LONDON TO MYTILINE - TRANSFER TO SKALA KALLONI with a stop at Mesa Marshes. Late afternoon trip to Tsiknias River and Kalloni Salt Pans. Despite a two hour delay in our departure from London to Mytiline we had time for great birding once we arrived.
he weather was fantastic for our first day, bright, sunny and warm all afternoon.
Yes we sat on the tarmac for two hours at Gatwick before we even set off! But despite our delay we had time to stop as we travelled from Mytline to our hotel in Skala Kalloni.
At Mesa marsh we stopped to look for Garganey as we knew they were there, sure enough we saw two males along with Little Egrets, Black-winged Stilts, Wood Sandpiper, Grey Heron, Common Coots and Moorhens.
Mesa Marshes
After settling into our rooms at our hotel in Skala Kalloni we set off to the Tsiknias River for our first proper birding trip. We caught up with a few common birds found on Lesvos, Corn Bunting, Crested Lark, Black-headed Bunting, Olivaceous Warbler, Bee-eater, Common Tern, Little Tern, Purple Heron, Common Sand Sandpiper.
During our one hour stay we also added, Yellow (Black-headed) Wagtail, Little Ringed Plover, Reed and Great Reed Warblers. also Cetti's Warbler and the elusive Common Nightingale. We then drove to the Salt Pans and in superb afternoon light we watched a great deal of new species for the trip list: Greater Flamemgo, Pied Avocet, Temminck's Stint, Ruff, Long-legged Buzzard, Montagu's Harrier, Yellow Wagtail, Little Ringed Plover and Hooded Crow.
Temminck's Stint
We got back to the hotel at 7:30pm. and ate dinner at 8:30pm. It had been a long day, but we must regain oue strength in preparation for our visit to Petra Tomorrow.