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Message: <blockquote data-quote="seedyrom" data-source="post: 1828873" data-attributes="member: 25924">Our trip to Lesvos was our first there. We were fortunate enough to fly out on one of the first flights to operate after the first ash crisis. Same flight as you, Steve and Colin Bushell. We stayed in Anaxos. Deserted. Perfect. I absolutely loved the island and would love to go back - I hope it never gets spoilt.We enjoyed our birding but a week wasn't really long enough to cover everywhere though we did have a good try! We are not very experienced and tend to keep to ourselves but found most birders helpful when we plucked up the courage to ask! Except for the Brit I asked about the single ruff on the kalloni saltpans who didn't reply but looked at me as if I'd just offered him a twopenny upright! Good job I wasn't asking about a .... cormorant! <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" /> We were a little non-plussed when we invited a couple to look at "our" roller as they didn't seem to have a scope and their replies were: "I believe you" and "We saw one this morning". Our book fell apart on the second day - yes, Steve. It was one of yours but we have seen your post about getting it replaced. Great stuff. Thanks. Ours is just single pages now - made it easy to carry though!Our most upsetting experience was on the day we went to the dry saltpans. We went down to a tiny coastal settlement where there was a cafe open. We ordered Greek coffee (yummy) and a snack. As it was very windy we sat in a sort of conservatory area - you know the type: chairs and tables with plastic sheeting round. Up in the corner against the main building was a swallow's nest. It was grand sitting there watching the mum while dad flitted in and out. I was really envious! Then the male flew into the cafe proper which was quite large and high-ceilinged. The elderly owner watched for a while looking bemused, then she opened an extra door and tried to shoo him out by waving stuff at him. He just got more and more confused as he could see his mate on the other side of the window. Eventually the woman climbed onto a table and used a window pole to open the window - we thought it was so the male could fly straight to the nest and his mate but she had other ideas and kept banging the window until the nest dropped down and the eggs smashed on the floor. Poor birds - they were besides themselves. Somehow the day had lost its sparkle and we left unhappy.I will set to and start my report now!</blockquote>

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