Region covered by this guide
This guidebook covers the island of Lesbos.
The Crossbill Guide is a thorough and practical guide for naturalists and nature lovers. It offers background information and detailed routes and site descriptions, plus tips on finding and watching all kinds of wildlife. Each route offers detailed descriptions of where and how to find wildlife and wildflowers and shows you the characteristics of the landscape and geology. The book offers a mix of (mostly easy) walking routes and car itineraries with stops and short walks.
About Lesbos
In the Aegean Sea, close to Turkey, lies the island of Lesbos. It is the 3rd largest Greek island of the Aegean and a hotspot for birds, wildflowers and wildlife in general. The fine oak and chestnut woods, flowery scrublands, olive groves and coastal marshes are full of discoveries for nature enthusiasts.
Lesbos is above all famous for its bird migration. As the island lies right beneath one of the prime migration routes, wave after wave of migratory birds visit the island in spring and autumn to spend a few hours or days there before continuing their migrations.
About the author
Alex Tabak (The Netherlands, 1976) is an all-round ecologist specialising in field surveys of flora, vegetation, butterflies and reptiles and amphibians. He works partly in the Netherlands and partly in Greece. Together with his Greek partner Christiana Bairaktari, Alex guides naturalist holidays to Lesbos, which, besides birdwatching and wildflowers, focusses on the landscape and local, nature- based cuisine. Lesbos is Alex’s second Crossbill Guide. He also co-authored the Crossbill Nature Guide to the Eastern Rhodopes.
Dirk Raes (EU cr-Birding) –
The wonderful balance between nature & traditional land use summarizes the attraction of Lesbos (p.50). This balance is THE value of this fabulous book. Starting from an important Geology & History, you are guided through different Habitats and concerned species. Attractive hiking trails show you the best-of-Lesbos and detailed maps with pictures finalizes your discovery. In the Tourist Information & Observation Tips, I like the local dishes (in Greek, easy visiting a Taverna) and a correct list of recommended restaurants. This book ends with a Species List & Translation (Latin, ENG, DLD, NL). I’m positively surprised by names having an asterisk (*) behind them, indicating an unofficial (translated) name. Congratulations to the author : this guide is a detailed, well looked after and precise work not to be missed when visiting the island or just “tasting Lesbos”.
Visiting Lesbos since 2003 -several times a year- I discover unknown corners, txs to this book.