Lesvos, was originally joined to the coast of Asia
Minor, but was detached by powerful geological disturbances, which gave it
its current intriguing shape, likened by the poet Elytis to the leaf of a
plane tree ( of which, incidentally, several mature specimens up to 500
years old or more, adorn some of the village squares, in Agra, Plomari and
Messotopos, for example).
Lesvos is 70 kms long by 45 kms wide, with an area
of 1630 sq. kms. It has 2 large bays, Kalloni's and Gera's, both with
narrow entrances. Though there are no permanent large rivers with a steady
flow of water, there are abundant springs, and water-courses in winter and
spring at least.
Moreover, some of the river mouths and pools are
semi-tidal and never dry out, even in autumn. Indeed, strong winds in the
right direction at this time of year can whip up the sea and send it some
way up the river mouths. Such areas include Kalloni East and West Rivers,
Skala Eressos River, and the inter-tidal rivers and pools at the area
known as "Derbyshire".
Moreover, the island's 2 sets of salt pans, certainly those at Skala
Polichnitos, usually remain wet. Although the main Kalloni Salt Pans have
been known to dry up, there is always some water in the surrounding
channels.
The main marshes and flatlands, then, occur around
Kalloni, Skala Eressos and Sigri; and the hilliest areas are in the west
around Eressos, to the north around Mythimna (Molivos), and to the east
around Agiassos; and the nearby Mt. Olympus, peaking at 3500 ft, is the
highest point on the island after Mount Lepetimnos, actually one metre
higher! These uplands are usually cloaked mainly in pines and holme oak,
with olives on the lower reaches, and, around Agiassos, some stands of
deciduous woodland, including sweet chestnut.
Around the coast, especially, there are large areas
of low-lying scrub and grassland, often with a profusion of wild flowers
in the spring. Further inland, the dried-up river beds ( for example just
up from Skala Eressos ) offer similar "arid" scrub with its own special
birds - like Rufous Bushchat.
The basic geography of Lesvos, together with its
size and location so close to the Turkish coast, mark it out as an area of
varied habitats, with some good wetlands, likely to prove extremely
attractive to spring and autumn migrants; wet enough to keep a fair
variety of wintering wildfowl, waders etc.; yet also playing host to a
good mix of breeding birds - some of them, like Cinereous Bunting and
Kruper's Nuthatch, quite outstanding.
Before moving on, just a word or two of advice at
this stage - to make access easier, and to minimize disturbance to the
birds, a car is recommended. Birds generally feel far less threatened, and
in consequence are far more approachable than if viewed on foot or by
bicycle.
urbances, which gave it
its current intriguing shape, likened by the poet Elytis to the leaf of a
plane tree ( of which, incidentally, several mature specimens up to 500
years old or more, adorn some of the village squares, in Agra, Plomari and
Messotopos, for example).
The main marshes and flatlands, then, occur around
Kalloni, Skala Eressos and Sigri; and the hilliest areas are in the west
around Eressos, to the north around Mythimna (Molivos), and to the east
around Agiassos; and the nearby Mt. Olympus, peaking at 3500 ft, is the
highest point on the island after Mount Lepetimnos, actually one metre
higher! These uplands are usually cloaked mainly in pines and holme oak,
with olives on the lower reaches, and, around Agiassos, some stands of
deciduous woodland, including sweet chestnut.
