Lesvos day 6 Dizzy Heights and nerves of steel, 30th April 2017

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After a very quiet pre breakfast walk, we set off for Mount Olympus, there are quite a few "mount Olympus" in Greece so the Gods were not at home....

 On the way we did some botanising, identification of some plants will need to wait for a rainy day at home.
Ophrys minutula, a near island endemic

Crown Anemone

Fritillaria pontica

Eventually we made for the mountain; the track I choose to take was, to say the least, a bit hairy loose gravel and boulders in a 4x4 it would have been fine in out Mervia it was interesting.


The new road to Mount Olympus

After forty minutes of mostly vertical climbing we arrived on the top, which hosts an unmanned military post (all done by electronics) we had amazing views of CRAG MARTIN, ALPINE SWIFT AND SERIN.



After an easy drive down the new concrete road!!! we made our way back to the hotel for a refresh before heading out to the Kalloni Salt Pans where COLLARED PRATINCOLE (1), GLOSSY IBIS (9), SPOTTED REDSHANK (2), DUNLIN,(1) LITTLE STINT (lots) kept us busy before heading to Alykes  for RED THROATED PIPIT.

A quick word with another group had us looking for the last birds of the day in the form of CURLEW SANDPIPER.




Crag Martin photo from Wikipedia

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