THE GREEK ISLAND OF LESVOS MAY 2009

 

by Paul Aubrey

 

This would be my third consecutive trip to Lesvos in the first week of May whilst travelling independently by booking the flights, accommodation and car hire may not have been the cheapest option (late minute package deals were available for a fraction of my outlay) I wanted the certainty of staying at my usual accommodation, the Pela Hotel in Skala Kallonis, www.pelahotel.gr, where I know that the owners really do care about their guests and really understand the benefits of eco-tourism.

Flights were booked through Flightline Essex at www.flightline.co.uk, the carrier being Thomson Airways, given the weakness of the pound it proved better value to book the accommodation through Travel Republic, at www.TravelRepublic.co.uk, car hire needed some research as prices seemed to have risen sharply, eventually I found a brilliant deal with Economy cars which included all the insurances needed (no need to give credit card details with the rep on the island) they even sent a proper insurance certificate,  they can be found at www.economycarhire.com

Throughout the report I will, where possible, use the local names for the sites visited and not the commonly used names dreamt up by visiting British birders years ago, I also take the view that the Island belongs to the residents and whilst some of the local approaches to animal welfare fall far short of our accepted standards, and their attitudes to certain species of wildlife and habitat conservation differ from that which we have become accustomed to, there is clearly a local appetite to do as much as they can to facilitate the hordes of birders who wander at will over private property without a care for the damage they are causing; and not least the behaviour of many of the photographers and birders whose activities I witnessed on the island would contravene our own Wildlife and Countryside act, with their desire to almost be inside the nests of some of the birds! These same photographers and birders then having the nerve to complain about varying aspects of the islanders own activities.

 

Daily Account

 

Thursday 30th April

 

An early morning start from Burford meant that there was little traffic on the roads and motorways so I arrived at Gatwick in good time, check-in was a formality and with no queues security was a doddle, the flight departed about half an hour late and we arrived on Lesvos at around 3:30pm, collected the car a basic Hyundai Alto arriving  at the hotel around 5:30pm, the first port of call for anyone staying in the Skala Kallonis area is the Kalloni Pool, now sadly in need of some form of habitat management as it is choked with rushes and despite one  of the wettest winters for many years there was a minimal amount of open water, it would appear that it’s Natura 2000 designation is having a negative effect as no management is being allowed.

Despite the amount of vegetation there was plenty to get the week going, with Eastern Olivaceous Warbler, Squacco Heron, Little Bittern, Black-winged Stilt, and Coot in view, a flock of Barn Swallows were present including at least one of the Eastern Mediterranean race transitiva, which showed the reddish buff under parts clearly. Cetti's Warblers advertised their presence around the edges of the pool and the ubiquitous Crested Larks soon made themselves obvious. Being on my own my choice of half board at the hotel took the need to look for somewhere to eat every night out of the equation, and the quality and quantity of the hotel food is of a good standard.

 

Friday 1st May

 

Determined to get “my monies worth” out of this holiday, I was up and out by 06:15hrs for a morning walk, I went straight to Kalloni Pool where at least one Nightingale could be heard singing there were now two Coot present (tardy winter visitors or summer breeders?) four Squacco Herons and the morning star bird a Spotted Crake no more than a metre away in a ditch, a new bird for me and a brilliant start to the holiday, a walk along the seafront towards the Christou river (Kalloni West River) produced the first of many Wood Sandpipers, Kentish Plover, and a flock of 21 Little Egrets, two Great Cormorants were off the beach and a Collared Pratincole, the only one of the trip for me, eventually got fed up of being harassed by a Hooded Crow

After a good breakfast and lots of coffee it was off to the Tsiknias River (East River)  A great big tern sat on the sandbar was clearly different to the Common Terns and Little Terns sat nearby in fact the bird was a Gull-billed Tern, not far away was a 2nd winter Mediterranean Gull with hawking European Bee-eaters could this get any better, well it did when a small group of five Swifts appeared and right in amongst them was a Pallid Swift, it was close enough to see the mask effect and a noticeably bigger white throat patch. Continuing up the river to the ford gave female Marsh Harrier, A few Wood Sandpipers and a Blue-headed Yellow Wagtail, with Common Sandpiper and Little Ringed Plover to boot. With so much water around this year it looks as though waders would be hard to come by, as usually the area around the ford is awash with them, this year it wasn’t.

Taking the “cross country” route to the Kallonis saltpans, the usual Crested Larks and Corn Buntings caused the usual initial confusion, (remember, as I’ve read somewhere if its brown and on the ground it’s probably a Crested Lark, if it brown and on a bush or a wire it’s probably a Corn Bunting). The channel around the saltpans had Black-winged Stilt, Wood Sandpiper, Ruff two Curlew Sandpipers richly coloured and well into summer plumage, and a group of 15 Little Stints, the water was high with little mud showing, in previous years the waders seemed to be concentrated in a few places around the saltpans but not so today.

The wetlands to the seaward side of the saltpans, (not the sheep fields) the Alykes wetlands were certainly wet this year this area is usually just about damp at this time of year but the winter rains, (with snow on the mountains in January and March) have been the most significant for many years.

A feast of herons with up to nine Grey Herons, two Great White Egrets, three Black Storks, one White Stork, seven Glossy Ibises one Purple Heron and a smattering of Squacco Herons all in view at the same time, a female Whinchat and three Red-throated Pipits provided some passerine interest and a lonesome Shelduck was the wildfowl representative, two stunning Whiskered Terns were fishing within metres of the car, a magical sight.

The weather had been nothing special so far, dry breezy and cool, this changed when I drove to the Polichinitos Saltpans, via the high ground and forests to the north of the pans themselves, truthfully I got myself lost, and it was not to be the last time this holiday! Although in doing so a Grey Wagtail put in a brief appearance in front of the car. However the forest provides the first of several Masked Shrike and Great Tit, these birds seemingly paler and more washed out than at home. Then it rained and rained and thundered and rained, but the effect, well when it stopped raining and I arrived at the Polichinitos pans there were Yellow Wagtails everywhere with several flocks of over twenty birds, all seemingly of the Black-headed Race feldegg, two White Wagtails were also present along with five Shelducks, a group of six Little Stints and three Wood Sandpipers and a Red-throated Pipit. A much needed lunch stop at the beach gave the chance to observe an obvious East to West passage of hirundines and Bee-eaters (a flock of 31) across the Gulf of Kalloni

The journey back towards Skala Kallonis via Acladeri goes via Olive groves and arable crops here Middle Spotted Woodpecker showed well as one flighted towards an obvious nest site. At Messa (Derbyshire) a group of nine Ruddy Shelducks, back at the Kallonis saltpans three Red-rumped Swallows and a Tawny Pipit ended the first exhausting day.

 

Saturday 2nd May

 

Today started with an early, (6:20am) morning visit to Metochi, (Inland Lake), where a few groups of birders were already staring intently into the reeds on the far bank of the lake, first to offer itself up was Reed Warbler, quickly followed by two Little Bitterns, a male then female Little Crake, all the while Barn Swallows were beginning to leave their roost in the reeds whilst Common Swifts were already wheeling overhead, a fly by Middle Spotted Woodpecker and a fleeting female Golden Oriole signalled breakfast!

After my usual fill up at breakfast it was off to the Kalloni saltpans via Tsiknias River where there seemed to be little on show, along the track a Woodchat Shrike popped up followed by a Turtle Dove, the flock of Greater Flamingoes was spread over the furthest pans and numbered around 380 birds, with Avocets in the 100’s, hirundines numbers had certainly increased overnight with 1000’s over the saltpans, two Black-headed Wagtails also present. Moving on to Achladeri, and the well known Kruper's Nuthatch site, where a single male bird was present, actively visiting the nest site in the same tree trunk as last year, A group of French birders were just leaving but not until one them, a photographer, pushed the bird to its limit of tolerance by approaching within a few metres of the tree. Is there really any need to get so close?

A few hundred metres away the star find of the morning was an immature Black-crowned Night Heron roosting in the pines. Driving back towards the Kallonis salt pans you pass through an area of forest which was burned several years ago, this is now an area of dry scrubby pines and thorn bushes just the spot to pull over and spend time looking and scanning the area for warblers, sure enough three cracking male Subalpine Warblers were on territory in the area along with Stonechat and Whitethroat. The recently traditional site for Scops Owl at the football pitch lay-by with a small chapel came up trumps with two birds showing well, (later on in the week they seemed to have disappeared, or maybe moved around to the road side of the trees, I have since learned that the wife of a photographer used a stick to move branches out of the way for a better photograph!)

The journey onwards to Petra on the North West coast was uneventful, it’s not easy or safe to bird and drive when on your own!, at the lay-by opposite the disco Blue Rock Thrush, Crag Martin, Black-headed Bunting, and Black-eared Wheatear, of the pale throated morph were present, disappointingly the Rüppell's Warbler although showing was very distant. European Shag was offshore, with a flock of Red-footed Falcons distant over the hills towards Molyvos. A dark morph Eleonora's Falcon was not so distant and gave good views overhead, Red-rumped Swallows were passing through in small groups of three’s and fours. The Petra reservoir which was empty last year was full this year, the leak or other issue obviously having been fixed, 50 Bee-eaters, a Hobby and a Red-backed Shrike all put in an appearance here.

The drive from Molyvos to Efthalou was uneventful as was the onward journey along the track from Efthalou to Skala Sykaminia, with no sign of any Shearwaters offshore or any Dolphins which along with Audouin's Gull are usually pretty regular here. I decided to call back at Petra reservoir and picked up Short-toed Eagle, Long-legged Buzzard and Raven a pair of Subalpine Warblers, and two Alpine Swifts signalled it was time to head back to the hotel.

 

Sunday 3rd May

 

Today I decided to stay in bed a bit longer, not have an early morning walk but have an earlier breakfast and be out when the groups were heading back for their breakfasts! And it proved a good plan. The intention was to head to Eresos and travel the rough track to Sigri.  I had intended to call in to the hide at Parakila marsh however someone with a box of matches had beaten me to it and I found the hide burnt down!, so the first stop was at Agais Ionnais chapel (Devils Bridge), the first Jays of the trip the subspecies here being that black bereted form atricapillus, Cinereous Bunting could be heard calling from the surrounding area but could I find then No, not today not all week! The track from Eresos to Sigri is usually busy with birders and locals alike but today I seemingly had the whole journey to myself. Spotted Flycatchers were everywhere, there had clearly been a fall of migrants this was confirmed by the Icterine Warblers which were moving up the valley and the Pied Flycatchers which were in the few trees along the side of the track, Whinchats and Stonechats kept popping up and Cretzschmar's Bunting sang from boulders along the whole journey, a family party of Western Rock Nuthatches completed the scene in this seemingly barren landscape.

Reaching Meladia ford I encountered more of the same with two female Golden Orioles and a female Orphean Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat and Red-backed Shrike thrown in to the mix, the star bird was a Thrush Nightingale which flew across the track in front of me and landed in a bush which was bare of leaves, it took the bird a while to work out it was not hidden and I had great views, Woodchat Shrike and  two Marsh Harriers before the small chapel further along the track were overshadowed by six Alpine Swifts, a Great Bittern, Peregrine and Chukar.

Next stop was Faneromeni upper ford, were a male Cirl Bunting was carrying food, Little Bittern, Wood Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper and a Common Snipe, were all down river along with ten’s of Spotted Flycatchers and Black-headed Wagtails. The lower ford had a Cuckoo and a distant hovering Short-toed Eagle, on the beach a Ruddy Shelduck was atop a dead tree.

Even though I’m not great with heights and long drops I decided to try Ipsilou Monastery here SombreTits were feeding a recently fledged youngster, Wood Warblers had clearly arrived and a Little Owl in a tree was almost expected, what was unexpected was the flash of black and white that started mobbing the owl, a cracking male Collared Flycatcher! Keeping a firm grip on the steering wheel I headed back via the Andissa “triangle”, actually a junction of three roads with a triangular shaped road island, and here on cue was Isabelline Wheatear,  even though time was getting on I called in at the Tsiknias river ford and would you know it a superb sherbet lemon male Citrine Wagtail.

 

Monday 4th May

 

Another early morning walk at Metochi, a Great Reed Warbler was newly arrived as well as a Baillon's Crake which showed briefly near the edge and was lost it then flew out of the reeds to another patch watched by me and another birder, we managed to relocate it but it was almost invisible.

After breakfast a visit to the Alykes wetlands found that more herons had arrived with 11 Grey Herons, two Great White Egrets, 10+ Squacco Herons and two Little Egrets and a Purple Heron, with three Black Storks, the height of the vegetation probably hid from view more birds.

I decided that the target today was to be Olive Tree Warbler, so it was off to  one of the most reliable sites at the Napi valley, a calling Hoopoe was soon located, Turtle Doves, Sombre Tit, Blue Tit, Cirl Bunting and Eurasian Nuthatch all in the mixed Oak and Olive tree woodland, several birders could hear Olive Tree Warblers calling and were confused when they were watching Masked Shrikes and hearing the OTW, Masked Shrikes are great mimics and do a good OTW, eventually there was no confusion as the elusive Olive Tree Warbler sat up in the top of an Oak and sang it’s heart out much to everyone’s delight

I had decided to visit a newish reservoir near to Eresos, at Pithariou, (despite its size it’s so new it isn’t shown on any maps), so had to return through Agra where Common Kestrel and Common Buzzard were seen. At Eresos finding the right road would have been easy if I hadn’t decided that the map showed the road going through the town, in fact it doesn’t and goes around the town where after about 200metere sis the signpost for Pithariou Monastery, this track is one of the worst on the islands, probably not helped by the winter rains, however it was worth the nail biting just for the view although 20+ Golden Orioles and 10+ Red-backed Shrike made up for it. A visit to Skala Eresos beach for a sea watch turned up a movement of Yelkouan Shearwaters and a couple of Cory Shearwaters. A late visit to the Tsiknias River ford revealed a single Temminck's Stint while at the river mouth a single Sandwich Tern was in residence. 

 

Tuesday 5th May

 

This morning early start was to the Tsiknias River where there was a single Curlew, four Shelducks and five Grey Plovers most of the plovers were moulting into summer plumage and looked spectacular, the track to the saltpans had two Lesser Grey Shrikes with a male Garganey on the Alykes wetlands, with a female/immature Montagu's Harrier and a Rufous Bush Chat on the beach.

After breakfast I couldn’t resist travelling back to the Eresos to Sigri area and it turned out to be the right decision. There had clearly been a fall of migrants, with Whinchats, Red-backed Shrikes and Icterine Warbler very evident. A single Woodlark on a wire before Meladia Ford and five Linnets on the track it’s self. Stonechats feeding young, I gave Red-backed Shrikes two “ticks” in my note book this tells me there were a lot about, but nothing compared to later in the day. Three Short-toed Eagles, a single Peregrine, three Lesser Kestrels, two Common Buzzards, two Long-legged Buzzards and a Black Kite were good enough but when a couple of birders invited me to drive along the Meladia valley to look for a Roller, it was a no brainer and there they were yes not one but three Rollers, it was a real “purple patch”.

Tearing myself away I drove on through to Sigri and on to Faneromeni upper ford, and here the purple patch continued a large fall of Black-headed Wagtails, Spotted Flycatchers,  up to three Pied Flycatchers, a single White Wagtail and a couple of Red-rumped Swallows, at the lower ford a male and female Citrine Wagtail! The return journey back along the track was to continue in the same vein, a Chukar in exactly the same spot as previously, and then singles of Roller, Purple Heron, Golden Oriole and Peregrine, the last few kilometres of the track before descending into Eresos proved just as good with a single male Northern Wheatear and two female/immature and a male Red-footed Falcons.

 

Wednesday 6th May

 

The penultimate day on the island and so an early start was called for, so by 6:20ams I was at the Tsiknias river mouth where the only bird of any note was a lone Curlew, probably yesterday’s bird, there was little else new in the vicinity of the wetlands or saltpans so back to the hotel for breakfast, and a renew effort later on.

 

I was set on visiting the Chestnut woods above Agiasos, so set off around 8:15am, stopping at the hide on the main road in the NE corner of the Kallonis saltpans as I scanned the area closet to the main road a beady eye came into view and I realised I was looking at a Stone Curlew, then another!, not the closet of views but nevertheless the only ones of the trip, out on the saltpans there were ten Grey Plovers a single drake Mallard and a flock of 17 Black Terns, they had been noticeable by their absence all week long.

I pulled into the Kruper's site at Acladeri and found that apart from a local hound I had the place to myself, the Kruper's Nuthatches were very busy doing what I assumed was feeding young, when in fact when looking at some of the photos they may still have been nest building! The male soon stopped doing anything when a Masked Shrike appeared on the scene and spent a few minutes mobbing it and seeing it off.

For those of you familiar with driving on the island and having visited the Chestnut woods above Agiasos the key to finding your way through the town is to turn left at the Fire Station, well an hour later and a friendly Fruit and Veg man escorted me out of the town back to the Fire Station!!!, eventually I found myself passing the Sanatorium and looking at glorious Orchids and Wild Peony as well as some more familiar if not scare birds in the form of Wren, Robin, Song Thrush, Coal Tit and Mistle Thrush, with Middle Spotted Woodpecker and Short-toed Treecreeper thrown in as well, I must mention the Persian Squirrel that seemed to have a death wish as it scraped itself from under the front wheels of the car.

The journey back took an age not least because the Greek army were on manoeuvres, but when I eventually made it back to Kallonis saltpans the first wader I looked at was a Marsh Sandpiper, continuing on through to Skala Kallonis I drove up the Potamia valley to the hidden reservoir, which was full to the brim and held only Yellow-legged Gulls and a lone Common Sandpiper although Ruddy Darter and Black-tailed Skimmer added some variety, dragonflies had been lacking so far. Continuing up the valley to an obvious bridge Crag Martins and Red-rumped Swallows were nest building, and almost unbelievably the river was running with a decent depth of water. A male Cirl Bunting and Blue Featherleg were the only other points of interest. A last look at the saltpans and a Gull-billed Tern, and three Sandwich Terns ended the day.

 

Thursday 7th May

 

The last day of the holiday, no pre breakfast walk just an early breakfast and farewells to my hosts at the Pela Hotel with the promise to return in 2010, the journey back to Mytilini airport was uneventful, with nothing new to report.

 

My final list of species seen  was 154, quite respectable for the time of year, especially when travelling alone I spent a lot of time wondering what I had missed as I negotiated the potholes, “s” bends, Sheep and army vehicles!

 

Without any doubt Lesvos offers a superb chance of varied exciting birding, accessible sites and hairy driving, getting to the island is easy but seats for flight only travel are limited if you want to fly direct, I’ve already laid plans to return in 2010, this time hopefully for two weeks. If anyone wants more details feel free to e-mail on paul.aubrey@btopenworld.com, visit this great destination soon, but remember please act responsibly, with the interests of the wildlife and the locals in mind.