White Wagtail
WoodLark
Black Redstart
Grey Heron
Black Redstart
Reed Bunting
Wednesday, November 18, 2020
Birding in Athens during 2020 lockdown
During lockdown, even short breaks in our local patches are enough to keep us in birdwatching shape! As winter is just around the corner, more and more species are arriving to our are around Athens.
Friday, March 27, 2020
Backyard birding: Day 2,March 20th: Some more action!
Another quite day today for backyard birding in Greece rainy, cloudy and windy.
A few new visitors like Common Swifts, Alpine Swifts and Scops Owl heard at night, somenice photos of resident species such as Blackcap and Gret Tit
A few new visitors like Common Swifts, Alpine Swifts and Scops Owl heard at night, somenice photos of resident species such as Blackcap and Gret Tit
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| Female Blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla) in my garden, a resident species |
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| Great Tit (Parus major) in my garden, a resident species |
Thursday, March 26, 2020
COVID-19 and backyard birding: A day to day diary
Corona Virus (COVID-19) has caused movement restrictions to most citizens of the world, including Greece. Birders struggle, having no chance but stay home and watch birds from backyards, roofs or windows. Spring migration is on the way, so if one is lucky, he can observe some interesting species. Still, not as good as being birding in the field, but better than nothing.
So for the next weeks, I will be posting day to day bird sightings from our place in Rafina, Athens GREECE,
Stay safe, stay home and keep birding!
Spyros Skareas
Day 1, March 14th 2020: A windy day, mostly watching from my window. 12 species overall
Yellow-legged Gull, Magpie, House Sparrow, Collared Dove, Great Tit, Blackcap, Blackbird, Greenfinch, Feral Pigeon, Chiffchaff, Goldfinch, Little Owl
So for the next weeks, I will be posting day to day bird sightings from our place in Rafina, Athens GREECE,
Stay safe, stay home and keep birding!
Spyros Skareas
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| Little Owl (Athenae noctua) is breeding in a nearby roof and is uually watched at dusk from my window. Rafina, Athens GR |
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| Greenfinch (Carduelis chloris) is singing on a burnt olive tree branch, beside our balcony Rafina, Athens GR |
Day 1, March 14th 2020: A windy day, mostly watching from my window. 12 species overall
Yellow-legged Gull, Magpie, House Sparrow, Collared Dove, Great Tit, Blackcap, Blackbird, Greenfinch, Feral Pigeon, Chiffchaff, Goldfinch, Little Owl
Wednesday, October 02, 2019
Birdwatching in Greece: Two-day Birding Tour in Athens and Messolonghi, August 9-10 2019, Part II
Day 2
On Saturday, August 10th, we started just before dawn so that we could find the Scops Owl. We visited Mt Hymettus and saw one very well. Just when we started driving to Messolonghi Lagoons, Brett felt sick and we had to postpone the trip till the next day, Sunday 11th.
Day 3
We started very early in the morning of August 11th and headed to Messolonghi, c.250 km west of Athens. By 08.30, we had reached Kleisoura Gorge, the first destination and found at least one Griffon Vulture, perched on a cliff ledge. We also saw several Rock Nuthatches, lots of Jackdaws, one Blue Rock Thrush and a few tits.
Next stop was the saltpans of Messolonghi, where we found many Slender-billed Gulls Avocets and Flamingos, among others. At Neochori village, we saw some juvenile White Storks, still at their nests.
The main lagoons (Louros area and Kleisova) were full of waders; stints, shanks and sandpipers, along with Spoonbills, egrets and herons, Dalmatian Pelicans and Pygmy Cormorants. Terns were also still numerous, especially Little and Common. The most interesting passerines were the Rufous-tailed Scrub Robin, the Lesser Grey Shrike, the Penduline-tit and the Spanish Sparrow.
We had a full day of birding and it was time to get back to Athens. We saw a total of 69 species (+4 on Saturday) and a totel of 112 species for the two days!
TRIP CHECKLIST
On Saturday, August 10th, we started just before dawn so that we could find the Scops Owl. We visited Mt Hymettus and saw one very well. Just when we started driving to Messolonghi Lagoons, Brett felt sick and we had to postpone the trip till the next day, Sunday 11th.
Day 3
We started very early in the morning of August 11th and headed to Messolonghi, c.250 km west of Athens. By 08.30, we had reached Kleisoura Gorge, the first destination and found at least one Griffon Vulture, perched on a cliff ledge. We also saw several Rock Nuthatches, lots of Jackdaws, one Blue Rock Thrush and a few tits.
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| Griffon Vulture |
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| Rock Nuthatch. |
Next stop was the saltpans of Messolonghi, where we found many Slender-billed Gulls Avocets and Flamingos, among others. At Neochori village, we saw some juvenile White Storks, still at their nests.
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| White Storks |
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| Slender-billed Gull |
The main lagoons (Louros area and Kleisova) were full of waders; stints, shanks and sandpipers, along with Spoonbills, egrets and herons, Dalmatian Pelicans and Pygmy Cormorants. Terns were also still numerous, especially Little and Common. The most interesting passerines were the Rufous-tailed Scrub Robin, the Lesser Grey Shrike, the Penduline-tit and the Spanish Sparrow.
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| Spoonbill |
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| Brett and Marilyn |
TRIP CHECKLIST
| Mallard - Anas platyrhynchos |
| Greater Flamingo - Phoenicopterus roseus |
| Little Grebe - Tachybaptus ruficollis |
| Collared Dove - Streptopelia decaocto |
| Common Moorhen - Gallinula chloropus |
| Black-winged Stilt - Himantopus himantopus |
| Pied Avocet - Recurvirostra avosetta |
| Grey Plover - Pluvialis squatarola |
| Kentish Plover - Charadrius alexandrinus |
| Common Ringed Plover - Charadrius hiaticula |
| Little Ringed Plover - Charadrius dubius |
| Eurasian Curlew - Numenius arquata |
| Dunlin - Calidris alpina |
| Little Stint - Calidris minuta |
| Common Sandpiper - Actitis hypoleucos |
| Spotted Redshank - Tringa erythropus |
| Common Greenshank - Tringa nebularia |
| Wood Sandpiper - Tringa glareola |
| Common Redshank - Tringa totanus |
| Collared Pratincole - Glareola pratincola |
| Slender-billed Gull - Chroicocephalus genei |
| Black-headed Gull - Chroicocephalus ridibundus |
| Yellow-legged Gull - Larus michahellis |
| Little Tern - Sternula albifrons |
| Gull-billed Tern - Gelochelidon nilotica |
| Black Tern - Chlidonias niger |
| White-winged Black Tern - Chlidonias leucopterus |
| Whiskered Tern - Chlidonias hybrida |
| Common Tern - Sterna hirundo |
| Sandwich Tern - Thalasseus sandvicensis |
| White Stork - Ciconia ciconia |
| Pygmy Cormorant - Microcarbo pygmaeus |
| Great Cormorant - Phalacrocorax carbo |
| Dalmatian Pelican - Pelecanus crispus |
| Little Bittern - Ixobrychus minutus |
| Grey Heron - Ardea cinerea |
| Great White Egret - Ardea alba |
| Little Egret - Egretta garzetta |
| Cattle Egret - Bubulcus ibis |
| Squacco Heron - Ardeola ralloides |
| Glossy Ibis - Plegadis falcinellus |
| Eurasian Spoonbill - Platalea leucorodia |
| Griffon Vulture - Gyps fulvus |
| Western Marsh Harrier - Circus aeruginosus |
| Common Buzzard - Buteo buteo |
| Eurasian Scops Owl - Otus scops |
| Eurasian Hoopoe - Upupa epops |
| Common Kingfisher - Alcedo atthis |
| Common Kestrel - Falco tinnunculus |
| Eleonora's Falcon - Falco eleonorae |
| Lesser Grey Shrike - Lanius minor |
| Woodchat Shrike - Lanius senator |
| Eurasian Jay - Garrulus glandarius |
| Common Magpie - Pica pica |
| Eurasian Jackdaw - Corvus monedula |
| Hooded Crow - Corvus cornix |
| Eurasian Blue Tit - Cyanistes caeruleus |
| Great Tit - Parus major |
| Eurasian Penduline Tit - Remiz pendulinus |
| Crested Lark - Galerida cristata |
| Sand Martin - Riparia riparia |
| Barn Swallow - Hirundo rustica |
| Red-rumped Swallow - Cecropis daurica |
| Willow Warbler - Phylloscopus trochilus |
| Cetti's Warbler - Cettia cetti |
| Western Rock Nuthatch - Sitta neumayer |
| Spotted Flycatcher - Muscicapa striata |
| Rufous-tailed Scrub-Robin - Cercotrichas galactotes |
| Blue Rock Thrush - Monticola solitarius |
| House Sparrow - Passer domesticus |
| Spanish Sparrow - Passer hispaniolensis |
| Eurasian Tree Sparrow - Passer montanus |
Wednesday, September 18, 2019
Birdwatching in Greece: Two-day birding tour in Athens and Messolonghi, August 9-10, 2019
Brett and Madeleine came all the way from Australia for a big European tour. Greece was one of their destinations and they wanted to add some more lifers to their list. Even though most of the summer visitors (e.g. Ruppell's Warbler, Black-headed Bunting) have already departed from their breeding grounds, there are still plenty of birds around. As they wanted two full days of birding, we planned a full day around Athens for start and then a full day at Messolonghi Lagoon.
DAY 1
August is a windy month so we had to monitor the weather forecast till the very last day to decide where we should go birding on the first day (August 9th). The final verdict was Athens as the following day would be very windy.
DAY 1
August is a windy month so we had to monitor the weather forecast till the very last day to decide where we should go birding on the first day (August 9th). The final verdict was Athens as the following day would be very windy.
The first stop was Erythres plain, NW of Athens. A fairly unknown place for most birders but very rich in birds. As fall migration had started, we quickly saw many migrants like Subalpine, Icterine and Wood Warblers, Woodchat and Lesser Grey Shrikes, Northern Wheatears and Hoopoes. Lesser Kestrels on their post-breeding dispersion were very common. There were also two very low flying Short-toed Eagles and a Honey Buzzard! Another surprise was a migrant Ruppell's Warbler, seen along with the other migrants.
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| Honey Buzzard |
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| Icterine Warbler |
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| Short-toed Eagle |
Just before we go, the call of a Syrian Woodpecker was the best surprise ever; in a few minutes we managed to find the bird, this being the first record of this species in Athens!
We left Erythres and moved to Kopaida plain, a vast area outside of Athens but close enough from where we were. We visited the area to find Bee-eaters and we were not dissapointed as we saw more than 20, along with another Syrian Woodpecker, Turtle Doves, Marsh Harriers and Red-rumped Swallows.
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| Bee-eater |
After Kopaida, we headed back to Athens, this time visiting the eastern part and more specifically Schinias National Park, the best place to look for the Ferruginous Duck. We saw at least 20 birds and another surprise was the presence of 2 Pygmy Cormorants, Europe's least common cormorant. It is known to overwinter here but staying during the summer is something new; perhaps a resident population will be established shortly. In the area there were also many swifts of all three species, Coots, Moorhens and Great Reed Warblers, to name a few of the birds.
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| Ferruginous Duck |
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| Pygmy Cormorant |
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| Pallid Swift |
From Schinias we moved south to Artemis Lagoon, where we saw several waders: Black-winged Stilts, Kentish and Little Ringed Plovers, Curlew Sandpipers and Wood Sandpipers and Little Stints.
Early in the afternoon, we reached Mt Hymettus, looking for Chukars at the top, to no avail...A Eurasian Sparrowhawk, however, was added to their lifer list. We moved lower, at Kaisariani Forest and saw a very nice Cirl Bunting, Firecrests and Jays, among other birds.
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| Cirl Bunting |
The day was over and the count reached the staggering number of 71 species!
| TRIP CHECKLIST Mallard - Anas platyrhynchos |
| Ferruginous Duck - Aythya nyroca |
| Little Grebe - Tachybaptus ruficollis |
| Rock Dove - Columba livia |
| European Turtle Dove - Streptopelia turtur |
| Collared Dove - Streptopelia decaocto |
| Alpine Swift - Apus melba |
| Common Swift - Apus apus |
| Pallid Swift - Apus pallidus |
| Water Rail - Rallus aquaticus |
| Common Moorhen - Gallinula chloropus |
| Eurasian Coot - Fulica atra |
| Black-winged Stilt - Himantopus himantopus |
| Kentish Plover - Charadrius alexandrinus |
| Little Ringed Plover - Charadrius dubius |
| Curlew Sandpiper - Calidris ferruginea |
| Little Stint - Calidris minuta |
| Common Sandpiper - Actitis hypoleucos |
| Wood Sandpiper - Tringa glareola |
| Pygmy Cormorant - Microcarbo pygmaeus |
| Great Cormorant - Phalacrocorax carbo |
| Purple Heron - Ardea purpurea |
| Little Egret - Egretta garzetta |
| European Honey-buzzard - Pernis apivorus |
| Short-toed Eagle - Circaetus gallicus |
| Western Marsh Harrier - Circus aeruginosus |
| Eurasian Sparrowhawk - Accipiter nisus |
| Common Buzzard - Buteo buteo |
| Eurasian Hoopoe - Upupa epops |
| Common Kingfisher - Alcedo atthis |
| European Bee-eater - Merops apiaster |
| Syrian Woodpecker - Dendrocopos syriacus |
| Lesser Kestrel - Falco naumanni |
| Common Kestrel - Falco tinnunculus |
| Red-backed Shrike - Lanius collurio |
| Lesser Grey Shrike - Lanius minor |
| Woodchat Shrike - Lanius senator |
| Eurasian Jay - Garrulus glandarius |
| Common Magpie - Pica pica |
| Hooded Crow - Corvus cornix |
| Common Raven - Corvus corax |
| Coal Tit - Periparus ater |
| Sombre Tit - Poecile lugubris |
| Great Tit - Parus major |
| Crested Lark - Galerida cristata |
| Zitting Cisticola - Cisticola juncidis |
| Icterine Warbler - Hippolais icterina |
| Great Reed Warbler-Acrocephalus arundinaceus |
| Barn Swallow - Hirundo rustica |
| Red-rumped Swallow - Cecropis daurica |
| Common House Martin - Delichon urbicum |
| Wood Warbler - Phylloscopus sibilatrix |
| Cetti's Warbler - Cettia cetti |
| Long-tailed Tit - Aegithalos caudatus |
| Lesser Whitethroat - Sylvia curruca |
| Ruppell's Warbler - Sylvia ruppeli |
| Subalpine Warbler - Sylvia cantillans |
| Sardinian Warbler - Sylvia melanocephala |
| Common Whitethroat - Sylvia communis |
| Common Firecrest - Regulus ignicapilla |
| Eurasian Blackbird - Turdus merula |
| Spotted Flycatcher - Muscicapa striata |
| Northern Wheatear - Oenanthe oenanthe |
| Black-eared Wheatear - Oenanthe hispanica |
| House Sparrow - Passer domesticus |
| Eurasian Tree Sparrow - Passer montanus |
| Common Chaffinch - Fringilla coelebs |
| European Greenfinch - Chloris chloris |
| European Goldfinch - Carduelis carduelis |
| Corn Bunting - Emberiza calandra |
| Cirl Bunting - Emberiza cirlus |
Monday, September 16, 2019
Birdwatching in Athens: Half-day trip, June 20, 2019
David Rupp is a fellow bird guide from Indiana, USA. He contacted us for a half-day tour around Athens and after a couple of emails everything was set for the afternoon of June 20.
Leaving Athens, we made our first stop at the still flooded in June Spata fields. Water levels this year were so high that Mallards, Ferruginous Duck and even Common Pochards nested, along with Coots, Moorhens and Little Grebes. Black-winged Stilts and many passerines, like the Great Reed Warbler were other birds seen.
Next stop was Artemis Lagoon; on the way, we saw a nice Hoopoe flying right in front of us. The lagoon's highlight was a Whiskered Tern, while more Black-winged Stilts and lots of hirundines were also present.
A quick visit to Vravrona added Little Egrets, Red-rumped Swallows and Zitting Cisticolas to our list but it was Markopoulo Fields that added a local specialty: the Rufous Bush Robin. There were also Black-headed Buntings and a nice Little Owl.
TRIP CHECKLIST
Leaving Athens, we made our first stop at the still flooded in June Spata fields. Water levels this year were so high that Mallards, Ferruginous Duck and even Common Pochards nested, along with Coots, Moorhens and Little Grebes. Black-winged Stilts and many passerines, like the Great Reed Warbler were other birds seen.
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| Whiskered Tern |
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| Rufous Bush Robin |
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| Little Owl |
We headed to Mt Hymettus and had a great collection of birds in late afternoon: Chukars, Ruppell's Warblers, Subalpine Warblers, Short-toed Treecreepers and Nightjars. At dusk, two Scops Owl also popped up, closing this trip the best way possible as the day's count was 40 species!
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| Chukar |
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| Ruppell's Warbler |
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| David on Mt Hymettus |
TRIP CHECKLIST
| Common Pochard - Aythya ferina |
| Ferruginous Duck - Aythya nyroca |
| Chukar - Alectoris chukar |
| Little Grebe - Tachybaptus ruficollis |
| Collared Dove - Streptopelia decaocto |
| Eurasian Nightjar - Caprimulgus europaeus |
| Common Swift - Apus apus |
| Eurasian Coot - Fulica atra |
| Black-winged Stilt - Himantopus himantopus |
| Yellow-legged Gull - Larus michahellis |
| Whiskered Tern - Chlidonias hybrida |
| Grey Heron - Ardea cinerea |
| Little Egret - Egretta garzetta |
| Eurasian Scops Owl - Otus scops |
| Little Owl - Athene noctua |
| Tawny Owl - Strix aluco |
| Eurasian Hoopoe - Upupa epops |
| Common Kestrel - Falco tinnunculus |
| Eurasian Jay - Garrulus glandarius |
| Common Magpie - Pica pica |
| Coal Tit - Periparus ater |
| Great Tit - Parus major |
| Crested Lark - Galerida cristata |
| Zitting Cisticola - Cisticola juncidis |
| Great Reed Warbler - Acrocephalus arundinaceus |
| Barn Swallow - Hirundo rustica |
| Red-rumped Swallow - Cecropis daurica |
| Common House Martin - Delichon urbicum |
| Cetti's Warbler - Cettia cetti |
| Long-tailed Tit - Aegithalos caudatus |
| RΓΌppell's Warbler - Sylvia ruppeli |
| Subalpine Warbler - Sylvia cantillans |
| Sardinian Warbler - Sylvia melanocephala |
| Common Firecrest - Regulus ignicapilla |
| Short-toed Treecreeper - Certhia brachydactyla |
| Eurasian Blackbird - Turdus merula |
| Rufous-tailed Scrub-Robin - Cercotrichas galactotes |
| European Stonechat - Saxicola rubicola |
| House Sparrow - Passer domesticus |
| Black-headed Bunting - Emberiza melanocephala |
Sunday, August 04, 2019
Birdwatching in Greece: Western and Central Greece 3-day Tour, June 14-16 2019 (Day 3)
The third day started with birding on Mt Parnassos, first at the woodland tracts where we looked for the Green Woodpecker. To our surprise, none was seen or heard; we managed to see, however, lots of tits, crests, finches and thrushes. An immature Golden Eagle being 'mobbed' by a Honey Buzzard was the highlight of forest birding.
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| Golden Eagle |
We moved higher to the alpine zone and found several Alpine Choughs, Rock Thrushes, Tawny Pipits and Northern Wheatears.
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| Alpine Chough |
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| Luis on Mt Parnassos |
Luis had a plane to catch in the afternoon, so we left Mt Parnassos and headed back to Athens. Our last stop was the flooded plain close to the airport; Ferruginous Ducks, a wandering Squacco Heron and lots of Zitting Cisticolas were the most important species seen.
The day count was 42 species, while the whole trip count reached 112 species! Luis was ready to go to China for his business trip with a pack full of nice birding memories.
DAY CHECKLIST
| Ferruginous Duck - Aythya nyroca |
| Common Swift - Apus apus |
| Pallid Swift - Apus pallidus |
| Eurasian Coot - Fulica atra |
| Yellow-legged Gull - Larus michahellis |
| Squacco Heron - Ardeola ralloides |
| European Honey-buzzard - Pernis apivorus |
| Golden Eagle - Aquila chrysaetos |
| Common Buzzard - Buteo buteo |
| Eurasian Hoopoe - Upupa epops |
| European Bee-eater - Merops apiaster |
| Common Kestrel - Falco tinnunculus |
| Red-backed Shrike - Lanius collurio |
| Common Magpie - Pica pica |
| Alpine Chough - Pyrrhocorax graculus |
| Woodlark - Lullula arborea |
| Crested Lark - Galerida cristata |
| Barn Swallow - Hirundo rustica |
| Red-rumped Swallow - Cecropis daurica |
| Coal Tit - Periparus ater |
| Eurasian Nuthatch - Sitta europaea |
| Short-toed Treecreeper - Certhia brachydactyla |
| Eurasian Wren - Troglodytes troglodytes |
| Goldcrest - Regulus regulus |
| Common Firecrest - Regulus ignicapilla |
| Great Reed Warbler - Acrocephalus arundinaceus |
| Zitting Cisticola - Cisticola juncidis |
| Eurasian Blackcap - Sylvia atricapilla |
| Lesser Whitethroat - Sylvia curruca |
| Spotted Flycatcher - Muscicapa striata |
| European Robin - Erithacus rubecula |
| Black Redstart - Phoenicurus ochruros |
| Common Rock Thrush - Monticola saxatilis |
| Northern Wheatear - Oenanthe oenanthe |
| Mistle Thrush - Turdus viscivorus |
| Eurasian Blackbird - Turdus merula |
| Tawny Pipit - Anthus campestris |
| Common Chaffinch - Fringilla coelebs |
| Common Linnet - Linaria cannabina |
| European Serin - Serinus serinus |
| Cirl Bunting - Emberiza cirlus |
| House Sparrow - Passer domesticus |
Friday, August 02, 2019
Birdwatching in Greece: Western and Central Greece 3-day Tour, June 14-16 2019, Day 2
Day 2
On Saturday, June 16th, we left Delphi for the hilly country surrounding Itea and Galaxeidi towns, looking for Rock Sparrows, Rock Partridges and Eastern Orphean Warblers. Despite the intense heat, we managed to find all three, along with dozens of Black-eared Wheatears, Rock Nuthatches and Blue Rock Thrushes etc.
Next stop was Kleisova Lagoon at Messolonghi. It was quite hot at noon; we managed, nevertheless, to enjoy Dalmatian Pelicans, Stone Curlews, Collared Pratincoles, Gull-billed and Caspian Terns and lots of herons.
We continued west and visited the Ash Forest of Lesini, as well as some parts of the riparian woodland of Acheloos River. We managed to find the Levant Sparrohawk (one of the target species for Luis) and Middle Spotted Woodpeckers.
Early in the afernoon, we headed back to Delphi. The species count for Day 2 was 61, a very fruitful day!
On Saturday, June 16th, we left Delphi for the hilly country surrounding Itea and Galaxeidi towns, looking for Rock Sparrows, Rock Partridges and Eastern Orphean Warblers. Despite the intense heat, we managed to find all three, along with dozens of Black-eared Wheatears, Rock Nuthatches and Blue Rock Thrushes etc.
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| Eastern Orphean Warbler |
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| Rock Sparrow |
Next stop was Kleisova Lagoon at Messolonghi. It was quite hot at noon; we managed, nevertheless, to enjoy Dalmatian Pelicans, Stone Curlews, Collared Pratincoles, Gull-billed and Caspian Terns and lots of herons.
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| Stone-curlew |
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| Middle Spotted Woodpecker |
DAY CHECKLIST
| Common Shelduck - Tadorna tadorna | |||||||||||||
| Mallard - Anas platyrhynchos | |||||||||||||
| Rock Partridge - Alectoris graeca | |||||||||||||
| Greater Flamingo - Phoenicopterus roseus | |||||||||||||
| Collared Dove - Streptopelia decaocto | |||||||||||||
| Stone-curlew - Burhinus oedicnemus | |||||||||||||
| Black-winged Stilt - Himantopus himantopus | |||||||||||||
| Kentish Plover - Charadrius alexandrinus | |||||||||||||
| Eurasian Curlew - Numenius arquata | |||||||||||||
| Common Greenshank - Tringa nebularia | |||||||||||||
| Common Redshank - Tringa totanus | |||||||||||||
| Collared Pratincole - Glareola pratincola | |||||||||||||
| Yellow-legged Gull - Larus michahellis | |||||||||||||
| Little Tern - Sternula albifrons | |||||||||||||
| Gull-billed Tern - Gelochelidon nilotica | |||||||||||||
| Caspian Tern - Hydroprogne caspia | |||||||||||||
| Common Tern - Sterna hirundo | |||||||||||||
| Pygmy Cormorant - Microcarbo pygmeus | |||||||||||||
| Great Cormorant - Phalacrocorax carbo | |||||||||||||
| Dalmatian Pelican - Pelecanus crispus | |||||||||||||
| Grey Heron - Ardea cinerea | |||||||||||||
| Little Egret - Egretta garzetta | |||||||||||||
| Western Marsh Harrier - Circus aeruginosus | |||||||||||||
| Levant Sparrowhawk - Accipiter brevipes | |||||||||||||
| Eurasian Hoopoe - Upupa epops | |||||||||||||
| Middle Spotted Woodpecker - Dendrocoptes medius | |||||||||||||
| Common Kestrel - Falco tinnunculus | |||||||||||||
| Peregrine Falcon - Falco peregrinus | |||||||||||||
| Woodchat Shrike - Lanius senator | |||||||||||||
| Eurasian Jay - Garrulus glandarius | |||||||||||||
| Common Magpie - Pica pica | |||||||||||||
| Eurasian Jackdaw - Corvus monedula | |||||||||||||
| Hooded Crow - Corvus cornix | |||||||||||||
| Greater Short-toed Lark - Calandrella brachydactyla | |||||||||||||
| Crested Lark - Galerida cristata | |||||||||||||
| Sand Martin - Riparia riparia | |||||||||||||
| Barn Swallow - Hirundo rustica | |||||||||||||
| Sombre Tit - Poecile lugubris | |||||||||||||
| Eurasian Blue Tit - Cyanistes caeruleus | |||||||||||||
| Great Tit - Parus major | |||||||||||||
| Eurasian Penduline Tit - Remiz pendulinus | |||||||||||||
| Western Rock Nuthatch - Sitta neumayer | |||||||||||||
| Cetti's Warbler - Cettia cetti | |||||||||||||
| Eastern Olivaceous Warbler - Iduna pallida | |||||||||||||
| Eurasian Reed Warbler - Acrocephalus scirpaceus | |||||||||||||
| Zitting Cisticola - Cisticola juncidis | |||||||||||||
| Eastern Orphean Warbler - Sylvia crassirostris | |||||||||||||
| Sardinian Warbler - Sylvia melanocephala | |||||||||||||
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Friday, July 26, 2019
Birdwatching in Greece: Western and Central Greece 3-day tour, June 14-16 2019 (Day 1)
Luis is a Portugal birder who's been travelling the world for many years now. He managed to combine a business trip to China with a three day tour in Greece. As he wanted to see as many as local specialties as possible, we planned an itinerary that combined Messolonghi Lagoon, Mt Parnassos, Evvoia island and some of the Athens' hotspots.
DAY 1
The first birding we did was actually on the night of June 13th; we visited Lycabettus Hill to look for the Scops Owl and, despite the loads of people still on the hill at 22.30, we heard two birds and had fantastic close views of one of them.
On the 14th, we drove early in the morning to get the 08.15 ferry from Agia Marina port to Evvoia island. On our way, we saw six Scopoli's Shearwaters and at least 80 Yelkouan Shearwaters; we also saw Shags, Rock Doves and, of course, hundreds of Yellow-legged Gulls.
Reaching Lake Dystos, we first searched the adjacent groves for the Olive-tree Warbler, the Black-headed Bunting and the Sombre Tit. All three were found, along with Cirl Buntings, Greenfinches and Eastern Olivaceous Warblers.
Lesser Kestrels were foraging in the fields, lots of herons were seen in the lake, along with Mute Swan families; a White Stork also visited the area, coming from Krieza village where its nest (the sole in the whole of the island) is found. Short-toed Lark and Crested Larks, Zitting Cisticolas and Woodchat Shrikes were also seen in the open fields closer to the lake.
Early in the afternoon, we left Lake Dystos and headed to Delphi to stay overnight.
DAY 1
The first birding we did was actually on the night of June 13th; we visited Lycabettus Hill to look for the Scops Owl and, despite the loads of people still on the hill at 22.30, we heard two birds and had fantastic close views of one of them.
On the 14th, we drove early in the morning to get the 08.15 ferry from Agia Marina port to Evvoia island. On our way, we saw six Scopoli's Shearwaters and at least 80 Yelkouan Shearwaters; we also saw Shags, Rock Doves and, of course, hundreds of Yellow-legged Gulls.
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| Scopoli's Shearwater |
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| Sombre Tit |
We also visited Mt Koskina, west of the lake and saw Ruppell's Warblers, Black-eared Wheatears, Rock Nuthatches and Cretzschmar's Buntings, among many other species. Turtle Doves, Tawny Pipits and Subalpine Warblers were a few more of the species seen.
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| Black-eared Wheatear |
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| Cretzschmar's Bunting |
The total list for the day (including the night of June 13th) was 48 species, nine of which were lifers. A perfect way to start a trip!
DAY CHECKLIST
| Mute Swan - Cygnus olor |
| Mallard - Anas platyrhynchos |
| Rock Dove - Columba livia |
| European Turtle Dove - Streptopelia turtur |
| Collared Dove - Streptopelia decaocto |
| Alpine Swift - Apus melba |
| Yellow-legged Gull - Larus michahellis |
| Cory's Shearwater - Calonectris diomedea |
| Yelkouan Shearwater - Puffinus yelkouan |
| White Stork - Ciconia ciconia |
| European Shag - Phalacrocorax aristotelis |
| Grey Heron - Ardea cinerea |
| Short-toed Eagle - Circaetus gallicus |
| Western Marsh Harrier - Circus aeruginosus |
| Common Buzzard - Buteo buteo |
| Eurasian Scops Owl - Otus scops |
| Lesser Kestrel - Falco naumanni |
| Common Kestrel - Falco tinnunculus |
| Woodchat Shrike - Lanius senator |
| Common Magpie - Pica pica |
| Hooded Crow - Corvus cornix |
| Common Raven - Corvus corax |
| Greater Short-toed Lark - Calandrella brachydactyla |
| Crested Lark - Galerida cristata |
| Barn Swallow - Hirundo rustica |
| Red-rumped Swallow - Cecropis daurica |
| Common House Martin - Delichon urbicum |
| Sombre Tit - Poecile lugubris |
| Great Tit - Parus major |
| Western Rock Nuthatch - Sitta neumayer |
| Cetti's Warbler - Cettia cetti |
| Eastern Olivaceous Warbler - Iduna pallida |
| Olive-tree Warbler - Hippolais olivetorum |
| Great Reed Warbler - Acrocephalus arundinaceus |
| Zitting Cisticola - Cisticola juncidis |
| Ruppell's Warbler - Sylvia ruppeli |
| Subalpine Warbler - Sylvia cantillans |
| Sardinian Warbler - Sylvia melanocephala |
| European Stonechat - Saxicola rubicola |
| Black-eared Wheatear - Oenanthe hispanica |
| Eurasian Blackbird - Turdus merula |
| Tawny Pipit - Anthus campestris |
| European Greenfinch - Chloris chloris |
| Common Linnet - Linaria cannabina |
| Black-headed Bunting - Emberiza melanocephala |
| Cirl Bunting - Emberiza cirlus |
| Cretzschmar's Bunting - Emberiza caesia |
| House Sparrow - Passer domesticus |
Monday, July 22, 2019
Birdwatching in Athens: Mt Parnitha Half-day tour, June 12 2019
Starting from downtown Athens at 06.45, it took us 45 min. to reach the lower slopes of the mountain. There, in a nice patch of mixed woodland, we got our first birds: Long-tailed, Great and Coal Tits and Cirl Buntings.
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| Cirl Bunting |
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| Juv Long-tailed Tit |
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| Cretzschmar's Bunting |
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| Sombre Tit |
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| Griffon Vulture |
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| Ravens mobbing on Common Buzzard |
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| Alpine Swift |
Birding continued as we moved to more wooded areas and found lots of forest dwellers; Nightingales, Robins, Short-toed Treecreepers, Firecrests and dozens of Chaffinches were present.
Even though Brittany didn't want to leave the area, we had to drive back to Athens as she had booked a cooking class with her boyfriend later that day. Amazed by the natural beauty of Mt Parnitha and Greece in general, she made a promise to do a lot more birding the next time she comes to Greece, with us of course!
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| Nightingale |
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| Robin |
TRIP CHECKLIST
| Alpine Swift - Apus melba |
| Common Swift - Apus apus |
| Yellow-legged Gull - Larus michahellis |
| Griffon Vulture - Gyps fulvus |
| Common Buzzard - Buteo buteo |
| Common Kestrel - Falco tinnunculus |
| Hooded Crow - Corvus cornix |
| Common Raven - Corvus corax |
| Woodlark - Lullula arborea |
| Coal Tit - Periparus ater |
| Sombre Tit - Poecile lugubris |
| Great Tit - Parus major |
| Long-tailed Tit - Aegithalos caudatus |
| Short-toed Treecreeper - Certhia brachydactyla |
| Eurasian Wren - Troglodytes troglodytes |
| Common Firecrest - Regulus ignicapilla |
| Eurasian Blackcap - Sylvia atricapilla |
| Lesser Whitethroat - Sylvia curruca |
| Subalpine Warbler - Sylvia cantillans |
| Sardinian Warbler - Sylvia melanocephala |
| Spotted Flycatcher - Muscicapa striata |
| European Robin - Erithacus rubecula |
| Black Redstart - Phoenicurus ochruros |
| European Stonechat - Saxicola rubicola |
| Black-eared Wheatear - Oenanthe hispanica |
| Eurasian Blackbird - Turdus merula |
| Common Chaffinch - Fringilla coelebs |
| European Serin - Serinus serinus |
| Cirl Bunting - Emberiza cirlus |
| Cretzschmar's Bunting - Emberiza caesia |
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