The last time we were on Lesvos, was in May The year after that we visited Southern Portugal and last year we went to Samos.

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1 Tripreport Lesvos 2016 The last time we were on Lesvos, was in May The year after that we visited Southern Portugal and last year we went to Samos. I wanted to go to Lesvos again this spring and my wife Trudie wanted that too. So from 3 till 13 May I went for the fifth time to this beautiful island. For Trudie it was the fourth time. Like previous trips, we stayed at the Pela Hotel in Skala Kallonis. We had some problems in advance, while our flight company cancelled all flights to Lesvos, because of the refugee crisis. Fortunately we managed to find an other company that still did fly to Lesvos. Tuesday 3 May: At exactly 2:00 am we drove off home. An hour later we were in the parking lot where we had reserved a place for our car. We had to wait about half an hour on the bus, which took us from the parking lot to the airport. I had already checked in via the Internet, so we only had to deliver our luggage, which went very smoothly. After the security checks we had something to eat and to drink. At 06:05 am we took off and at 10:15 am (Greek time) we landed at Samos. After the passengers for Samos got out, we had to leave the plane during refueling and drove in a bus a short while over the airport. Then we could go back in the plane. After some new passengers came on board, we were up again for a short flight to Lesvos. We landed around noon at the airport of Mitilini, had our luggage quite fast and also at the car rental things went smoothly. Around 13:00 we left the airport and after about an hour we were at the hotel, where we were warmly greeted by Thekla. We had a drink on the terrace and chatted with her for a while. Thekla told us that last winter had been a very mild winter with little rain, making the most of the wetlands now totally dry. We then went to our room. We had a choice of two rooms and chose a room in the main building overlooking the pool and the sea. Trudie went to bed for a while and I made a tour around Kalloni and Skala Kallonis. During that tour I saw the most common bird species, you almost everywhere encounter on the island: European Bee-eater, Barn Swallow, Hooded Crow, Black-capped Jay, Yellow-legged Gull, Corn Bunting, House Sparrow, House Martin, Crested Lark, Collared Dove and Black-headed Bunting. These birds I saw almost every day, so I will not mention them anymore in the rest of the report. Near Limni Metochi I parked the car and saw these beautiful olive grove full of poppies. Along the canals were a lot Stripe-necked Terrapins.

2 I saw and heard Black-headed Buntings everywhere and there was a beautiful male in the top of a fig tree. In the evening we had thunder and rain, so we went by car to the village to eat. We had diner at Ambrosia and this became our place to eat for the rest of our stay, although we have eaten a few times at the hotel. Birds: Black Stork Black-winged Stilt Common Blackbird Common Moorhen Eurasian Blue Tit Eurasian Scops Owl Greater Flamingo Lesser Grey Shrike Little Egret Little Ringed Plover Little Stint Mallard Masked Shrike Northern Shoveler Pied Avocet Purple Heron Red-backed Shrike Ruff Wood Sandpiper Black-winged Stilt

3 Wednesday 4 May: This morning I stayed in bed until breakfast. After breakfast we went out to the little bakery in the harbor of Skala Kallonis for fresh pies for lunch. We did this almost every morning because their pies are delicious. Then we followed the road to the west of the Bay of Kalloni. Just before Parakila we headed left and drove to Krokala. I had never been there before and it turned out to be very nice spot. We drove through olive groves, along a river and eventually we reached a small fishing port. Then we went to the chapel of Agios Ioannis near Parakila. After that we went on to the beach of Makara.!

4 In exactly the same place as three years ago I saw another pair of Little Ringed Plovers between the pebbles on the beach. When driving back In the valley we saw a Little Owl close to the road, while it was hunting. On our way back to Skala Kallonis I saw a Ruddy Shelduck in the Potamia River. We then went for a walk near Kalami Marsh at the junction of the road from Kalloni to Mitilini, at the exit to Achladeri. Here we saw a Red-backed Shrike, a Red-rumped Swallow, some Blackwinged Stilts, Little Egrets, Wood Sandpiper, Common Coot en Little Grebe. After I dropped Trudie at the hotel, I went to the back of the salt pans. I walked a bit in the fields there and met the large group of donkeys.

5 At the salt pans I also stayed a while along a stream where I saw a crippled Ruff and Wood Sandpipers that were very close to the car. I stopped for a while with the car next to the lower ford in the Tsiknias River in an attempt to photograph birds that came to drink or bathe. That didn t work well, because all the time there were other birders that walked down to see what was in the river. This Corn Bunting and Black-headed Bunting showed well. That night we had dinner again at Ambrosia and a drink in the hotel bar.

6 Birds: Black-eared Wheatear Black-headed Wagtail Black Stork Black-winged Stilt Cirl Bunting Common Coot Common Moorhen Common Sandpiper Common Tern Eurasian Blue Tit European Goldfinch European Greenfinch Greater Flamingo Great Tit Great White Egret Hoopoe Lesser Kestrel Little Bittern Little Egret Little Grebe Little Owl Little Ringed Plover Little Stint Little Tern Mallard Marsh Warbler Red-backed Shrike Red-rumped Swallow Ruddy Shelduck Ruff Short-toed Lark Sombre Tit Spanish Sparrow Squacco Heron Temminck s Stint Western Jackdaw White Wagtail Wood Sandpiper Zitting Cisticola Thursday 5 May: I woke up at 5:35 and went outside. I visited Limni Metochi, Potami Mini Reservoir en de Saltpans. At Potami Mini Reservoir I couldn t find the Ferruginous Ducks en Night Herons that were reported there. At the Saltpans I could take some pictures of this Temminck s Stint that stayed close to the car.

7 After breakfast we went to Ipsilou Monastery. Because of the strong wind, we took the old trail to the monastery. Along this trail we had great views of Cinereous Bunting, Collared Flycatcher and Wood Warbler. We then wanted to take a look in the area around the Petrified Forest, but there was a chain across the road with a prohibitory sign, so we didn t do it. We drove to the Perivoli Monastery. The monastery was closed, but we had a nice walk in the valley of the river. I had never been here before, but what a beautiful place this is. After dropping Trudie at the hotel I went to the woods near Achladeri. I found a Krüper s Nuthatch quickly. I enjoyed the beautiful fields of poppies. I was just in time, because a few days later, these fields were mowed. I also took a short walk along the Vouvaris River. There were a lot of Stripe-necked Terrapins under the bridge waiting to get some food. Then I walked along the east side of the salt pans, where I saw a group of seven Caspian Terns and some White-winged Terns. I photographed this Little Egrets and Crested Lark on the west side of the saltpans. We had dinner at the hotel.

8 Birds: Black-eared Wheatear Black-winged Stilt Caspian Tern Chaffinch Cinereous Bunting Cirl Bunting Collared Flycatcher Common Blackbird Common Sandpiper Common Tern Cretzschmar's Bunting Eurasian Blue Tit Eurasian Scops Owl European Greenfinch Eastern Olivaceous Warbler Great Cormorant Greater Flamingo Great Reed Warbler Great Tit Grey Heron Krüper s Nuthatch Little Bittern Little Egret Little Grebe Little Stint Little Tern Middle Spotted Woodpecker Northern Raven Pied Avocet Purple Heron Red-rumped Swallow Rock Sparrow Ruddy Shelduck Rufous-tailed Scrub Robin Short-toed Eagle Sombre Tit Squacco Heron Temminck's Stint White Stork White-winged Tern Wood Sandpiper Wood Warbler Little Stint Friday 6 May: Today was my birthday, so when I woke up I turned out to be a year older. I went to the saltpans and the Tsikniasrivier. At the saltpans I could photograph a Wood Sandpiper in early sunshine.

9 At the Tsiknias River an Eastern Olivaceous Warbler turned up right next to the car. After breakfast we went walking in the Potamia Valley. After dropping Trudie at the hotel I drove to Skala Sikamineas and along the coast to Molivos. I stopped for a while at Kavaki and ended the day at the Tsiknias River. We had dinner at Ambrosia and a drink at the hotel bar. Birds: Arctic Tern Black-eared Wheatear Black-headed Wagtail Black-winged Stilt Cirl Bunting Common Blackbird Common Swift Common Tern Curlew Sandpiper Eurasian Blue Tit Eurasian Scops Owl Eastern Olivaceous Warbler Eastern Orphean Warbler European Goldfinch European Greenfinch Greater Flamingo Great Tit Great White Egret Grey Heron Little Egret Little Grebe Little Stint Little Tern Mallard Marsh Harrier Masked Shrike Middle Spotted Woodpecker Nightingale Ortolan Bunting Purple Heron Red-backed Shrike Red-footed Falcon Red-rumped Swallow Ruddy Shelduck Ruddy Turnstone Ruff Rüppells Warbler Squacco Heron Subalpine Warbler White Stork Woodchat Shrike Wood Sandpiper Red-backed Shrike Saturday 7 May: I stayed in bed till breakfast. After breakfast we went to Molivos. We stopped first at Kavaki and stayed there for about an hour.

10 I saw the Rüppells Warbler very well and my only lifer of this trip, the Audouins Gull. A female Hen Harrier was flying inland and at sea was a Shag. In Molivos we had lunch in the harbor and wandered through the narrow streets. Then we drove through the mountains to Skala Sikamineas. We walked around a bit, bought some souvenirs and went back to Skala Kallonis by the southern flank of the Lepetimnos past Kapi, Pelopi, Ipsilometopo and Stipsi. A beautiful route where we ve never been before. After dropping Trudie at the hotel I went for a walk to Christou (Kamares) River. At one point I saw some Bee-eaters sitting in a tree and they kept on coming back to the same branch. When they flew off to eat, I got closer. Eventually I was sitting in the tall grass and was able to photograph them well. We had dinner at the hotel. Birds: Audouins Gull (lifer) Black-eared Wheatear Black-headed Wagtail Black Stork Black-winged Stilt Common Buzzard Eastern Orphean Warbler European Greenshank Hen Harrier Kentish Plover Northern Raven Pied Avocet Rüppells Warbler Shag Spanish Sparrow Subalpine Warbler White Wagtail Sunday 8 May: European Bee-eater This morning I drove along the east coast of the Bay of Kalloni. In an area with olive groves, I heard an Olive-tree Warbler sing close to the road. I got out and I just walked around among the olive trees and eventually got to see the bird well.

11 During breakfast we heard from another birder that this morning he had seen a Dalmatian Pelican at the saltpans. After breakfast we went directly to the saltpans, but the bird had already moved on. We did see a few Whiskered Terns and a Mediterranean Gull. At Mesa we saw a Spur-winged Lapwing and some European Pond Terrapins. Then we went to the Pesa waterfall, which was beautiful. There we saw this Levant Water Frog. Because on the Alikoudipool a Broad-billed Sandpiper was reported, we went there. Unfortunately, this bird was not there anymore. We moved on to Vatera. We wanted to visit the headland at Agios Fokas to watch seabirds, but it appeared to be closed. Near the Almiropotamos River we saw some Sardinian Warblers. After dropping Trudie at the hotel I went to the Meladiavalley between Eresos and Sigri. I drove this valley slowly up and down, hoping to see the reported Great Spotted Cuckoo, but I could not find it. However, at the Sigri sanatorium I saw a beautiful male Collared Flycatcher. In the valley were also many butterflies, like this Eastern Marbled White.

12 I could make some pictures of a Spur-thighed Tortoise, a Little Owl and Black-eared Wheatear. That night we had dinner at Ambrosia and went to bed early, because I got a cold. Birds: Black-eared Wheatear Black-headed Wagtail Black-winged Stilt Cirl Bunting Collared Flycatcher Common Blackbird Common Chaffinch Curlew Sandpiper Eurasian Spoonbill Eurasian Stonechat European Greenshank European Serin Greater Flamingo Great Tit Grey Heron Lesser Kestrel Little Egret Little Owl Little Ringed Plover Little Stint Long-legged Buzzard Masked Shrike Mediterranean Gull Olive-tree Warbler Pied Avocet Purple Heron Red-backed Shrike Ruddy Shelduck Ruff Sardinian Warbler Spotted Flycatcher Spur-winged Lapwing Turtle Dove Whiskered Tern Woodchat Shrike Wood Sandpiper Black-eared Wheatear

13 Monday 9 May: I didn t go out early this morning. After breakfast we made a wonderful walk in the mountains above Lafionas. From here we had magnificent views of Petra and Molivos. Back in the village we had a drink at a small taverna. The lady from the taverna sat by our table and we've been chatting for half an hour in Greek. Then we went to Kavaki. After dropping Trudie at the hotel, I went to Achladeri, the saltpans and the Tsiknias River. As I drove along the river, I saw a group of birdwatchers watching a bird and they thought it might be a Great Snipe. However, it turned out to be a Common Snipe. Near the mouth of the river I saw my first and only Glossy Ibis of this vacation. We had dinner at the hotel and went to bed early. Birds: Black-eared Wheatear Black-headed Wagtail Black Stork Cirl Bunting Common Chaffinch Common Snipe Common Swift Eurasian Scops Owl European Goldfinch European Serin Glossy Ibis Greater Flamingo Great Tit Grey Heron Little Egret Mallard Northern Raven Red-backed Shrike Rüppells Warbler Spotted Flycatcher Squacco Heron Subalpine Warbler Whiskered Tern White-winged Tern Wood Sandpiper

14 Tuesday 10 May: I stayed in bed this morning until breakfast. After breakfast we went walking near Petri. We walked through a part of the Valley of the Mills. There we saw a Blue Rock Thrush and a pair of Crag Martins. We also saw a few Starred Agamas on the rocks. Then we went for a drink in Petra. After dropping Trudie at the hotel, I went for a walk at Agriosikos. Here I could photograph a Subalpine Warbler. As usual I ended my day of birding along the Tsiknias River. This time a foraging Black Stork came close. We had dinner at Ambrosia and ended the day with a drink in the hotel bar. Birds: Black Stork Blue Rock Thrush Common Blackbird Common Buzzard Common Chaffinch Common Kestrel Common Swift Crag Martin European Goldfinch Masked Shrike Northern Raven Short-toed Eagle Spanish Sparrow Subalpine Warbler Subalpine Warbler

15 Wednesday 11 May: This morning I got up up early and went to Limni Metochi. During breakfast, I read on the internet that two Dalmatian Pelicans were seen at the saltpans. Directly after breakfast we headed that way, but they were gone already. An Osprey flew by and a large group of Greater Flamingos gave a beautiful air show. Then we went to the area behind the saltpans where we saw a group of donkeys. Some of them were very affectionate and wanted to cuddle. A Rufous-tailed Scrub Robin showed well, while singing from the top of a bush. At the racetrack a Crested Lark was singing on the fence and some Bee-eaters were sitting in a bush. We bought something to eat in Agia Paraskevi and then we went to see the Klopedi Sanctuary. Along the way we saw a Starred Agama and a Balkan Green Lizard.

16 After visiting the sanctuary we went to Soumouria to look for the Eurasian Scops Owls. Two photographers I know quite well had already found one. From there we went to the Limonos Monastery. We visited the monastery and I walked around it. It had become quite warm, so we sat for a while in the shade on the terrace of the taverna and enjoyed a large glass of freshly squeezed orange juice and ice cream. After dropping Trudie at the hotel, I went to the salt pans and the Tsiknias River. At the saltpans this Great White Egret was foraging right besides the road. In the Tsiknias River I saw among others a beautiful male Citrine Wagtail. There were also some Squacco Herons. In the evening we had a delicious dinner with fresh fish at Ambrosia. When we walked back to the hotel we saw at the Kallonipool heaps of small Tree Frogs crossing the road to the garden of the Kalloni Bay Hotel. We ended the day with a lovely glass of Metaxa in the hotel bar.

17 Birds: Black-eared Wheatear Black-headed Wagtail Black Stork Black-winged Stilt Cetti's Warbler Chaffinch Cirl Bunting Citrine Wagtail Common Buzzard Common Moorhen Common Shelduck Common Snipe Common Swift Eastern Olivaceous Warbler Eurasian Scops Owl European Goldfinch Great Cormorant Greater Flamingo Great Heron Great Tit Great White Egret Little Bittern Little Egret Little Grebe Little Stint Little Tern Long-legged Buzzard Mallard Northern Raven Osprey Pallid Swift Pied Avocet Red-backed Shrike Red-rumped Swallow Rufous-tailed Bush Robin Squacco Heron Turtle Dove Whiskered Tern Wood Sandpiper Eurasian Scops Owl Thursday 12 May: The last full day. I ve been out early in the morning and went to the saltpans and the Tsiknias River. Near the gate to the salt works there was a large group of Little Egrets and several Black Storks in the moat.

18 Then I saw a new born donkey. It was still a little unsteady so I think it happened not too long before. At breakfast I took some pictures of the Barn Swallows, that every morning flew around us. After breakfast we went to the mountains above Agra. Unfortunately, there was a strong wind. Just outside the village there was a small pond that was full of frogs and there we also saw this Broad-bodied Chaser.

19 I saw three species I had missed so far i.e. Eleonora s Falcon, Isabelline Wheatear and Western Rock Nuthatch. When we walked back I saw a singing Cinereous Bunting on a boulder. I walked slowly towards it and the bird didn t move. Then we drove to the Pithariou Reservoir near Eresos and had lunch sitting on the dam whilst enjoying the beautiful view of the eponymous monastery. We moved on to Skala Eressou, walked on the beach and had a drink on a terrace. After dropping Trudie at the hotel I went for the last time to the saltpans and the Tsiknias River. At one point it started to rain so I went back to the hotel. When it became dry again later, we walked together to the Christou (Kamares) river. A group of birdwatchers was looking at a Broad-billed Sandpiper, but when we arrived they could not find him anymore.

20 I stopped at the Kallonipool to see if I could find some Tree Frogs and I did find a few. That night we had dinner at Ambrosia and enjoyed my last glass of Metaxa at the hotel bar. Our last meal. How we will miss this!

21 Birds: Black-eared Wheatear Black Stork Black-winged Stilt Cinereous Bunting Common Blackbird Common Moorhen Common Stonechat Common Tern Eleonora's Falcon Greater Flamingo Great Tit Great White Egret Grey Heron Isabelline Wheatear Little Bittern Little Egret Little Owl Little Ringed Plover Little Stint Little Tern Northern Raven Pied Avocet Purple Heron Red-backed Shrike Ruff Spanish Sparrow Squacco Heron Western Rock Nuthatch Whiskered Tern Wood Sandpiper Friday 13 May: Unfortunately we had to leave. At 09:00 a.m. we drove from the hotel. We sat for about an hour by the chapel opposite the airport. Here for the first time in ten days we saw some refugees in a small boat. They were immediately picked up by several other boats. Furthermore, we have not seen any refugees. However, we did see empty cafes, terraces and hotels as tourists stay away. For a population that is already so heavily affected by the economic crisis and to a large extent dependent on the income from tourism this is a raw deal. Especially considering the fact that the population of Lesvos has helped the refugees so well. The flight to Schiphol airport went well. We landed a little earlier than planned at the airport and had to wait on board because the ground crew was not there yet. The trip home went smoothly. We had a nice trip. Although the migration was clearly passed its peak and the numbers of birds were less than in previous years, I did see 118 different species, one lifer and many other animals. For the first time we saw during our stay a few Glass Lizards. And we have greatly enjoyed the many different kinds of beautiful flowers. So hopefully we will be back next spring.

22 Blue Featherleg damselfly House Sparrow