(CNN)Usually at this time of year, the Greek island of Lesbos would be bracing itself for a summer season of packed hotels and beaches.
Under blue Mediterranean skies, cruise ships would be offloading scores more visitors, sinking cash into the local economy.
Not this year.
Twelve months ago, Lesbos found itself at the center of the migrant crisis that has gripped much of Europe as families flee conflict in the Middle East and elsewhere.
News reports showed migrants packed into camps on the island, awaiting their fate. There were also scenes of violence amid clashes with authorities.
And subsequently, the visitors stopped coming.
But what is life like on the island now? Is it able to cope with its new arrivals? And should the tourists be staying away?
"We feel very safe here but it's sad to see tavernas we love completely empty," says Gill Greenhall from the UK.
Greenhall is a regular visitor each spring to Lesbos, which is home to 330 bird species and is the number one birdwatching site in Europe.
But this year, she's an exception.
Empty flights
People in Lesbos are coming to terms with a new normalcy in the wake of migrant arrivals.
"The flight was half-empty on the way here -- first time we saw that," says Greenhall. "We know the situation has put off people from coming but it shouldn't."
It's not just the birdwatchers.
According to the