Marie is a French journalist who came to Greece for a few days' break from her job. She is not a birdwatcher but she wanted to get to know better of the Athenian wildlife. Even though it was literally a last-minute call as she contacted us on Friday Nov, 2 morning and wanted to have a tour on the same day, we could arrange a few hours' visit to Schinias National Park, Athens' most important freshwater wetland and a very nice place for complete amateur birders.
We focused on the Olympic Rowing Center, as the two lakes are easy to scan with the field scope and there are a lot of different birds around, from the very common Coot to the rare Pygmy Cormorant.
 |
| Coot |
 |
| Pygmy Cormorant |
Ferruginous Ducks were also very easy to see along with Common Pochards, Wigeons and a few Garganeys
 |
| Ferruginous Ducks |
 |
| Garganey |
They were even Barn Swallows; a flock of c.20 was hawking overhead while typical winter visitors like the Black Redstart and the White Wagtail had already taken their wintering posts.
 |
| After watching waterfowl at the lake, Marie is looking at the details of a beautiful Black Redstart |
 |
| Male Black Redstart |
In less than three hours, we managed to see and hear 42 species! Another very successful tour was completed!
TRIP CHECKLIST
| Garganey - Spatula
querquedula |
| Eurasian Wigeon - Mareca penelope |
| Mallard - Anas platyrhynchos |
| Common Pochard - Aythya ferina |
| Ferruginous Duck - Aythya nyroca |
| Little Grebe - Tachybaptus ruficollis |
| Eurasian Collared-Dove - Streptopelia
decaocto |
| Water Rail - Rallus aquaticus |
| Eurasian Moorhen - Gallinula chloropus |
| Eurasian Coot - Fulica atra |
| Yellow-legged Gull - Larus michahellis |
| Pygmy Cormorant - Microcarbo pygmeus |
| Great Cormorant - Phalacrocorax carbo |
| Gray Heron - Ardea cinerea |
| Little Egret - Egretta garzetta |
| Eurasian Marsh-Harrier - Circus
aeruginosus |
| Eurasian Sparrowhawk - Accipiter nisus |
| Common Kingfisher - Alcedo atthis |
| Eurasian Kestrel - Falco tinnunculus |
| Eurasian Magpie - Pica pica |
| Hooded Crow - Corvus cornix |
| Eurasian Skylark - Alauda arvensis |
| Crested Lark - Galerida cristata |
| Barn Swallow - Hirundo rustica |
| Cetti's Warbler - Cettia cetti |
| Common Chiffchaff - Phylloscopus
collybita |
| Zitting Cisticola - Cisticola juncidis |
| Eurasian Blackcap - Sylvia atricapilla |
| Sardinian Warbler - Sylvia melanocephala |
| European Robin - Erithacus rubecula |
| Black Redstart - Phoenicurus ochruros |
| Eurasian Blackbird - Turdus merula |
| European Starling - Sturnus vulgaris |
| Gray Wagtail - Motacilla cinerea |
| White Wagtail - Motacilla alba |
| Meadow Pipit - Anthus pratensis |
| Water Pipit - Anthus spinoletta |
| Common Chaffinch - Fringilla coelebs |
| European Greenfinch - Chloris chloris |
| Eurasian Linnet - Linaria cannabina |
| Corn Bunting - Emberiza calandra |
| House Sparrow - Passer domesticus |
