Spring is the best season to visit Athens for birdwatching: the weather is great (not too cold, not too hot) and you can get the most of the area's birdlife. This year seems to be exceptionally productive as the heavy rainfall has created many suitable habitats for waders and, at the same time, has grounded many other species that would otherwise fly non-stop.
All the wetlands around Athens are full of water and attract large numbers of waterfowl like the Garganey and waders like the Green Sandpiper, the Black-winged Stilt and the Ruff, while the Spotted Redshank is found in smaller numbers. The first Purple Herons have also arrived, while flocks of more than 70 Glossy Ibises were seen in the flooded fields of Spata.
 |
| Garganeys (Spata Fields) |
 |
| Glossy Ibises, Greenshank and Black-winged Stilt (Spata Fields) |
 |
| Spotted Redshank (Schinias National Park) |
 |
| Purple Heron (Schinias NP) |
All three rail species (Spotted, Little and Baillon's Crake) were also present. Snipes are on the move and seem to be easier to be seen out in the open.
 |
| Common Snipe (Schinias NP) |
 |
Spotted Crake (Schinias NP)
|
