Lesbos trip report 12^th – 26^th September 2002

by Terry Fenton 

I read with great interest David Owen’s Lesbos trip report and these notes effectively form an addendum to his report. 

This was also a ‘family’ package holiday based at Molyvos with my non-birding, but very tolerant wife Barbara! I took the odd day to explore the habitats and see what was around. 

Timing is everything with birding and 13^th September was too late for the summer visitors, but some interesting migrants compensated for this. I too recommend that anyone visiting the island purchase a copy of ‘Birding in Lesbos’ by Richard Brooks; it’s essential reading to whet the appetite and an invaluable guide to the various birding locations. Also very useful is the ‘Road editions’ 1:70 000 road map priced at 4.5 euros. Car hire is obviously useful, especially for longer distances, but I found a scooter to be fun and versatile. If a bird showed, you simply pulled over and stopped, without having to wait half a mile for a safe passing point. 

Diary (Page Numbers refer to the relevant site description in ‘Birding in Lesbos’) 

13^th Sept  Aeolis Hotel, Molyvos 

A quick walk to the local beach – Kestrel, lots of Crested Larks, juvenile Red-backed Shrikes and a juvenile Woodchat Shrike on wires; a very yellow ‘willow warbler’ picking its way through tall weeds, on reflection, may have been an Icterine Warbler (I didn’t tick it!). I did, however, tick an Isabelline Wheatear - very pale brown, with whitest part of the supercilium in front of the eye- standing very erect and making frequent sorties from an old concrete fence post. This bird stayed around until the 19^th.

Sunbathing by the pool, reading my ‘Birding in Lesbos’ Barbara asked casually “Are they worth looking at?” I looked up to see a pale phase Booted Eagle circling with two much larger uniformly dark eagles, “Er - YES!” I said as I scrambled for the bins. The eagles had no distinguishing features but were quite long-winged. I later concluded they were Lesser Spotted Eagles. All three birds gained height and drifted south. A Peregrine flew past, probably one of the breeding pair on cliffs to the south of Molyvos and seen subsequently throughout the holiday. 

14^th Sept  Molyvos (p59) 

Woke to see 30+ distant raptors come in off the sea over Eftalu. They spiralled in a thermal and drifted south. A morning walk to the castle produced a Black-eared Wheatear, and the ubiquitous Crested Larks; then another 25 raptors arrived off the sea. I guessed they were Honey Buzzards, and as they circled overhead the telltale double bar at the base of the tail was obvious. The wings seemed longer than Common Buzzard and narrower at the base.

In the castle, I was attracted to a loud trilling and peered over the top of the wall to see a Rock Nuthatch making its noisy ascent. Enjoying the views of Turkey from the castle walls another 25 Honey Buzzards arrived low off the sea, circled around the castle, gained height and glided south towards Petra. As I watched them silently drift away it was a marvellous and moving sight, though I couldn’t help but wonder what fate would befall other raptors taking the Italy/Malta route to Africa.

A Peregrine gave a fly past and as we descended into the labyrinth of the town streets another five Honey Buzzards arrived.   

15^th Sept  Molyvos - Petra 

Woke to see another 18 Honey Buzzards in off the sea. A walk around the southern side of the town produced six Whinchats, black-crowned Jays, many Hooded Crows and Swallows (but no Red-rumped). I spent an hour at the bridge over the (dry) river on the Vafios road (p58) trying to locate the three individual (woodpeckers?) chattering from the olive groves. Then a thrush sized bird with undulating flight appeared overhead and landed in a plane tree. It wasn’t a woodpecker but a female Golden Oriole! A Jay was also calling (or was this another oriole?). A Persian Squirrel was feeding in the olive trees. 

Walking to Petra, the lay-by on the coast road (p58) produced singing Cirl Buntings, Hoopoe, Redstart, White Wagtail, many Whitethroats and a Blue Rock Thrush that darted behind a boulder. Working round the headland I flushed two Chukars. A Purple Heron appeared from the direction of the Petra dam, flew out to sea, turned south and headed towards Petra! In Petra, two cormorants were in the bay, and another five Honey Buzzards came in off the sea. 

16^th Sept  Petra dam (p58) 

Only juvenile Red backed Shrikes and Crested Larks before the dam. The reservoir was only a pool of water 50 metres wide and had seven Little Grebes, three Greenshank, two Kentish Plovers, four Common Sandpipers, a Ruff, and best of all a Short-toed Eagle, which obligingly hovered over the ridge below the dam and gave great views. Bee-eaters were heard overhead (has anyone noticed whenever Central news do a ‘countryside’ story they often overdub the soundtrack with Bee-eaters!?!). 

Kalloni west river mouth (p29) – Only two Little Egrets, two Grey Herons, and a Curlew, but looks a promising site. 

Kalloni inland lake (p35) – An irrigation pond – piles and piles of Terrapins (literally). 

Western saltpans (p41) – A quick visit, 300 Avocets were impressive, as were 1000+ Greater Flamingos including juveniles, 11 Little Egrets and five (Whiskered?) terns resting on distant poles. Hunters were beating the ‘flooded sheep fields’(p40). 

Molyvos – In the evening I finally got to see a very noisy Scops Owl illuminated by streetlights as it hopped around the plane tree in the Sansibal Taverna (excellent lamb & prunes!). 

17^th Sept  Skala Sikaminias (p60)

Many chattering (woodpeckers?) deep within the olive groves, and many loafing Yellow-legged Gulls in the harbour with four Little Egrets on rocks by the sea! I thought seven Grey Herons in pine trees overlooking the harbour were also unusual. A large raptor to the west was too distant to identify. 

Molyvos 7pm 13 Grey Herons flew over the hotel from the east (same birds as above?).   

18^th Sept  Pinewoods above ‘bandstand’ & pools (p61) 

The pinewoods were largely silent (as they often are) but an hours searching produced a family party of Blue Tits and Great Tits together with a dingy looking Short-toed Treecreeper. 

Kalloni West River (p29) – A Short toed Eagle and a flock of 30+ ‘Yellow’ Wagtails had both Blue-headed and Black-headed among them.

Eastern saltpans (p40) – Many Flamingos, but standing on one of the compartment walls was a solitary Black Stork. Further along the eastern perimeter track there were five Great White Egrets loosely associating with Little Egrets and Grey Herons, nine Shelduck and three Shovelers. Bee-eaters were heard overhead. 

Derbyshire (p42) – Another four Great White Egrets, and seven Grey Herons. 

Picnic spot by pines (p43) – Kingfisher, Rock Nuthatch, Blackcaps and Blackbirds. 

Achladeri (Kruper’s site) (p44) – Silent, with a female Pied Flycatcher. 

19^th Sept  ‘Our beach’ (east of Molyvos) 

A Kingfisher diving from rocks into the sea. 

Anaxos beach (p62) – c50 Mediterranean Shearwaters by offshore island. 

20^th Sept.  Below Vafios (p60) 

Many juvenile Red backed Shrikes, singing Cirl Buntings, chattering (woodpeckers? – still not seen one!).   

Mount Lepetimnos(p61) – Below the military look-out a pair of Rock Nuthatches, and scrambling across to the rocky crag overlooking Molyvos, I flushed a large falcon, which then, most annoyingly drifted away and into the sun before I had a chance to view it (probably a Peregrine, though other birders had seen Lanner here earlier in the week). Ten Ravens drifted over from the ‘communications’ crag to keep me company as ate my sarnies and took in the view. Descending, a juvenile Sparrowhawk crossed the track. At the main road a Goshawk appeared and circled to be joined by a male Sparrowhawk that was tiny by comparison.                                               

21^st Sept  ‘Our beach’ (east of Molyvos) 

Four Ravens squabbling over a lizard. 

22^nd Sept Ipsilou Monastery (p72) 

On the slopes below the monastery two Woodlarks were singing (just as shown on the map p238). The monastery was birdless but interesting and afforded great views to the neighbouring islands. 

Skala Eressos – Sigri track (p77) 

The hills were very barren and reminded me of the Yorkshire Pennines! (perhaps we should call this area ‘Yorkshire’ as in ‘Derbyshire’ (p42)). I did see a Blue Rock Thrush. Hunters were working the Meladia river mouth so we didn’t stop. 

                Petrified Forest 

23^rd Sept. Molyvos (p58) 

I returned to the Golden Oriole site (15^th Sept) to try and spot the chattering (woodpeckers?). After an hour of patient but unsuccessful stalking I decided to sit at the base of an olive tree providing a clear view of many stems and wait. Within 20 minutes a Middle Spotted Woodpecker swooped to the base of a nearby olive tree and worked its way up into the crown. It repeated the process twice again. The red crown and white cheeks were very obvious. At last! 

Molyvos castle (p59) – Ten Serins were in the pines with a single Song Thrush (an early winter visitor?). Out at sea, hunting Tuna breaking out of the water was something I’d not seen before - quite spectacular! 

24^th Sept. Aeolis hotel 

Woke to see another three Honey Buzzards come in off the sea. They flew very close to the ground against a very strong southerly wind and an adult male flew directly at me only veering away at the last minute. They took an hour to get to Vafios only 2.5 miles away. 

In the evening three Little Owls were calling from electricity poles. 

25^th Sept  Molyvos castle (p59) 

Peregrine cruising again, and the fields to the east had an Isabelline Wheatear, two Whinchats and two Spotted Flycatchers. 

We both have visited over a dozen Greek Islands over the years and are firm grecophiles but felt that Lesbos was somehow ‘special’. Most visitors we met had been more than once and everybody recommended a spring visit. The day after returning home Barbara booked a two week holiday for the following May! I’d better brush up on my ident skills!

                                    Sunset over Molyvos