For birders all over the world

Lesbos, 2nd - 9th May, 2002

by Rob Andrews, Mike Collard, Dave Ferguson, Jim Rose

This was to be a repeat of the trip three of us made in 2000. RA was making his first visit to the island. We were staying at the Arisvi Studios in Skala Kalloni which meant only a short walk to the tavernas on the sea front. The studios were pretty basic but we weren't in them much. Everything was reasonably priced - if anything, the advent of the Euro had brought prices down.

Books and maps

The field guide we used was the Collins Bird Guide. Birding in the Greek Island of Lesvos by Richard Brooks is essential. It gives detail of all the sites mentioned in this report with the exeption of the the Napi Valley which was not discovered until 1999. The map we used was Freytag & Berndt's 1:75,000. This is a good map, but the contour map produced by ??? is even better.

Car hire

A car is essential. We booked the car through the internet with Payless/Budget (www.greeknet.com/payless.htm). They supplied us with a Hyundai Accent with great efficiency. The car was fine for four birders. It is worth remembering that all hire cars except Fiat Cinquecentos and 4x4s are 4-door - highly convenient for birders.

Weather

It was hot, dry and sunny almost every day. The wind - always a factor in Lesbos - came from practically any direction.

Digital photography

A feature of the trip, and a sign of the times, was the use of digital cameras. DF stuck to his trusty camcorder, but the others were equipped with the wherewithal for digiscoping. JR had been using his Nikon Coolpix 995 for 5 months, MC had just bought his, while RA has been using his Fuji 4700 Finepix for 14 months. The results (and it is the unbiased opinion of DF, who is writing this) were remarkable. Digital photography means it is now possible for general birders to combine birding and the capturing of good quality images. Digital photography probably added about an hour to a day's birding.

Day by day

2nd May

We collected the car from the airport while we were still waiting for our baggage! Then we were off south from the airport. After a km we stopped for some seawatching and were immediately rewarded with 2 Cory's Shearwaters. Further stops produced Subalpine Warbler, Serin, Cretzschmar's Bunting, Black-eared Wheater and Turtle Dove - all common Lesbos birds. Less common were Blue Rock Thrush and a Black Stork flying over the mountains in the background.

At Charamida Marsh we heard Olivaceous and Cetti's Warblers and saw a Zitting Cisticola - the only one of the trip - while overhead flew 2 Alpine Swifts. The adjacent newly-cut hay field held 3 Tawny Pipits, a Black-headed Wagtail, a Blue-headed Wagtail, a Grey-headed Wagtail and a Short-toed Lark.

We ignored Dipi Larssos, which we had found relatively unproductive two years before, and headed straight to Derbyshire. Here were about 30 Glossy Ibises while overhead we heard the first of many Bee-eater flocks.

The East River was a great disappointment with only 6 Wood Sandpipers and 2 Greenshanks, a dismal contrast to the amazing display of two years before. We then drove to the apartment, checked in, and headed for the Kalloni 2 Pool which was next door. Here we found a splendid assortment of birds: Glossy Ibises, Squacco Herons, 9 Garganeys, a Purple Heron, 2 Little Bitterns, and the bonus of a female Little Crake and a Water Rail. Surprisingly, there were no terns. Further bonuses appeared in the evening while we were quaffing our beers at a nearby taverna when 4 Red-footed Falcons, a Marsh Harrier and 2 Great White Egrets flew past over the sea. The final bird was a Little Owl on a telegraph pole.

3rd May

Before heading west, we checked out the Kalloni 2 Pool and almost immediately JR found a Moustached Warbler. Also present were about 10 Ruff and a Marsh Sandpiper. We then set off, first stopping just outside Kalloni where DF had seen roosting Scops Owl the previous year. We had no success but we did see a singing Wood Warbler and heard a River Warbler.

In the mountains beyond Dafia we found a pair of Rock Nuthatches while another stop near Skalachori produced a Sombre Tit, 2 Lesser Grey Shrikes, a Woodchat Shrike, a Red-backed Shrike, a Middle Spotted Woodpecker, a Golden Oriole, and a brown and white bird that streaked through the scrub which two of us thought was a Great Spotted Cuckoo and the other two thought was a falcon. A singing Cinereous Bunting was a surprise - we had never before encountered them this far east. Further on, near Vatousa, we saw the first of many Short-toed Eagles and Long-legged Buzzards, a singing Orphean Warbler and a family of 4 Stonechats.

These were unscheduled stops. Our first scheduled stop - Grand Canyon - produced a real bonus bird, a male Rock Thrush on a distant outcrop behind the obvious pinnacle on the left. A male Blue Rock Thrush was nearby while, further along the canyon, was a colony of Crag Martins. 2 Long-tailed Tits were more familiar although rather different in appearance. A Levant Sparrowhawk, a Hobby and 2 Eleonora's Falcons flew overhead.

The Isabelline Triangle produced the expected Isabelline Wheatears in very short time and a slightly less expected Lesser Kestrel and 2 Woodlarks.

The track on the south side of the Ipsilou Monastery had been resurfaced since last year and a barrier placed across the entrance. We walked up from the bottom with birds all around us.

Collared, Pied and Spotted Flycatchers were all around. We made a conservative estimate of 6+ Collared, 3+ Pied; we didn't count the Spotted. There were Wood Warblers, Blackcaps, Subalpine Warblers, 2 Icterine Warblers, a Whitethroat and a Lesser Whitethroat. A Cinereous Bunting sang and - most unexpectedly - a Nightjar churred down in the valley. A Chukar gave us good views as did a male Masked Shrike. Less expected was a European Sparrowhawk.

We had spent so much time looking at birds - a common Lesbos problem - that we did not have time to carry on our planned route to Faneromeni. We retracted our steps to the Eressos turnoff and turned south to that town. Halfway along we stopped at the bridge and found a colony of about 15 Rock Sparrows a few hundred metres downstream. East of Eressos were some pits by the road. They were pretty deserted apart from some gulls, one of which was a Lesser Black-backed Gull, probably of the Baltic race. Just east of Agra we had a Peregrine. Parakila Marsh was unproductive but the West River gave us 3 displaying Stone-curlews.

4th May

Our first encounter with marsh terns came just after dawn at the Kalloni 2 Pool - 7 White-winged Black Terns and 2 Whiskered Terns. At the mouth of the East River were about 8 Little Terns. On and around the river were about 20 Bee-eaters, a flying Black Stork and a Little Owl.

We were on our way to the north coast. Between Petra and Molivos we heard Ruppell's Warblers but failed to see them. However we did see an adult Audouin's Gull, 2 Alpine Swifts, Rock Nuthatches and an Orphean Warbler. JR and RA saw a distant falcon which they thought was a Lanner. But the most unexpected find was first heard by JR - a Blackcap-like song that wasn't. It turned out to be a Barred Warbler, an uncommon migrant through Lesbos. A singing Willow Warbler was a surprise.

We continued our journey along the coastal track. This produced another singing but unseen Ruppell's Warbler, a Levant Sparrowhawk, 2 Shags offshore, and - a repeat of two years ago - an adult Golden Eagle.

From there we drove up the switchback from Skala Sikiminea to Sikiminea and to a few kms south of Mandamados where a new road took us to the Napi Valley.The old track is still there though - it joins the new road at the summit. We drove along the track, climbing to the raptor watch point that we had visited two years before. And there, in the same fields as in 2000, were Red-footed Falcons, altogether about 50 of them. Other raptors were Common and Long-legged Buzzard and Short-toed Eagle, but far to the south-east, beyond the valley, we saw two very large eagles indeed. They were too far away to positively identify, but they may have been an Eastern Imperial Eagles.

We drove down the valley to the site for Olive-tree Warblers. The road was now surfaced, spoiling the rusticity of the valley, although the view over the olive grove was improved due to the raised surface of the road. We heard two Olive-tree Warblers but, as usual, failed to see them. Subalpine Warbler, Hoopoe, Masked Shrike and Long-legged Buzzard added interest.

From there we made our first visit to the Kalloni Salt Pans, a drive down the road and back. There were Ruffs, Greenshanks, Little Stints, Curlew Sandpipers, a sleeping Spoonbill, and 2 Greylag Geese of unknown origin, as they say. The last is not on the Lesbos list. In the distance were the usual Greater Flamingos.

5th May

The terns had arrived in numbers at the Kalloni 2 Pool - 40+ White-winged Black though only 4 Whiskered. DF had seen a Gull-billed earlier.

We were on our way to Devil's Bridge where we had been told was a male Finsch's Wheatear. On arrival we immediately found a Rock Nuthatch on a rock face above the road. The birds were indulging in the peculiar habit of stuffing feathers in cracks in the rock next to the nest. But we were really interested in wheatears and before long we found a male which looked like a Finsch's. The black on the face was continous with the black wings; there was no white division. We were joined by two birders who became as excited as us and for about 15 minutes six birders thought they had a Finsch's Then it turned its head revealing a white line between the black on the face and the wings - it was a Black-eared. (For the views of the other two birders see www.birdseen.co.uk). A nearby Tree Pipit was no compensation.

West of Agra, near a small white building, we found a singing Cinereous Bunting. Just south of the Isabelline Triangle a pair of Isablline Wheatears were holding territory, while about 20 Red-footed Falcons were feeding low over a field. This was pretty good but the Ipsilou Monastery was even better. First there were 2 Tree Pipits then 2 male Northern Wheatears then 6 Golden Orioles. 2 Cinereous Buntings and 2 Icterine Warblers sang, while the bushes were full of Collared and Pied Flycatchers, which we failed to turn into Semi-collared, Wood Warblers, Whitethroats, Lesser Whitethroats and Blackcaps. In the sky we saw a Lesser Kestrel and a White Stork.

Eventually we left these myriad birds and proceeded on our planned route to Faneromeni. At the upper ford we found 3 Little Bitterns, 10+ Wood Sandpipers and Great Reed Warblers. Between the upper and lower fords we saw a Lanner and at the lower ford a Penduline Tit's nest hung over the river. The birds were only seen briefly as they entered and left the nest.

Next we travelled on one of our favourite roads on the island, the track between Sigri and Eressos, now a relatively smooth ride. All along were Whinchats - we estimated over 100. We also saw 2 Tawny Pipits and a Marsh Harrier. In the conifers around the tiny chapel were a Pied Flycatcher, a Willow Warbler and an Icterine Warbler. At the ford were 6 Squacco Herons, a Little Bittern and a Great Reed Warbler. Just downstream we found yet another Barred Warbler and a Rufous Bush Robin. A Peregrine flew over.

6th May

We had heard that a Scops Owl was roosting in the site we had tried on the 3rd, but in a different tree. We had amazing views of this bird as it roosted only 8 ft up. We then moved on to the Napi Valley for another attempt at seeing Olive-tree Warblers. This time we were successful, though only after a long wait. DF had a brief glimpse of a Hawfinch while a Masked Shrike and a Long-legged Buzzard were again present. We tried for the reported Great Spotted Cuckoo but failed. A Little Owl sat on a nearby fence and watched us. From the raptor watchpoint we again saw over 50 Red-footed Falcons.

Achladeri produced the expected Kruper's Nuthatches as well as Short-toed Treecreeper, Serin and Masked Shrike. Derbyshire had Temminck's Stints, 4 Ruddy Shelducks, a Great White Egret and a Red-throated Pipit.

We had yet to visit the sheep field between the Kalloni Salt Pans and the sea. We now remedied this. We left the car on the near side of the bridge and walked in to be surrounded by wagtails and pipits. The wagtails were Blue-headed with a few Black-headed (surely a different species) while the pipits were Red-throated, some of them with red all over the breast and belly. Further on we found 2 Collared Pratincoles. When we returned to the car we discovered birders watching 4 Collared Pratincoles - earlier a Black-winged Pratincole had been present.

7th May

We first set off for the Inland Lake, trying to get there before anyone else - birders have a habit of getting out of their cars here and scaring off the birds. We were rewarded with 3 Night Herons and a female Little Crake as well as the more expected Great Reed, Reed and Sedge Warblers. One of these may well have been a Marsh Warbler.

We returned to Skala Kalloni to stock up with provisions, checked out the pool, then headed for the Potamia Valley. We had been told about an odd-looking bird - black with a white head and breast - near the track on the right side of the river, and there it was - a part-albino Blackbird. On the far side of the valley, flying along the ridge, we saw 2 very large eagles. One was being mobbed by a Common Buzzard which looked tiny in comparison. They were Steppe Eagles which looked at times as if they were flying backwards, an illusion caused by the projecting head and the short tail.

We drove up the main track until we reached a pull-off high above the valley. Two years ago we had had a very productive raptor watch from this point, and we were not disappointed this time either. Short-toed Eagles, Long-legged, Common and Honey Buzzards appeared regularly while a distant eagle was probably a Lesser Spotted. But the highlight came from a Honey Buzzard. One appeared and began sky-dancing - a stunning aerial ballet whereby the bird raises its wings above its head in the manner of a Nightjar and claps them together several times. It repeated this about ten times as it undulated across the valley. This was one of the moments of the trip.

It was becoming obvious that the birds were flying over the far ridge and with the help of another birder who had joined us and had a better map than ours, we decided to try to find the track we could see below us which made its way towards the ridge. So off we went on a magical mystery tour.

We drove back down the valley until we came to a right fork. We drove along this, took a left fork and eventually found ourselves high on the far side of the valley on a flat area just off the track which gave us a 300 degree view. Here we added 2 Booted Eagles and a Goshawk. It was now early evening and Short-toed Eagles were coming in from the north and dropping into the trees to roost. There were at least 20. In the surrounding woodland we found a rather rare Lesbos bird - Woodpigeon.

There was one final twist. On the way down, RA heard a call coming from the mixed woodland we were driving through. The conversation in the car went:

RA: Marsh Tit!
JR: There aren't any Marsh Tits in Lesbos.
DF: What's that trill?

We leapt out of the car and found the birds easily - a pair of Eastern Bonelli's Warblers obviously holding territory. Apparently this was a new site for them.

We then moved to the Salt Pans where we saw our only Black Tern of the trip. The East River had a very obliging Purple Heron.

8th May

The upper East River is a good place for Rufous Bush Robins. Here we found three - one rather secretive bird and two that were anything but. In almost non-stop action these two chased each other, fanning their tails, hopping on rocks, landing on bushes. It was a spectacular sight but it drove the digiscopers to distraction.

We then returned to the salt pans. We had the additional incentive of a report of Lesser Sand Plovers on the beach. On the beach we found the marker for the plovers (a half-buried tyre) but the only wader present was a female Kentish Plover with an unusually long bill. Back in the sheep field we found 2 Collared Pratincoles and a singing Short-toed Lark.

The pans were full of waders, although of a limited range of species - 100+ Little Stints, 30+ Temminck's Stints, 200+ Ruffs, and about 30 Avocets. It was on a small pool on the other side of the road from the pans that caused the most excitement. We were driving slowly along a track scanning the waders that were feeding only a few feet away. On a pool was a small group of birds, one of which looked a little odd. It was RA who shouted "Broad-billed Sandpiper!" about fifteen seconds before it flew off. We never saw it again.

Frustration continued with a group of 5 pratincoles in a field by the road. 4 were definitely Collared but the fifth, although it had a chestnut underwing, did not show a white trailing edge - even though we were looking for it. Was it an Oriental? DF's poor quality video does not discourage the idea.

9th May

The final day and we were back at the sheep field with Collared Pratincoles, Red-throated Pipits, Blue-headed and Black-headed Wagtails. On the beach was a Stone-curlew while in the air was a flock of Common Swifts which contained at least one Pallid. We drove along the back roads to the airport seeing nothing new. While waiting in the check-in queue, which was so long it stretched out of the building, two Honey Buzzards flew over. Where else is that likely to happen?

Species list

Scops Owl, copyright Dave Ferguson

Little Owl, copyright Dave Ferguson

Nightingale, copyright Dave Ferguson

Red-backed Shrike, copyright Dave Ferguson

Black-eared Wheatear, copyright Dave Ferguson

Rufous Bushchat, copyright Dave Ferguson

Cinerous Bunting, copyright Dave Ferguson

Black-headed Bunting, copyright Dave Ferguson

Little Grebe - 1, Kalloni 2 Pool, all week.
Great Crested Grebe - 1, at sea off Kalloni Salt Pans, 9/5/02.
Cory's Shearwater - 2, at sea off Aghios Ioannis, 2/5/02.
Shag - 2, at sea between Eftalou and Skala Sikiminea, 4/5/02.
Little Bittern - Several, Kalloni 2 Pool, Inland Lake, East River, Faneromeni Ford.
Night Heron - 7 flying over Kalloni 2 Pool at dawn, 4/5/02. 3, Inland Lake, 7/5/02.
Squacco Heron - Common all marshy areas.
Little Egret - Common Kalloni Salt Pans.
Great White Egret - 2, Skala Kalloni, 2/5/02; 1, Derbyshire 6/5/02; 1, Kalloni Salt Pans, 8/5/02.
Grey Heron - Several in Kalloni area.
Purple Heron - 2, Kalloni 2 Pool; 1, E River 6/5/02.
Black Stork - Usually single birds seen flying in scattered localities. 3 on beach by Kalloni Salt Pans, 9/5/02.
White Stork - Nest on building in Papiana.
Glossy Ibis - Flocks of up to 60 passing through Kalloni 2 Pool all week.
Spoonbill - 1, Kalloni Salt Pans.
Greater Flamingo - c80, Kalloni Salt Pans.
Mute Swan - 7 at mouth of East River, 6/5/02.
Ruddy Shelduck - 4, Derbyshire, 6/5/02; 2 flying Upper Potamia Valley, 7/5/02. 2 Kalloni 2 Pool.
Shelduck - 5, Kalloni Salt Pans.
Common Teal - 2, Kalloni 2 Pool, 2/5/02.
Garganey - Up to 9, Kalloni 2 Pool.
Shoveler - 2 males, Kalloni 2 Pool.
Honey Buzzard - 1, Ipsilou 3/5/02; 2+ and 1 sky-dancing, Upper Potamia Valley, 7/5/02; 2 Mytilini Airport, 9/5/02.
Short-toed Eagle - Widespead. 20+, Upper Potamia Valley, 7/5/02.
Marsh Harrier - 1, Skala Kalloni, 2/5/02; 1, Sigri-Eressos Road, 5/5/02.
Goshawk - 1, Upper Potamia Valley, 7/5/02.
Sparrowhawk - 1, Ispilou, 3/5/02.
Levant Sparrowhawk - 1, Grand Canyon, 3/5/02; 1, Eftalou-Skala Sikiminea, 4/502.
Common Buzzard - Widespread in mountainous areas.
Long-legged Buzzard - Widespread in mountainous areas.
Booted Eagle - 2, Upper Potamia Valley, 7/5/02.
Steppe Eagle - 2, Upper Potamia Valley, 7/5/02.
Lesser Kestrel - Singles, Isabelline Triangle and west.
Kestrel - 1, near Molivos 4/5/02.
Red-footed Falcon - Widespread. 50+, Napi Valley, 4/5/02, 6/5/02.
Hobby - 1, Grand Canyon 3/5/02.
Eleonora's Falcon - 2, Grand Canyon 3/5/02.
Lanner Falcon - 1, Faneromeni, 5/5/02.
Peregrine - 1, near Agra, 3/5/02; 1, Eressos ford 5/5/02; Upper Potamia Valley, 7/5/02.
Chukar - 1, Ipsilou, 3/5/02; 1, near Sigri 5/5/02.
Water Rail - 1, Kalloni 2 Pool, 2/5/02.
Little Crake - 1 female, Kalloni 2 Pool, 2/5/02; 1 female Inland Lake, 7/5/02.
Moorhen - Kalloni 2 Pool.
Coot - Kalloni 2 Pool.
Black-winged Stilt Kalloni 2 Pool, Kalloni Salt Pans.
Avocet - c30, Kalloni Salt Pans.
Stone-curlew - 3 displaying West River, 3/5/02; Sheep Field.
Collared Pratincole - 4+, fields by Kalloni Salt Pans, 6/5/02, 8/5/02.
Little Ringed Plover - Kalloni Salt Pans, East River, Faneromeni.
Ringed Plover - Small numbers, Kalloni Salt Pans.
Kentish Plover - Kalloni Salt Pans.
Grey Plover - 1, Kalloni Salt Pans, 8/5/02.
Little Stint - 100+, Kalloni Salt Pans; East River.
Temminck's Stint - 30+, Kalloni Salt Pans.
Curlew Sandpiper - 20+, Kalloni Salt Pans.
Broad-billed Sandpiper - 1, Kalloni Salt Pans, 8/5/02.
Ruff - 200+, Kalloni Salt Pans.
Marsh Sandpiper - 1, Kalloni 2 Pool, 3/5/02.
Greenshank - 2, East River, 2/5/02; 10, Kalloni Salt Pans.
Wood Sandpiper - Abundant all wet areas.
Common Sandpiper - 1, Kalloni 2 Pool, 3/5/02; 1, Kalloni Salt Pans 2&6/5/02.
Audouin's Gull - 1, near Petra, 4/5/02.
Yellow-legged Gull - Abundant.
Lesser Black-backed Gull - 1, on pit near Eressos, 3/5/02.
Gull-billed Tern - 1, Kalloni 2 Pool, 3/5/02.
Common Tern - Common East River, Kalloni Salt Pans.
Little Tern - Common East River, Kalloni Salt Pans.
Whiskered Tern - Common Kalloni 2 Pool, Kalloni Salt Pans from 4/5/02.
Black Tern - 1, Kalloni Salt Pans, 7/5/02.
White-winged Black Tern - Common Kalloni 2 Pool, Kalloni Salt Pans from 4/5/02.
Woodpigeon - 1 singing, Upper Potamia Valley, 7/5/02.
Collared Dove - Abundant.
Turtle Dove - Common.
Cuckoo - 1, Napi Valley, 6/5/02.
Scops Owl - 1 roosting, near Kalloni, 6/5/02.
Little Owl - Widespread.
Nightjar - 1 churring, Ipsilou, 3/5/02.
Common Swift - Abundant.
Pallid Swift - 1, Sheep Field, 9/5/02.
Alpine Swift - 2, Charamida Marsh, 2/5/02; 2, near Petra, 4/5/02. 4, Charamida Marsh, 9/5/02.
Bee-eater - Flocks widespread.
Hoopoe - Occasional birds anywhere.
Middle Spotted Woodpecker - Widespread where there are scattered trees.
Short-toed Lark - 1, Charamida Marsh, 2/5/02; 3, Sheep Field.
Crested Lark - Abundant.
Woodlark - 2, Isabelline Triangle, 3/5/02; 1, Ipsilou, 3/5/02; 2, Potamia Valley 7/5/02.
Sand Martin - Common by water.
Crag Martin - 4+, Grand Canyon, 3/5/02.
Swallow - Common.
Red-rumped Swallow - Common.
House Martin - Common.
Tawny Pipit - 3, Charamida Marsh, 2/5/02; 2, Sigri-Eressos road, 5/5/02.
Tree Pipit - 1, Devils' Bridge, 5/5/02; 2, Ipsilou, 5/5/02.
Red-throated Pipit - Up to 25+, Sheep Field.
Yellow Wagtail - Black-headed ssp widespread in small nos; Blue-headed: 20+ Sheep Field; Grey-headed: 1, Charamida Marsh 2/5/02.
White Wagtail - 1, Charamida Marsh, 2/5/02; 1, Faneromeni, 5/5/02.
Rufous Bush Robin - 1, Eressos Ford, 5/5/02; 3, Upper East River, 5/5/02.
Nightingale - Common.
Whinchat - 100+, Sigri-Eressos Road, 5/5/02; several elsewhere.
Stonechat - 4, near Skalachori 3/5/02.
Isabelline Wheatear - 3 pairs, Isabelline Triangle.
Northern Wheatear - 2, Ipsilou, 5/5/02.
Black-eared Wheatear - Common.
Rock Thrush - 1, Grand Canyon, 3/5/02.
Blue Rock Thrush - Fairly common
Blackbird - Common.
Cetti's Warbler - Common wet areas.
Zitting Cisticola - 1, Charamida Marsh, 2/5/02.
River Warbler - 1, near Kalloni, 6/5/02.
Moustached Warbler - 1, Kalloni 2 Pool, 3/5/02.
Sedge Warbler - Small nos near water.
Reed Warbler - Small nos near water.
Great Reed Warbler - Small nos near water.
Olivaceous Warbler - Common.
Olive-tree Warbler - 2, Napi Valley, 4/5/02, 6/5/02.
Icterine Warbler - 2, Ispilou, 3/5/02, 5/5/02; 1, chapel on Sigri-Eressos Road, 5/5/02.
Subalpine Warbler - Common.
Ruppell's Warbler - 2 singing, Petra-Molivos, 4/5/02.
Orphean Warbler - Widespread.
Barred Warbler - 1, near Molivos, 4/5/02; 1, Eressos ford, 6/5/02.
Lesser Whitethroat - 1, Ipsilou, 3/5/02, 5/5/02.
Whitethroat - 1, Ipsilou, 3/5/02, 5/5/02.
Blackcap - Fairly common.
Eastern Bonelli's Warbler - Pair, Upper Potamia Valley, 7/5/02.
Wood Warbler - Several, Ipsilou, 3/5/02, 5/5/02.
Willow Warbler - 1, near Molivos 4/5/02; 1, chapel on Sigri-Eressos Road, 5/5/02.
Spotted Flycatcher - Common Ipsilou, Faneromeni and elsewhere.
Collared Flycatcher - 6+, Ipsilou, 3/5/02; 4+, 5/5/02; 1, Faneromeni, 5/5/02.
Pied Flycatcher - 3+, Ipsilou, 3/5/02, 5/5/02.
Long-tailed Tit - 2, Grand Canyon, 3/5/02.
Sombre Tit - Near Skalachori, Napi Valley.
Blue Tit - Fairly common.
Great Tit - Fairly common.
Kruper's Nuthatch - Pair, near Achladeri, 6/5/02.
Rock Nuthatch - Widespread.
Short-toed Treecreeper - 1, near Achladeri, 6/5/02.
Penduline Tit - Pair, Faneromeni, 5/5/02.
Golden Oriole - Widespread. 6, Ipsilou, 5/5/02.
Red-backed Shrike - Common.
Lesser Grey Shrike - 2, near Skalachori, 3/5/02.
Woodchat Shrike - Common.
Masked Shrike - Ipsilou, Napi Valley.
Jay - Common. The Black-capped form, atricapillus.
Hooded Crow - Common.
Raven - 1, Isabelline Triangle, 5/5/02; 2, Napi Valley 6/5/02.
Starling - 1, Kalloni Salt Pans, 8/5/02.
House Sparrow - Common.
Spanish Sparrow - Common.
Rock Sparrow - Ipsilou Monastery, N of Eressos.
Chaffinch - Common.
Serin - S of airport, 2/5/02; near Achladeri, 6/5/02.
Greenfinch - Common.
Goldfinch - Common.
Linnet - Ipsilou, Dafia.
Hawfinch - 1, Napi Valley, 6/5/02.
Cirl Bunting - Common.
Cinereous Bunting - 1 near Skalachori 3/5/02; 2, Ipsilou 3&5/5/02; 1, near Agra 5/5/02.
Cretzschmar's Bunting - Common.
Black-headed Bunting - Common.
Corn Bunting - Common.

Total: 161