Kevin and Martin are two birding pals that had the time of their life in Lesvos. They wanted, however, to get the most of their presence in Greece; they had a half-day to spend at the Athens International Airport, waiting for their flight home to the UK so they decided to run a trip with Greece Bird Tours.
Even though Lesvos is a haven for birds (especially in late April-mid May) there were a few birds that they hadn't seen or they wanted better looks/photos.
Picking them from the airport in the morning, the first stop was Markopoulo Fields. Hoopoes, Bee-eaters, Little Owls and lots of passerines were present but the highlight was a very close Great Spotted Cuckoo that stood for a while right in front of us.
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| Great Spotted Cuckoo |
Next stop was Mt Hymettus where we looked for the Ruppell's Warbler and the Chukar; we managed to find both and get very good views and photos.
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| Chukar |
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| Ruppell's Warbler |
Next stop was the southern slopes of Mt Penteli where we saw more Chukars and a Long-legged Buzzard and Spata Fields where the highlight was a very close Black-headed Bunting and a group of Turtle Doves .
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| Black-headed Bunting |
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| Turtle Dove |
TRIP CHECKLIST
| Chukar - Alectoris chukar |
| Short-toed Snake-Eagle - Circaetus gallicus |
| Eurasian Marsh-Harrier - Circus aeruginosus |
| Common Buzzard - Buteo buteo |
| Long-legged Buzzard - Buteo rufinus |
| Yellow-legged Gull - Larus michahellis |
| European Turtle-Dove - Streptopelia turtur |
| Eurasian Collared-Dove - Streptopelia decaocto |
| Great Spotted Cuckoo - Clamator glandarius |
| Little Owl - Athene noctua |
| Alpine Swift - Apus melba |
| Common Swift - Apus apus |
| Pallid Swift - Apus pallidus |
| Eurasian Hoopoe - Upupa epops |
| European Bee-eater - Merops apiaster |
| Eurasian Kestrel - Falco tinnunculus |
| Red-footed Falcon - Falco vespertinus |
| Woodchat Shrike - Lanius senator |
| Eurasian Jay - Garrulus glandarius |
| Eurasian Magpie - Pica pica |
| Greater Short-toed Lark - Calandrella brachydactyla |
| Crested Lark - Galerida cristata |
| Barn Swallow - Hirundo rustica |
| Common House-Martin - Delichon urbicum |
| Great Tit - Parus major |
| Western Rock Nuthatch - Sitta neumayer |
| Cetti's Warbler - Cettia cetti |
| Eastern Olivaceous Warbler - Iduna pallida |
| Zitting Cisticola - Cisticola juncidis |
| Eastern Orphean Warbler - Sylvia crassirostris |
| RΓΌppell's Warbler - Sylvia ruppeli |
| Subalpine Warbler - Sylvia cantillans |
| Sardinian Warbler - Sylvia melanocephala |
| Spotted Flycatcher - Muscicapa striata |
| Whinchat - Saxicola rubetra |
| European Stonechat - Saxicola rubicola |
| Black-eared Wheatear - Oenanthe hispanica |
| Eurasian Blackbird - Turdus merula |
| White Wagtail - Motacilla alba |
| Cirl Bunting - Emberiza cirlus |
| Black-headed Bunting - Emberiza melanocephala |
| Corn Bunting - Emberiza calandra |
| Common Chaffinch - Fringilla coelebs |
| European Goldfinch - Carduelis carduelis |
| House Sparrow - Passer domesticus |
