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Lesvos Birds 2011 - all the news, info, chat and sightings (1 Viewer)

Steve Dudley

Steve Dudley

aka The Toadsnatcher
United Kingdom
Hello all Lesvos birders old and new! The countdown to the Lesvos 2011 season starts here.

I thought we'd get a single thread going for all things relating to Lesvos for this year - news from the island, flight info, sightings, etc. I've got some exciting news items coming up from the island which I'll post here and feature on the Lesvos Birding website.

But before we get stuck in to 2011, just to let you know that I've started work on Lesvos Birds 2010. Its not too late to send me records or photos for the 2010 annual report, and I hope to have this available from the end of February.

Also a reminder that the Lesvos Birding website has lots of background information with links to many photo galleries, trip reports (over 80 listed), updated bird checklist, lists of other wildlife groups, and much more. If you think something important is missing - let me know!
 
Bird news - early January 2011

Things have been relatively quiet during the first week of the 2011, but resident birders Eleni Galinou and Terry Robinson have been out and about their local areas. Highlights include good numbers of Ruddy Shelduck, three Dalmatian Pelicans remaining from the autumn arrival, a Pygmy Cormorant, A Slender-billed Gull and the second successive winter record of Wood Sandpiper.

Further details and more species listed on the Lesvos Birding website.
 
We can scrub the Wood Sand record from last week - it was a Green Sand incorrectly entered on database as a Wood!

Nothing of note seen over the weekend.
 
Hello Steve
Looking forward to our visit in the first week of May, which Should have been to Skala Kallonis, But, problems with Hotel Overbookings again this year,have already arisen, particularly Thomsons.
Having booked the Pasiphae for May 2010 last year, We were moved to the Kalloni 2 at short notice.
I booked the Pasiphae again for 2011, as early as possible,in May 2010.
Thomson's overbooking of the hotel again, has meant that 5 bookings have been transferred to the Olive Press Hotel in Molyvos.
Oh well, at least I will be closer to the Ruppells site.

Regards
Peter Lee
 
Hi Peter

Package holiday companies overbooking is getting to be the norm now on Lesvos. Its certainly not the hotels fault, its purely the package companies chancing it in order to get bums on seats and heads on beds.

You'll still have a great time from Molivos - more coverage of the north coast, particularly mornings and evenings can be good. Make sure you get out early mornings along the coastal track east of Efthalou and even along the coast west of Anaxos - great migrant areas. Your cut through to the west as well will be through the shallow Taxiarchis Valley - a very underwatched area and good for Olive-tree Warblers, Eleonora's Falcons and more.

Cheers, Steve
 
Bird news - January 2011

The last week hasn't seen any significant sightings despite the best efforts of Eleni Galinou and Terry Robinson. I've updated the January bird news section of the Lesvos Birding website with what few notable records from the last week.
 
Lesvos accommodation - recommendations

Its that time when many folk are booking their Lesvos accommodation. I continually get asked to give recommendations for where to stay - hotels, apartments, studios, etc. Since I've only ever stayed at the Hotel Pasiphae (so there's my recommendation) I can't personally recommend any other establishments! Also, the main hotels such as the Pasiphae, the Pela, Kalloni Bay (the new name for the Kalloni II) in Skala Kallonis all get booked up very quickly, so here's your chance to recommend places you have personally used. And we all know there is nothing better than personal recommendation.

Please, in an attempt to make this section as useful for others as possible, please give as much detail as possible so that others can follow up suggestions (or folk can PM individual posters for contact info).

So, what about other less known hotels in Skala Kallonis? The Imerti?

What about hotels in Anaxos and Molivos?

What about apartments and studios? I hear good things about the new Kalloni Holiday Village (self catering apartments) near the mouth of the Potamia River just west of Skala Kallonis. Have you stayed there?

Have you stayed out west at Sigri? Eresos? Any pioneers out there with recommendations for those that what to get away from the Kalloni area?
 
I stayed at the Aegeon Hotel in Skala Kalloni when I visited Lesvos during the summer a few years ago. I would highly recommend it as a reasonably priced and friendly hotel. I googled it to check the spelling and found a dreadful review of the hotel on Trip Advisor from June last year - it was full of seedy looking birdwatchers apparently!

The review also mentioned the stray dogs which I think is a problem for the town rather than the hotel. I'm surprised not to have seen it mentioned in any other reviews but perhaps it is worse in the summer. I can't get my family to agree to another trip to Skala because they get so upset about the dozens of abandoned and starving dogs. Anyone know if the situation has changed?

David
 
We always stay at the Aegeon at the far end of the village (Skalla Kalloni). Been there 5 or 6 times and we know which room we would like each year. I phone the receptionist a week or so before we arrive and she sees we are put where we want to be. (We've always had a package though - Manos/Thomsons etc.) Never overbooked us.

The barking dogs always seem to be over towards another block of hotels so don't sound as loud as they will over there. They don't seem to be starving - and seem to be 'owned' by the village. There are never 'dozens' of dogs either - or at least not in May. Because the taverna owners don't seem to encourage them, why can't they get together and have them neutered, likewise the cats?

Sandra ( a 'seedy-looking' bird watcher!)
 
Hi Sandra,

I don't want to hijack the thread onto the subject of dogs but I think perhaps things deteriorate by July/August when I visited (2006 & 2007) and there were lots of them and they were definitely starving. Rather ominously the dogs there in 2007 were completely different to the ones in 2006...

David
 
Accommodation and dogs

Hi Sandra and David

Sandra - you're not the only one to ask for the same room at their hotel ;)

David - I've heard others say that the dog situation gets worse during the summer, but in spring when most birders are there, it isn't a real problem although some folk don't like having dogs running around the tavernas when they're eating - little can be done if eating outside, but if it bothers someone that much, they can move inside. OK - thats it about dogs. Lets get back on track.
 
Quoted £800 odd online for return flights by Thomson Air for wife and me, Manchester-Mytiline end of April.
Does anybody actually pay those prices are are they trying to scare people off until the bird tour groups have had their pick?
 
Flights to Lesvos

Hi Ronjax. This happened last year too as the charter companies are intent on filling their package holidays before filling planes up with flight only seats.

You can suck it and see. Prices will eventually come down as we get closer to the season, but last year they didn't drop until very late and by then many had switched to going via Athens for similar price to the late charter flight only prices (I know some folk cancelled completely).

See this page on my website for more info on going via Athens. I've already booked by flights via Athens with Aegean (from Heathrow) for less than £300 return.
 
Thanks Steve. I live in Southport (used to live in the Big City) and its a bugger getting to Heathrow what with a load of gear and all. Bad enough when flights ex Manchester call into Gatwick to pick up.
One year it was £200 cheaper for me and my wife to drive to Liverpool, stay with friends, and travel with them from Manchester even though the flight called at Gatwick and even though we were living a 40 minute drive from Gatwick.
"First" Choice, never "Last Choice" more like it!

Ron
 
Hi Ron. I appreciate there is a north/south divide when it comes to airports and that for those of you up north Manchester is clearly the best option as long as the price you want to pay is available. Personally I'll only fly charter if I absolutely have to, like I had to one way last spring cos of that damned volcano! Still came back with Aegean via Athens tho.
 
ronjax said:
Quoted £800 odd online for return flights by Thomson Air for wife and me, Manchester-Mytiline end of April.
Does anybody actually pay those prices are are they trying to scare people off until the bird tour groups have had their pick?
Click to expand...


Don't know why people pay anything like this.

Go to Cyprus instead.
I've got flights,10 nights acomodation and hire car for less than £400.

And it's much better birding.
 
Cyprus v Lesvos

Hi all
Both locations have their plus points, particularly in terms of migrating specialties and endemics.However I feel that having done both, logistically and hospitality wise, Lesvos wins out.
First timers to Lesvos will probably be surprised by the accessibility both of birding locations and the birds, where as Cyprus (great though it is) is much more spread out.
Although it means flying out a little later, one can always go for the Lesvos package, as most of us do.
Also in Lesvos when eating out, we have not seen any significant rise in Taverna prices over the past 5 years or so, where we found Cyprus more expensive.
Steve Dudley's guide is excellent and a recommended read for anyone going out to Lesvos.
Go to:
http://athene-birdinglesvos.blogspot.com/
Anyway good luck and good birding to everyone, wherever they choose to go!
:t:

http://www.travellingbirder.com/tripreports/view_birding_tripreport.php?id=662
 
Last edited:
Pete,
Birdwatch, February 2011...Page 11
First paragraph.
"Songbirds under European Union and British protection are still being slaughtered in large numbers on land controlled by the MOD Birdlife Cyprus has revealed..."
There is a picture of "sticky limesticks" with Spanish Sparrow, Blackcaps (2) and a Chiffchaff all caught illegally.
Not my idea of birding..!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
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