May 11 2017 was our penultimate day in Lesvos and we decided to do a loop around the centre of the island, first visiting the lay-by, then birding at a couple of places around Kolloni and finally returning to our apartment by driving up the Napi Valley (7 on the map). We knew the lay-by well by this stage and today got excellent views of a Common Raven that conveniently perched on a rock close to us. We then drove south down the Kalloni road until we got to a location we’d heard about where a European Scops-owl was known to roost. The site was known as the ‘mini soccer pitch’ and is an area of plane and eucalyptus trees next to a restaurant. It was difficult to see the roosting owls amongst all the leaves but we did eventually find the bird and get a few reasonable photographs.
We then made a brief visit to the ford east of Kalloni were we soon saw an Eastern Olivaceous Warbler. And from the car we heard the distinctive call of a Cetti’s Warbler, with the bird appearing for a short time that enabled us to get a few photographs.
Continuing eastward, we stopped at the salt pans where we had distant views of Eurasia Thick-knee and a better sighting of a Dalmatian Pelican. Overhead Black Storks were flying by.
Before driving up the Napi Valley we had lunch once again at the Caprice Restaurant in Skala Kalloni, where the seafood was excellent as ever.
After lunch we drove up the Napi Valley road, which gradually ascents from the coastal area to the high interior of the island. Near the start there are a number of side tracks that you can walk that are good for birding and we checked out a couple of these on the way up. Along the tracks we saw Eurasian Nuthatch, which is a bird we have in our village at home, but Masked Shrike is not seen in the UK.
As we got to higher elevations we had our best views yet of Cretzschmar’s Bunting.
