Review of 2014 Part 2

Well, having only just bought my camera in time,I headed to Lesvos in April for a fortnight's quality birding...

The Hotel had Nightingales as standard

Hooded crows were everywhere

Cretzschmar's Buntings were singing

And the Sun shone all day!

Crested Lark

I stayed in Skala Kallonis, and for the first 3 days I explored on foot. Only on Tuesday did I get a hire car as I was alone and trying to save money.Also, it's possible to find lots of goodies in unexpected places if you're on foot.I had a singing Olive-tree Warbler just 200m from my accommodation which most people were just driving past!

Crested Lark Too

Crested Larks were common and on the marsh in front of the hotel Kentish and Little Ringed plovers were always around, as were Wood sandpipers and a constantly changing collection of waders,terns and herons.

House martins

Yes, we get these at home but on Lesvos there were often Red-rumped Swallows amongst them and Crag Martins in certain locations.The swines are tricky to photograph though, unless they're collecting building materials like these.

At Kalloni 'bandstand',dozens of reptiles were basking on the rocks,as were some of the birds...

Cretzschmar's Bunting

This Cretzschmar's moved down off its rocky song-ledge to perch nicely and performed well.Sadly I was still taking poor photos but the scopeviews were 'crippling' as they used to say in the olden days.

Black-eared Wheatear

This Black-eared Wheatear asserted its dominance over the lizards;well, it's further along the evolutionary scale than them! The Lesvos birds are of the melanoleuca form which is much paler than the Western  Med version.

Cretzschmar's singing

And singing closer

This area also held Cirl bunts and Rock Nuthatch, plus a brief singing Eastern Orphean Warbler!