Birding in Greece
Trip report
Two Weeks of Spring Migration across Greece
A private two-week journey through mainland Greece at the height of spring migration: wetlands, mountains and historic sites, with local food and small local places to stay close to the birds.
- Dates
- 23 Apr 2023 to 8 May 2023 (16 days)
- Tour type
- Birding, Private
- Region
- Attica, Western Greece, Thessaly, Central Macedonia and Central Greece
- Guides
- Thanasis Tsafonis
- Group
- Two guests
- Species
- 216
Highlights
- A Demoiselle Crane, a rare visitor to Greece
- Rüppell's Warbler on Mount Hymettus, on the edge of Athens
- Great Spotted Cuckoo in the Spata fields and Ferruginous Ducks at Schinias
- Dalmatian and Great White Pelicans at Lake Kerkini
- Semicollared Flycatcher and eight species of woodpecker
- Levant Sparrowhawk, Pallid Harrier and Lesser Spotted Eagle on migration
- Masked Shrike and Cretzschmar's Bunting
- Rock Partridge and Alpine Chough on Mount Parnassos
The tour
This private tour was timed for the height of spring migration, and its focus was the birds: wetlands full of herons, waders and terns, raptors on passage, forests with woodpeckers and flycatchers, and the special warblers, shrikes and buntings of the eastern Mediterranean.
Just as much, it was a journey through Greece. The route ran from Athens to Cape Sounion, west to the Messolonghi lagoons, north through Meteora and Thessaly to the great wetlands of Macedonia, the Axios Delta and Lake Kerkini, and back south by way of Mount Parnassos and the island of Evia. We ate local food along the way and stayed in small, local places close to the birding sites, so the best hours of the day were spent in the field, not on the road. In spring the countryside is also full of wildflowers, a bonus on many of our walks.
Over sixteen days the group recorded 216 species of birds.
Day by day
- 1
Day 1 · Sun 23 Apr
Arrival in Athens
Arrival in Athens and transfer to our hotel in the city.
- 2
Day 2 · Mon 24 Apr
Mount Hymettus, Kaisariani and historic Athens
Kaisariani forest, Hymettus ridge, Athens historic centre, National Garden
Our first morning took us up Mount Hymettus, the mountain that rises straight out of the eastern suburbs of Athens. We started in the old pine woods around Kaisariani Monastery and then climbed to the open, scrubby slopes of the ridge. The main target was Rüppell's Warbler, a speciality of these slopes in spring, and we found it.
Kaisariani also gave us a Tawny Owl resting in a tree hole, which we watched quietly from a distance so as not to disturb it. Migrants were moving through all morning, with Eastern Black-eared Wheatears, Eastern Subalpine Warblers and more along the ridge.
The rest of the day belonged to Athens itself: a walk through the historic centre below the Acropolis, the National Garden and a long Greek lunch.
- 3
Day 3 · Tue 25 Apr
Cape Sounion and East Attica
Temple of Poseidon at Sounion, Spata fields, Schinias National Park
We began at Cape Sounion, at the Temple of Poseidon on the cliffs above the Aegean. Friendly Chukars walked around the temple, Blue Rock Thrushes sang from the rocks, and Yelkouan Shearwaters passed low over the sea below the headland, with migrants in the scrub around the site.
From the coast we turned inland to the open farmland of Spata to look for Great Spotted Cuckoo, a bird of these fields in spring. In the afternoon we finished at Schinias National Park, the wetland behind the long beach of Marathon, for its Ferruginous Ducks, with more migrants in the reeds and pines.
- 4
Day 4 · Wed 26 Apr
West to the Messolonghi lagoons
Messolonghi Lagoons National Park
A travel day west across the Corinth Gulf to Messolonghi, one of the largest wetlands in Greece. We spent the afternoon on the lagoons and saltpans, where the shallow water holds flamingos, herons, gulls and terns, and waders on their way north.
- 5
Day 5 · Thu 27 Apr
Louros and the Lesini ash forest
Messolonghi Lagoons National Park: Louros, Lesini ash forest and village
A full day inside the national park. The morning at Louros was one of the busiest of the first week, with herons, terns and waders on the wet meadows and channels.
In the afternoon we walked in the Lesini ash forest, one of the last flooded riverine forests in Greece, a cool, shaded place full of birdsong.
- 6
Day 6 · Fri 28 Apr
To Thessaly and the rocks of Meteora
Malakasi, Mourgani riparian woodland, Meteora
North over the Pindos mountains into Thessaly. We birded the riverside woodland of Mourgani on the way, then spent the afternoon below the monasteries on the great rock towers of Meteora, a landscape like nowhere else in Greece, where swifts and martins work the cliffs.
Semicollared Flycatcher · © Birding in Greece - 7
Day 7 · Sat 29 Apr
Lake Karla and Mount Mavrovouni
Lake Karla, Mount Mavrovouni
The biggest morning of the trip, with 116 species at Lake Karla, the lake restored on the plain of Thessaly after it was drained in the 1960s. Water birds, raptors and farmland birds all came together around its reedbeds and fields.
In the afternoon we went up into the hills of Mount Mavrovouni above the Pelion coast.
- 8
Day 8 · Sun 30 Apr
The Axios Delta
Axios Delta National Park, Gallikos river estuary
A day on the delta west of Thessaloniki, a maze of saltpans, rice fields, river mouths and mussel farms. The morning on the Axios and the afternoon at the Gallikos estuary gave waders, terns, herons, gulls and flamingos in large numbers.
- 9
Day 9 · Mon 1 May
The Thessaloniki hills and Lake Koroneia
Lagyna hills, Exochi hills, Lake Koroneia
The low, scrubby hills north-east of Thessaloniki in the morning, with shrikes, buntings and warblers, then Lake Koroneia in the afternoon before we drove on to Lake Kerkini.
- 10
Day 10 · Tue 2 May
Lake Kerkini
Lake Kerkini National Park, Aetovouni quarry, Mandraki harbour
Our first full day at Lake Kerkini, the famous wetland at the foot of the Belles mountains. Dalmatian and Great White Pelicans, Pygmy Cormorants, herons and egrets fill the lake in spring, and the flooded forest on its northern shore holds one of the great heronries of the Balkans.
In the afternoon we visited the Aetovouni quarry and the harbour at Mandraki.
- 11
Day 11 · Wed 3 May
Kerkini and the Lithotopos dam
Lake Kerkini National Park, Lithotopos dam
Another morning around the lake, with 87 species, and the dam at Lithotopos in the afternoon, where the Strymonas river leaves the lake.
- 12
Day 12 · Thu 4 May
Mandraki harbour and Mount Belles
Mandraki harbour, Mount Belles
The morning on the lake shore at Mandraki and the afternoon in the forests of Mount Belles, along the border with North Macedonia, looking for forest birds and woodpeckers.
- 13
Day 13 · Fri 5 May
Vyroneia and Mount Lailias
Vyroneia railway tracks, Mount Lailias
An early walk along the old railway tracks at Vyroneia, then up into the beech and pine forests of Mount Lailias above Serres for the woodland birds of the north.
Rock Partridge · © Birding in Greece - 14
Day 14 · Sat 6 May
South to Mount Parnassos
Vyroneia, Fokida, Mount Parnassos: Kelaria and the Livadi plateau
A last early morning at Vyroneia and the long drive south to Mount Parnassos. On the high slopes of Kelaria and the Livadi plateau we found the mountain birds: Rock Partridge and Alpine Chough.
- 15
Day 15 · Sun 7 May
Lake Dystos and back to Athens
Lake Dystos (Evia), Agia Marina to Nea Styra ferry, Athens
A morning at Lake Dystos on the island of Evia, a marshy lake in the hills, and then the ferry back to the mainland and Athens for our last evening.
Demoiselle Crane · © Birding in Greece - 16
Day 16 · Mon 8 May
Departure
Transfer to Athens airport and flights home.
Species list
216 species
- Greylag Goose Anser anser
- Mute Swan Cygnus olor
- Common Shelduck Tadorna tadorna
- Garganey Spatula querquedula
- Northern Shoveler Spatula clypeata
- Gadwall Mareca strepera
- Eurasian Wigeon Mareca penelope
- Mallard Anas platyrhynchos
- Common Pochard Aythya ferina
- Ferruginous Duck Aythya nyroca
- Common Quail Coturnix coturnix
- Chukar Partridge Alectoris chukar
- Rock Partridge Alectoris graeca
- Rock Dove Columba livia
- Common Wood Pigeon Columba palumbus
- European Turtle Dove Streptopelia turtur
- Eurasian Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto
- Great Spotted Cuckoo Clamator glandarius
- Common Cuckoo Cuculus canorus
- Alpine Swift Tachymarptis melba
- Common Swift Apus apus
- Pallid Swift Apus pallidus
- Water Rail Rallus aquaticus
- Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus
- Eurasian Coot Fulica atra
- Demoiselle Crane Grus virgo
- Eurasian Stone-curlew Burhinus oedicnemus
- Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus
- Pied Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta
- Eurasian Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus
- Grey Plover Pluvialis squatarola
- Common Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula
- Little Ringed Plover Thinornis dubius
- Spur-winged Lapwing Vanellus spinosus
- Kentish Plover Anarhynchus alexandrinus
- Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata
- Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa
- Common Snipe Gallinago gallinago
- Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos
- Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola
- Common Redshank Tringa totanus
- Spotted Redshank Tringa erythropus
- Common Greenshank Tringa nebularia
- Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres
- Ruff Calidris pugnax
- Curlew Sandpiper Calidris ferruginea
- Temminck's Stint Calidris temminckii
- Dunlin Calidris alpina
- Little Stint Calidris minuta
- Collared Pratincole Glareola pratincola
- Little Gull Hydrocoloeus minutus
- Slender-billed Gull Chroicocephalus genei
- Black-headed Gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus
- Mediterranean Gull Ichthyaetus melanocephalus
- Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis
- Little Tern Sternula albifrons
- Common Gull-billed Tern Gelochelidon nilotica
- Caspian Tern Hydroprogne caspia
- Whiskered Tern Chlidonias hybrida
- Black Tern Chlidonias niger
- White-winged Tern Chlidonias leucopterus
- Common Tern Sterna hirundo
- Sandwich Tern Thalasseus sandvicensis
- Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus roseus
- Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis
- Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus
- Black-necked Grebe Podiceps nigricollis
- Yelkouan Shearwater Puffinus yelkouan
- Black Stork Ciconia nigra
- White Stork Ciconia ciconia
- Pygmy Cormorant Microcarbo pygmaeus
- Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo
- European Shag Gulosus aristotelis
- Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus
- Eurasian Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia
- Common Little Bittern Botaurus minutus
- Black-crowned Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax
- Little Egret Egretta garzetta
- Squacco Heron Ardeola ralloides
- Western Cattle Egret Ardea ibis
- Western Great Egret Ardea alba
- Grey Heron Ardea cinerea
- Purple Heron Ardea purpurea
- Great White Pelican Pelecanus onocrotalus
- Dalmatian Pelican Pelecanus crispus
- Western Osprey Pandion haliaetus
- European Honey Buzzard Pernis apivorus
- Short-toed Snake Eagle Circaetus gallicus
- Lesser Spotted Eagle Clanga pomarina
- Booted Eagle Hieraaetus pennatus
- Golden Eagle Aquila chrysaetos
- Levant Sparrowhawk Tachyspiza brevipes
- Eurasian Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus
- Western Marsh Harrier Circus aeruginosus
- Pallid Harrier Circus macrourus
- Black Kite Milvus migrans
- White-tailed Eagle Haliaeetus albicilla
- Common Buzzard Buteo buteo
- Long-legged Buzzard Buteo rufinus
- Little Owl Athene noctua
- Tawny Owl Strix aluco
- Eurasian Hoopoe Upupa epops
- European Bee-eater Merops apiaster
- Common Kingfisher Alcedo atthis
- European Roller Coracias garrulus
- Middle Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocoptes medius
- White-backed Woodpecker Dendrocopos leucotos
- Great Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos major
- Syrian Woodpecker Dendrocopos syriacus
- Lesser Spotted Woodpecker Dryobates minor
- Grey-headed Woodpecker Picus canus
- European Green Woodpecker Picus viridis
- Black Woodpecker Dryocopus martius
- Lesser Kestrel Falco naumanni
- Common Kestrel Falco tinnunculus
- Red-footed Falcon Falco vespertinus
- Eleonora's Falcon Falco eleonorae
- Eurasian Hobby Falco subbuteo
- Lanner Falcon Falco biarmicus
- Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus
- Rose-ringed Parakeet Psittacula krameri
- Monk Parakeet Myiopsitta monachus
- Eurasian Golden Oriole Oriolus oriolus
- Red-backed Shrike Lanius collurio
- Lesser Grey Shrike Lanius minor
- Masked Shrike Lanius nubicus
- Woodchat Shrike Lanius senator
- Eurasian Jay Garrulus glandarius
- Eurasian Magpie Pica pica
- Alpine Chough Pyrrhocorax graculus
- Western Jackdaw Coloeus monedula
- Rook Corvus frugilegus
- Hooded Crow Corvus cornix
- Northern Raven Corvus corax
- Coal Tit Periparus ater
- Sombre Tit Poecile lugubris
- Marsh Tit Poecile palustris
- Willow Tit Poecile montanus
- Eurasian Blue Tit Cyanistes caeruleus
- Great Tit Parus major
- Eurasian Penduline Tit Remiz pendulinus
- Woodlark Lullula arborea
- Eurasian Skylark Alauda arvensis
- Crested Lark Galerida cristata
- Greater Short-toed Lark Calandrella brachydactyla
- Calandra Lark Melanocorypha calandra
- Zitting Cisticola Cisticola juncidis
- Eastern Olivaceous Warbler Iduna pallida
- Icterine Warbler Hippolais icterina
- Sedge Warbler Acrocephalus schoenobaenus
- Common Reed Warbler Acrocephalus scirpaceus
- Great Reed Warbler Acrocephalus arundinaceus
- Sand Martin Riparia riparia
- Eurasian Crag Martin Ptyonoprogne rupestris
- Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica
- Western House Martin Delichon urbicum
- European Red-rumped Swallow Cecropis rufula
- Wood Warbler Phylloscopus sibilatrix
- Eastern Bonelli's Warbler Phylloscopus orientalis
- Common Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita
- Cetti's Warbler Cettia cetti
- Long-tailed Tit Aegithalos caudatus
- Eurasian Blackcap Sylvia atricapilla
- Garden Warbler Sylvia borin
- Lesser Whitethroat Curruca curruca
- Eastern Orphean Warbler Curruca crassirostris
- Rüppell's Warbler Curruca ruppeli
- Sardinian Warbler Curruca melanocephala
- Eastern Subalpine Warbler Curruca cantillans
- Common Whitethroat Curruca communis
- Common Firecrest Regulus ignicapilla
- Western Rock Nuthatch Sitta neumayer
- Eurasian Nuthatch Sitta europaea
- Eurasian Treecreeper Certhia familiaris
- Short-toed Treecreeper Certhia brachydactyla
- Eurasian Wren Troglodytes troglodytes
- Common Starling Sturnus vulgaris
- Mistle Thrush Turdus viscivorus
- Song Thrush Turdus philomelos
- Common Blackbird Turdus merula
- Spotted Flycatcher Muscicapa striata
- European Robin Erithacus rubecula
- Common Nightingale Luscinia megarhynchos
- Semicollared Flycatcher Ficedula semitorquata
- European Pied Flycatcher Ficedula hypoleuca
- Collared Flycatcher Ficedula albicollis
- Common Redstart Phoenicurus phoenicurus
- Black Redstart Phoenicurus ochruros
- Common Rock Thrush Monticola saxatilis
- Blue Rock Thrush Monticola solitarius
- Whinchat Saxicola rubetra
- European Stonechat Saxicola rubicola
- Northern Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe
- Eastern Black-eared Wheatear Oenanthe melanoleuca
- House Sparrow Passer domesticus
- Spanish Sparrow Passer hispaniolensis
- Eurasian Tree Sparrow Passer montanus
- Rock Sparrow Petronia petronia
- Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea
- Western Yellow Wagtail Motacilla flava
- White Wagtail Motacilla alba
- Tawny Pipit Anthus campestris
- Tree Pipit Anthus trivialis
- Red-throated Pipit Anthus cervinus
- Common Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs
- Hawfinch Coccothraustes coccothraustes
- European Greenfinch Chloris chloris
- Common Linnet Linaria cannabina
- European Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis
- European Serin Serinus serinus
- Black-headed Bunting Emberiza melanocephala
- Corn Bunting Emberiza calandra
- Rock Bunting Emberiza cia
- Cirl Bunting Emberiza cirlus
- Yellowhammer Emberiza citrinella
- Cretzschmar's Bunting Emberiza caesia
English and scientific names follow the IOC World Bird List.
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