Birding around Athens in the heart of summer is not an easy task. You either have to start before sunrise or late in the afternoon, when temperatures are cooling down and birds are more active.
This was the case on July 15th, a very warm sunny day, when we had 38 degrees Celsius at noon. So we have decided from the previous day to run a half day tour very early in the morning and get the birds in full action. This is the best time for bird photography, as the golden hour is always appreciated for its unique colours.
Sunrise in Artemis Lagoon, Athens
The siluette of a Black-winged Stilt
We decided to spend time at Artemis Lagoon, a small wetland at the east part of Athens Riviera. This place offers excellent birding opportunities in July and August, since it holds a significant amount of water when most wetlands nearby are dry
We arrived just before sunrise and the hirundines were all there. Lots of House Martins, Red-rumped Swallows, Barn Swallows were flying over our heads, the noisy Alpine Swifts, Common and Pallid Swifts.
Two Little Ringed Plovers were at a small islet of the lagoon. Nearby, 3 Black-winged Stilts, some Wood Sandpipers and a Common Sandpiper.
3 Hoopoes flew from the reeds towards the sea, probably migrating birds. A Grey Heron, together with 2 Little Egrets we perching on the eucalyptus tress, at the northern part of the lagoon.
Grey Heron and the Moon
The highlight of the day was undoubtedly a striking Whiskered Tern. We are able to enjoy the flying style, the feeding techniques and the general behaviour of this beautiful species of tern.
Whiskered Tern diving for aquatic insects
The magnificent flight of a Whiskered Tern
As it was very early and the sun had not risen yet, we decided to try a special technique in burd photography, called Low Key. The idea is to underexpose the subject in front of a dark backround, so that only the silhouette of the bird is highlighted. We managed to get a few hundreds of shots, these are only some of the best.
Whiskered Tern in flight,
black & white bird photography
Low Key bird photography
The bird list of this guided bird trip in Artemis Lagoon is the following:
Little Grebe
Great Cormorant
Grey Heron
Little Egret
Moorhen
Coot
Mallard
Black -winged Stilt
Wood Sandpiper
Little Ringed Plover
Alpine Swift
Pallid Swift
Common Swift
Red-rumped Swallow
Barn Swallow
House Martin
Hoopoe
Magpie
Hooded Crow
Zitting Cisticola
Yellow legged Gull
Whiskered Tern
Sardinian Warbler
Cetti's Warbler
House Sparrow
Goldfinch
