Lesvos 2016 - Part 4

I'll see if I can make this the last one about Lesvos as I have trips for Somerset and a visit yo Upton Warren to do as well!!

So where were we! Day 5 a day of exploration and visit a few places that we didn't get to last year. However our first big stop was to be Achladeri Forest, although we did stop at Kalami Marsh before turning off onto the road down to the forest, seeing:
Squacco Heron,

 Corn Bunting,

and  Black-winged Stilt.

A couple of Ruddy Shelduck flew over, we watched them land further down between the Achladeri Road and the sea:

We arrived at the forest car park and walked along the track towards the path across the stream. There were a small group of people there watching something, we joined them to find our target for the forest,
Krüpers Nuthtach

A great result we had only been there 5 minutes. We watched it for a good 10 minutes before it flew away. Being a photographer it's difficult sometimes to curb the urge to get too close to get a better angle or more detailed shot, the main thing though is to observe and enjoy the bird, which we certainly did here. After this we carried on for a while walking the tracks, picking up Chaffinch and our first Wood Lark before returning to the 'bus' and a celebratory coffee!

After coffee we carried on down the gulf cost aiming for the Polichnitos Saltpans. We took the coastal track driving just a few feet from the seas edge, where Common Sandpipers were foraging, this added a new bird for our week. As we progressed we stopped to admire the Poppies,

before stopping at an Olive Grove to look for Middle Spotted Woodpecker, but they were not playing ball but we did find this flighty Masked Shrike

and an Olive Tree Warbler before continuing. As we progressed the weather deteriorated slightly becoming quite dull. So we decided that we would look for a Taverna for our next coffee stop and found one in a tiny harbour village, where no English was spoken, but we managed to get a snack (Sardines and Olives) and some drinks and sit by the water, the people were so friendly and we even came away with a dozen freshly laid eggs free of charge, these were to become lunch the following day.

 I thought I was getting a black coffee, but you have to go with the flow, (note Steve Dudley's Lesvos book on the table!)

 although non-drivers were happy with beer, (our 'bus' in the background)

From here we were only a short distance from the Saltpans, which were very quiet, except for Stilt, Shelduck and Avocet, still we parked up and had an explore and lunch and of course more coffee for Tina and Me! Patience is a virtue as we were to find a couple of weeks later in Somerset, but that is another story, this Kentish Plover came to us, shame the sun had gone by now.

The rest of the day was exploring and driving down to the south coast as far as Agios Fokas, but the weather was getting a bit damp and blowy by this time so not a lot was seen, just some Sedge Warblers and these Terrapins:

So yet again this post is becoming too long, so I will cut it short and add a fifth and I promie a final post about our Lesvos trip.