By Richard Brooks
When describing Lesbos, words like 'magical island', 'migration hotspot'. and 'jewel of the Aegean' tend to trip off the tongue with monotonous regularity. On top of all these acolades I would just add the words 'a wildlife photographer's dream'. Above all it is this fact that has now lured me back to the island six times in the last five years.
If asked what makes it so special. I would say: ease of access, friendly people, accommodating birds, wonderful and largely unspoilt scenery; and above all, excellent light conditions in which to work. Of course, its location within 58 miles of the Turkish coast helps greatly in attracting migrants, as does the fact that it is the wettest of the Greek islands and, at approximately 40 by 25 miles, second only in size to Crete.
The island's position also ensures a certain eastern influence on its birds and other wildlife; and this is borne out by its 2 special breeding birds - the resident Kruper's Nuthatch and the migratory Cienerous Bunting - and also in the often spectacular spring passage of marsh terns, Red-footed Falcons, and Rose-coloured Starlings. Its varied habitats embrace low-lying marshes and fertile river river valleys, unimproved grassland alive with wildflowers in spring, through to scrub and olive-clad hillsides, upland woodlands of pine and holme oak, and the more rocky and barren terrain encountered to the west of the island.
Apart from Cinerous Bunting, typical birds of this last area, centred on Eressos, include Rock Nuthatch, Rock Sparrow, Black-eared Wheatear (with a few pairs of Isabelline), Blue Rock Thrush, Cretzschmar's Bunting, Woodlark, Long-legged Buzzard, Short-toed Eagle and localised Lesser Kestrel and Eloenora's Falcon breeding on offshore islands. The upland pinewoods, by contrast, and especially those above Agiassos, are home to Kruper's Nuthatch, Serin, Sombre Tit (pictured right), Short-toed Treecreeper and Middle Spotted Woodpecker (though the latter two seem equally at home in the island's extensive olive groves - a habitatthey share with breeding Masked Shrike, Hoopoe and Olive tree Warbler).
Areas of coastal scrub (particularly to the north of the island between Petra and Molivos) are a good place to look for Ruppell's Warbler (Pictured Left), often in company with the widespread Subalpine Warbler, found throughout in scrubby habitat favoured also by Woodchat and Red-backed Shrike. Whilst the former is a common breeder (together with small numbers of Lesser Grey Shrike), the latter occurs more more as a spring and autumn migrant, though often in huge numbers. Cirl Bunting is also regularly encountered in such terrain, with several pairs of Rufous Bushchat in dry riverbeds.
Damper scrub, however, holds good numbers of singing Nightingale and Olivaceous Warbler in spring, with Cetti's resident. In fact, the island's wetlands centred primarily around Kelloni, but also including smaller areas around Skala Eressos, Sigri, Faneromeni and the Dipi Larssos Reddbed near Mytilini probably provide the most spectacular birding on Lesbos. This is particularly true of Kelloni East River and Salt Pans, (though the pans at Skala Polichnitos can also be productive, especially in autumn).
These wetlands, especially between mid-April and mid-May, can attract huge numbers of birds on passage, with Little Egret, Purple, Squacco and Night Heron, Glossy Ibis, Little Bittern, White and Black Stork, Collard Pratincole, Little Crake, Whiskered Tern, White-winged Black Tern (pictured right) and Gull-billed Tern, plus Garganey and various sub-species of Yellow Wagtail all being on show and posing well for the camera. In addition, waders of all types, including stints, sandpipers, and breeding Stone Curlew are often encountered at close quarters, together with good numbers of nesting Bee-eater.
In spring birds like the Crested Lark, Corn and Black-headed Bunting appear to be everywhere, with Little Owl seemingly on every rock or post, and the chance to connect with migrant Golden Oriole, Roller and above all, the often spectacular passage of Red-footed Falcons in early May, and of Rose-coloured Starling laterin the month.
Autumn, too, is not without its attractions. Though everywhere is drier, and birds are obviously in smaller numbers, this is a good time for wandering raptors, for pre-dispersal gatherings of Stone Curlew, for the mass arrival of wintering Kingfishers, Chiff-chaffs etc, not to mention Flamingo numbers building up around the salt pens.
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