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Vacational Trip Reports
Lesvos 8th-15th May 2008
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<blockquote data-quote="Penny Clarke" data-source="post: 1239610" data-attributes="member: 40022"><p><span style="color: Red"><span style="font-size: 15px"><strong>Sunday 11th May</strong></span></span></p><p></p><p><strong>Potomia valley and Kalloni inland lake</strong></p><p></p><p>We left at 8.20am and round one of the hair pin bends on the way to <strong><em>Kalloni</em></strong> we stopped at a viewing point for a quick scan and saw some unbelievable birds including <strong>Cretzschmar’s bunting</strong>, <strong>ortolan bunting</strong> (<em>see pic</em>), <strong>black eared wheatear</strong>, a stunning <strong>cirl bunting</strong>, <strong>eurasian jay</strong> (<em>see pic</em>), <strong>rock nuthatch</strong>, a <strong>black stork</strong> circling above, <strong>long legged buzzard</strong> and a <strong>house sparrow</strong>. All of these were seen within about 10 minutes!!! We then continued on to the <strong><em>soccer pitch at Kallini</em></strong> and had amazing views of the <strong>scops owl</strong> perched motionless in the top of a eucalyptus tree (see pic) (9.45am). We then continued on to the <strong><em>Kalloni pool area</em></strong> and parked on a rough track. It was quite hot already and <strong>3 bee eaters</strong> were flitting about in the sunshine and we had wonderful close views of a <strong>little bittern</strong> fishing in the river by a bridge (<em>see pic</em>). There was <strong>a 2nd little bittern</strong>, a <strong>woodchat shrike</strong>, <strong>cettis warbler</strong> singing, <strong>olivaceous warbler</strong> right next us in bush, <strong>little grebe</strong>, <strong>moorhen</strong>, <strong>crested lark</strong>, <strong>black headed bunting</strong>, <strong>2 alpine swifts</strong>, <strong>great tits</strong>, <strong>blue tits</strong>, <strong>2 whiskered terns</strong> and more <strong>terrapins</strong> on a log! It was very beautiful here. Several <strong>dragonflies</strong> including one laying eggs on a stem in the water by the bridge (<em>see pic</em>). There was a <strong>tiny baby terrapin</strong>, no more than a couple of inches long sitting on a branch in the water! We decided this would be a good spot for lunch.</p><p></p><p>Not far along the track when we left here (2pm) we screeched to a stop to watch a <strong>massive lime green cricket</strong> sitting bang in the middle of the white dust track (<em>see pic</em>). We continued on to the <strong><em>Potomia Valley</em></strong> and parked the car by the <strong><em>concrete weir</em></strong>. It was mountainous here and below us was a wide, fast running river backed by mountainous terrain. Looking over the bridge we got very excited (well Graham wasn’t he doesn’t like snakes!) as below in the rocks was what looked like a <strong>Dice Snake</strong> (<em>see pic</em>). There were several <strong>marsh frogs</strong> sitting about in the rocks too. We walked up the track which followed the river through beautiful olive grooves, fig trees, oak and maples. We saw <strong>2 turtle doves</strong>, <strong>sub alpine warbler</strong>, <strong>woodchat shrike</strong>, <strong>2 whinchats</strong> and <strong>2 black storks</strong>. We didn’t see the hoped for olive tree warbler. It was very hot now and we were steadily climbing in the hottest part of the day. We all decided to have an afternoon nap under a spider ridden, shady tree (didn’t realise this until we got up a bit later!!!) When we did get up, the lads all had olive stained bums/trousers which we were in stitches about (sensible me had laid down on my mac!). Suddenly Pete said ‘<strong>Sombre Tit</strong>’!!!!! - there it was yards from us in the tree (3pm) - couldn’t believe it and I got some record shots (<em>see pic</em>). A <strong>big blue metallic beetle</strong> was flying about - I have no idea what type it was. <strong>Nightingales</strong> were singing everywhere and <strong>3 red rumped swallows</strong> sat on wires. A <strong>snake rattled away</strong> in the tinder dry stoned area by a fence but it was so quick I didn’t see it unfortunately, but the rattle sounded like one of the venomous ones!!! On the way back down the track we saw a couple of <strong>balkan lizards</strong> basking on rocks, not close enough to photograph though, 1 or 2 <strong>blackbirds</strong> and a <strong>buzzard sp.</strong></p><p></p><p>Back at the car we continued our good luck with 2 more stonking birds - Glyn spotted high up on the ridge a <strong>blue rock thrush!!!</strong> (6.45pm when I saw it) (which we all managed to get our scopes on eventually and then I spotted a <strong>ROCK THRUSH</strong>!!! (6.10pm) which Pete saw aswell but Glyn and Graham sadly didn’t (I was very cocky about finding this for a while and apparently they are quite rare here!). We were all on a high now!!!! <strong>10 crag martins</strong> skimmed about over the bridge! As we packed our things into the car I spotted a stunning <strong>cirl bunting</strong> on the wires (6.55pm). We also then picked up on a <strong>falcon sp.</strong> very high distanly on the ridge but couldn’t ID it.</p><p></p><p>We drove back and got some sandwich supplies and went to a restaurant where the lads had a fantastic mixed grill, but my vegetarian meal wasn’t up to much! Got to sleep about 11.15pm.</p><p></p><p><em>Pic 1. Ortolan Bunting. Pic 2. Eurasian Jay. Pic 3. Scops Owl. Pic 4. Little Bittern. Pic 5. Woodchat Shrike</em></p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Penny Clarke, post: 1239610, member: 40022"] [COLOR="Red"][SIZE="4"][B]Sunday 11th May[/B][/SIZE][/COLOR] [B]Potomia valley and Kalloni inland lake[/B] We left at 8.20am and round one of the hair pin bends on the way to [B][I]Kalloni[/I][/B] we stopped at a viewing point for a quick scan and saw some unbelievable birds including [B]Cretzschmar’s bunting[/B], [B]ortolan bunting[/B] ([I]see pic[/I]), [B]black eared wheatear[/B], a stunning [B]cirl bunting[/B], [B]eurasian jay[/B] ([I]see pic[/I]), [B]rock nuthatch[/B], a [B]black stork[/B] circling above, [B]long legged buzzard[/B] and a [B]house sparrow[/B]. All of these were seen within about 10 minutes!!! We then continued on to the [B][I]soccer pitch at Kallini[/I][/B] and had amazing views of the [B]scops owl[/B] perched motionless in the top of a eucalyptus tree (see pic) (9.45am). We then continued on to the [B][I]Kalloni pool area[/I][/B] and parked on a rough track. It was quite hot already and [B]3 bee eaters[/B] were flitting about in the sunshine and we had wonderful close views of a [B]little bittern[/B] fishing in the river by a bridge ([I]see pic[/I]). There was [B]a 2nd little bittern[/B], a [B]woodchat shrike[/B], [B]cettis warbler[/B] singing, [B]olivaceous warbler[/B] right next us in bush, [B]little grebe[/B], [B]moorhen[/B], [B]crested lark[/B], [B]black headed bunting[/B], [B]2 alpine swifts[/B], [B]great tits[/B], [B]blue tits[/B], [B]2 whiskered terns[/B] and more [B]terrapins[/B] on a log! It was very beautiful here. Several [B]dragonflies[/B] including one laying eggs on a stem in the water by the bridge ([I]see pic[/I]). There was a [B]tiny baby terrapin[/B], no more than a couple of inches long sitting on a branch in the water! We decided this would be a good spot for lunch. Not far along the track when we left here (2pm) we screeched to a stop to watch a [B]massive lime green cricket[/B] sitting bang in the middle of the white dust track ([I]see pic[/I]). We continued on to the [B][I]Potomia Valley[/I][/B] and parked the car by the [B][I]concrete weir[/I][/B]. It was mountainous here and below us was a wide, fast running river backed by mountainous terrain. Looking over the bridge we got very excited (well Graham wasn’t he doesn’t like snakes!) as below in the rocks was what looked like a [B]Dice Snake[/B] ([I]see pic[/I]). There were several [B]marsh frogs[/B] sitting about in the rocks too. We walked up the track which followed the river through beautiful olive grooves, fig trees, oak and maples. We saw [B]2 turtle doves[/B], [B]sub alpine warbler[/B], [B]woodchat shrike[/B], [B]2 whinchats[/B] and [B]2 black storks[/B]. We didn’t see the hoped for olive tree warbler. It was very hot now and we were steadily climbing in the hottest part of the day. We all decided to have an afternoon nap under a spider ridden, shady tree (didn’t realise this until we got up a bit later!!!) When we did get up, the lads all had olive stained bums/trousers which we were in stitches about (sensible me had laid down on my mac!). Suddenly Pete said ‘[B]Sombre Tit[/B]’!!!!! - there it was yards from us in the tree (3pm) - couldn’t believe it and I got some record shots ([I]see pic[/I]). A [B]big blue metallic beetle[/B] was flying about - I have no idea what type it was. [B]Nightingales[/B] were singing everywhere and [B]3 red rumped swallows[/B] sat on wires. A [B]snake rattled away[/B] in the tinder dry stoned area by a fence but it was so quick I didn’t see it unfortunately, but the rattle sounded like one of the venomous ones!!! On the way back down the track we saw a couple of [B]balkan lizards[/B] basking on rocks, not close enough to photograph though, 1 or 2 [B]blackbirds[/B] and a [B]buzzard sp.[/B] Back at the car we continued our good luck with 2 more stonking birds - Glyn spotted high up on the ridge a [B]blue rock thrush!!![/B] (6.45pm when I saw it) (which we all managed to get our scopes on eventually and then I spotted a [B]ROCK THRUSH[/B]!!! (6.10pm) which Pete saw aswell but Glyn and Graham sadly didn’t (I was very cocky about finding this for a while and apparently they are quite rare here!). We were all on a high now!!!! [B]10 crag martins[/B] skimmed about over the bridge! As we packed our things into the car I spotted a stunning [B]cirl bunting[/B] on the wires (6.55pm). We also then picked up on a [B]falcon sp.[/B] very high distanly on the ridge but couldn’t ID it. We drove back and got some sandwich supplies and went to a restaurant where the lads had a fantastic mixed grill, but my vegetarian meal wasn’t up to much! Got to sleep about 11.15pm. [I]Pic 1. Ortolan Bunting. Pic 2. Eurasian Jay. Pic 3. Scops Owl. Pic 4. Little Bittern. Pic 5. Woodchat Shrike[/I] [/QUOTE]
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Lesvos 8th-15th May 2008
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