Here's our trip report for Lesvos 3rd-17th May 2007. It's quite lengthy - only completed the first 5 days yet so here's the first part!
Sandra
REPORT of our TRIP to LESVOS 3rd – 17th May 2007
Stayed at the Aegeon Hotel in Skalla Kalloni (Room 21). Car hired from Billy’s in Petra and booked some weeks before the holiday at a cost of 23 euros a day, full insurance/accident waiver etc..
The travel agent’s car picked us up at 2.00am on Thursday 3rd and we were at the airport in plenty of time for the 6.00am flight to Mytilini – in fact we had plenty of time to walk the half mile or so from Terminal 2 where the tickets said we were flying from, to Terminal 1 where we were actually meant to be!! Our hand luggage wasn’t even weighed at the check-in desk, unlike others who had to pay for excess weight, even though the plane wasn’t full. There didn’t seem to be any consistency between check-in desks. We renewed our friendship with Kalispera and his wife in the departure lounge queue, as well as half a dozen or more people we had met in previous years.
Arriving at our hotel, greeted warmly by Anthi the receptionist, we dropped off our luggage in the room and went straight to Theo’s taverna in the square, where we had beers on the house.
The Kalloni pool now isn’t! It was a dry meadow with no birds to speak of at all – Cetti’s and sedge warblers called from the trees lining the road. Swallows were swooping over the road. There was much evidence of tipping at the side of the road in this area, encroaching onto what used to be the pool. The island has only had 10 days of rain since May 2006 but even allowing for this, the area looked to be very overgrown and wouldn’t have had much open water even with rainfall.
Day 2
The car – a Suzuki - was delivered soon after breakfast – for the first and last time in the fortnight it looked very clean and shiny! Straight to the saltpans where we met a couple from 2 years ago. Here we had marsh harrier, collared pratincole, white winged tern and our favourite bee-eaters. Joan found a tawny pipit on the sheep fields and I walked over to the fence and found ticks! Had rather a nasty experience with sheep ticks in Abernethy Forest once so I stepped very carefully through the short cropped grass. (No, I won’t elaborate on this – not even in a PM!) There were dozens of greater flamingoes over on the pans.
Drove to the new hide but a coach full of school children were there so we will call again tomorrow. We drove back and turned right onto the river bank – the river here was dry for most of the way. Had a group of 8 wood sandpipers. Turned left onto the track past the corn silos then right past the small goat farm. Had lesser grey shrike and two blackbirds.
Then to the shop in the square where Bob was given a can of beer earlier when he called for bananas (I think this was a bribe to bring us back here again). Called in the Kalloni II hotel to look at the bird list.
Day 3
As we were leaving the hotel after breadfast, two minibuses were blocking the drive with all the occupants out and looking up in the sky. Four red-footed falcons were giving excellent views.
As we got to the river the falcons were again there – now a group of about 10 – and very close to us, wheeling about over the field on the far bank. We had common buzzard soon after and then a short-toed eagle. From the hide down the road we had purple & grey herons and avocet, as well as little stint and black-winged stilt.
Drove to Achladeri and on the road towards ‘Derbyshire’ we parked and had ruddy shelduck and great white egret on the far pond, and a short-toed lark on the other side of the road Had a good view of the Kruper’s nuthatch in a tree (near the latrines). The young had apparently fledged a few days previously. Lots of chaffinches. We stopped in the woods to look at some orchids that Bob had been told were special – but he couldn’t remember their name! (Began with ‘S’ !) A man who was training his camera where he had been told was a masked shrike nest came and took photos of the orchids. They were past their best but quite nice specimens. As we were making our way back we had a short-toed treecreeper on a tree near the car, and a cirl bunting carrying food.
When we’d left this site behind, we passed some wonderful fields of poppies on both sides of the road. Our destination was Vatera. As we passed through the village of Polichnitos we saw the white stork nesting on top of the tall chimney. Had red-backed shrike and woodchat shrike as we drove along, together with a spotted flycatcher. Black-headed buntings were everywhere.
On the way we stopped to make sure a terrapin reached the other side of the road safely. A Persian squirrel crossed in front of us too but this was going a bit quicker than the terrapin! When we arrived at Vatera we had drinks by the beach at the lovely taverna (turn right when you reach the coast and the big notice-board – not as much character as the old board, but very smart). Purple stattice was growing wild on the headland. Squacco heron in the reeds of the river.
Day 4
On the way out of the village we called at the mini football pitch and walked towards a group of birders who were looking up at a scops owl. These four birders were Reader, Digi-birder, her husband Keith and Hummerman. Lovely to meet them at last. We had corresponded on the Forum so hoped we would meet them at some point. Brilliant views of the owl high up in the tree – too high up to be bothered by the attentions of cameras and long lenses.
At the ‘band-stand’ (a well-known look-out point for raptors) we met Reader & Co. Cretzschmar’s bunting was seen along with a stonechat and unidentified sparrowhawk which Reader wanted to make into a Levant. Black-eared wheatear were feeding young nearby. The next stop was the Ruppell’s warbler site on the way from Petra to Molyvos, near the disco building. Saw this target bird quite quickly, with the help of other birders. A turtle dove was purring on the telegraph wires. On Petra dam (reservoir) we saw the long staying ferruginous duck, ruff & wood sandpipers. Then into Molyvos and up to the taverna by the castle for a welcome cold drink, looking down on the swifts screeching round the bay. Then we took the rough dirt track from Eftalou to Skala Sikimmia. This is one road that hasn’t really got much better, although it was even worse a couple of years ago. But there are spectactular views over to Turkey and a chance for a bit of sea-watching which I haven’t really perfected yet, even after all my years of birdwatching. Can never see anything – a couple of cormorants flying was all I saw. A redstart was a good tick in the bushes right by the side of the car. It being a Sunday, the village was very busy with families and parking was difficult so we carried on through onto the main road and returned via Madamados and the Napi valley.
Day 5
Today to Sigri, via the top road and Grand Canyon, where we had blue rock thrush and crag martin with a long-legged buzzard flying over. A group of birders were in a lay-by before we arrived at the parking place for Grand Canyon. They were watching a rock sparrow which had taken over the nest of a nuthatch and was giving good views. We passed on this and got it later in the week when the large parties of birders had left.
At the crossroads we had the Isabelline wheatear, including one view of it perched on a road sign. At Ipsilu monastery we saw the rock sparrow – not nesting in the same place as last year as some kind individual thought it necessary to block that nest hole with two pieces of brick. Also seen up there were northern wheatear, black-eared wheatear and Cretzschmar’s bunting.
Once in Sigri we turned right at the junction to Faneromeni ford which we had been told was dry but we had a dozen bee-eaters and rufous bush robin on the way there. We just missed seeing a 5’ snake that two men had been watching on a wall but by the time we had reached it it had slithered into the wall. Back to Sigri where we had a drink at a taverna by the harbour, in the company of Reader, Digi-birder, Hummerman & Keith (sounds like a circus act, doesn’t it? Wonder if they can sand-dance?)
Drove along the dirt track that is the coast road to the other ford 5 miles distant, having a chat with Kalispera as he passed us going into Sigri. The Baillon’s crake had been seen on and off for a week at the ford, though we’d been told it hadn’t been seen yesterday. But someone said it had been there just 3 hrs. earlier. Saw a little crake (looked a bit like a scraggy chicken) squacco heron, sedge warbler & little bittern. After spending an hour here we drove back via Agra & Parakila. Cup of tea, biscuits, shower & out again.
To be continued................
Great report Sandra, got me very jealous...LOL
Great report Sandra.
Never go to Skala Sikimmia on a Sunday or Bank Holiday !
We went one easter (orthodox) sunday and walked off after two hours
of being ignored for our order in favour of locals.
Look forward to part 2 - more info on those sheep ticks please !
Best
Mick & Tina