Lesvos 27th April to 4th May 2023

27th April 

Day 1 of our latest trip to Lesvos flying out a week earlier than normal. Jet 2 is now our direct carrier from Stansted. 

We arrived just after mid day, collected our hire car from outside from Lesvos car hire, weeks hire for £144. Headed south along the coast looking for Ruppels Warbler at Charamida.  It was very windy and surprisingly cold so unfortunately the birds weren't highly visible with just a couple of flight views. The Sardinian Warblers showed better as did the Cretzschmar's Buntings and the first Woodchat shrike of the trip.

Continued onto Loutra where we had probably 10 Laughing doves and the usual Taverna put some seed down for us so the birds would show well whilst we could have some food and drink. Easy birding. The lady who owned the Taverna showed us the new nest too. Back at the car 2 Short toed eagles showed nicely above us.  

We headed towards Skalla Kalloni birding on the way, where we were stopping at the hotel Pela this time, just behind the Kalloni Bay.

At Mesa our first Great Snipe on the coastal pool as was a Ruddy Shelduck, drake Garganey. Wood Sandpipers were everywhere and 2 Squacco Heron showed well. 

Onto East Hide (Hide 1) where a nice surprise were 20 Gull Billed Terns,and 6 White Winged black Terns, we were looking into the sun by now so views weren't great.

Onto the Salt-pans, again the wind was making viewing uncomfortable so didn't stop long, Black Stork, loads of Little Stint Ruff and usual Waders. It was our first day so wasn't going to go mad, time to check in to the hotel and go get food.  From the hotel Scops Owl calling. 

28th April 

Day 2 Decided to stay local and nip over to the Potamia Valley, its always good here with Olive Tree Warbler, Orphean Warblers and 3 Species of Shrike. Red Backed, Masked and Woodchat Shrike. A Barred Warbler was seen but i missed that one. Our first Golden Oriole of the trip was a bonus. On Potamia Old Res a Little Bittern and Little Crake seen. I picked up high in the sky 9 Alpine Swifts. Bird of the day though a female Levant Sparrowhawk. 

Had a look at the Christou River were we saw 10 Curlew Sandpiper, 3 or 4 Stone Curlews, a few Little Stint and over head a male and female Peregrine.

Over at the Salt-pans had views of 9 distant Red Footed falcons, 7 Collard Pratincoles were in the fields, 3 Black Stork, 6 White stork and a fly over Red throated pipit. 

Finally a walk up the Tsiknias River produced a Spotted Crake, a rare as hens teeth Jack Snipe, 5 Glossy Ibis and our first Bee Eaters.

Ended the day walking around Skalla Kalloni

29th April 

Day 3 A really nice day at Ipsilou Monastery. The drive up had 20+ Turtle Doves Golden Orioles, Eastern Bonellis Warblers, Wood Warblers and Isabelline Wheatears. Ipsilou itself, had a male and female Collard Fly, Wood warblers, More Golden Orioles, Black-eared Wheatears and 4 Pied Flycatchers. Rock Sparrow were easy this year but Cinereous Buntings weren't, did see 1. Crested Larks were everywhere.

Lunch at Sigri watching 1000s of Yelkouan Shearwaters, handful of Scopolis too. Jackdaws, Shag, a Lesser Kestrel along side common and a single Eleonora's Falcon.

The road to the petrified forest VC was excellent, my best ever views of Cinereous Bunting, Red throated pipits at the pools and 7 Golden Oriole by the VC. Ruff in the pools and Whitethroat too. 

Whinchats were looking stunning now too along the road, our first and only Little owl, plenty of Black headed buntings.

30th April 

Day 4 Balcony birds, Turtle Dove, Hooded Crow, Spanish Sparrow and Bee Eaters. 

Christou River birds including 20 Little Stint, a few Showy Red throated Pipits, Kentish Plovers, Stone Curlews and a distant Lesser Grey Shrike. Short toed lark bird of the morning. 

Kalloni bay pool a Great Bittern.

Onto Motochi lake my first lifer of the trip in the form of a Ballions Crake, Also a Little Crake here too. 3 Species of crake seen over last 2 days, amazing. 3 Little Bittern showed nicely. 

Ballions crake below.

Little Crake below

Had a walk and a few drinks in Kalloni village, ticked but wasn't very exciting. 

Moved onto Achladeri forest having lunch at our favorite tavern on the beach, then onto a woodland somewhere but did enjoy the poppy fields on the way and then views of Krupers nuthatch, Cirl buntings, Short toed Tree creepers and Long tailed tits. 1 Wood pigeon flushed from the woods, maybe rarest bird of the day. 

Returned via the Salt-pans, stopping at east hide for a Dalmatian Pelican, Corn buntings everywhere again.  

Finished at the Tsiknas river, for a nice drake Ferruginous duck, the Jack Snipe and Glossy Ibis again more Bee eaters and a Sedge Warbler. The Red Footed Falcons were still putting on a good display. 

May 1st

Day 5 Started at the east side of the salt-pans for 2 Fan tailed Warbler and the Dalmatian Pelican again, 3 White winged terns, Curlew 12 Grey Plover and a Turnstone. The Flamingos were a bit closer than normal.

Bucket list today was the Moire Viaduct near Mitilini, and incredible Roman structure, huge too. birds here were Lesser Grey Shrike and Hoopoes.

A short walk around Mitilini wasn't for us again but ticked off, typically the castle was closed which is why we visited.

Returned via Charamida again where 3 Ruppels seen, the Sardinans again and Cretzschmar's showed well again. 

Back at Skalla Kalloni i walked the beach to the Tsiknas river and managed to see 2 singing Rufous Bushchat.   

Having lunch at Sampos when a call came through from a pal about Long eared owl around the corner, just had to nip and see it.

That evening, Scops and Little owl calling from the hotel. 

May 2nd

Day 6 Nipped back for yesterdays Long eared Owl where 2 Young had now left the nest, one then fell from the nest and eventually a mate of mine was able to get a ladder and put it back in, the cats would have had a field day had it not been put back. I did manage a few on the ground shots before it got put back.

Moved onto the Salt pans again this time for a Spur Winged Plover, a bird i always want to see on my trips here, one had been seen before i arrived so i was pleased i got another chance. 

Rushed back to our hotel as River warbler had been seen and heard, well tape lured into the open, would have been a lifer had i seen it which i didn't.... I did find another Lesser Grey Shrike whilst waiting and hoping to see or hear the River Warbler.

Onto Molivos for the rest of the day, we do love it hear and enjoyed the taverns overlooking the bay and then the harbor area which was fantastic. No birds of note really.

Did nip into Petra Res but no birds of note here either.

Back at Skalla Kalloni where i was tipped off to where a Scops owl was seen and i wasn't disappointed, the Causican Squirrel was in the same area. Saw the LEO again and then after dark waited for the Barn Owl to pop out of x Diana's shop chimney which it did. 4 Owl Week.

 

May 3rd 

Day 7 Had the day back at Ipsilou Monastery  Starting with Crag Martin and Blue Rock Thrush on the way. Once at Ipsilou i managed another lifer in the form of a Thrush Nightingale, singing away down the valley, a Male Levant Sparrowhawk was a great surprise and it was close too. Goshawk through the valley, a dark Eleonora's falcon, more Rock Sparrows and a Sombre tit, an Orphean warbler showed nicely. The Northern and Black eared Wheatears showed well again too. 

Visited Faneromeni beach area before lunch, found a Rufous Bushchat by the church in the rock, an incredible little place, groups of up to 20 Black headed buntings, and a few other bits including Red backed shrikes. 

 

Back to Sigri for lunch where we had 2 Long legged buzzards sat on the ground and one took to the air how different they looked, our first of the trip. We then headed back past the Monastery Limonos . . A tree frog was the highlight as well as the Monastery itself.

May 4th

Day 8 last day on the Island, so took some photos from the Hotel Pela of the Hooded crows and Spanish Sparrows. Also walked the beach again for Bushchat, Black Storks, Orphean Warblers, Little Ringed Plovers black and blue headed Wagtails. A nice way to finish out trip. Back at the airport we checked in and then sat outside waiting to board, 2 Dalmation Pelicans flew North and a Scopolis shearwater gave good close views. and excellent weeks holiday already booked for a trip at the end of September...

In total 159 Species for the trip list here.