Wade and Karren are a Canadian couple with an impressive life list of more than 4,400 species. They wanted to fill the gaps of Balkan and South-eastern species so they chose us for a five-day tour that included every major birding site of western and central Greece.
DAY 1
On the first day of the tour, we left Athens and drove west to Messolonghi Lagoons. Before we entered the lagoon, we had good views of Lesser Kestrels, hirundines and swifts as they all nest in the town of Messolonghi. Upon our entry to the lagoon, the Dalmatian Pelican, one of the lifer birds, was very easily seen as there is a breeding colony.
The wetland was full of terns (Common, Little and Gull-billed being the most numerous), Pygmy Cormorants, Spoonbills, stilts, Avocets, Flamingoes and egrets. Close to the sea, we found Ruddy Turnstones, Curlews, Oystercatchers etc.
A few Stone-curlews were also present, while lots of passerines were flying around (Yellow Wagtails, Short-toed and Crested Larks, Zitting Cisticolas etc). There were also a few Rufous-tailed Scrub Robins (aka Rufous Bush Robins), another target of the couple.
In the afternoon, we drove to the area of Louros, west of Aitoliko and apart from the wetlands species, we enjoyed great views of Black-headed Buntings, Black-eared Wheatears and Rock Nuthatches at the cliffs bordering the lagoons.
DAY 1
On the first day of the tour, we left Athens and drove west to Messolonghi Lagoons. Before we entered the lagoon, we had good views of Lesser Kestrels, hirundines and swifts as they all nest in the town of Messolonghi. Upon our entry to the lagoon, the Dalmatian Pelican, one of the lifer birds, was very easily seen as there is a breeding colony.
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| Dalmatian Pelican |
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| Pygmy Cormorants |
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| Spanish Sparrow |
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| Stone-curlew |
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| Yellow Wagtail |
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| Rock Nuthatch |
Before we reach our hotel at Aginio, we stopped at Kleisoura Gorge and enjoyed a few Griffons, Blue Rock Thrushes and lots of Jackdaws, totalling 71 species on the first day.
DAY 1 CHECKLIST
| Common Shelduck - Tadorna tadorna |
| Garganey - Spatula querquedula |
| Mallard - Anas platyrhynchos |
| Greater Flamingo - Phoenicopterus roseus |
| Little Grebe - Tachybaptus ruficollis |
| Collared Dove - Streptopelia decaocto |
| Common Swift - Apus apus |
| Eurasian Coot - Fulica atra |
| Stone-curlew - Burhinus oedicnemus |
| Black-winged Stilt - Himantopus himantopus |
| Pied Avocet - Recurvirostra avosetta |
| Eurasian Oystercatcher - Haematopus ostralegus |
| Grey Plover - Pluvialis squatarola |
| Kentish Plover - Charadrius alexandrinus |
| Eurasian Curlew - Numenius arquata |
| Ruddy Turnstone - Arenaria interpres |
| Common Redshank - Tringa totanus |
| Black-headed Gull - Chroicocephalus ridibundus |
| Yellow-legged Gull - Larus michahellis |
| Little Tern - Sternula albifrons |
| Gull-billed Tern - Gelochelidon nilotica |
| Black Tern - Chlidonias niger |
| Common Tern - Sterna hirundo |
| White Stork - Ciconia ciconia |
| Pygmy Cormorant - Microcarbo pygmeus |
| Great Cormorant - Phalacrocorax carbo |
| Dalmatian Pelican - Pelecanus crispus |
| Grey Heron - Ardea cinerea |
| Great White Egret - Ardea alba |
| Little Egret - Egretta garzetta |
| Squacco Heron - Ardeola ralloides |
| Glossy Ibis - Plegadis falcinellus |
| Eurasian Spoonbill - Platalea leucorodia |
| Griffon Vulture - Gyps fulvus |
| Western Marsh Harrier - Circus aeruginosus |
| Little Owl - Athene noctua |
| Lesser Kestrel - Falco naumanni |
| Common Kestrel - Falco tinnunculus |
| Common Magpie - Pica pica |
| Eurasian Jackdaw - Corvus monedula |
| Hooded Crow - Corvus cornix |
| Common Raven - Corvus corax |
| Greater Short-toed Lark - Calandrella brachydactyla |
| Calandra Lark - Melanocorypha calandra |
| Crested Lark - Galerida cristata |
| Sand Martin - Riparia riparia |
| Eurasian Crag Martin - Ptyonoprogne rupestris |
| Barn Swallow - Hirundo rustica |
| Red-rumped Swallow - Cecropis daurica |
| Common House Martin - Delichon urbicum |
| Eurasian Blue Tit - Cyanistes caeruleus |
| Eurasian Penduline Tit - Remiz pendulinus |
| Western Rock Nuthatch - Sitta neumayer |
| Cetti's Warbler - Cettia cetti |
| Eastern Olivaceous Warbler - Iduna pallida |
| Eurasian Reed Warbler - Acrocephalus scirpaceus |
| Great Reed Warbler - Acrocephalus arundinaceus |
| Zitting Cisticola - Cisticola juncidis |
| Sardinian Warbler - Sylvia melanocephala |
| Rufous-tailed Scrub Robin - Cercotrichas galactotes |
| Blue Rock Thrush - Monticola solitarius |
| Black-eared Wheatear - Oenanthe hispanica |
| Western Yellow Wagtail - Motacilla flava |
| Common Chaffinch - Fringilla coelebs |
| European Greenfinch - Chloris chloris |
| European Goldfinch - Carduelis carduelis |
| Black-headed Bunting - Emberiza melanocephala |
| Corn Bunting - Emberiza calandra |
| Cirl Bunting - Emberiza cirlus |
| House Sparrow - Passer domesticus |
| Spanish Sparrow - Passer hispaniolensis |
