Birdwatching in Athens: Family birding tour, Dec 8 2018

Svante and Elisabeth are a lovely couple from Sweden. They came to Athens for a short holiday, along with their 5-year old son, Oscar. Despite his age, Oscar has joined his parents on birding trips several times and this trip was no exception. Of course, the trip was adjusted to cover a toddler's needs as well and the pace was more relaxed but by no means not focused on seeing as many birds as possible.

Starting from the hotel at 08.00 and headed to Schinias National Park, looking for the site's specialities of the season like the Pygmy Cormorant, the Ferruginous Duck, the Red-crested Pochard and the Moustached Warbler. We saw them all at the Olympic Rowing Center quite effortlessly. A very nice Eared Grebe was lookin for food quite close and there were also a lot of other waterbirds (Coots, Cormorants, Gray Herons etc).

Red-crested Pochards

Eared (aka Black-necked) Grebe

Svante, Elizabeth and Oscar at the rowing center

We left the rowing center and searched the central marsh for raptors. We had good views of Marsh Harriers, Common Buzzards, Kestrels and Sparrowhawks but no sign of the Great Spotted Eagle. Lots of passerines, however, made our search very productive and kept as quite busy. 

As the Rock Bunting was another target species, we headed south and reached Vravrona Wetland. It was late noon and time was running out but we managed to find 3 Rock Buntings! 

The trip was over and we managed to find 50 species, a great number for an easy-going trip. 

TRIP CHECKLIST

Mallard - Anas platyrhynchos Red-crested Pochard - Netta rufina Ferruginous Duck - Aythya nyroca Little Grebe - Tachybaptus ruficollis Eared Grebe - Podiceps nigricollis Rock Pigeon - Columba livia Eurasian Collared-Dove - Streptopelia decaocto Water Rail - Rallus aquaticus Eurasian Moorhen - Gallinula chloropus Eurasian Coot - Fulica atra Green Sandpiper - Tringa ochropus Black-headed Gull - Chroicocephalus ridibundus Yellow-legged Gull - Larus michahellis Pygmy Cormorant - Microcarbo pygmeus Great Cormorant - Phalacrocorax carbo Gray Heron - Ardea cinerea Little Egret - Egretta garzetta Eurasian Marsh-Harrier - Circus aeruginosus Eurasian Sparrowhawk - Accipiter nisus Common Buzzard - Buteo buteo Eurasian Kestrel - Falco tinnunculus Eurasian Magpie - Pica pica Hooded Crow - Corvus cornix Crested Lark - Galerida cristata Great Tit - Parus major Western Rock Nuthatch - Sitta neumayer Eurasian Wren - Troglodytes troglodytes Cetti's Warbler - Cettia cetti Common Chiffchaff - Phylloscopus collybita Zitting Cisticola - Cisticola juncidis Eurasian Blackcap - Sylvia atricapilla Sardinian Warbler - Sylvia melanocephala European Robin - Erithacus rubecula Black Redstart - Phoenicurus ochruros European Stonechat - Saxicola rubicola Song Thrush - Turdus philomelos Eurasian Blackbird - Turdus merula European Starling - Sturnus vulgaris Dunnock - Prunella modularis White Wagtail - Motacilla alba Meadow Pipit - Anthus pratensis Water Pipit - Anthus spinoletta Common Chaffinch - Fringilla coelebs European Greenfinch - Chloris chloris European Goldfinch - Carduelis carduelis European Serin - Serinus serinus Corn Bunting - Emberiza calandra Rock Bunting - Emberiza cia Reed Bunting - Emberiza schoeniclus House Sparrow - Passer domesticus