Lesvos, 27th April - 4th May, 2013 Part 1

LESVOS


Day 1,                        27/4/2013

On arrival, in hire car and straight to the Kalloni Saltpans for early afternoon to dusk !

Birds of note   (**new species seen to me !)

Black Stork, Great White Egret, Little Egret, 50+, Squacco Heron,
Grey Heron, Greater Flamingo, 100's, Avocet
Wood Sandpiper, 100's, Black-winged Stilt
**Red-throated Pipit
**Black-headed Wagtail
Yellow Wagtail, Pied Wagtail
Crested Lark, everywhere !
Common Tern, White-winged Tern, Little Tern, Whiskered Tern


                                  Black-headed Wagtail, Kalloni Saltpans

Black-winged Stilt

Black Stork

Leaving the Saltpans at dusk, we got lost on our way to the hotel, (a kind person showed us the way ! we followed his car to the hotel ! ), arriving at the Pela Hotel, Kalloni about 21.00 hours, here meeting up here with Allen and Bob (Kent boys) who are staying at the same hotel, evening meal and a lot of chat !

A cracking first day ! !


Day 2,        28/4/2013

We head north towards Petra to arrive at first light,
at Kavaki to see

**Ruppell's Warbler, (on a wire, no photo's allowed ! ! )  
**Black-headed Jay
Red-rumped Swallow

 onto Molivos, continuing then to Mandamados and back southwards through the Napi Valley

**Rock Nuthatch
Black-eared Wheatear



Black-eared Wheatear

We arrived back at the Kalloni Saltpans late afternoon to get a brief view of

**Spur-winged Plover, 2

Spur-winged Plover

my evening was spent around the reedbed area near the ford, watching
Little Bittern, Squacco Herons, Black-headed Bunting, Wood Sandpiper
Crested Lark everywhere, Nightingales singing all around you and occasional Cetti's calling

I did not see any Crakes,


Little Bittern

back to the hotel at dusk, evening meal with Alan and Bob, exchange of information.

Another 'full on' day !



Day 3,      29/4/2013

First stop was to the Kruper's Nuthatch site, we are on our own, nobody here !

Golden Oriole and Cuckoo and Nightingale, heard only
Long-legged Buzzard, over
Short-toed Eagle, over


Kruper's Nuthatch

next onto the Polichnitos Saltpans, here

Stone Curlew, over
Little Stint
Little Ringed Plover
Curlew Sandpiper
Wood Sandpiper, compulsory near any water !
Marsh Sandpiper, 2
Black-winged Stilt


Curlew Sandpiper

Marsh Sandpiper

Little Ringed Plover

Wood Sandpiper

Black-winged Stilt

Crested Lark

On the coast road back from Polichnitos

Little Owl


Then arriving back at Kalloni Saltpans for the later afternoon


Black-winged Stilt

Wood Sandpiper

Greater Flamingo, leaving to roost

Dusk, back to the hotel, evening meal with Allen and Bob, exchange of info re our separate days encounters, this would be an 'every evening event' for the remainder of the week, simply an excellent end to each day !

Lesbos, Part Two will follow when I have got time to catch up a bit !     To be continued