David Hills and his partner Win of ESSEX came independently to Vatera on the 7th of May 1999. They stayed until the 19th of May at VATERA and had a wonderful holiday and bird watching trip in very comfortable and hospitable surroundings. They used Vatera as their base and visited the following locations around the island:
· Skala Polychnitos area,
· Vatera & East River,
· Vatera West River (Almyropotamos)
· Achladeri (Derbyshire),
· Burnt out Forest (Kameno Dasos),
· Potamia River, Potamia River to Parakila Road,
· Kalloni Lake, Kalloni Pool, Kalloni Pass, Kalloni Pans,
· Between Agia Paraskevi and Napi
· Dafia,
· Skalachori,
· Grand Canyon,
· Ipsilou,
· Skala Eressos,
· Molivos,
· Eftalou,
· Mikri Limni, Mikri Limni Pool Track,
· Plomari,

While no two bird watching trips are alike in what they will yield in bird spotting, we will detail David & Win's results by date and location as a likely indication of what you can see around the island.

06.05.99
VATERA: Crested Lark, Black headed Bunting, Spanish Sparrow, Hooded Crow, Hoopoe, House Sparrow, Swift, Sand Martin (300+ at old quarry), Swallow, House Martin, Goldfinch.

07.05.99
· SKALA POLYCHNITOS AREA: Little Egret x 2, Black Winged Stilt x 8, Avocet x 2, Curlew Sandpiper, Kentish Plover, Little Tern, Common Tern, White Winged Black Tern, Fan Tailed Warbler, Great Tit, Yellow Legged Gull, Red Footed Falcon, Wood Sandpiper, Green Sandpiper, March Harrier (F), Purple Heron, Woodchat Shrike, Corn Bunting, Blackbird, Chaffinch, Turtle Dove, Great White Egret x 2, Little Ringed Plover x 2
· ACHLADERI (DERBYSHIRE): Short Toed Eagle x 2 (Close up-100ft), Grey Wagtail, Linnet x 2

08.05.99
· POTAMIA RIVER: Middle Spotted Woodpecker, Red Back Shrike, Woodchat Shrike, Goldfinch, Corn Bunting, Short Toed Eagle, Black Stork x 2, Black Eared Wheatear, Red Rumped Swallow, Long Legged Buzzard, Olive Tree Warbler
· KALLONI LAKE: Night heron, Purple Heron
· KALLONI POOL: Little Bittern x 2, Black Winged Stilt x 12, Garganey x 2, Mute Swan, Coot, Moorhen

09.05.99
· ACHLADERI: Krupers Nuthatch, Serine, Masked Shrike, Long Legged Buzzard, Hoopoe, Nightingale, Lesser Grey Shrike
· KALLONI PANS: White Stork, Black Tailed Godwit, Little Stint, Flamingo x 21, Grey Heron, Avocet x 8, Black Winged Stilt, Montagu's Harrier, Common Buzzard, Bee Eater, Marsh Sandpiper, Wood Sandpiper, Glossy Ibis, Whiskered Tern, White Winged Black Tern, Ruff x 100, March Harrier, Squacco Heron, Ruddy Shelduck, Short Toed Lark, Curlew Sandpiper, Sanderling, Eleanora's Falcon, Ring Plover, Kentish Plover.

10.05.99
· VATERA: Shag x 2, Black Eared Wheatear (Western)
· VATERA EAST RIVER (UPPER): Common Sandpiper, Orphean Warbler, Rufous Bush Robin x 2 (one higher near goat pit), Black eared Wheatear (Eastern). Rock Nuthatch, Red Footed Falcon, Cetti's Warbler

11.05.99:
· DAFIA: Middle Spotted Woodpecker (in the road)
· SKALOCHORI: Red Backed Shrike, Black Eared Wheatear (Eastern)
· GRAND CANYON: Masked Shrike, Rock Sparrow, Cretschmar's Bunting, Woodchat Shrike, Stonechat + juveniles
· IPSILOU: Blue Rock Thrush, Crag Martin, Cinereous Bunting, Linnet, Honey Buzzard, Long Legged Buzzard, Eleanora's Falcon, Kestrel
· SKALA ERESSOS: Olivaceous Warbler, Great Reed Warbler

12.05.99:
· VATERA: Olivaceous Warbler (nesting in Vatera Beach Hotel garden), Citrine Wagtail, Temmincks Stint, Wood Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, Little Ring Plover, Hoopoe, Cetti's Warbler, Reed Warbler, Squacco Heron x 2, Corn Bunting,Great Tit, Blue Tit + juveniles, Marsh Harrier, Black Headed Bunting, Woodchat Shrike, Lesser Grey Shrike, Turnstone x 3 (on tide line), White Wagtail, Blackbird.

13.05.99:
· MOLYVOS: Wheatear, Rock Nuthatch, Ruppells Warbler (on wires near disco)
· EFTALOU: Cirl Bunting, Jay, Isabelline Wheatear, Sombre Tit, Eleanora's Falcon, Subalpine Warbler
· KALLONI PANS: Redshank, Lesser Black Backed Gull

14.05.99:
· MIKRI LIMNI: Song Thrush, Red Back Shrike, Jay, Greenfinch (at water trough), Chaffinch (at water trough), Goshawk (two approached water trough, one landed to the rear on a bank and watched us!!!!), Short Toed Treecreeper
· VATERA RIVER (ALMYROPOTAMOS): Little Crake, Whitethroat

15.05.99:
· POTAMIA RIVER TO PARAKILA ROAD: Rufous Bush Robin (0.6 km south of river, on rocks to landward side)

16.05.99:
· MIKRI LIMNI POOL TRACK: Kruper's Nuthatch (woods to left of reeds)
· BURNT OUT FOREST (KAMENO DASOS): Wood lark, Wren, Robin
· PLOMARI: Mediterranean Shearwater x 7 (east bound)

17.05.99:
· BETWEEN AGIA PARASKEVI AND NAPI: Nuthatch x 3, Middle Spotted Woodpecker (feeding), Hoopoe, Sombre Tit, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Masked Shrike, Red Backed Shrike, Cirl Bunting
· ACHLADERI (Late afternoon): Spotted Flycatcher, Serine, Black Eared Wheatear, Hoopoe - Final watch, all by ourselves, at the Krupers tree, the female in the entrance, the male nearby and preening for a good five minutes - WHAT A WAY TO COMPLETE A SUPERB FIRST TIME EXPERIENCE OF LESVOS…..

19.05.99
· VATERA (Tracks off the coast road): Cirl Bunting, Olivaceous Warbler, Blackbird, Black Headed Bunting, Corn Bunting + juveniles, Subalpine Warblers + juveniles

Since Davis & Win had a very productive trip in 1999, they returned with a group of friends in April 2000. It would seem that the advantages of a bird-watching trip in April are numerous:
· The wetlands, the wildflowers and the whole spectacle of migration are at their best.
· The weather is sunny, without being too hot
· The island is free of the mass influx of birders and tour groups, which tend to occur in May.
· It's in the best interests of the island (and ultimately the birds) to extend the season, through this kind of "green tourism" and take the pressure of the key sites in May.