

[Tony Knight]

Flying out tomorrow !

Will the kruipers nuthatch still be feeding young at the publicised tree nest at Achladeri or have the young left the nest by now ? Might take a detour between airport and molyvos tomorrow.

Are the scops owls reasonably easy to find at Papania and scops cops? Is it possible to specify the tree they are roosting in ? If you had to pick one site over the other, which site has the best views/easiest to find birds ?

thanks again
Tony

[gb505]

11.05.12

I have just returned from my fourth trip to Lesvos and would quite happily reccomend Hotel Malemi in Skala Kaloni to anyone planning a trip. It's clean and tidy, caters for the eccentric whims of birders from the whole world and is one of the most resonably priced hotels in the area.

sincerely, Peter.

[Steve Dudley]

Light rain dominated the morning but had cleared by lunch time and back to a warm, bright afternoon. Thunderstorms threatening this evening but hadnt broken by 2300. Two Lesser Spotted Eagles over the pan and a male Citrine Wagtail were the main birds of note reported today.

Todays bird news update now on the Lesvos Birding website

[Steve Dudley]

Originally Posted by Tony Knight

Flying out tomorrow !

Will the kruipers nuthatch still be feeding young at the publicised tree nest at Achladeri or have the young left the nest by now ? Might take a detour between airport and molyvos tomorrow.

Are the scops owls reasonably easy to find at Papania and scops cops? Is it possible to specify the tree they are roosting in ? If you had to pick one site over the other, which site has the best views/easiest to find birds ?

Kruper's have fledged, but wont go far and there are two more pairs in this area, plus hundreds more around the island!

Scops - try both sites. Check the Pasiphae log for up to date gen as birds do move around at both sites. And finding them for yourself is half the fun!

[Tony Knight]

Originally Posted by Tony Knight

Flying out tomorrow !

Will the kruipers nuthatch still be feeding young at the publicised tree nest at Achladeri or have the young left the nest by now ? Might take a detour between airport and molyvos tomorrow.

Are the scops owls reasonably easy to find at Papania and scops cops? Is it possible to specify the tree they are roosting in ? If you had to pick one site over the other, which site has the best views/easiest to find birds ?

thanks again
Tony

seen on the lesvosbirding website now so no need for anyone to comment - knew the pesky nuthatches would fledge just before i got there !