Paul Koker is an American birdwatcher who came to Athens and wanted a full day of birding around the big city. He really wanted to see owls, so we started very early, before dawn, in order to find the
Scops Owl, a very common but hard to see nocturnal raptor.
The hill of Lycabettus at the city centre, holds a large number of breeding pairs and we managed to hear at least six male birds, and have a great view of at least one bird.
Leaving Lycabettus, we headed for Mt Hymettus to look for two more owls: the Little and the Tawny. Our first stop on Mt Hymettus was at the Aesthetic Forest of Kaisariani at the foothills. We heard, but didn't get to see the Tawny. We did see several woodland birds, (tits, robins, firecrests) however and we also had a brief view of the Red-breasted Flycatcher.
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| Firecrest |
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| Robin |
It was time to move higher up and reach the top. We looked for the Little Owl and had great success! We found one bird, at a scrubby plateau and enjoyed great views.
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| Little Owl |
We left Mt Hymettus and headed for Mt Parnitha, Athens' highest mountain and home to many interestimg mammals, like the Red Deer and the Grey Wolf! We didn't see any wolves but saw many deer. It is rutting season for them and the stags are heard bellowing all over the mountain.
But it was the birdlife that we came for, and we saw several different birds; Coal and Sombre Tits, Short-toed Treecreepers, migrant Whinchats, Wheatears and Spotted Flycatchers, Chiffchaffs and Willow Warblers etc.
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| Coal Tit |
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| Short-toed Treecreeper |
It was time to leave the mountains and try the wetlands. We arrived at Schinias National Park and walked along the Olympic Rowing Centre lake to look for the Ferruginous Duck. We saw several birds along with hundreds of Coots, dozens of Little Grebes, a few Kingfishers and a single Northern Shoveler. Penduline Tits were common in the reeds.
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| Ferruginous Duck |
Right after the Rowing Center, we walked through the tracks of the main marsh. It was afternoon and dozens of herons (Little and Great Egrets, Grey and Purple Herons) were flying overhead, looking for a safe place to roost. Suddenly, a group of five big birds flew towards us and they were not herons; Black Storks made an impressive entrance, circling around for a few minutes!
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| Black Storks |
This was the best way to call it a day. We returned to Athens with a total count of 62 species. Mission accompished!
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TRIP CHECKLIST
| Mute Swan |
Cygnus olor |
| Mallard |
Anas platyrhynchos |
| Garganey |
Anas querquedula |
| Shoveler |
Anas clypeata |
| Ferruginous Duck |
Aythya nyroca |
| Little Grebe |
Tachybaptus ruficollis |
| Great Crested Grebe |
Podiceps cristatus |
| Great Cormorant |
Phalacrocorax carbo |
| Little Egret |
Egretta garzetta |
| Great Egret |
Ardea alba |
| Grey Heron |
Ardea cinerea |
| Purple Heron |
Ardea purpurea |
| Black Stork |
Ciconia nigra |
| Marsh Harrier |
Circus aeruginosus |
| Kestrel |
Falco tinnunculus |
| Water Rail |
Rallus aquaticus |
| Moorhen |
Gallinula chloropus |
| Coot |
Fulica atra |
| Green Sandpiper |
Tringa ochropus |
| Yellow-legged Gull |
Larus michahellis |
| Rock Dove |
Columba livia |
| Collared Dove |
Streptopelia decaocto |
| Scops Owl |
Otus scops |
| Little Owl |
Athene noctua |
| Tawny Owl |
Strix aluco |
| Alpine Swift |
Apus melba |
| Kingfisher |
Alcedo atthis |
| Crested Lark |
Galerida cristata |
| Sand Martin |
Riparia riparia |
| Barn Swallow |
Hirundo rustica |
| Red-rumped Swallow |
Cecropis daurica |
| Yellow Wagtail |
Motacilla flava |
| Robin |
Erithacus rubecula |
| Redstart |
Phoenicurus phoenicurus |
| Whinchat |
Saxicola rubetra |
| Stonechat |
Saxicola torquatus |
| Blackbird |
Turdus merula |
| Cetti's Warbler |
Cettia cetti |
| Blackcap |
Sylvia atricapilla |
| Lesser Whitethroat |
Sylvia curruca |
| Sardinian Warbler |
Sylvia melanocephala |
| Chiffchaff |
Phylloscopus collybita |
| Willow Warbler |
Phylloscopus trochilus |
| Firecrest |
Regulus ignicapilla |
| Spotted Flycatcher |
Muscicapa striata |
| Red-breasted Flycatcher |
Ficedula parva |
| Long-tailed Tit |
Aegithalos caudatus |
| Great Tit |
Parus major |
| Coal Tit |
Periparus ater |
| Sombre Tit |
Parus lugubris |
| Rock Nuthatch |
Sitta neumayer |
| Short-toed Treecreeper |
Certhia brachydactyla |
| Penduline Tit |
Remiz pendulinus |
| Jay |
Garrulus glandarius |
| Magpie |
Pica pica |
| Hooded Crow |
Corvus cornix |
| Raven |
Corvus corax |
| House Sparrow |
Passer domesticus |
| Chaffinch |
Fringilla coelebs |
| Greenfinch |
Carduelis chloris |
| Goldfinch |
Carduelis carduelis |
| Cirl Bunting |
Emberiza cirlus |
