Sandra (Taylor)
Well-known member
This is our 7th or 8th visit to Lesvos - and they get better each time we go! Stayed at the Aegeon Hotel in Skala Kalloni on a B&B basis, as we did last year. Flew Manchester - Mytilini on Excel airlines and the tour operator was Manos. Weather was good for the two weeks, getting progressively hotter. One day and night of very strong winds. Lots of sunshine. The car was hired from Billy's in Anaxos and arranged and paid for before we left home. Avis has got gradually more expensive so we thought we'd try someone else this year. Very satisfatory.
Since the marsh in front of Kalloni II isn't a marsh any longer, we enjoy the outlook from the Aegeon over the wet scrubland then the sea. In fact, after the night of strong winds this area was a lake and took a few days to partly dry out again.
A little egret was the first bird to be seen from the hotel gardens. Swallows were swooping in and out of the hotel foyer. Two pairs seem to nest inside each year and they are tolerated by the management. Many more nested on the Kalloni II terrace up to last year but this season all the nests have been knocked down to discourage the birds. There was an indignant comment in the Kalloni II logbook from a group of Dutch birders saying how disappointed they were that this had happened.
Next morning saw two stone curlew from the breakfast terrace. A group from Celtic Bird Tours also stopped to look and we renewed our acquaintance with the leader, Geri.
The Inland Lake held little bittern, night heron, snakes, two species of terrapin, red-rumped swallow, little grebe. Long legged buzzard & Steppe eagle flew over. The eagle had to be identified by someone else by the way. They knew one had been reported in the area. Cirl bunting, turtle dove, red-backed shrike and lesser grey shrike were all seen on the track to the chapel from the lake. On the East River were little stint, black-headed bunting and some other birders called us to show us a nightingale singing in full view on the other side of the river.
On the saltpans were black-winged stilt, our first crested lark, avocet and flamingoes. There were many birders including two mini-buses full looking for rufus bush robin but neither this nor the red-throated pipit showed themselves today.
Saw middle-spotted woodpecker at nest near the long-eared owl roosting place. The next day we had the Kruper's nut-hatch feeding young in the usual site - but further into the woods. On the way back from this site we had both shelduck and ruddy shelduck.
Drove to Sigri, calling at Grand Canyon on the way for rock nut-hatch, crag martin, black-eared wheatear and blue rock thrush. Saw Long legged buzzard carrying a snake. Ipsolou Monastery was like Blackpool - hoards of people there. Some had had cinereous bunting. Caught up with jackdaw near the castle at Sigri. At Fenoromini Ford were 2 wood & 1 marsh sandpiper. A corncrake had been seen but two birders were walking down the riverbed where it had been so nobody saw it. Drove to Petrified Forest hoping for chukkar but it didn't appear. The Isabelline wheatear was again by the crossroads.
Next day drove to the upper East River where the house sparrows and middle-spotted woodpecker were disputing ownership of a nesting hole in a telegraph pole. (Think the woodpecker won by the end of our fortnight)
Took a track left then right and followed road up the hillside for rufous bush-robin. Heard hoopoe. Short-toed lark & common sandpiper in stream that runs through saltpans. Little owl on telegraph wires that evening.
Next day to Petra. Good views of Ruppell's warbler opp. the disco building on road back to Molivos. Watched big flock of swifts coming over the sea from taverna near Molivos castle.
Drove up through Agi Paraskevi to Napi Valley (doing a detour to the ancient bridge first - lots of red rumped swallows there. ) Since the road has been resurfaced there are very few places to pull off. They've left a 'step' of tarmac - and the road there isn't all that busy. Thought there would have been one or two laybys created. Watched a hoopoe visiting its nest - quite watchable from the side of the road into the olive grove. Sub-alpine warbler was singing. We took a road to the right which we had been told about and which I'm sure will become a big draw for bgirders in years to come. After about 2 miles you can pull off the track and we had hawfinch, orphean & olive-tree warblers, and I found us a golden oriole. I had thought it was a hoopoe as that was what I was hearing but when I looked it was just sitting inside the tree canopy. Went and brought husband and some other birders and they had brief glimpses of it too. (Husband had words with a Dutch photographer as we were looking at the hawfinch. He was pushing everyone else because he "must get a photo" but he had to wait! And another photographer caused some concern when he wandered right into the olive grove to get close views of a masked shrike sitting on a nest in the 'elbow' of a tree. (Sorry, Diane - think I said it was a woodchat shrike but it was a masked)
The poppies in the fields looked wonderful and there were still lots of other wild flowers looking good by the roadsides. Lots of butterfly species around. And some HUGE black flying beetly things that were gathering nectar from the newly flowered mallow plants.
Back to the Kruper's nut-hatch site but this time for short-toed tree creeper which we had missed the other day. Missed again! Drove through Achlideri south to Vatera. Then after a taverna stop, through the village to the headland where the ruined chapel is (and a tawny pipit), passing the river where there was a black stork and squacco heron. Half a dozen Y.Shearwaters at sea. Saltpans again when we returned - collard pratincole flying over. By now, rufus bush-robins seem to be everywhere.
Next day had black-headed yellow wagtail on sheep fields. Hen harrier (f) over saltpan fields where the next day we had good views of a pallid harrier. One or two Alpine swifts here too.
Drove up the Potamia Valley which was a delight. (Drive over the bridge then the right-hand track to follow the river). That afternoon had Scops owl at roost - excellent views. We had been told that last year a Scops owl had been disturbed from another roost site by foliage being trimmed away from it so a good photo could be taken. So we walked quickly away after we'd seen this one. Not quickly enough as two cars of people arrived and we were non-commital when they asked if we'd seen it. We just sort of muttered and got in the car. They starting looking for it - in the wrong trees!! Feel bad about this now - if it was you we're sorry but I'm sure you'll understand.
On Sunday went onto the saltpans for 10 mins., and were still there 3 hrs. later. There's always something to see there. This time it was the first batch of rose-coloured starlings. 2 gull-billed tern seen.
Next day saw Levant sparrow-hawk from the 'band stand' on the mountain road. The Monday was the first day we had had no new birds to report.
Tuesday and hubby had a spoonbill at the far end of the sheep fields which had been roosting with the flamingoes.
Rosy starlings were now being reported at different sites - usually in mulberry trees. At inland lake there was a couple of pallid swifts with the others.
Wow -talk about verbal diarrhoea! And this is just a condensed version! The other one is padded out with things other than birds. If anyone really wants that one too then by all means PM me.
Total bird list was 112 or 113. (Can't highlight the species mentioned here for some reason.)
Sandra
Since the marsh in front of Kalloni II isn't a marsh any longer, we enjoy the outlook from the Aegeon over the wet scrubland then the sea. In fact, after the night of strong winds this area was a lake and took a few days to partly dry out again.
A little egret was the first bird to be seen from the hotel gardens. Swallows were swooping in and out of the hotel foyer. Two pairs seem to nest inside each year and they are tolerated by the management. Many more nested on the Kalloni II terrace up to last year but this season all the nests have been knocked down to discourage the birds. There was an indignant comment in the Kalloni II logbook from a group of Dutch birders saying how disappointed they were that this had happened.
Next morning saw two stone curlew from the breakfast terrace. A group from Celtic Bird Tours also stopped to look and we renewed our acquaintance with the leader, Geri.
The Inland Lake held little bittern, night heron, snakes, two species of terrapin, red-rumped swallow, little grebe. Long legged buzzard & Steppe eagle flew over. The eagle had to be identified by someone else by the way. They knew one had been reported in the area. Cirl bunting, turtle dove, red-backed shrike and lesser grey shrike were all seen on the track to the chapel from the lake. On the East River were little stint, black-headed bunting and some other birders called us to show us a nightingale singing in full view on the other side of the river.
On the saltpans were black-winged stilt, our first crested lark, avocet and flamingoes. There were many birders including two mini-buses full looking for rufus bush robin but neither this nor the red-throated pipit showed themselves today.
Saw middle-spotted woodpecker at nest near the long-eared owl roosting place. The next day we had the Kruper's nut-hatch feeding young in the usual site - but further into the woods. On the way back from this site we had both shelduck and ruddy shelduck.
Drove to Sigri, calling at Grand Canyon on the way for rock nut-hatch, crag martin, black-eared wheatear and blue rock thrush. Saw Long legged buzzard carrying a snake. Ipsolou Monastery was like Blackpool - hoards of people there. Some had had cinereous bunting. Caught up with jackdaw near the castle at Sigri. At Fenoromini Ford were 2 wood & 1 marsh sandpiper. A corncrake had been seen but two birders were walking down the riverbed where it had been so nobody saw it. Drove to Petrified Forest hoping for chukkar but it didn't appear. The Isabelline wheatear was again by the crossroads.
Next day drove to the upper East River where the house sparrows and middle-spotted woodpecker were disputing ownership of a nesting hole in a telegraph pole. (Think the woodpecker won by the end of our fortnight)
Took a track left then right and followed road up the hillside for rufous bush-robin. Heard hoopoe. Short-toed lark & common sandpiper in stream that runs through saltpans. Little owl on telegraph wires that evening.
Next day to Petra. Good views of Ruppell's warbler opp. the disco building on road back to Molivos. Watched big flock of swifts coming over the sea from taverna near Molivos castle.
Drove up through Agi Paraskevi to Napi Valley (doing a detour to the ancient bridge first - lots of red rumped swallows there. ) Since the road has been resurfaced there are very few places to pull off. They've left a 'step' of tarmac - and the road there isn't all that busy. Thought there would have been one or two laybys created. Watched a hoopoe visiting its nest - quite watchable from the side of the road into the olive grove. Sub-alpine warbler was singing. We took a road to the right which we had been told about and which I'm sure will become a big draw for bgirders in years to come. After about 2 miles you can pull off the track and we had hawfinch, orphean & olive-tree warblers, and I found us a golden oriole. I had thought it was a hoopoe as that was what I was hearing but when I looked it was just sitting inside the tree canopy. Went and brought husband and some other birders and they had brief glimpses of it too. (Husband had words with a Dutch photographer as we were looking at the hawfinch. He was pushing everyone else because he "must get a photo" but he had to wait! And another photographer caused some concern when he wandered right into the olive grove to get close views of a masked shrike sitting on a nest in the 'elbow' of a tree. (Sorry, Diane - think I said it was a woodchat shrike but it was a masked)
The poppies in the fields looked wonderful and there were still lots of other wild flowers looking good by the roadsides. Lots of butterfly species around. And some HUGE black flying beetly things that were gathering nectar from the newly flowered mallow plants.
Back to the Kruper's nut-hatch site but this time for short-toed tree creeper which we had missed the other day. Missed again! Drove through Achlideri south to Vatera. Then after a taverna stop, through the village to the headland where the ruined chapel is (and a tawny pipit), passing the river where there was a black stork and squacco heron. Half a dozen Y.Shearwaters at sea. Saltpans again when we returned - collard pratincole flying over. By now, rufus bush-robins seem to be everywhere.
Next day had black-headed yellow wagtail on sheep fields. Hen harrier (f) over saltpan fields where the next day we had good views of a pallid harrier. One or two Alpine swifts here too.
Drove up the Potamia Valley which was a delight. (Drive over the bridge then the right-hand track to follow the river). That afternoon had Scops owl at roost - excellent views. We had been told that last year a Scops owl had been disturbed from another roost site by foliage being trimmed away from it so a good photo could be taken. So we walked quickly away after we'd seen this one. Not quickly enough as two cars of people arrived and we were non-commital when they asked if we'd seen it. We just sort of muttered and got in the car. They starting looking for it - in the wrong trees!! Feel bad about this now - if it was you we're sorry but I'm sure you'll understand.
On Sunday went onto the saltpans for 10 mins., and were still there 3 hrs. later. There's always something to see there. This time it was the first batch of rose-coloured starlings. 2 gull-billed tern seen.
Next day saw Levant sparrow-hawk from the 'band stand' on the mountain road. The Monday was the first day we had had no new birds to report.
Tuesday and hubby had a spoonbill at the far end of the sheep fields which had been roosting with the flamingoes.
Rosy starlings were now being reported at different sites - usually in mulberry trees. At inland lake there was a couple of pallid swifts with the others.
Wow -talk about verbal diarrhoea! And this is just a condensed version! The other one is padded out with things other than birds. If anyone really wants that one too then by all means PM me.
Total bird list was 112 or 113. (Can't highlight the species mentioned here for some reason.)
Sandra
