BirdForum is the net's largest birding community dedicated to wild birds and birding, and is absolutely FREE!

Register for an account to take part in lively discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Penny Clarke" data-source="post: 1239769" data-attributes="member: 40022">Thursday 15th MayNorth Coast and Departure!I got up at 6am and finished packing and we checked out of our apartments and left main suitcases in the reception room to be collected later - I didn’t want to leave at all!We left at 7am to go back to the Yellow house north/west of Molyvos in hope of one last chance of seeing the great spotted cuckoo, but we were out of luck again. BUT we did have 31 Rosy Coloured Starlings fly over our heads!!! We also saw a common whitethroat, subalpine warbler, spotted flycatcher, hooded crows, red backed shrike and an alpine swift.We then put another 10 euros of petrol in the car and then got some food/goodies from a very good mini supermarket on the outskirts of Molyvos - I bought some chocolate croissants, figs and bars of chocolate to take home. We then decided to go up to Molyvos castle which is mean’t to be a good migration watch point (8.45am). Fantastic views up here of the villages and the bay below at both Molyvos and Petra/Anaxos. There were lots of stray cats around up here in the fields - I took several pictures (see my first day posting) including one that looked really scary with a scarred nose he must have been top cat I decided! One of the cats climbed out of rusty bin and another was stalking another cat, whilst others just sat looking sad and painfully thin. I got some record shots of hooded crows and also of a black eared wheatear by a viewing area round the one of the walls of the castle. We made our way back down around the castle and continued our journey towards Efthalou.Just after Efthalou we stopped to view the sea - very high cliffs here. It was very hot today, probably the hottest. Pete and Graham were looking out to sea and I walked up a hillside a few yards because the olive groove/trees behind this garden by the track looked potentially good and I thought if I climbed up a bit I would be able to look into them. I was right, they were good, as all of a sudden Glyn who was standing on the track below me, shouted up to me ‘female golden oriole Penny going over your head’ - well I looked in every direction but I couldn’t see it!!!!!!! Massive dip but there we go, Glyn was the only one to see it and Pete and Graham were round the corner - basically I flushed the oriole for Glyn to see!!! Further along the coastal road we reached a deep culvert (recommended in RB’s book as a migrant trap) where Glyn spotted a Scarce Swallowtail fluttering amongst the roadside flowers - it was beautiful and I took lots of pictures (see pic).(10.30am) This was the highest point on the island and it certainly seemed it! The road followed high hairpin bends overlooking the sea a long way below! This was the most spectacular breathtaking scenery. The road then started to ascend on approach to Skala Sykaminias. Along this stretch of road, the sea was close to our left and to our right the road was lined with tall thick bamboos with olive grooves behind and the sound of birds up here, even this late in the morning was tremendous - I really wish we had had time to stop and I bet this area is very underwatched, goodness knows what was in there! As Skala Skyaminias came into view it was like a picture postcard - the scene of the locals and the harbour and colourful boats was magical. There were locals sitting passing the time of day on seats (see pic) a very old lady dressed completey in black was killing a squid in the water’s edge and then proceeded to beat it with a stick on the wall, she looked up as I was taking photos (see pic). Yellow leg gulls sat on rocks by the harbour wall (see pic) and big colourful flowers were climbing out of pots by cafe doors with wafts of coffee filling the air. We went into a classy craft shop and we all bought something out of there - I bought a string/shell bracelet.We tore ourselves away from here and took the minor road south to Sykaminia and then turned right onto the main road which took us through Argenos and Mithuymna. We stopped on route at a viewing point (with tables and chairs and gazebo type building) and we had amazing views of a short toed eagle being mobbed by a raven! We could see several falcon sp. in the heat haze far away, but could not ID them. I took a picture of a clouded yellow butterfly and also of a sparrow who had in his beak one of the colourful crickets! We left here to do some tourist shopping in Molyvos, but decided to carry on to Petra as your needed a parking ticket it seemed. We passed the great spotted cuckoo site for the last time and tried once more but didn’t see it! But we did have a Lesser grey shrike on the wires near the yellow house along with a sub alpine warbler and turtle doves. We then went to Petra where I bought a book on Lesvos and a small pressent for Pete and Glyn for driving us round all week.We then went back to Anaxos Gardens to re-sort our our baggage. Totally packed now and main luggage had been taken at 4.15pm and we were left with our hand luggage (bins, scope and camera) we decided to have our last lunch out. We walked to Anaxos beach and ate in the nearest restaurant that overlooks the sea. I choose vegetarian spagehitti bolognese and bread and the others asked for omelette with chips - which is literally what they got - when the plates came out they were screeching with laughter as the chips were embedded and cooked into the omelette!!!!!!! The food was lovely though and we had a SPECTACULAR send off - at least 20 bee eaters suddenly came into view and flew straight over the restaurant in the very blue skies - annoyingly I wasn’t quick enough to photograph them. After our lunch we took a few quick pictures of Anaxos beach and on the way back I bought a couple of bottles of olive oil and cashew bars. We walked to the end of the road of Anaxos Gardens joining other holidaymakers to wait for our transfer coach at 5pm. Whilst waiting I photographed 4 red rumped swallows sitting on wires overhead and swallows and house martins flew all around us. A black eared wheatear was in the olive grove right next to us and a bee eater landed on a wire for a second half way down the road! The coach turned up at 5pm and we reluctantly left. The lads slept most of the way to Mytellini airport - but I kept my eyes open the whole time and scanned every wire and dead tree in hope of seeing a roller, but nothing! Quite a good ‘coach list’ though! - 2 rock nuthatches, black eared wheatear, masked shrike, hooded crows, turtle doves and flamingoes.Mytellini airport is very small and situated right next to the sea. At check in, security staff looking at the scanner immediately said ‘tripods - you are birdwatchers?’ - they looked amused. We then were allowed to go outside until our flights had been called, so we did and I walked across the road to the beach just to take a picture.Our flight left at 8.50pm (6.50 UK time). Had a tomato pizza and tea on plane. Take off was extremely quick which didn’t do my head alot of good! We landed at 10.30pm. Left airport at 11.15pm. Graham and Glyn went back to Leicester and Pete and I went back to Norfolk. I had to sing most of the way home to my ‘dance’ CD’s with window open just to get us back - we got back at 3am absolutely shattered! Thats the last time I arrive back at that time!Lesvos is the most beautiful island I have been to so far and extremely rich in natural history - my best holiday abroad yet.I have booked for next year for 2 weeks this time. I didn’t realise how big an island Lesvos was and I want to go to all the places we didn’t have time for and to do lots of photography. Hopefully I will have a dedicated macro lens then aswell!Best Wishes Penny:girl:Pic 1. Scarce Swallowtail. Pic 2. Yellow Leg Gull. Pic 3. Skala Skaminias. Pic 4. Old lady preparing a squid. Pic 5. Locals at the habour at Skala Skaminia</blockquote>

Verification