Birding Tour in Athens: August 21st, 2022

Combining different habitats around Athens, can make an August guided birding trip succesful, even during a hot summer day

Jennifer is an American musician, living in Germany for the past 10 years. As part of her "workation" in Greece, she contacted us for a day of birding around Athens. She wanted to see as many birds not found in Germany as possible so Mt Hymettus was, undoubtedly, the best site to start our day. 

We begun before dawn to try for the Scops Owl and we saw one in no time. A Nightjar was singing in the same spot while a few bats were still hunting flying insects. We walked uphill to the rocky slopes of Mt Hymettus where we found Chukars, Western Rock Nuthatches, Blue Rock Thrushes and several warblers: Eastern Subalpine, Sardinian and a gorgeous male Ruppell's Warbler, one of Attica's greatest feathered attractions. 

Leaving Hymettus, we headed north and visited Oropos Lagoon, where a small group of Flamingos was waiting for us. There were also lots of herons, Kentish Plovers, Shags and waders like Turnstones, Redshanks and more, while Red-rumped Swallows and Zitting Cisticolas were everywhere. 

Shag at Oropos Lagoon

Kentish Plover at Oropos Lagoon

Red-rumped Swallow

Next stop: Schinias National Park and the Ferruginous Ducks that breed. The moment we entered the Rowing Center, a family group was resting at a dock, being very relaxed. Coots, Little Grebes and Yellow-legged Gulls were present in the water while several Hoopoes were flushed on our way back to the car. 

Ferruginous Ducks

Hoopoe

We also checked the mashes which were mostly dry but nevertheless gave Common Buzzards, Marsh Harriers, Lesser, Woodchat and Red-backed Shrikes. 

Jennifer at Schinias National Park

Last stop was Artemis Wetland, a small but very important stopover sites for waders. There we saw Little Stints, Wood Sandpipers, Little Ringed Plovers and the Broad-billed Sandpiper a scarce migrant that is quite regular in this precious wetland. 

Broad-billed Sandpiper at Artemis Lagoon

The day was over with 58 species recorded, great number for a hot day of August! 

TRIP CHECKLIST

Ferruginous Duck

Greater Flamingo

Little Grebe

Rock Dove

Collared Dove

Common Swift

Common Moorhen

Eurasian Coot

Black-winged Stilt

Grey Plover

Kentish Plover

Little Ringed Plover

Ruddy Turnstone

Broad-billed Sandpiper

Little Stint

Common Greenshank

Wood Sandpiper

Common Redshank

Black-headed Gull

Mediterranean Gull

Yellow-legged Gull

Sandwich Tern

Great Cormorant

European Shag

Grey Heron

Little Egret

Squacco Heron

Western Marsh Harrier

Common Buzzard

Eurasian Scops Owl

Little Owl

Eurasian Hoopoe

Common Kestrel

Red-backed Shrike

Lesser Grey Shrike

Woodchat Shrike

Eurasian Jay

Common Magpie

Hooded Crow

Crested Lark

Zitting Cisticola

Barn Swallow

Red-rumped Swallow

Common House Martin

Cetti's Warbler

Rüppell's Warbler

Sardinian Warbler

Eastern Subalpine Warbler

Common Whitethroat

Blue Rock Thrush

European Stonechat

Northern Wheatear

Eastern Black-eared Wheatear

House Sparrow

Western Yellow Wagtail

European Goldfinch