Lesvos - Part two: 6th - 11th October 2026

6^th October

I started early and headed east to Dipi Larsos to join Stylianos Zannetos who was conducting a voluntary ringing session at one of his regular sites.  It was a glorious morning and during the three net runs before midday he extracted 29 birds from the nets tallying nine Cetti’s Warbler, three Willow Warblers, three Reed Warblers, a very brown Lesser Whitethroat, ten Blackcaps and singles of Blue Tit, Robin and Red-backed Shrike.

It was great to be able to see familiar birds up so close.  I never knew that male Cetti’s are bigger in every respect to the females – so much so that they looked like different species as they hung in the nets.  When, in the field would you have been able to notice this?

Cetti’s Warbler

1cy Robin - I wonder where it was born?

1cy Robin

Lesser Whitethroat

Lesser Whitethroat

Lesser Whitethroat

adult male Blackcap

1cy male Blackcap

I was intrigued by the Reed Warblers too as I had not had a sniff of one so far this trip.  The Shrike was a handful as you would expect and fastened itself onto Stylianos’s finger.  Some very non Greek expletives escaped but not the Shrike which was duly ringed and sent on its way.  The fat scores on the Blackcaps were very low perhaps suggesting that were here to stay for the winter.  Hopefully re-traps would prove this later in the season.

Red-backed Shrike

Spanish Sparrows were piling through and he was somewhat relieved that they had not found the nets and we counted over 900 in large fast moving flocks heading strongly east across the Gulf of Jera.  Two Tree Pipits and a Red-throated Pipit went over along with some flava Wagtails and around us there were more Willow Warblers, two Whinchat and a couple of Zitting Cisticolas.

Stylianos and Eleni have been ringing here for a long time as part of the Hellenic Bird Ringing Centre and during the winter it has been especially important for determining, through re-traps where the wintering Moustached Warblers go to breed – Hungary it would appear.  The reed beds at Dipi offer the sort of cover these shy birds need and I managed to see them here on my late February – early March visit a few years ago.  They will not arrive here for another couple of weeks yet.  Stylianos was also hoping for Reed Warbler re-traps to try and prove that the early spring arrivals breed and then move north to have a second brood within mainland Europe which would also explain the lateness of young birds heading south here in the autumn.

With the heat rising the nets were stowed and we parted although I did offer to head back later to help take the nest down after the evening session.

I returned home for lunch by which time it was really pretty hot so a lazy afternoon was had.  I did wander down to the Bay for a paddle where the sea was mirror calm which made finding Ragged Sea Hares quite easy along with various Gobies, young Mullet, Starfish and best of all my very first Sea Slugs.  Some detective would would be required to find some names.

Posssibly one of the Sand Sifter Starfish - Astropecten sp?  Any help appreciated

Pretty sure this is the Nudibranch - Baeolidia moebii - more later!

The eggs of Baeolidia moebii

Eyelash Worm - Myxicola infundibulum

Giant Goby - Gobius cobitis - its presence was famously documented on Lesvos by Aristotle!

Possibly Risso's dragonet - Callionymus risso

Ragged Sea Hare - Bursatella leachii

Time for a tea before pottering down to the pans before heading back to Dipi.  Nothing had really changed from the previous evening with piles of the Pelicans and five Black Stork and the Lesser Grey Shrike seemed to have almost regrown its tail feathers and I suspect will be moving on at last.   Nine Starlings stayed away from a Sparrowhawk.  An immaculate Cardinal was on the Chaste Trees along with Painted Ladies and both the common Blues and an Eastern Willow Spreadwing was the first of this autumn trip while a sleek Fox was out foraging along the tideline.

The greenest cast I have ever seen on a Cardinal 

Painted Lady

Eastern Willow Spreadwing

Scorn Buntings

Lesser Grey Shrike

Lesser Grey Shrike

Quite why this Little Egret felt the need to fly up onto the telephone wires with its frog prize is anyone's guess - ACV

Milk Thistle - ACV

Dalmatian Pelican

Red Fox

Great Cormorants

Greater Swamingo

It was almost dark by the time we arrived back at Dipi to be greeted by a beaming Stylianos and his assistant ringer Foto.  Their last run had produced two more Willow Warblers and a big fat male Cetti’s and then out of the last bag came a stunning male Red-spotted Bluethroat.  A real show stopper and to see one of these in the hand was a real treat as well as being my fourth new Lesvos bird of the trip.  And of course with a Bluethroat it is not just about that eponymous gorget but also the startling tail with its rich chestnut sides.  Once the ageing had been assured as an adult and the measurements taken and ring fitted, it was released into the warm dusk to find somewhere to roost.  I suspect that they are scattered across the island in damp patches during the autumn and that a few winter here and there too just like the Wrynecks that I never saw!

Red-spotted Bluethroat

Red-spotted Bluethroat

Red-spotted Bluethroat

Red-spotted Bluethroat - what a lovely bird

It was time to pack up but even then a Stone-curlew almost flew into us and then a croaking Night Heron was silhouetted against the pink sly as it headed out to find somewhere to fish. 

Back at base a simple dinner was taken on the balcony while Bats whizzed in and out of the street lights, the Barn Owl silently quartered the newly mown alfalfa field alongside and the Little and Scops Owls calling made up the triumvirate and avian predators.

7^th October

Up to the north coast after breakfast passing a Hawfinch on the way opposite the Kalloni raptor watchpoint before stopping as usual at Kavaki.  The sea was tranquil but only the odd Yellow-legged Gull was noted while Robin and Sardinian Warblers were in the Olive and Mastic scrub.  At Perasma there were still four Ruddy Shelduck, the female Pintail and 27 Little Grebes but not one Teal this time although the Snipe was still there. 

On to Argenos where the temperature had dropped to a chilly 16 c and the cloud base had dropped.  As I got out of the car I picked up a dark juvenile Honey-Buzzard and thought that I was on for a good visit but that was it until the end of my 90 minutes when another one made it across from Türkiye.  Sparrowhawks was almost always on view, either hunting below me and being harried by the Black-capped Jays and Hooded Crows or climbing up and over Lepetymnos where they had to do battle with the gangs of playful Ravens.  I did not see a single Common Buzzard.  Cirl Buntings were starting to group together and I counted at least ten along with the first Whitethroat of the trip.  Grey Wagtail, Tree Pipit and Chaffinches coasted and Robins could be heard ticking in the bushes below.

Ravens

I waved at Stylianos heading for home.

Honey-Buzzard

Honey-Buzzard

Cirl Bunting

Lunch at a warmer lower elevation beckoned so we moved on and Robins accompanied us on the journey ticking and singing from roadside trees.  Autumn had definitely arrived.

Lunch was warmer by the sea at Kagia although I did have to share my chicken with a determined Wasp that came back four times to scythe off a piece to take away.  A final ice-cream of year at ‘Kavos’ in Skala Sykimeas (with bonus Chiffchaff in the Tamarisks) whilst watching the sea lap against the boats before retracing our steps back along the lower north coast track which seems to be in the process of either being seriously graded or probably metalled.  Like Ancient Antissa, this would not diminish it in any way – it would still be almost deserted with plenty of stopping opportunities.

Common Wasp 

Kagia

Skala Sykimeas (far too many spelling of this place by the way)

Bryony Ladybird

Robins ruled along with a few Chaffinches and Blackcaps but it was quiet as expected.  It was too hot down the saltpans where everything was still present albeit in wobbly shapes so we made our way for an early dinner the Greens which was delightful before walking back alongside the harbour.  A glance down into the corner by the car revealed a vaguely lit alien world with strange orange sausage-like creatures (up to 30cm long) which appear to be some sort of very robust Annalid Polychete Bristle-worm but tying it down any further is proving tricky. 

Greater Flamingo

Greater Minimingo

Bristle-worm sp? 
A couple of nights later we showed them to Nancy on our way back after dinner and asked her what they were called.  She blushed and said it was very rude and may have waved an arm at me...  Anyway they are now known as Orange Wibbly Wobbly Man Sausage Worm until someone tells me otherwise.

There were countless Sea Anemones of at least three species, Sea Urchins, lots of small fish and best of all a small Cuttlefish that was using a bit of rubbish as camouflage from which to drift out and hunt for tiddlers.  I have to admit to being just a bit excited.  How many ‘cuttlebones’ had I found on beaches or fed to the birds when I used to keep them?  I had always wanted to see an alive one. 

It was a grand way to end the day and a plan was hatched to return after breakfast in the morning

8^th October

I headed down to the harbour in my beach shoes after breakfast to meet Paul and Sue to have a hunt for Nudibranchs as Paul was just a little bit excited at dinner that I had seen some.  It was mirror calm and the local Shags and missing Black-necked Grebe were easily found before I got to yesterday’s Cuttlefish spot.  Only one or two of the Bristle-worms were still out but with feathery bits retracted they looked like seriously wonky carrots!  My Cuttle friend had skedaddled but we could now sea all the other wonders.  Dave and Julie joined us and we spent a superb hour staring into the harbour before walking along the beach where Paul was in Nudibranch heaven. 

Black-necked Grebe - Paul Green

Some digging revealed that they are Baeolidia moebii, an Indo-Pacific aeolid nudibranch that has established a population in the Med through Lessepsian migration.  I had to look that one up – it is the movement of marine species from the Red Sea into the Mediterranean Sea through the Suez Canal.  Everyday is a school day.

Baeolidia moebii egg strands

Baeolidia moebii 

Baeolidia moebii 

Baeolidia moebii 

Baeolidia moebii 

Baeolidia moebii blue tips on this one

Eyelash Worm - Myxicola infundibulum

Gem Anemone - Bunodactis verrucosa

Giant Goby - Gobius cobitis - a real beast!

Mediterranean Sea Squirts - Ascidiella aspersa and Beadlet Anemones - Actinia equina

Mediterranean Snakelocks Anemone - Anemonia sulcata 

Mediterranean Fanworm - Sabella spallanzanii

Pale Anemone - Exaiptasia diaphana

Pale Anemones - Exaiptasia diaphana

Purple Sea Urchin - Paracentrotus lividus

Peacock's tail - Padina pavonica - I knew what it was but did not know that it was a seaweed

Ragged Sea Hare - Bursatella leachii

Ragged Sea Hare - Bursatella leachii

Ragged Sea Hare - Bursatella leachii

Possibly Rock Goby - Gobius paganellus

Scallop sp

Shanny - Lipophrys pholis

Shanny - Lipophrys pholis

Shanny - Lipophrys pholis

I have manged to find the names of most of what we saw on that calm and peaceful walk.  There were also many Hermit Crabs and a couple of Shore-type Crabs and above us Grey Wagtails and Chaffinches were passing.

Crested Lark

From here Andrea and I drove around to the Kalloni Village Apartments to look for the Harting’s Voles that the Greens had discovered a mass colony of in an alfalfa field the previous day.  I found the field and I found the many large holes with fresh excavations but for all my staring only managed one nose and one bum!  Part of the field was being soaked with a mega waterer and when it turned off I went back for lunch and thought that on my return they might be digging back out but no further rodent joy was had.  

Harting’s Vole - Paul Green

However, there was so much to see here with more Orthopterans than I could cope with.  Huge Slant-headed Grasshoppers whirred up in front of me and I was happy identifying Common Digging, Scarlet Band-winged, Blue-winged and Broad Green-winged Grasshoppers and with help from Fraser S added a Migratory Locust and a Pincer Grasshopper too.

Pincer Grasshopper sp

Broad Green-winged Grasshopper

Broad Green-winged Grasshopper

Mediterranean Slant-headed Grasshopper 

Mediterranean Slant-headed Grasshopper 

 Migratory Locust

Digging Grasshopper sp

The giant sprinkler had created some puddles in the field and no sooner had it stopped than dozens of Common Darters in tandem appeared and began dip laying.  Surely their larvae are doomed? Similarly the was the hum of Hoverflies with aggressively territorial Helophilus trivittatus also egglaying. 

Common Blue-tailed Damselfly - although they looked very slight.

Common Darter

Helophilus trivittatus -much blacker on the thorax than our ones

The Tamarisks behind me were similarly noisy but with countless Eristalis tenax.  Graylings bounded around but I did not get a pick of one here but they are certainly not Woodland or Freyer’s.  Tweedy has been helping me with these and it seems that what I have been taking pics of along the rocky coasts and beaches are Hipparchia senthes which seems to be called Grecian, Southern or Balkan Grayling.  However at least three other very similar Graylings are available!

Eristalis tenax

Pygmy and Mallow Skippers were joined by Lang’s, Long-tailed and Common Blues, Painted Ladies, Turkish Meadow Browns, Clouded Yellows, Small Whites, Eastern Bath White and Painted Ladies.  There were three species of moth that I could identify too and there had obviously been an influx of Rush Veneers.

Rush Veneer

Pygmy Skipper

Silver Y

Turkish Meadow Brown

Vestal

Lang's Short-tailed Blues

Common purslane - Portulaca oleracea

Phragmites australis is much paler out here when flowering

Stinking Fleabane - Dittrichia graveolens 

Wavyleaf sea-lavender - Limonium sinuatum

And yes, there were birds with flava and White Wagtails in the fields along with a couple of Tree Pipits and a Grey Wagtail continued the theme of winter birds arriving.  An Eleonora’s Falcon hurtled through on elastic wings and a pair of Kestrels in the complex were getting agitated over something I could not see.  I could hear Middle Spotted Woodpeckers too and the odd Robin, Willow Warbler and Spot Fly were around me.

From here I headed along the track towards the Hidden Potamia Reservoir which only had 12 Little Grebes, six Coot and five Teal but below me Scarlet and Red-veined Darter, Violet Dropwings and several Migrant Hawkers.

One of the young Great White Pelicans with its Dalmatian buddy flew over from the main reservoir back towards the sea but I was feeling a little ropey so we retired to the room so that I could have a siesta.

Great White & Dalmatian Pelican

The evening potter down the pans once again produced the ‘big birds’ and 13 Slender-billed Gulls were floating around the pans.  A male Ruff was a new bird for the trip but it really has not been a late autumn wader fest.   

Crested Lark

Flymingos

A European Swallowtail glided past me on the bump back through and just before the Tsiknias ford a White Stork was striding around the cut alfalfa field before attempting to join the Hoodies up on the telephone wires and failing in a spectacular manner only to return to the field and pretend that nothing had happened.

White Stork 

White Stork 

Grey Heron showing how it is done

9^th October

After listening to the Hooded Crows dropping Walnuts into the road while we had breakfast, we were out at a reasonable time and heading west with no stops until the start of the Eresos to Sigri track once again. It was a little quieter on the way up and down and the lower section only gave me a couple of Red-backed Shrikes and Woodlarks although three Rock Sparrows did sit up on the wires.

The alfalfa fields were staked out once again.  No Richard’s Pipits this time but there were now 12 Tawny Pipits, nine Skylarks, two Red-throated and six Tree Pipit in their with of course the ubiquitous Cresteds.

Whinchats, Stonechats and Northern Wheatears were all around and the Kingfishers were dashing up and down the river where two Mallard and five Teal were spooked.  The exposed stony island was home to two foraging Grey Wagtails and several Whites.

I walked down to the beach this time and it would have been perfectly drivable in the car but saw nothing different bar many Slanty headed Groppers flying up before me.

Meladia chapel in the background

Tawny Pipit

Tawny Pipits

flava Wagtail

flava Wagtail

Tree Pipit

Classic rusty Lesvos wire - ACV

As we left we met Stephen Rodwell once again.  He was working the valley hard on foot and at that point had seen nothing different to us.  On we went for lunch but with a stop at the Cheese Sanitorium on the way which gave me two surprise Siskins calling in the Oriental Plane there.  The Brambles round the other side were still in bloom and had many butterflies in attendance with Millet Skippers, Small Coppers, Grecian Graylings and Painted Ladies.  Some funky stripy White-banded Digger Bees were rampaging around and I found large Mantis ootheca.

A figgy Fox poo I presume which the Harvester Ants were ecstatic about!

Blue Rock Thrush

Wild Asparagus - Asparagus acutifolius

Common Blue - I think

Grecian Graylings - Hipparchia senthes

Grecian Graylings - Hipparchia senthes

Mantis ootheca

White-banded Digger Bees - Amegilla quadrifasciata

Starred Agama 

Down to Faneromeni for lunch on the beach before the first and only proper sea immersion of the year.  The beach pool was flat calm but somewhat chilly but was deep enough for a float around. On the way back out the Jackdaw flock was found and must have now been over 500 strong – bar far the most I have seen here.  Some were not just silvery around the necks but also in the body plumage.

Jackdaws

Jackdaws

The Petrified Forest road was almost devoid of life and no Chukars were found and Ipsilou was similarly quiet but the views are always worth the drive up to the top and a walk to look back down the valley.  Ravens tumbled and a Peregrine joined in but the only small birds were some Tits and Cirl Buntings.  The cats were fed at Perivolis where Persian Squirrels were noisily chattering before wending our way home.

Squirting Cucumber

Slo mo explosion!

A huge female Asian Giant Mantis was on the steps before going to the room and after dinner with Thekla and Nancy we almost literally bumped into two young Foxes on the way back.  That evening Stephen posted that he had found an Isabelline Shrike in Meladia back up the track towards Eresos.  I was equal parts gutted and elated.  I know that he too had the species in his head for the trip and I was glad that he found one and to be fair he was putting in far more literal leg work that I was.

After his recent Lizard incident on Dragonera, Roger was being a little more cautious of the local wildlife

Asian Giant Mantis - Sphodromantis viridis

10^th October

I resisted the urge to head back to Meladia to chase down that shrike and instead went east stopping first at the eastern salt pans for a squint from the hide.  I counted 61 visible Dalmatian Pelicans and the paler of the young Great Whites along with 32 Spoonbills, two Mallard, 11 Teal and a Black-necked Grebe.  There were a few Greenshank and Redshank but nothing new in.

The Greens had given me a spot up in the hills around Agiosos where they had seen many Dragons in the spring and the joy of an autumn trip is having the time to do a little exploring .  The road wound up through the old olive groves set on terraces in the hillsides with sound of ticking Robins and tsipping Cirl Buntings accompanying the whole route.

The picnic site at Agioi Anargyroi near Asomatos was back down in a hidden valley with towering Oriental Planes and Pine Trees – the biggest I have seen on the island.  The stream initially appeared dry with just a few puddles and I got myself easily distracted with a mass of glowering Ivy which was covered in Eristalis tenax and pertinax, Ivy Bees, Honey Bees, Oriental Hornets and a variety of other Hoverflies that included Mythropa florea, Scaeva pyrasyti, an Anasimyia and a funky Callicera spinolae.  There were a few other flies including a Villa of some sort.

There were Woodland and Freyer's Graylings here and Turkish Meadow Browns, Red Admiral and Painted Lady were on the Ivy too and a Migrant Hawker suggested that there was possibly more water to be found.

Callicera spinolae

Turkish Meadow Brown & Red Admiral 

Painted Lady

Eristalis tenax 

Ivy Bee - Colettes hederae - my first on Lesvos

Ivy Bee - Colettes hederae - my first on Lesvos

Turkish Meadow Brown

Persian Squirrels were bounding around and Ravens, Sparrowhawk and Buzzards were noted above, often given away by their passing shadows.

I followed the stream through the car park and past the taverna.  At this point a spring gushed out from the side of the building, disappeared under ground and reappeared in the stream which leapt into live and gurgled and tumbled its way gently downhill through the trees.  I quickly found several Pond Skaters and Eastern Willow Emeralds and them an open area where the stream spread out a little.  Common Darters were ovipositing and there were two more Migrant Hawkers and another pair of tandem Emeralds.  I could picture this in early May. 

Adiantum capillus-veneris

Common Fleabane

A Clegish Horsefly with funky wings

Great Willowherb

A large Horsetail

Two of the happiest Stripe-necked Terrapins I have seen paddled around in the clear permanent waters.  A Middle Spotted Woodpecker almost came down but saw my first and there were a few Tits, Robins and Blackbirds.  An agitated Wren was the first this trip.

Cyclamen hederifolium

Cyclamen hederifolium

Bay Laurel - Laurus nobilis - an island native I had not seen before

Phyllonorycter platani moth mine on Oriental Plane.
So here is a conundrum.  Back home in recent days I have popped out and counted many different mines on almost every type of tree imaginable and yet in Lesvos (deciduous Oaks aside) I find none on anything other than the Planes.  Is it just too hot for most micros to survive within a leaf during the heat of the summer?

You have to retrace your way back out and I opted to follow the main road to Polichinitos where a slight mis calculation saw me manoeuvring through some very tight streets to get back on track and the main road down to the coast at Vatara.  A Hoopoe flopped up from the road and was the first for a week.  Lunch was taken in the shade watching the flat calm sea before heading to the bridge over the Almiropotamos Marshes.  As usual there were literally heaps of terrapins and a Snipe, Grey Wagtail and Moorhen were the only birds but amongst the Flat-head Mullets were Saddled Sea Bream and what my online resources seem to suggest are you Sea Bass but I am out of my depth here!

Almiropotamos Marshes

Possibly a young Sea Bass & a Saddled Sea Bream 

Possibly a young Sea Bass - happy for input from fishy people!

Flat-head Mullet

The Well of Achilles was still a hole in the ground and I walked up onto the headland of Agia Fokas where the ruins of the temple of the sanctuary of the Vrysaean Dionysos sits on the top by the little church and it may be as old as the 3^rd century BC. 

Well of Achilles

Agia Fokas and the Temple remains

It was bit warm up top and I stood and watched the turquoise and aqua-marine waters below that were clear to a great depth.  The only birds below were a young Shag and a Yellow-legged Gull while a Red-throated Pipit called overhead and Sardinian Warblers rattled.  I managed to avoid looking at the military watchtower and headed back to the car.  Polychinitos was so straightforward in the way back that I could not understand where I went wrong on the way in!

Dyer's Croton - Chrozophora tinctoria

Anyway, down to the Poly Pans which had a few more waders this time and I found nine Kentish and three Ringed Plovers and four Little Stints amongst the few Red and Greenshanks.  Sandwich Terns numbered 45 and there were two adult Black Storks.

Through the groves of Vasilikon and down to the little harbour where I counted 57 Med and three Black-headed Gulls and two Great Egrets put on fine show as they scuffled over where to feed.  An Osprey was over Mesa as we drove through and made our way back home to start the pack before a final night at the Dionysos in town.

Med Gulls

Med Gulls

Great Egrets

Great Egrets

Great Egret

Great Egret

A whopping 186 Collared Doves were counted on the wires by the old pink building near the Tsiknias but alas still no Laughing Doves here.  The bump through Loutzaria gave me the two Stock Doves once again as well as our last Willow Warblers, flava Wagtails, Red-backed Shrikes, Stonechats, Wheatears and Whinchats.  As we stopped to look at a fine flava Wag I spied a smart male Stonechat just across the road at pump house corner.  A female looking bird then flew behind it sporting an almost white looking rump but as it turned I was convinced that I saw white in the tail too.

Red-backed Shrike - just one more

A slight panic and a hasty decamp from the car had me searching the fence and bushes and I thankfully refound it.  It leapt out as a Siberian Stonechat with pale buffy plumage, pale throat, hint of supercilium, peachy upper breast and the palest of peach and white rump but when perched I could not really make out any white tail patches that would lead me to Caspian Stonechat.  In the golden last light it was making frequent sorties and I was once again convinced that I had seen those white tail flashes. It certainly had black axillaries.  I kept taking pictures with my fingers crossed.  No one else was around and after it got pushed off by the male Stonechat one more time I headed to the salt pile to catch the last of the light.  I passed Stephen on the way and suggested that he high tale it back to the pump house.  I lasted only two minutes at the end as the sun dipped below the hills and zoomed back to the corner where Paul Rich had also appeared and together the three of us thankfully found the Stonechat despite the sun having dipped and they were able to share with my find.  It was still difficult to judge the tail but I was convinced and after our final dinner in town and the bulk of the packing, I was able to download my pictures and although they were fuzzy in the low light I had indeed captured the essence of that striking tail confirming that it was indeed a Saxicola maurus ssp. hemprichii.

What a Chameleon between the first two images

Solid dark axilleries

Tail pattern visible

So Whinchat-like without the head view

1cy male Caspian Stonechat - Saxicola maurus ssp. hemprichii.

The females do not show the same tail pattern and my initial sexing as a female was incorrect and on my images I could see some black beginning to show in the face again confirming that it was a young male.

And two videos from Stephen Rodwell over the subsequent days

It was a grand way to end the holiday.  You know me, I am not one to get het up with whether something is a species or subspecies and this was certainly the first Caspian Stonechat for Lesvos.  Input from Stylianos and Yiannis Banakakis suggested that there were ten officially accepted Greek records until the Rarities Committee's most recent annual report (2022) of all forms of Siberian Stonechat with further ones pending but only three or four of these are of Caspian Stonechat.

Having seen three Siberian (and found two of them) on Lesvos in the spring I was very happy to added Caspian too and equally happy that with so few birders around I was able to share it with two of them.

11^th October

Time to fly home but I can’t really complain with three visits out here this year and an island year list well over the 200 mark.  This visit had only been a few days later than my previous latest but it made a difference in many way.  Warblers were scarce and I saw no Woodchat or Masked Shrikes and wader passage was well and truly at the very end but winter Robins were piling in and I found Richard’s Pipits, Stock Doves, early Brambling, Siskin, Black Redstart, Northern Lapwing and Song Thrush and my first autumn Skylarks.  Red-throated Pipit is normally a one an autumn bird, reversing positions with Tree Pipit which becomes the default but this time I think they were at level pegging with multiples of each. 

I think that the next few weeks will see the tail end of the normal passage migrant but Stephen Rodwell is still out there for a little while and I suspect he will pull out some other magical waif like a Yellow-browed Warbler or Olive-backed Pipit before he leaves the island.

As ever the hospitality of Lesvos is what binds it together and we could not have asked for more. There was time for a walk down to the beach with Ghost as my companion before the drive to the airport which gave last looks at the Minimingos and Iceberg Pelicans before the Jet 2 plane took us back to our other home where a glorious mid-autumn afternoon greeted us for the drive back to Lowestoft.