Joe Farkas came to Athens because his wife had to attend a business conference. He had some time to spend on his own so he contacted us to show him the feathered attractions of the area. Since this was a half-day tour, the itinerary included Oropos Lagoon and Schinias National Park.
We started at 07.00 and headed to Oropos Lagoon, the most important coastal wetland of Athens. Our target species included the Mediterranean and the Slender-billed Gull and the Kentish Plover.
We managed to have very good views of all the Gulls of the area: Mediterranean, Black-headed, Yellow-legged and Slender-billed.
But there were more new birds to Joe to see: Kingfishers, a Great Flamingo and at least two Red-throated Pipits, a regular but scarce passage migrant. We also managed to see Sardinian Warblers in the surrounding scrubs and a very close Mediterranean Shag as we started driving the coastal road, heading for Schinias National Park.
On our way to Schinias we stopped to look for Sombre Tits and Cirl Buntings. We got a very nice view of the bunting and a brief view of the tit in flight.
Among the new birds for Joe - and there were a lot - the Ferruginous Duck, the Pygmy Cormorant (both seen at the rowing center) and the Cetti's Warbler were the most interesting.
TRIP CHECKLIST
We started at 07.00 and headed to Oropos Lagoon, the most important coastal wetland of Athens. Our target species included the Mediterranean and the Slender-billed Gull and the Kentish Plover.
We managed to have very good views of all the Gulls of the area: Mediterranean, Black-headed, Yellow-legged and Slender-billed.
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| All the gulls of the lagoon in one picture |
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| Mediterranean Shag (juvenie) |
Schinias National Park had another great surprise for both of us. While looking for waterfowl at the Olympic Rowing Center, a small group of three Bearded Reedlings came right in front of us! This is a very rare sighting in Athens, as the last confirmed record is from the 1990s.
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| Male Bearded Reedling |
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| Ferruginous Duck |
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| Pygmy Cormorant and Ferruginous Duck |
By 14:00. we had alread seen and heard 56 species; it was time to head back to Athens. Joe had added a good number of lifers in just a few hours and wanted to tell all about his experience to his wife! Antoher great birding trip was over.
TRIP CHECKLIST
| Mallard - Anas platyrhynchos |
| Northern Pintail - Anas acuta |
| Ferruginous Duck - Aythya nyroca |
| Greater Flamingo - Phoenicopterus roseus |
| Little Grebe - Tachybaptus ruficollis |
| Eurasian Collared-Dove - Streptopelia decaocto |
| Eurasian Moorhen - Gallinula chloropus |
| Eurasian Coot - Fulica atra |
| Black-bellied Plover - Pluvialis squatarola |
| Kentish Plover - Charadrius alexandrinus |
| Common Ringed Plover - Charadrius hiaticula |
| Sanderling - Calidris alba |
| Dunlin - Calidris alpina |
| Little Stint - Calidris minuta |
| Common Redshank - Tringa totanus |
| Slender-billed Gull - Chroicocephalus genei |
| Black-headed Gull - Chroicocephalus ridibundus |
| Mediterranean Gull - Ichthyaetus melanocephalus |
| Yellow-legged Gull - Larus michahellis |
| Sandwich Tern - Thalasseus sandvicensis |
| Pygmy Cormorant - Microcarbo pygmeus |
| European Shag - Phalacrocorax aristotelis |
| Gray Heron - Ardea cinerea |
| Great Egret - Ardea alba |
| Little Egret - Egretta garzetta |
| Eurasian Marsh-Harrier - Circus aeruginosus |
| Common Buzzard - Buteo buteo |
| Common Kingfisher - Alcedo atthis |
| Eurasian Kestrel - Falco tinnunculus |
| Eurasian Jay - Garrulus glandarius |
| Eurasian Magpie - Pica pica |
| Hooded Crow - Corvus cornix |
| Bearded Reedling - Panurus biarmicus |
| Crested Lark - Galerida cristata |
| Barn Swallow - Hirundo rustica |
| Cetti's Warbler - Cettia cetti |
| Common Chiffchaff - Phylloscopus collybita |
| Sardinian Warbler - Sylvia melanocephala |
| European Robin - Erithacus rubecula Black Redstart - Phoenicurus ochruros |
| European Stonechat - Saxicola rubicola |
| European Starling - Sturnus vulgaris |
| Grey Wagtail - Motacilla cinerea Western Yellow Wagtail - Motacilla flava |
| White Wagtail - Motacilla alba |
| Meadow Pipit - Anthus pratensis |
| Red-throated Pipit - Anthus cervinus |
| Water Pipit - Anthus spinoletta |
| Cirl Bunting - Emberiza cirlus |
| European Greenfinch - Chloris chloris European Goldfinch - Carduelis carduelis House Sparrow - Passer domesticus Tree Sparrow - Passer montanus |
