The green and fertile island of Lesboslies in the Aegean Sea just a fewkilometres from the coast of Turkey.Third largest of the Greek islands, it has arugged mountainous interior whichtravellers can access by means of narrowtwisting roads passing through villageswhere the traditional way of life is virtuallyunchanged. A magnificent coastline hasthus far largely escaped the ravages ofmass tourism, although the island hasalways been popular with Greekholidaymakers and artists. A major sourceof revenue is the production of high qualityolive oil and one of the most conspicuousaspects of the island vegetation is theabundance of Olive Trees which seem toadorn every hillside and valley. Fishing isstill an important industry but, as with otherfisheries in Europe, catches have beenmuch reduced in recent years. Anotherlocal industry is the distilling of Ouzo andthe product can be sampled at thenumerous tavernas which are such afeature of Greek island life. With so manynatural attributes Lesbos is a perfectholiday destination; but for birdwatchersthere is further incentive, for the island isnot only perfectly situated as a stop-over formigrant birds heading north from Africa, butalso boasts an impressive list of breedingspecies. There are few better places inEurope to observe the ebb and flow ofspring migration and certainly none morepleasant.We are based for eight nights at a smallfamily-run hotel in the village of SkalaKallonis at the head of a large shallow inletfrom the sea. The village is renowned forits Sardine fishery and there are a numberof excellent restaurants along thewaterside to sample this local speciality.The sheltered waters of the bay anduncrowded beaches provide diversions foranyone wishing to relax in the Aegean sunbut Skala Kallonis is also close to some ofthe best birdwatching sites on Lesbos anda perfect base for our activities. A variety of pools, marshes and salt-pansin the vicinity of Skala Kallonis providesome of the biggest concentrations ofbirds on the island and will warrant dailyinspection to witness the ever changingpopulations of passage migrants, inparticular herons, waders and marsh terns.Venturing further afield we will arrange ourprogramme to ensure a leisurelyexploration of the prime birding areaselsewhere on the island. A full day will bespent in each of the main regions, allowingplenty of time to thoroughly investigate therange of habitats and to enjoy unhurriedlunches at convenient tavernas. In thecourse of our travels we will be seeingrural corners of the island where donkeysreplace motor vehicles and herds of goatsbrowse in pastoral scenes, which seem aworld away from the windsurfing andparagliding activities of the tourist resorts.The local Krüper's Nuthatch andCinereous Bunting are two of the rarerbreeding birds that we will be hoping tofind, but many other delights await usincluding Long-legged Buzzard, LesserKestrel, Bee-eater, Lesser Grey andMasked Shrikes, Rock Nuthatch, Rüppell'sand Olive-Tree Warblers to name but afew. Whether crossing rock-strewn hillsideswhere Black-eared Wheatears andCretzschmar's Buntings abound, orwatching waders probing alongside egretsand herons on a muddy pool, we arenever far from birds on Lesbos, and in lateApril and early May each morning brings afresh selection of new arrivals. Some, likeBlack-winged Stilts, Collared Pratincolesand Red-footed Falcons, may linger fordays where there is a good supply offood; others, driven by the compulsion tomove north to breeding grounds, onlysettle for a few moments before continuingtheir journey. Such wanderers can turn upalmost anywhere and enhance the senseof anticipation at every birdwatching stop.The regular migrants form a long andimpressive list but added to this arevagrants, many of Central Asian origin,which have occurred in recent yearsincluding Lanner, Spur-winged Plover,Great Snipe, Citrine Wagtail and White-throated Robin. Birdwatching in Lesbos during the springmigration season is an unforgettableexperience, but there will be many othermemories to take away as a reminder ofour stay on the island. Hot sunny daysending with the chorus of cicadas andcrickets, fireflies flashing in the darkness,lizards scuttling from underfoot, and aprofusion of wild flowers and butterfliesincluding among the latter the impressiveScarce Swallowtail. Add to this headymixture the warm hospitality of our islandhosts and you have all the components ofa superlative holiday.Lesbos A 10-day birdwatching holiday to the beautiful Greek island regardedas one of the best places in Europe to observe spring migrants.Sunday 15th April - Tuesday 24th April Cost: £1,595Tuesday 24th April - Thursday 3rd May Cost: £1,595Book direct on 01962 733051or see page 280 for Booking InformationTURKEYGREECEPOTAMIAVALLEYPARAKILAAGIASSOSDERBYSHIRESKALA KALLONISPETRAMOLYVOSEFTALOUSKALA POLICHNITOSSKALAERESSOSSIGRIMYTILINIKALLONIS BAYLESBOSOutline itineraryDay 1Fly Mytilini.Day 2/9Lesbos - with dailyprogramme ofbirdwatching excursionsfrom Skala Kallonis.Day 10 Fly London.AccommodationA pleasant family-run tourist hotelat Skala Kallonis, all rooms withprivate facilities.FoodAll included in the price.GradingA. Gentle birding walks.FocusBirds. LeadersReg Thorpe and Peter Dunn.Single room supplement £175.Web quick search: GRC0591Masked ShrikeSkala Kallonis

Madeira is a truly lovely island.Blessed with a near perfect climateit offers an enticing combination ofsunlight, warmth and a wealth of wildlife,and all only a few hours from the UK. Part ofMacaronesia, which also includes the CapeVerde Islands, the Azores and Canaries,Madeira rises from the Atlantic Ocean over300 miles from the African coast. Inland itsvolcanic landscape rises to over 1,500metres, while beneath the sea its slopesplummet sharply to form deep canyons. Itsseparation from other landmasses, pleasantoceanic subtropical climate and underwatertopography make Madeira a special placefor wildlife both on and offshore. Inland,you'll be falling over flowers such as Bird-of-paradise and hibiscus amongst a headyblend of colourful blooms that attract awealth of butterflies and other insect-life.Such specialities as Madeiran Mahoganyand the island's indigenous and rareLaurissilva forest are of further interest tothe botanist. Out at sea, many special birdscan be seen between late spring andautumn, among them such rarities asZino's, Fea's and Bulwer's Petrel. However,on this tour we focus primarily on one of theless well known aspects of thearchipelago's rich wildlife, its cetaceans.Madeira is relatively undiscovered as awhale and dolphin-watching destination, yeta good variety of cetaceans are present inthese waters at all times of the year, withabout 20 species having been recorded sofar. Bottlenose Dolphins are regularly seen,with a resident group of about 25 animalspresent, and these numbers are oftensupplemented by visits to these waters ofthe larger, transient oceanic BottlenoseDolphins which can be seen inshore aroundMadeira. Short-finned Pilot Whales are alsoencountered frequently on boat trips outfrom the marina at Funchal and we are verylikely to see these two species. There arelarger cetaceans here too, and from Maythrough to December Bryde's Whalesappear to feed around Madeira onmigration. We'll be hoping to see this warm-water species, single animals of which, oroccasionally a mother and calf, are mosttypically seen in Madeiran waters. Commonand Risso's Dolphins are among the smallercetaceans that we will be looking out for, aswell as some warm-temperate andsubtropical species such as the highlyacrobatic and attractive Atlantic SpottedDolphin. In September Striped Dolphins,False Killer Whales and the deep water-loving Rough-toothed Dolphins are alsopresent, and may be seen with a little goodfortune.Throughout this holiday we will be based ina comfortable 4-star hotel in Funchal, fromwhich we will join a team of marinebiologists each day for dedicated whale-watching trips aboard our privatelychartered vessel, Ventura do Mar. Eachdedicated whale and dolphin-watchingsortie will typically last between three andfive hours, and we'll be assisted in ourefforts through radio contact with keen-eyed'vigias' (look-outs) on land. Among thecetaceans we may encounter as we headout to sea from Funchal are pods of Short-finned Pilot Whale - a stocky, medium-sized and highly social cetacean which livesin closely-knit family groups and is oftenseen resting, or 'logging', at the surfaceduring the day. If we are able to get close toa group we may lower a hydrophone intothe water to try and listen to their vocalinteractions, which are somewhatreminiscent of a squeaky door! Other, deep-diving species such as Sperm Whales andsome of the elusive beaked whales,including Blainville's, are recorded eachyear around Madeira, but we'd have to bevery fortunate indeed to see one of thesespecies during a short visit. We do have agood chance of encountering Bryde'sWhale, and Madeira represents the bestplace to see these essentially tropicalwhales in Europe. Our local guides havebeen conducting research into the socialand feeding behaviour of Bryde's Whales,so we can rely on their expertise to spotthese little-known and elegant roqualwhales if they are present.Although most of our time will be spent outat sea in search of whales and dolphins,there will be some opportunities toexperience a variety of Madeira's seabirds,including an optional dusk excursion to seebreeding Zino's Petrels, as well as some ofits other special birds and wildlife inland. Inaddition, we will enjoy the relaxedatmosphere and balmy evenings aroundFunchal, with strolls around the old town,soaking in the scents of abundant flowersand perhaps mulling over our day'sadventures at sea with a glass of theisland's famous Madeira wine. In fact, it'sreally rather easy to fall for Madeira'smanifold on and offshore charms!RIBEIRO FRIOFUNCHALMADEIRAPAUL DA SERRA92Call now or visit www.naturetrek.co.uk for your free Trip ItineraryOutline itineraryDay 1Fly Funchal.Day 2 Morning and afternoonwhale and dolphin-watching at sea.Day 3Morning land-basedexcursion; eveningcetacean-watching.Day 4Full day's whale anddolphin-watching at sea.Day 5Fly London.AccommodationA charming 4-star hotel within aneasy walk of Funchal's marina; allrooms have private facilities.FoodAll breakfasts, plus lunch on Day 4,are included in the price. Dinners inFunchal are not included; allow£60.GradingA. Easy walks only.FocusWhales and dolphins; plus somebirdwatching and other naturalhistory.LeaderCatherine Strong, plus localnaturalist guides.Single room supplement£95.ExtensionsWe strongly recommend spendingextra nights in Funchal. Optionsavailable on request.Web quick search: PRT06Whales & Dolphinsof Madeira A 5-day holiday in search of dolphins, Bryde's Whales and other cetaceans from the beautiful island of Madeira.Saturday 26th May - Wednesday 30th May Cost: £995Saturday 1st September - Wednesday 5th September Cost: £995Bryde's WhaleRough-toothed DolphinsStriped Dolphins