DAY 5
On the last day of the tour, we visited several birding hot spots around Athens; the first site was Cape Sounio, where we found some Chukars, a Peregrine Falcon and a distant Bonelli's Eagle, at least 200 Yelkouan Shearwaters off the coast, Bee-eaters and Alpine Swifts, among other birds.
From Cape Sounio, we drove north to Vravrona Wetland for a quick stop and got lucky enough to have great views of a juv Great Spotted Cuckoo and a very close Citrine Wagtail!
Next stop was Artemis Lagoon, where we watched Black-winged Stilts, Little Grebes, Coots and lots of hirundines.
On the last day of the tour, we visited several birding hot spots around Athens; the first site was Cape Sounio, where we found some Chukars, a Peregrine Falcon and a distant Bonelli's Eagle, at least 200 Yelkouan Shearwaters off the coast, Bee-eaters and Alpine Swifts, among other birds.
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| Chukar |
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| Peregrine Falcon |
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| Citrine Wagtail |
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| Great Spotted Cuckoo |
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| House Martin |
We also made a brief stop at Rafina's Megalo Rema river mouth for a new species for the trip (Little Ringed Plover) and the flooded Spata fields for some more Ferruginous Ducks, a Great Reed Warbler and a Whiskered Tern.
Early in the afternoon, the Harris' couple was dropped off at a hotel close to the airport as they had to take a very early flight next day. The total count for these five days was 137 species (including those heard), an impressive number made possible by the selection of so many different habitats. Wade and Karren, we look forward to seeing you again in Greece for some more exciting birding!
DAY 5 CHECKLIST
| Ferruginous Duck - Aythya nyroca |
| Chukar - Alectoris chukar |
| Little Grebe - Tachybaptus ruficollis |
| Rock Dove - Columba livia |
| Collared Dove - Streptopelia decaocto |
| Great Spotted Cuckoo - Clamator glandarius |
| Alpine Swift - Apus melba |
| Common Moorhen - Gallinula chloropus |
| Eurasian Coot - Fulica atra |
| Black-winged Stilt - Himantopus himantopus |
| Little Ringed Plover - Charadrius dubius |
| Ruff - Calidris pugnax |
| Yellow-legged Gull - Larus michahellis |
| Whiskered Tern - Chlidonias hybrida |
| Cory's Shearwater - Calonectris diomedea |
| Yelkouan Shearwater - Puffinus yelkouan |
| European Shag - Phalacrocorax aristotelis |
| Grey Heron - Ardea cinerea |
| Little Egret - Egretta garzetta |
| Bonelli's Eagle - Aquila fasciata |
| Common Buzzard - Buteo buteo |
| Eurasian Hoopoe - Upupa epops |
| European Bee-eater - Merops apiaster |
| Common Kestrel - Falco tinnunculus |
| Peregrine Falcon - Falco peregrinus |
| Common Magpie - Pica pica |
| Crested Lark - Galerida cristata |
| Barn Swallow - Hirundo rustica |
| Common House Martin - Delichon urbicum |
| Cetti's Warbler - Cettia cetti |
| Eastern Olivaceous Warbler - Iduna pallida |
| Great Reed Warbler - Acrocephalus arundinaceus |
| Zitting Cisticola - Cisticola juncidis |
| Sardinian Warbler - Sylvia melanocephala |
| European Stonechat - Saxicola rubicola |
| Citrine Wagtail - Motacilla citreola |
| European Greenfinch - Chloris chloris |
| Black-headed Bunting - Emberiza melanocephala |
| House Sparrow - Passer domesticus |
