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.
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Coot |
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Pygmy Cormorant |
Ferruginous Ducks were also very easy to see along with Common Pochards, Wigeons and a few Garganeys
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Ferruginous Ducks |
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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.
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After watching waterfowl at the lake, Marie is looking at the details of a beautiful Black Redstart |
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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 |
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