Greece: Lesvos

Spring Migration Through the Aegean

 Lying in the sparkling Aegean Sea, the unspoilt island of Lesvos is home to some special birds that can be hard to see elsewhere, such as this beautiful Cinereous Bunting,…
Lying in the sparkling Aegean Sea, the unspoilt island of Lesvos is home to some special birds that can be hard to see elsewhere, such as this beautiful Cinereous Bunting,…
…and the range-restricted Kruper’s Nuthatch
…and the range-restricted Kruper’s Nuthatch
Steeped in the history of ancient Greece,  Lesvos is dotted with gleaming white villages and sleepy coastal harbours, all with their own tempting tavernas – a great place to take lunch.
Steeped in the history of ancient Greece, Lesvos is dotted with gleaming white villages and sleepy coastal harbours, all with their own tempting tavernas – a great place to take lunch.
At the time of our visit the island is awash with wildflowers
At the time of our visit the island is awash with wildflowers
Including some rare species such as this Serapias orchid
Including some rare species such as this Serapias orchid
But for many birders the main attraction is the wonderful procession of migrants returning to their breeding grounds, perhaps best typified by the European Bee-eater
But for many birders the main attraction is the wonderful procession of migrants returning to their breeding grounds, perhaps best typified by the European Bee-eater
And the stunning European Roller
And the stunning European Roller
The numerous wetlands are home to some classic Mediterranean species such as Black-winged Stilt…
The numerous wetlands are home to some classic Mediterranean species such as Black-winged Stilt…
…and Squacco Heron
…and Squacco Heron
But they also pull in lots of migrants, like White-winged Black Terns
But they also pull in lots of migrants, like White-winged Black Terns
And flocks of Whiskered Terns
And flocks of Whiskered Terns
Various shorebirds take advantage of the wetlands as well – here a Wood Sandpiper (back) and Green Sandpiper (foreground)
Various shorebirds take advantage of the wetlands as well – here a Wood Sandpiper (back) and Green Sandpiper (foreground)
While a Temminck’s Stint shares a pool with a White Wagtail
While a Temminck’s Stint shares a pool with a White Wagtail
There could be elegant Collared Pratincoles hawking insects over the marshes
There could be elegant Collared Pratincoles hawking insects over the marshes
And they might be joined by the much scarcer Black-winged Pratincole
And they might be joined by the much scarcer Black-winged Pratincole
The assemblage of herons and egrets should include the beautiful Purple Heron
The assemblage of herons and egrets should include the beautiful Purple Heron
And bronze Glossy Ibis
And bronze Glossy Ibis
We may find Little Crake creeping around the edge of reed-fringed pools
We may find Little Crake creeping around the edge of reed-fringed pools
Or a smart Citrine Wagtail picking its way along a small stream
Or a smart Citrine Wagtail picking its way along a small stream
There will also be several races of Yellow Wagtail, such as the distinctive ‘Black-headed’ Wagtail
There will also be several races of Yellow Wagtail, such as the distinctive ‘Black-headed’ Wagtail
Or the delightful ‘Sykes’s Wagtail, en route to the steppes of Central Asia
Or the delightful ‘Sykes’s Wagtail, en route to the steppes of Central Asia
It’s important to keep an eye to the skies as birds drifting overhead could include Black Stork,…
It’s important to keep an eye to the skies as birds drifting overhead could include Black Stork,…
…Short-toed Eagle
…Short-toed Eagle
Or a mighty Griffon Vulture
Or a mighty Griffon Vulture
While along the coast we may catch sight of an Audouin’s Gull
While along the coast we may catch sight of an Audouin’s Gull
And further out, flocks of Yelkouan Shearwaters stream past
And further out, flocks of Yelkouan Shearwaters stream past
The sound track to our days out is bound to include the jangling song of Corn Buntings,…
The sound track to our days out is bound to include the jangling song of Corn Buntings,…
…the distinctive rattle of Cirl Buntings
…the distinctive rattle of Cirl Buntings
and the mellifluous tones of Easten Orphean Warbler
and the mellifluous tones of Easten Orphean Warbler
It can take some work to find the wonderfully camouflaged roosting Scops Owl
It can take some work to find the wonderfully camouflaged roosting Scops Owl
Whereas the local Little Owls are usually much easy to locate
Whereas the local Little Owls are usually much easy to locate
Lesvos is covered in wild, bushy areas and shady olive groves,…
Lesvos is covered in wild, bushy areas and shady olive groves,…
…which are ideal habitat for local specialities such as Ruppell’s Warbler
…which are ideal habitat for local specialities such as Ruppell’s Warbler
And also for shrikes such as this Masked Shrike freshly arrived from it’s wintering grounds in East Africa
And also for shrikes such as this Masked Shrike freshly arrived from it’s wintering grounds in East Africa
Or these Woodchat Shrikes which scan for prey from the bush tops
Or these Woodchat Shrikes which scan for prey from the bush tops
One of the real pleasures of birding during Spring migration is not knowing what is going to pop up next. It could be a dapper Collared Flycatcher
One of the real pleasures of birding during Spring migration is not knowing what is going to pop up next. It could be a dapper Collared Flycatcher
or the equally smart Eastern Black-eared Wheatear
or the equally smart Eastern Black-eared Wheatear
There’s a good chance of bumping into a dainty Red-breasted Flycatcher
There’s a good chance of bumping into a dainty Red-breasted Flycatcher
Or finding a Red-throated Pipit heading for its Arctic breeding grounds
Or finding a Red-throated Pipit heading for its Arctic breeding grounds
Photo credit: Steve Rooke, Killian Mullarney and David Fisher
2025 Tour Price
$3,450
2025
Single Occupancy Supplement $250
Maximum group size seven with one leader; 12 with two leaders.
Tour balances paid by check/bank transfer may carry a 4% discount

The stunningly beautiful Greek island of Lesvos is now firmly established as one of the best locations in Europe for observing spring migration. In spite of being one of the largest islands in the Aegean Sea (second in size only to Crete) and having an international airport at Mytilene, Lesvos has remained remarkably unspoiled; one suspects that large parts of the island have changed little in the past hundred years. Steeped in history, its tapestry of habitats, ranging from rocky mountains, forested hills, and stony uncultivated pasture, to more fertile lowlands planted with figs and olive groves, and coastal wetlands ensures a fine variety of migrant and resident landbirds, including two breeding specialties, Krüper’s Nuthatch and Cinereous Bunting.  Our single hotel is located at the quiet, scenic resort of Skala Kalloni, very close to a number of the island’s most rewarding birding spots, and is also well positioned for visits to the more peripheral sites. Birding on Lesvos is a real delight - everywhere you go there are drifts of gorgeous wildflowers and a staggering abundance of butterflies, and our explorations takes us through tiny white-painted villages dotted with tempting tavernas - Mediterranean birding does not get much better than this.

Tour Team
Itinerary (Click to see more)

Day 1: The tour begins this evening at Mytilene airport on the island of Lesvos. Night at Skala Kalloni.

Days 2-8: Since we are located at the same hotel for the whole week, each day’s itinerary will be flexible and the pace relaxed.  We can expect to see about 140 species of bird and most of them very well, and for those who wish, there will be plenty of informal guidance on improving identification skills.

Our ideal location also gives us great scope for optional pre-breakfast birding as the extensive Kalloni salt pans are just a short drive away. These are alive with birds and we are bound to return here on numerous occasions. At this time of year Black-winged Stilt, Avocet, Wood Sandpiper, Little Stint and Ruff are the predominate waders, but Curlew Sandpiper, Temminck’s Stint, Stone-curlew, Collared Pratincole and Marsh Sandpiper all occur, and Spur-winged Plover is a possibility. The salt pans are ideal as well for groups of feeding Greater Flamingos, and Slender-billed or Mediterranean Gulls can drop in at any time, as can Whiskered or White-winged Black Terns, often in impressive numbers. Any flooded grassland is likely to attract squadrons of Glossy Ibis while overhead both Black and White Storks are usually present in good numbers. Nearby, the cultivated fields and rough pastures adjacent to these pans are excellent places for migrant Red-footed Falcons and we can expect to see small gatherings of these attractive birds perched on the telegraph wires. The early morning can be an especially good time for observing newly arrived migrants and on the best days the bushes in this area can almost be jumping with warblers, chats, and shrikes.  

After breakfast each day we’ll travel further afield to one or more of the island’s particular birding localities, few of which are more than an hour’s drive away. Most days we’ll take a delicious packed lunch of local produce – there is no shortage of shady spots to have a picnic. On one or two days, especially if it is very warm, we may return to the hotel in the afternoon and, after a break, go back out for more local birding before dinner.

During the course of the week we’ll undoubtedly make several visits to the Tsiknias River, only a few minutes’ drive from the hotel but one of the best birding spots on the island. The elevated tracks that run alongside the river on both sides provide an excellent vantage from which to view the abundant birdlife. Squacco Herons, Little Bitterns, Purple Herons and Little Crakes lurk in the thickly vegetated margins, while dazzling Yellow Wagtails of various races feed along the water’s edge. The bushes surrounding the scented wild-flower meadows on either side are liberally scattered with Woodchat Shrikes, Whinchats and other migrants, while the background sounds are dominated by the ‘fuzzling’ song of numerous Corn Buntings.

When we feel like a complete change of scenery we can visit the shady pine forests around Achlederi, a stronghold for one of the island’s specialties, the handsome Krüper’s Nuthatch.  This can be a difficult bird to locate but we should find plenty to interest us while we search, including Short-toed Treecreeper, Masked Shrike, Subalpine Warbler, Serin and the distinctive local race of Long-tailed Tit.  And when we visit the western end of the island around Eressos and Sigri we’ll notice that the habitat is distinctly more barren, but no less beautiful and every bit as exciting for birds. This is good wheatear country with Black-eared Wheatear being abundant, and a few pairs of the more discreetly plumaged Isabelline Wheatears here and there. Rock Nuthatches, singing Woodlarks, pastel Cretzschmar’s Buntings, and Rock Sparrows provide added interest while we look for that other island specialty, Cinereous Bunting. This handsome soft grey and yellow bunting is best located by its distinctive song echoing out across the hillsides. A narrow fertile strip just north of Sigri has proved to be an excellent migrant trap, and there is a good chance of finding some of the scarcer species such as Roller and Collared Flycatcher here.

The northern parts of the island around the picturesque towns of Petra and Molivos present yet another habitat and some interesting birds that we may not encounter elsewhere.  Here we’ll look for Rüppell’s Warbler, Blue Rock Thrush, and early-returning Eleonora’s Falcons.  We’ll keep a close eye on the gulls as we follow the coast east of Molivos as this is the best place on the island for seeing Audouin’s Gulls, as well as Yelkouan and Scopoli’s Shearwaters. And of course there will be chances to call in at the odd shaded taverna overlooking some quaint harbor bobbing with fishing boats for a cool drink or perhaps an ice cream.

Perhaps the most appealing aspect of birding on Lesvos is the volume of migration and the variety of species, which at its height is quite spectacular and all the more impressive for the splendid uncluttered surroundings.  Every spring produces its own mix of species and includes one or two unexpected rarities. Nights at Skala Kalloni.

Day 9: Early this morning we’ll transfer to the airport where the tour ends.

Last updated Jun 28, 2023
Tour Information (Click to see more)

Note: The information presented here is an abbreviated version of our formal General Information for this tour. Its purpose is solely to give readers a sense of what might be involved if they take this tour. Although we do our best to make sure that what follows here is completely accurate, it should not be used as a replacement for the formal document which will be sent to all tour registrants, and whose contents supersedes any information contained here.

ENTERING GREECE: United States citizens will need a passport valid for at least six months beyond your intended date of departure and with at least one blank page for an entry stamp. No visa is required for tourist visits of fewer than 90 days.

Citizens of other nations should contact the nearest Greek Consulate for entry requirements.

COUNTRY INFORMATION: You can review the U.S. Department of State Country Specific Travel Information here:  https://travel.state.gov/content/travel.html and the CIA World Factbook here:  https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/. Review foreign travel advice from the UK government here:  https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice and travel advice and advisories from the Government of Canada here:  https://travel.gc.ca/travelling/advisories

PACE OF TOUR:  Most days will start with an optional pre-breakfast excursion lasting between one and two hours and visiting one of the many excellent birding spots close to the hotel. After breakfast we will usually head out for the day. Provided the weather is fine, we’ll have a picnic lunch. Some days we may return to the hotel for a break in the afternoon, but generally we’ll be out birding until about an hour before dinner at around 8:00 pm.

The tour is not strenuous, but in a couple of places we will walk on stony ground and up rocky valleys. Leisurely walks of up to 1 or 2km over easy terrain will be all that is required.

HEALTH: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that all travelers be up to date on routine vaccinations. These include measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine, diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis vaccine, varicella (chickenpox) vaccine, polio vaccine, and your yearly flu shot.

They further recommend that most travelers have protection against Hepatitis A.

The most current information about travelers’ health recommendations can be found on the CDC’s Travel Health website here: https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/list

Smoking: Smoking and vaping are prohibited in the vehicles or when the group is gathered for meals, checklists, etc. If you are sharing a room with a nonsmoker, please do not smoke in the room. If you smoke in the field, do so well away and downwind from the group. If any location where the group is gathered has a stricter policy than the WINGS policy, that stricter policy will prevail.

Miscellaneous:  Insects can be a nuisance at times. We recommend using insect repellents with a high concentration of DEET.

CLIMATE: It is generally warm and pleasant in late April with temperatures ranging between 15°C (59°F) and 23°C (73°F) in the daytime, but cooler in the early morning and evenings. However, the weather is unpredictable at this time of year, and we could experience rain during our stay. 

ACCOMMODATION: Throughout the tour we will be staying at a comfortable, good quality hotel. All rooms have a private bathroom with a shower. Hairdryers not provided, bring your own if you think you need one.

There is a nice (outdoor) swimming pool at the hotel, and guests are welcome to use this, but we are seldom if ever at the hotel at a time of the day when the temperature is conducive to swimming. Alternatively, the sea is just in front of the hotel, less than a minutes’ walk away.

Internet Access: Our hotel has a reasonably good Wifi connection and guests can use this on their own devices free of charge. Mobile phone access is very good throughout most of the island.

FOOD: Meals at the hotel are a buffet consisting of a variety of local foods. Our picnic lunches are based around a Greek salad provided by the hotel augmented by local cheeses, cold meats, and fruit purchased by the leaders. On our final evening we will head into the nearby coastal village for a meal at a local restaurant. Vegetarians are well catered for.

Food Allergies/Requirements: We cannot guarantee that all food allergies can be accommodated at every destination. Participants with significant food allergies or special dietary requirements should bring appropriate foods with them for those times when their needs cannot be met. Announced meal times are always approximate depending on how the day unfolds. Participants who need to eat according to a fixed schedule should bring supplemental food. Please contact the WINGS office if you have any questions.

Drinks:  Bottled water, a soft drink, beer or wine are provided at meals. In addition, we keep a supply of bottled water on the tour vehicles. 

TRANSPORTATION: Transportation will be in minibuses driven by the leaders. Participants must be willing and able to ride in any seat in our tour vehicles.

Last updated Oct 02, 2023
Bird Lists (Click to see more)
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Narrative (Click to see more)

2024 Narrative

This year, I decided we should ‘hit the ground running’, so to speak. With the only reliable site on the island for the exquisite Rüppell’s Warbler nowadays being a short distance away from Mytelini Airport–and this being at the end of the island we have little reason to visit for any other birds–the scrub-covered hillside near Charamida was our first stop, just fifteen minutes after meeting outside the Arrivals hall! We didn’t have to wait very long in the warm evening sun for a male Rüppell’s Warbler to alight in full view at the top of a small pine tree and start singing. Having failed to see the species the previous year, this was as good a start as I had hoped for, and it was followed by an unexpected bonus: while scanning the habitat, and looking beyond the male Eastern Black-eared Wheatears that flitted from bush to bush, a fishing trawler came into view on the sea just below us, trailed by a cloud of gulls. It wasn’t until I took a look through the telescope that I noticed a good number of Scopoli’s Shearwaters mixed in with the Yellow-legged Gulls, the shearwaters staying close to the water surface, with some plunging below, in pursuit of whatever discards were being thrown their way. We don’t often see this species as clearly as this, as usually they are more distant, and greatly outnumbered by Yelkouan Shearwaters. We took a more scenic route back to our hotel that evening, making a stop along the way at the village of Loutra, where Palm Dove, a bird that is colonising the eastern Mediterranean, was recently discovered to be breeding. We had close views of three birds, including one sitting on a nest located just over the door of a small store, and a beautifully marked male in song. It probably won’t be long before this species becomes a common sight all over the island, but for now it is still considered very special.

Usually, our first full day is spent getting to know the birds that can be found close to where we are based, at Skala Kalloni, but the forecast of heavy rain throughout our first night, and the prospect of this rain bringing down a lot of migrants, determined that we would devote the main part of the day to the west of the island, where arrivals of migrants are often in far greater numbers than elsewhere. Beforehand, there was time for a pre-breakfast excursion to the Tsiknias river mouth and Kalloni salt pans where we encountered our first Purple Herons, a lively and typically vocal flock of Bee-eaters, a pair of Spur-winged Lapwings and a bedraggled male Red-footed Falcon that was sitting it out in the rain.

The wind and rain that persisted for the morning in the west of the island meant that we observed mostly from within the vehicle, but it was clear that a lot of birds had arrived in the bad weather. At Faneromeni, beautiful male Red-backed and Woodchat Shrikes, Collared Flycatchers, Hoopoes, flocks of Yellow Wagtails and a very close Montagu’s Harrier were among the highlights, but the best of the lot was a magnificent Roller that perched in full view on a thin fence-post, occasionally dropping to the ground for a morsel of prey, when its dazzling open-wing pattern was revealed.

In the course of two subsequent visits to the rugged west of the island we had excellent views of Cinereous Bunting, Rock Sparrow, Western Rock Nuthatch, Isabelline Wheatear, Crag Martin and Little Owl, as well as many common species.

Closer to our base at Kalloni, the salt-pans and surrounding fields hosted a great variety of birds, including numerous Pied Avocets, Black-winged Stilts, Little Terns, Greater Flamingoes, Dalmatian Pelican, Marsh and Montagu’s Harriers, Red-throated Pipits, Short-toed Larks, Tawny Pipits, Ruddy Shelducks, Glossy Ibis and both White and Black Storks. A mobile flock of about 50 Collared Pratincoles gave us a bit of a run-around, but we eventually located them roosting in the middle of the saltpans.

On our way to explore the north part of the island we stopped at a small stand of mature eucalyptus trees which is a known roost site for the delightful Scops Owl, a bird we can hear calling at night from our hotel rooms, but which is not so easy to see by day. Despite the eucalyptus being a non-native tree, the owls seem to have some sense of how their vermiculated plumage affords them perfect camouflage against the accumulations of old, dead leaves and tangled growth where they choose to roost. It can take time to locate one, but on this occasion we were lucky to spot one almost immediately upon arrival, and could view every detail through the telescope.  At Kavaki, the site where we used to see Rüppell’s Warbler up until last year, we had excellent views of a pair of Blue Rock Thrushes, as well as adult and a one-year old Peregrine Falcons. We

familiarised ourselves with the salient identification features of the passing Yellow-legged Gulls, in case an Audouin’s Gull might come into view, but none came by on this occasion.

A little easy walking along sections of the beautiful ‘Napi Valley’ gave us a chance to use our ears as much as our eyes; the quiet, purring song of Turtle Doves, fluty whistles of Golden Orioles, hooting Hoopoes and chattering Masked and Woodchat Shrikes all blended with the gentle chiming of numerous sheep-bells to create an extraordinarily evocative soundscape. Here, we found the first singing Olive Tree Warbler of the season, and, unusually for this notoriously elusive species, it sat in full view on its preferred song perch for several minutes.

Every spring trip here is a little different, each with one or two unexpected surprises, but also one or two species that, lest we take them for granted, don’t show up. Perhaps it is the sheer unpredictability that makes the birding on Lesvos so exciting, and this is why so many people return year, after year after year; you just can’t beat it!

- Killian Mullarney

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Tour Notes

Maximum group size seven with one leader; 12 with two leaders.