Khoa and Joey is a Vietnamese couple that came to Greece for a long vacation. Apart from the mainstream destinations, they also wanted to see birdlife, that's why they contacted us. We arranged a two-day birding trip around Athens, so that they could see all the Athenian 'specialties'.
After picking up from the airport, we visited Mt Hymettus, the best place to look for the Ruppell's Warbler. Even though we started quite late (it was aready 9.00 when we reached the mountain), we managed to see quite a few birds, as this species is really common in the summit. We also saw a very nice male Cretzschmar's Bunting, while a stop at the lowland forest yielded Great, Coal and Long-tailed Tits and Short-toed Treecreepers, among others.
The temperature rose and it was time to move to higher altitudes. We visited Mt Parnitha and saw many forest dwellers: Robins, Wrens, Tits, Blackbirds, Chafiinches and Serins were the most common. We had lunch at Bafi refuge, a very nice lodge that offers a variety of great dishes and an astonishing view!
We spent the afternoon around Bafi and had the chance to see Northern and Black-eared Wheatears, Woodlarks and lots of Cirl Buntings. A nice collection of birds for a hot day!
On the second day, it was me and Khoa; we first visited the Antonis Tritsis' Ecology Park, a very interesting urban site in NW Athens. Hoopoes, Swifts, Little Bitterns and lots of warblers, like the Eastern Olivaceous Warbler, breed and are easy to see
But the main target of the day was the Bee-eater. We visited the vast plain of Kopaida, close to the city of Thiva, north of Athens. A very large colony of Bee-eaters is active and dozens of birds could be seen from a really close distance!
Fully satisfied with the views and the photos, we wandered in the plain to look for other species. Larks, Wagtails and Hirundines were everywhere while Great Reed Warblers were found in every ditch. A beautiful male Penduline Tit offered some really close views.
Leaving Kopaida, we took the old National Highway to Athens and made a stop at the village of Erythres to see the White Stork nest in the central square. We also enjoyed several Black-headed Buntings in the surrounding farmland.
TRIP CHECKLIST
After picking up from the airport, we visited Mt Hymettus, the best place to look for the Ruppell's Warbler. Even though we started quite late (it was aready 9.00 when we reached the mountain), we managed to see quite a few birds, as this species is really common in the summit. We also saw a very nice male Cretzschmar's Bunting, while a stop at the lowland forest yielded Great, Coal and Long-tailed Tits and Short-toed Treecreepers, among others.
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| Cretzshmar's Bunting |
We spent the afternoon around Bafi and had the chance to see Northern and Black-eared Wheatears, Woodlarks and lots of Cirl Buntings. A nice collection of birds for a hot day!
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| Black-eared Wheatear |
On the second day, it was me and Khoa; we first visited the Antonis Tritsis' Ecology Park, a very interesting urban site in NW Athens. Hoopoes, Swifts, Little Bitterns and lots of warblers, like the Eastern Olivaceous Warbler, breed and are easy to see
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| Eastern Olivaceous Warbler |
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| Bee-eater, one of the most colourful birds of Greece |
Fully satisfied with the views and the photos, we wandered in the plain to look for other species. Larks, Wagtails and Hirundines were everywhere while Great Reed Warblers were found in every ditch. A beautiful male Penduline Tit offered some really close views.
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| Penduline Tit |
Leaving Kopaida, we took the old National Highway to Athens and made a stop at the village of Erythres to see the White Stork nest in the central square. We also enjoyed several Black-headed Buntings in the surrounding farmland.
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| Black-headed Bunting |
We saw a total of 60 species, most of them being lifers for our Vietnamese friends!
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| Happy faces, this is one of Greece Bird Tours' goals! |
TRIP CHECKLIST
| Mallard - Anas platyrhynchos |
| White Stork - Ciconia ciconia |
| Little Bittern - Ixobrychus minutus |
| Short-toed Snake-Eagle - Circaetus gallicus |
| Common Buzzard - Buteo buteo |
| Eurasian Moorhen - Gallinula chloropus |
| Eurasian Coot - Fulica atra |
| Yellow-legged Gull - Larus michahellis |
| Eurasian Collared-Dove - Streptopelia decaocto |
| Common Cuckoo - Cuculus canorus |
| Alpine Swift - Apus melba |
| Common Swift - Apus apus |
| Eurasian Hoopoe - Upupa epops |
| Eurasian Kestrel - Falco tinnunculus |
| Rose-ringed Parakeet - Psittacula krameri |
| Woodchat Shrike - Lanius senator |
| Eurasian Jay - Garrulus glandarius |
| Eurasian Magpie - Pica pica |
| Hooded Crow - Corvus cornix |
| Wood Lark - Lullula arborea |
| Crested Lark - Galerida cristata |
| Barn Swallow - Hirundo rustica |
| Red-rumped Swallow - Cecropis daurica |
| Common House-Martin - Delichon urbicum |
| Coal Tit - Periparus ater |
| Sombre Tit - Poecile lugubris |
| Great Tit - Parus major |
| Eurasian Penduline-Tit - Remiz pendulinus |
| Long-tailed Tit - Aegithalos caudatus |
| Short-toed Treecreeper - Certhia brachydactyla |
| Eurasian Wren - Troglodytes troglodytes |
| Firecrest - Regulus ignicapilla |
| Cetti's Warbler - Cettia cetti |
| Eastern Olivaceous Warbler - Iduna pallida |
| Sedge Warbler - Acrocephalus schoenobaenus |
| Eurasian Reed-Warbler - Acrocephalus scirpaceus |
| Great Reed-Warbler - Acrocephalus arundinaceus |
| Eurasian Blackcap - Sylvia atricapilla |
| RÏŒppell's Warbler - Sylvia ruppeli |
| Subalpine Warbler - Sylvia cantillans |
| Sardinian Warbler - Sylvia melanocephala |
| Greater Whitethroat - Sylvia communis |
| European Robin - Erithacus rubecula |
| Common Nightingale - Luscinia megarhynchos |
| Black Redstart - Phoenicurus ochruros |
| European Stonechat - Saxicola rubicola |
| Northern Wheatear - Oenanthe oenanthe |
| Black-eared Wheatear - Oenanthe hispanica |
| Eurasian Blackbird - Turdus merula |
| Western Yellow Wagtail - Motacilla flava |
| Cirl Bunting - Emberiza cirlus |
| Cretzschmar's Bunting - Emberiza caesia |
| Black-headed Bunting - Emberiza melanocephala |
| Corn Bunting - Emberiza calandra |
| Common Chaffinch - Fringilla coelebs |
| European Greenfinch - Chloris chloris |
| European Goldfinch - Carduelis carduelis |
| European Serin - Serinus serinus |
| House Sparrow - Passer domesticus |
| Eurasian Tree Sparrow - Passer montanus |
