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Though covered with
scaffolding, the Parthenon and the hulking mass of the
Acropolis still impresses. (Photo by guide Megan Crewe)
Early May is a wonderful time to explore the timeless landscapes of rural Greece. With a combination of gorgeous scenery, patterned tapestries of wildflowers, and an ever-changing mix of birds, the countryside offers plenty to enjoy. Add in a handful of cultural attractions -- ancient temples, 1000-year old mosaics, a world class museum or two -- and a congenial group of traveling companions, and you get a fine mix of memories. This year, we had a rather toasty time throughout, with temperatures in the mid 80s and lots of sunshine; our only significant rain coming high on Mount Parnassos, making our search for higher altitude birds a rather soggy affair! The fine, settled weather meant we had surprisingly few migrants (other than the myriad shorebirds, that is), presumably because they just kept flying. But there were lots of highlights regardless.
Great Crested Grebes performed their charming "mirror dances". Masked Shrikes gathered nesting material and hunted for tasty morsels around our picnic spot at Doriskos. Slender-billed Gulls paddled around a seaside pond, looking down their long noses. A Rueppell's Warbler flicked through a flowering bush, so close we could almost reach out and touch him. European Rollers flashed turquoise wings as they chased after flying prey. A hammer-headed Eurasian Hoopoe chanted from a tall tree. Screaming clouds of Common and Pallid swifts swirled over tight-packed rooftops. Little Bitterns skulked along the edges of dense reedbeds. A Eurasian Wren chortled from a felled tree trunk, his tail cocked over his head. Technicolor European Bee-eaters swarmed over pond edges and causeways, or sat like beads on a string along utility wires. A pair of Sardinian Warblers bounced through the grass near the entrance to the Acropolis, ferrying hurried mouthfuls to two chirping youngsters. A Black Woodpecker made several noisy passes before swooping in to land on a dead tree trunk. A male Stonechat serenaded from a tiny evergreen.
White Storks stalked roadside fields or stood tall on huge stick nests (and one even demonstrated its head-back, bill-clacking courtship display). A pair of Egyptian Vultures glided overhead, strikingly white against a blue, blue sky. A sand-colored Isabelline Wheatear flicked across a rough plowed patch. Spotted Redshanks, sporting their striking breeding plumage, huddled in a wind-whipped pond. A Blue Rock-Thrush ferried mouthfuls of food to youngsters tucked into a crevice on the Treasury of Athens building at Delphi. But of course, it wasn't just the birds that drew our attention on this tour. We spent a morning in the fantastic new Parthenon museum, with Irini to point out some of the special treasures, then wandered among buildings that dated back more than two millenia.
Thanks so much for joining me for some spring adventures in this lovely country. I hope to see all of you again, somewhere, someday!
-- Megan
For more information about this tour, including future departures, visit our website at www.fieldguides.com. And to see this same triplist online, go to http://www.fieldguides.com/triplists/gre12LIST.pdf and you will find the list in its entirety.
KEYS FOR THIS LIST
One of the following keys may be shown in brackets for
individual species as appropriate: * = heard only, I =
introduced, E = endemic, N = nesting, a = austral migrant, b =
boreal migrant
BIRDS
Anatidae (Ducks, Geese, and Waterfowl)
The touristy
village of Litochoro nestles at the base of Mount Olympus.
(Photo by guide Megan Crewe)
MUTE SWAN (Cygnus olor) –
Dozens floated on ponds and impoundments on the Evros delta,
with others around Fanari and on Lake Kerkini.
COMMON SHELDUCK
(Tadorna tadorna) – The most numerous duck of the trip, with
big groups in flight over the Evros delta, Ptelea Lagoon,
Lake Kerkini and the wetlands around Fanari. We had
particularly nice "on the ground" looks at a few pairs
dabbling along the edges of some of the impoundments on the
Evros.
MALLARD (Anas platyrhynchos) – Relatively common in wetlands along the
coast and around Lake Kerkini.
GARGANEY (Anas querquedula) – A couple of males paddled among reeds on
the Evros delta, their bold white supercilia making them
easy to spot as they appeared and disappeared behind a group
of snoozing Wood Sandpipers and Black-winged Stilts.
COMMON POCHARD
(Aythya ferina) – A couple of males floated among the
Ferruginous Ducks on Lake Mitrikou and dozens more paddled
and dove on Lake Kerkini. Normally, this species is long
gone (to points north) by the time of our tour.
FERRUGINOUS DUCK
(Aythya nyroca) – Especially nice views of a group floating
near one of the little islands in Lake Kerkini, and a
surprising 22 (a high number for a Field Guides Greece tour)
on Lake Mitrikou. The white patch near the tail end of these
otherwise dark brown ducks was visible from a surprising
distance.
Podicipedidae (Grebes)
LITTLE GREBE (Tachybaptus ruficollis) – Best seen on Lake Kerkini, where a few
dove near tiny islets on the eastern shore, among the far
more numerous Eared Grebes. We saw others from the hillside
overlooking Lake Mitrikou. GREAT CRESTED
GREBE (Podiceps cristatus)
– Especially common at Kerkini, where
scores dotted the lake, performing their courtship mirror
dances (with head plumes waggling), busily adding mouthfuls
of wet vegetation to their platform nests or (in the case of
one bird), carefully turning eggs before setting back down
to incubate them. We saw many others on Lake Mitrikou.
[N]
EARED GREBE
(Podiceps nigricollis) – There were quite a few of these handsome
grebes along one edge of Lake Kerkini, diving and preening,
with the gold breeding plumes for which they're named
catching the sunlight and glowing against their black faces
and necks.
Phoenicopteridae (Flamingos)
GREATER FLAMINGO (Phoenicopterus roseus) – A little group snoozed on the mudflats
along Lake Vistonida, looking decidedly grayish. This
species was recently split from the flamingoes in North
America, partly on the basis of that duller plumage.
Procellariidae (Shearwaters and Petrels)
LEVANTINE SHEARWATER (Puffinus yelkouan) – A small gang floated among the much
bigger Yellow-legged Gulls on the flat calm sea en-route to
Kerkini, and several strings of flying birds labored past,
working much harder than they would have had it been windy.
This was formerly considered to be the eastern subspecies of
the Mediterranean Shearwater. Ciconiidae (Storks)
Greece is home to
a staggering number of White Storks, which nest on utility
poles (and specially constructed platforms) all across the
northern part of the country. The untidy stork nests are
also home to dozens of Spanish Sparrows and House
Sparrows, which build their "condos" into the base of the
stick piles. (Photo by guide Megan Crewe)
WHITE STORK
(Ciconia ciconia) – Very common on all but the last few days,
with scores standing on massive stick nests all across
Thrace and Macedonia (including one doing a full-on,
bill-clattering display for his nearby mate), dozens
striding around fields in search of tasty morsels (including
one flock so large that it fooled some into thinking they
were seeing distant sheep) and many circling in thermals
over the Dadia forest. And if it is indeed lucky to have a
stork nesting in your yard or village, then Kerkini must
surely be on of the luckiest villages in the world, given
that there was a nest on nearly every telephone pole!
[N]
Phalacrocoracidae (Cormorants and Shags)
GREAT CORMORANT (Phalacrocorax carbo) – Very common around Lake Kerkini,
including hundreds splashing after fish in the little boat
harbor one morning, and thousands in a noisy rolling flock
later the same day. We saw others on the Evros delta, and on
their breeding island near Ptelea Lagoon. EUROPEAN SHAG
(Phalacrocorax aristotelis) – A couple of last year's youngsters
floated on the flat calm sea near Fanari, confounding us a
bit until they drifted close enough to get a proper look at.
Like the Red-throated Loon, this species typically holds its
bill angled upwards.
PYGMY CORMORANT
(Phalacrocorax pygmaeus) – Many -- both in flight and perched --
around the Evros delta, with others at Lake Mitrikou. A mob
sharing a drowned snag with a young Great Cormorant at Lake
Kerkini allowed especially good size comparisons.
Pelecanidae (Pelicans)
GREAT WHITE PELICAN (Pelecanus onocrotalus) – A massive flock over the Evros delta.
first seen as little more than will-o-the-wisp suggestions
of movement in the far-off blue of the hazy morning sky,
wheeled closer and closer in slow, vaguely synchronized
turns until they eventually passed right by over our heads,
streaming north in search of another thermal. We saw
hundreds of others at Lake Kerkini, including masses around
the harbor one morning, close enough that we could clearly
see their bare pinky-orange faces. DALMATIAN PELICAN
(Pelecanus crispus) – Small numbers of these enormous pelicans
mingled with the far more common Great White Pelicans on
Lake Kerkini. Their "fluffy" (almost curly) head feathers,
uniformly gray underwing and (in adults) bright orange
throat pouch help to distinguish them from the previous
species.
Ardeidae (Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns)
LITTLE BITTERN (Ixobrychus minutus) – A trio lurked in the reeds near our
picnic spot on Lake Mitrikou, but others proved far more
cooperative in a little island reedbed in Lake Kerkini.
GRAY HERON
(Ardea cinerea) – Scattered individuals throughout,
including one that hunted from the island in the middle of
the lake at our Tychero hotel and numerous others stalking
the fringes of Lake Kerkini.
PURPLE HERON
(Ardea purpurea) – Small numbers on the Evros delta and at
Lake Mitrikou and Lake Kerkini, including one that wrestled
for long minutes with a very squirmy eel near our picnic
spot at Lake Mitrikou.
GREAT EGRET
(Ardea alba) – Scattered birds on the Evros delta, with
another in a pond en-route to Lake Mitrikou. This species is
relatively uncommon in much of Greece.
LITTLE EGRET
(Egretta garzetta) – Regular in the region's wetlands,
including several hunting in the little stream near Lake
Mitrikou. Like the Snowy Egret, this one has yellow feet.
SQUACCO HERON
(Ardeola ralloides) – Common in wetlands throughout, including
a few -- looking very orange -- stalking prey among the
reeds near the entrance to the Evros delta, and many busily
hunting along the edges of Lake Kerkini. This species is
surprisingly white in flight.
BLACK-CROWNED
NIGHT-HERON (Nycticorax
nycticorax) – Best seen at
Lake Kerkini, where we found an intent quartet gazing into
the water from a small drowned snag along the last causeway
we drove. Some of the group spotted others flying away
through the trees near our picnic lunch spot at Lake
Mitrikou.
Threskiornithidae (Ibises and Spoonbills)
GLOSSY IBIS (Plegadis falcinellus) – A mob foraged busily at the far end of a
shallow pond on the Evros delta, and lines of others wavered
past low over the marshes there. This species was
newly-arrived from its wintering grounds in Africa. EURASIAN SPOONBILL
(Platalea leucorodia) – Small numbers on the Evros delta, at the
Porto Lagos saltpans and around Lake Kerkini, including a
few demonstrating their distinctive feeding method.
Accipitridae (Hawks, Eagles, and Kites)
EUROPEAN HONEY-BUZZARD (Pernis apivorus) – One sailed over during our picnic on the
Evros delta, shortly after we'd been chased out of our first
spot. Maybe it was a good thing we had to move, as we'd
likely have missed it otherwise! BLACK KITE
(Milvus migrans) – Small numbers wheeled gracefully over the
agricultural fields on the Evros delta, and a couple of
others perched in dead trees or scavenged scraps around the
edges of the carcass pile at the Dadia Raptor Center.
WHITE-TAILED EAGLE
(Haliaeetus albicilla) – Two immature birds soared back and forth
over our heads on the Evros delta, looking suitably massive
-- and rather ragged with molt. Saint spotted us another,
sitting high on a dead snag above its enormous stick nest,
along the fringes of Lake Mitrikou. [N]
EGYPTIAN VULTURE
(Neophron percnopterus) – A couple of adults soared over our heads
as we started our walk down to the river near Dadia, their
white plumage, black flight feathers and yellowish faces
contrasting sharply with the cloudless blue sky. We saw them
(or others) near the carcasses at the feeding station,
patiently waiting until the larger, more aggressive vultures
moved away.
EURASIAN GRIFFON
(Gyps fulvus) – Good numbers around the carcass pile at
the Dadia Raptor Center -- some tearing bits from the
recently-added dead mule, some sitting hunched in trees
around the carcasses, and a few gliding in from the distant
hillsides, looking immense.
CINEREOUS VULTURE
(Aegypius monachus) – Regular in Dadia, including several
soaring over the forest and more than a dozen -- looking
particularly huge and menacing as they lunged feet-first at
each other -- interacting around the carcasses. This is a
highly endangered species; we probably saw at least a
quarter of the Greek population.
SHORT-TOED EAGLE
(Circaetus gallicus) – One gliding along the ridges in Dadia
forest gave us increasingly better views as it worked its
way towards us. Its pale, faintly-barred undersides -- and
its habitat of regularly hover-hunting -- help to
distinguish it even at great distances. We even saw one
trailing a long snake (a regular prey item for this herps
specialist) from its talons as it disappeared beyond a hill.
EURASIAN
MARSH-HARRIER (Circus
aeruginosus) – Among the most
common of the tour's raptors, seen in good numbers on many
days. Most were youngsters or females: dark, with golden
heads and upperwing coverts. For those whose experience with
harriers is limited to the Northern Harrier, this species
seems huge!
LEVANT SPARROWHAWK
(Accipiter brevipes) – Two flapped over early on our day in the
Evros delta, their very white underwings flashing against
the blue, blue sky -- great spotting, Saint!
EURASIAN
SPARROWHAWK (Accipiter nisus)
– Single birds flap-flap-glided
overhead on several days, and an adult made a surprisingly
agile attempt to grab a Common House-Martin from the melee
of birds under the Iasmos Gorge bridge.
COMMON BUZZARD
(Buteo buteo) – Regular throughout, seen nearly every day
of the tour. As we saw, this species comes in a variety of
color morphs.
LESSER SPOTTED
EAGLE (Aquila pomarina)
– One circled over a plowed field near
Dadia, allowing us long views of its distinctive white wing
and rump patches.
Falconidae (Falcons and Caracaras)
LESSER KESTREL (Falco naumanni) – A handful hunted dragonflies over a
stream near Lake Mitrikou, with the males showing well their
pale, unmarked underwings as they coursed back and forth
overhead. One bird swooped low across a plowed field nearby,
allowing us to clearly see its unspotted back and the pale
blue patch that separates the rufous and black on its
upperwing. Lovely! EURASIAN KESTREL
(Falco tinnunculus) – Common throughout, seen on most days of
the tour, including one hunting along the edges of the
Acropolis, a pair along a sheer cliff face near Delphi, and
one that successfully grabbed a mouse on Mount Parnassos.
RED-FOOTED FALCON
(Falco vespertinus) – A few in flight high overhead on the
Evros delta were hard to pick out against the cloudless blue
sky, and a male sitting in a distant plowed field proved
only slightly less cryptic. Some of the group saw others in
flight over farm fields around Dadia.
EURASIAN HOBBY
(Falco subbuteo) – A couple of birds hunting dragonflies
over a plowed field near Dadia were initially passed off as
just another pair of Eurasian Kestrels. We spotted another,
also hunting, on the Evros delta.
PEREGRINE FALCON
(Falco peregrinus) – One sat on a dead snag along the back
edge of a lagoon on the Evros delta -- nice spotting, Jan D!
We saw another zipping past our picnic spot in Doriskos.
Rallidae (Rails, Gallinules, and Coots)
EURASIAN MOORHEN (Gallinula chloropus) – A couple of adults chugged back and forth
across a narrow bay on Lake Kerkini, their red bill shields
gleaming brilliantly in the sun. This species was recently
split from North America's Common Gallinule. EURASIAN COOT
(Fulica atra) – Small numbers swimming on the Evros
delta, Lake Mitrikou and Lake Kerkini, often ducking
underwater (with vigorous kicks) to snatch mouthfuls of
vegetation from the bottom of the lakes. Unlike the American
Coot, this species has no white on the undertail coverts.
Burhinidae (Thick-knees)
EURASIAN THICK-KNEE (Burhinus oedicnemus) – Some fine spotting by Pete netted us
close views of a pair as they stood warily on muddy bank
along the back edge of the Porto Lagos saltpans. We also saw
the same two (and perhaps one other) in flight along the
shore there, showing well their distinctively white-spotted
black wings. Charadriidae (Plovers and Lapwings)
Fields of blood
red Common Poppies stretched along roadsides all across
Greece, signs that some farmers are still using "the old
ways" rather than spraying their crops with heavy
herbicides. (Photo by guide Megan Crewe)
BLACK-BELLIED
PLOVER (Pluvialis squatarola)
– Small numbers in wetlands along the
coast, including the Evros delta, Lake Vistonida and Ptelea
Lagoon. A few were already well into their snazzy breeding
plumage.
KENTISH PLOVER
(KENTISH) (Charadrius
alexandrinus alexandrinus) –
A handful pattered along the sandy beach at Ptelea Lagoon --
nice spotting Ivan! Eventually, one of them moved to the
shore of the lake, which allowed us to study it in much
better light. This species was recently split from North
America's Snowy Plover.
COMMON RINGED
PLOVER (Charadrius hiaticula)
– A handful moved among the far more
numerous Little Stints in one of the Porto Lagos saltpans.
This species is larger and stockier than the next, and shows
bright orange on the bill and legs.
LITTLE RINGED
PLOVER (Charadrius dubius)
– One on a gravel bar in a stream in
the Dadia National Park provided a real "Where's Waldo"
puzzle as it stole among the plover-sized (and plover
colored) rocks -- particularly once it sat down with only
its head showing! "See the two white rocks?"
Haematopodidae (Oystercatchers)
EURASIAN OYSTERCATCHER (Haematopus ostralegus) – A group rested on the back side of a
lagoon on the Evros delta, their long orange beaks bright
against the background, near where we found our Spotted
Redshanks. We saw others around Lake Vistonida and at the
Porto Lagos saltpans. Recurvirostridae (Stilts and Avocets)
BLACK-WINGED STILT (Himantopus himantopus) – Our first were a pair snoozing near some
Wood Sandpipers and Garganeys on the Evros delta. We had
better looks -- at more active birds striding around on
their long pink legs -- near the former pratincole colony
along the edges of Lake Vistonida, and at Ptelea Lagoon.
PIED AVOCET
(Recurvirostra avosetta) – Best seen on the Evros delta, where one
pair demonstrated their distinctive feeding method in a
roadside lagoon. We saw others at the Porto Lagos saltpans
and Ptelea Lagoon.
Scolopacidae (Sandpipers and Allies)
A rural scene
near Lake Kerkini. (Photo by guide Megan Crewe)
SPOTTED REDSHANK
(Tringa erythropus) – Big numbers, most in their distinctively
black breeding plumage, in several lagoons on the Evros
delta. This species seems to have a penchant for wading, as
most of the birds were up to their bellies in water, even
when snoozing.
COMMON GREENSHANK
(Tringa nebularia) – Small numbers in scattered wetlands, with
our best views coming at Lake Kerkini, where a handful
foraged along the muddy edges of the water not far from our
Graylag Geese.
WOOD SANDPIPER
(Tringa glareola) – Common in several of the coastal wetlands
we visited, including dozens sleeping on mudflats on the
Evros delta and a busy group foraging along a little creek
near Lake Mitrikou.
COMMON REDSHANK
(Tringa totanus) – One stood for long minutes on a driftwood
stump in one of the lagoons on the Evros delta, allowing
everybody to study those long red legs in the scope. In
flight, this species shows a wide, wedge-shaped white
trailing edge to its wings.
BLACK-TAILED
GODWIT (Limosa limosa)
– One stood among a big flock of
Spotted Redshanks on the Evros delta, looking particularly
rusty and long-billed. This bird was late heading north --
most are gone long before the start of our tour.
RUDDY TURNSTONE
(Arenaria interpres) – Seen in mixed flocks on the Evros delta
and at the Porto Lagos saltpans, with most already wearing
their bright breeding plumage.
LITTLE STINT
(Calidris minuta) – A few foraged along the edges of Ptelea
Lagoon (not far from our cooperative Kentish Plover) but our
best views came at the Porto Lagos saltpans, where scores
pattered over the mudflats.
DUNLIN (Calidris alpina) – A single bird, easily picked out thanks
to its smaller size and black belly, mingled with a big mob
of Curlew Sandpipers at the Porto Lagos saltpans.
CURLEW SANDPIPER
(Calidris ferruginea) – Especially nice views of many, most in
snazzy brick-red breeding plumage, sprinkled across the mud
of the Porto Lagos salt pans, with others resting in various
Evros delta lagoons.
RUFF (Philomachus pugnax) – Good numbers in ponds and lagoons on the
Evros delta, with others at the Porto Lagos saltpans and
Lake Kerkini. Most appeared to be females (or perhaps
"faeder" males -- the ones that get the girls by pretending
to BE girls), though we did see at least one male sporting a
brick red ruff on the Evros delta.
Glareolidae (Pratincoles and Coursers)
COLLARED PRATINCOLE (Glareola pratincola) – Small numbers winged low over the marshes
of the Evros delta, their combination of dark underwings and
white rump patches -- and distinctive swallow-like flight --
helping us to separate them from nearby terns. A few flashed
right above us late in the day, close enough that we could
see that the underwing is actually a reddish-brown. Laridae (Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers)
SLENDER-BILLED GULL (Chroicocephalus genei) – A gang of a dozen or so floated on Ptelea
Lagoon, looking particularly long-necked as they searched
the water surface for tidbits. Their unmarked heads, long
dark red bills and sloping foreheads help to distinguish
them from the more widespread Black-headed Gulls. Great
spotting Ivan and Pete! BLACK-HEADED GULL
(Chroicocephalus ridibundus) – Quite common on the Evros delta, with
others around Lake Kerkini. Nearly all the birds we saw were
in non-breeding plumage, showing only a tiny, dark "ear
muff" instead of a chocolate brown hood.
MEDITERRANEAN GULL
(Ichthyaetus melanocephalus) – Abundant along the coast around Fanari,
where we studied many in flight. The ghostly white wings of
adult birds, which lack any black at all on the wing tips,
are distinctive -- as is that emphatic "yow" call!
YELLOW-LEGGED GULL
(Larus michahellis michahellis) – Common and widespread throughout, even
soaring along the cliff edges on Mount Parnassos -- which
(as the gull flies) is not far at all from the Gulf of
Corinth. We had particularly good studies of this big gull's
distinctive yellow legs on the Evros delta.
LITTLE TERN
(Sternula albifrons) – One flapped past on the Evros delta, its
yellow bill clearly visible as it struggled against the
wind, and we watched others hunting and courting around
Ptelea Lagoon and at the Porto Lagos salt pans.
GULL-BILLED TERN
(Gelochelidon nilotica) – A couple hunted over a drying lagoon on
the Evros delta, eventually settling to the ground for a
rest, which allowed us to get a look at them in the scope.
This species is primarily an insect-eater and its short,
dark bill is distinctively blunt.
BLACK TERN
(Chlidonias niger) – Though dozens whirled among the big mixed
tern flock at Lake Mitrikou, they proved tough for many to
pick out. The birds at Lake Kerkini, which were far closer,
were easier to find and study.
WHITE-WINGED TERN
(Chlidonias leucopterus) – Scores flashed over Lake Mitrikou, part
of a huge mixed group of terns -- and by far the easiest to
pick out. We saw a handful of others at Lake Kerkini.
WHISKERED TERN
(Chlidonias hybrida) – Common around freshwater wetlands, with
our best views coming at Lake Kerkini, where we had
leisurely scope views of several birds resting on muddy
islands near the lake edge. This is the largest of Greece's
"marsh terns".
COMMON TERN
(Sterna hirundo) – A big noisy gang of them gathered on a
muddy island on the Evros delta, the males wooing
prospective mates with presentations of silvery fish. We saw
others, even closer, in small numbers on Lake Kerkini and
around Ptelea Lagoon.
Columbidae (Pigeons and Doves)
ROCK PIGEON (Columba livia) – Daily, mostly around cities and towns,
but occasionally -- like the "wild type" plumaged birds we
saw on the cliffs outside Delphi -- in a more natural
setting. COMMON WOOD-PIGEON
(Columba palumbus) – One rocketed past us and landed in a
nearby willow at Lake Kerkini, sitting long enough for
nearly everybody to get a quick look in the scope. This is a
huge pigeon, matching the Peregrine Falcon in length and the
Eurasian Kestrel in wingspan!
EUROPEAN
TURTLE-DOVE (Streptopelia
turtur) – Small numbers of
this declining species on several days, with especially nice
views of a courting pair cooing on tree branches near the
marshy end of Lake Kerkini. We heard the throaty purr of the
male's song a few times during the tour.
EURASIAN
COLLARED-DOVE (Streptopelia
decaocto) – Daily, with
dozens flapping up in their distinctive gliding display
flights, perched on wires, chasing each other through the
streets or sounding their throaty landing calls throughout
the country. [N]
Cuculidae (Cuckoos)
COMMON CUCKOO (Cuculus canorus) – Seen or heard nearly every day of the
tour, with especially fine views of one adult lurking in the
grass beside the track on the Evros delta and of another
peering around from a leafy branch near Lake Kerkini.
Forests throughout the tour echoed with the "cuckoo clock"
song of this emblematic species. Strigidae (Owls)
LITTLE OWL (Athene
noctua) – We came oh so close
to getting great views of one as we returned from our dinner
at the Kerkini taverna. Unfortunately, it flushed from the
pole it was sitting on before we all had a chance to decant
from the bus. Apodidae (Swifts)
ALPINE SWIFT (Apus melba) –
Dozens sliced back and forth through the skies over the
Acropolis, and others zoomed around a rocky headland near
where we searched for Levantine Shearwaters. This is an
enormous swift, with a wingspan approaching two feet!
COMMON SWIFT
(Apus apus) – Widespread throughout, including hundreds
quartering the sky -- with a chorus of screaming calls --
over Litochoro.
PALLID SWIFT
(Apus pallidus) – It took some patience, but I think
everybody FINALLY got a good look at a few that were zipping
over Litochoro among the myriad Common Swifts. This one is
paler overall, with distinctively pale inner wings (or
darker wingtips, if you like) and a frosty pale face with a
darker eye patch. The pair checking out the roof next door
to our hotel were especially close.
Meropidae (Bee-eaters)
EUROPEAN BEE-EATER (Merops apiaster) – Satisfyingly common throughout much of
the tour, including a group hunting from utility wires over
a farm field near Dadia, and a swirling flock doing the same
-- occasionally even dropping to the ground to scuttle after
prey -- along the raised road at one end of Lake Mitrikou.
Anybody who maintains that European birds are all drab
little brown things has obviously never seen one of these!
Coraciidae (Rollers)
EUROPEAN ROLLER (Coracias garrulus) – Lovely views of a pair hunting from the
bare branches of a dead tree in a farm field near Dadia;
their turquoise wings elicited ohs and ahs every time the
birds flashed off across the field in pursuit of an insect!
We saw others on wires along the road on our drive to Lake
Mitrikou. Upupidae (Hoopoes)
EURASIAN HOOPOE (Upupa epops) –
Seen or heard on most days of the tour, with particularly
nice looks at a calling bird perched in a tall tree in
Litochoro (seen on our pre-breakfast amble to the stream).
Picidae (Woodpeckers)
EURASIAN WRYNECK (Jynx torquilla) – Arg! We heard them calling (and calling
and calling and calling) on Mount Parnassos, but never
really got "the view". Everybody saw one or more in flight,
and a lucky few happened to be focused on the right branch
when one popped into view, but the birds never stayed for
more than a few seconds before moving again. SYRIAN WOODPECKER
(Dendrocopos syriacus) – One flashed across the pond near our
Tychero hotel on our first afternoon's walk, landing in a
tree on the other side. Unfortunately, it didn't stay long
enough for everyone to get a look in the scope. Some saw
another near our Cetti's Warbler in the Evros delta, though
again, it departed before everyone got a look.
BLACK WOODPECKER
(Dryocopus martius) – A female on the heights of Mount
Parnassos gave us quite a show, making several flying passes
over the road (showing just how big she was) before settling
onto a dead snag for a good look around. Both sexes drum and
defend a territory.
GREEN WOODPECKER
(Picus viridis) – Our first bounded past over an open marsh
edging Lake Kerkini, its distinctively yellowish rump
showing well. But our best views came near our picnic lunch
spot on Mount Parnassos, where a male perched in several
trees around the open field we were birding in, clinging to
vertical trunks and peering around.
Laniidae (Shrikes)
RED-BACKED SHRIKE (Lanius collurio) – Seen throughout the tour, with
particularly nice studies of a pair hunting in a tiny lot
near our Delphi hotel. LESSER GRAY SHRIKE
(Lanius minor) – Our best views came at Lake Kerkini,
where a pair hunted from the top of a nearby tree; we saw
others in a field near Dadia and on the Evros delta.
MASKED SHRIKE
(Lanius nubicus) – Two pairs around the picnic grove at
Doriskos allowed long, satisfying views as they hunted
insects and gathered nesting material. In Europe, this
species gets no further north or west than Greece.
WOODCHAT SHRIKE
(Lanius senator) – Widespread and conspicuous, with dozens
seen perched on treetops and utility wires throughout the
tour.
Oriolidae (Old World Orioles)
EURASIAN GOLDEN ORIOLE (Oriolus oriolus) – For a big yellow bird, this one proved
surprisingly difficult to spot. We all eventually got great
views of one (or more), though it took more than a few
sightings to be able to say that! Corvidae (Crows, Jays, and Magpies)
EURASIAN JAY (Garrulus glandarius) – Unlike its North American cousins, this
species is quite shy and retiring. Nonetheless, we had good
studies of several, including one investigating bushes in
the quarry south of Kerkini and another along a field edge
near the Dadia Forest visitor's center. EURASIAN MAGPIE
(Pica pica) – Regular throughout, except in the driest
country around Delphi. This species was split from North
America's Black-billed Magpie, based on differences in
plumage, voice and social structure; unlike the Black-billed
Magpie, it doesn't live in big extended families.
YELLOW-BILLED
CHOUGH (Pyrrhocorax graculus)
– Ivan was the lucky one who spotted
four close birds tumbling in the updraft along the edge of
Mount Parnassos, when he peeked over the edge for one last
scan for Rock Partridge.
EURASIAN JACKDAW
(Corvus monedula) – Regular in small numbers through much of
the tour, including two pairs that had apparently made the
mouth of the Lion of Amphipolis their cozy home.
HOODED CROW
(Corvus cornix) – Daily, including several harassing a
Common Buzzard near Dadia, and one sitting atop a pine tree
near the Kerkini harbor.
COMMON RAVEN
(Corvus corax) – Small numbers on scattered days
throughout the tour, including one few hopeful birds
mooching around the edges of the carcass pile at the Dadia
Raptor Center, and a calling pair chasing each other along a
cliff face near Delphi.
Alaudidae (Larks)
A trio of
wheatears are possible on the Greece tour. This was the
most widespread species: the Black-eared Wheatear. It
comes in two color morphs; this is the pale throated form.
(Photo by guide Megan Crewe)
GREATER SHORT-TOED
LARK (Calandrella
brachydactyla) – One in the
track at Ptelea Lagoon allowed nice comparison to nearby
Crested Larks.
CRESTED LARK
(Galerida cristata) – Very common on the first half of the
tour, including a few rummaging in the track near our first
hotel (seen on our brief walk between arrival and dinner)
and numbers scurrying around farm fields near Dadia. The
sharply pointed crest of this species is distinctive, as are
its peachy-colored underwings.
SKY LARK (Alauda arvensis) – One foraged on a dry salt pan in the
Evros delta, and some of the group spied another in display
flight high overhead there. This species has a much smaller
crest than does the previous species, and its underwings are
grayish rather than peach.
WOOD LARK (Lullula arborea) – A male singing from a telephone wire near
the Dadia Forest visitor's center allowed long studies in
the scope, and we saw another well on Mount Parnassos as it
sang from atop a small tree. The white supercilia of this
lovely songster meet at the back of its head.
Hirundinidae (Swallows)
BANK SWALLOW (Riparia riparia) – Small numbers over wetland areas,
including several zooming over the bridge out to the
monastery near Fanari and others near our picnic spot on
Lake Mitrikou. EURASIAN
CRAG-MARTIN (Ptyonoprogne
rupestris) – Best seen in
Iasmos Gorge, where a handful of these dark martins coursed
back and forth over the river, close enough we could even
see the tiny square white patches in their tails. Many in
the group saw others swirling along a sheer rock face beside
the road up the flank of Mount Parnassos.
BARN SWALLOW
(Hirundo rustica) – Abundant throughout, including pairs
nesting under under the balconies of hotels near ours in
Litochoro. [N]
RED-RUMPED SWALLOW
(Cecropis daurica) – Most common on the second half of the
tour, with especially nice looks at two perched (and
preening) on an unfinished house near our Delphi hotel each
morning before breakfast.
COMMON
HOUSE-MARTIN (Delichon
urbicum) – Daily, including
chattering masses boiling out from under the new bridge
across Iasmos Gorge (pursued by an agile Eurasian
Sparrowhawk) and scores building nests under the eaves of
houses, shops and hotels across the country. The white rump
patch of this small martin is distinctive. [N]
Paridae (Chickadees and Tits)
SOMBRE TIT (Poecile
lugubris) – After searching
in vain for days, we lucked into a very cooperative bird
right near our picnic lunch spot on Mount Parnassos. This
was the least colorful of the tits we found on the tour.
MARSH TIT (Poecile palustris) – A couple of quiet birds in the beech
grove on Mount Olympus appeared to be provisioning hidden
youngsters somewhere. We got good looks at their
diagnostically tiny bibs (more like a moustache than a bib,
if we're honest) as they foraged on branches over the road.
COAL TIT (Periparus ater) – Particularly good looks at a busy adult
stuffing morsel after morsel into the gaping mouth of a
begging youngster along the road up Mount Olympus, with
others on Mount Parnassos and around our hotel in Delphi.
The white nape patch of this species quickly distinguishes
it from all other tits in Greece. [N]
CRESTED TIT
(Lophophanes cristatus) – A few with a mixed tit flock around the
monastery parking lot on Mount Olympus proved very
cooperative for those who stayed behind when some of us
climbed down to the dipper stream -- great spotting, Carol!
GREAT TIT (Parus major) –
Easily the most common of the tour's tits, seen or heard on
most days. One foraging in a street tree near our Delphi
hotel before breakfast one morning was particularly
confiding.
EURASIAN BLUE TIT
(Cyanistes caeruleus) – Two near our picnic lunch spot in the
Dadia forest ferried many mouthfuls of small invertebrates
to a hidden nestful of hungry youngsters. [N]
Remizidae (Penduline-Tits)
EURASIAN PENDULINE-TIT (Remiz pendulinus) – Best seen at Lake Kerkini, where an
industrious male gathered a huge mouthful of cattail fluff
from old stalks in one marshy corner. Some of the group saw
another before breakfast one morning, singing from a poplar
tree near our Tychero hotel. Aegithalidae (Long-tailed Tits)
LONG-TAILED TIT (Aegithalos caudatus) – We heard the high-pitched call of this
species from the forest edging the picnic grove at Doriskos,
but the birds moved quickly away before we could spot them.
[*] Sittidae (Nuthatches)
EURASIAN NUTHATCH (Sitta europaea) – One rambled through a beech tree over the
road on Mount Olympus, showing well as it investigated a
series of branches. ROCK NUTHATCH
(Sitta neumayer) – One near Apollo's Temple at Delphi gave
us a spectacularly close look as it peered around from a
rock wall (briefly interrupting our guided tour), and we saw
others gleaning among the boulders on Mount Parnassos.
Certhiidae (Treecreepers)
SHORT-TOED TREECREEPER (Certhia brachydactyla) – A loudly singing bird crawled up many
tree trunks around the building where we set up our picnic
lunch in Dadia Forest, giving most of us very fine views
indeed. We found another in a lovely beech grove on Mount
Olympus, distracting us briefly from our quest for Marsh
Tits. Troglodytidae (Wrens)
EURASIAN WREN (Troglodytes troglodytes) – One tiny songster perched atop a nearby
log pile on Mount Parnassos, seen shortly before we found
our Black Woodpecker. This species was recently split from
North America's Winter Wren, partly because of its slower
and less complex song. Regulidae (Kinglets)
FIRECREST (Regulus
ignicapilla) – One flitted
among the branches of a tall pine tree near where we found
our Eurasian Wren on Mount Parnassos, and a territorial male
flared his brilliant orange crown at us near the stream on
Mount Olympus. Cettiidae (Bush-Warblers and Allies)
CETTI'S WARBLER (Cettia cetti) – As usual, we heard far more of these loud
skulking warblers than we saw, but we had superb views of
one that sat for long minutes --long enough for everyone to
get more than one look in the scope -- in a little tamarisk
bush right beside the road through the Evros delta. Phylloscopidae (Leaf-Warblers)
WILLOW WARBLER (Phylloscopus trochilus) – A small group flicked through a grove of
trees near one end of the lake in Tychero, seen on the first
pre-breakfast outing of the tour. This species is a migrant
through Greece, heading from its African wintering grounds
to breeding sites in northern Europe. COMMON CHIFFCHAFF
(Phylloscopus collybita) – A testosterone-filled migrant sang
challenges from some street trees in Fanari (far from any
breeding territory), moving in low and close and allowing us
great views one morning before breakfast. We had another
very cooperative bird along the winding road down to the
monastery on Mount Olympus.
Acrocephalidae (Reed-Warblers and Allies)
EASTERN OLIVACEOUS WARBLER (Hippolais pallida) – One sang from high in a bramble patch in
the middle of a field near our Fanari hotel, and another did
the same along the edge of the boat harbor on Lake Kerkini.
SEDGE WARBLER
(Acrocephalus schoenobaenus) – One chortled from the reeds edging the
pond near our Tychero hotel, creeping into the open now and
again for a look around.
GREAT REED-WARBLER
(Acrocephalus arundinaceus) – These big, conspicuous songsters sang
from reed heads on the Evros delta, Lake Mitrikou and Lake
Kerkini, allowing super scope studies. The gruff song of
this species was a regular part of the tour soundtrack
around the bigger marshes.
Sylviidae (Old World Warblers)
Delphi's ruins
sprawl for hundreds of meters down the mountainside. In
the foreground is the foundation of the temple of Apollo
and Dionysius. This was where Delphi's famous oracle made
her proclamations. (Photo by guide Megan Crewe)
EASTERN ORPHEAN
WARBLER (Sylvia crassirostris)
– Our best views came on a hillside
west of Delphi, where one of these big warblers foraged in
bushes not far from where we found our Rueppell's Warbler.
We had a more frustrating encounter with another male near
Iasmos Gorge; it circled all around us, but never really
showed itself.
GREATER
WHITETHROAT (Sylvia communis)
– Single birds seen on scattered days
throughout the tour, including one singing from atop a bush
near our Tychero hotel the first pre-breakfast walk of the
tour and another singing from a dead tree (though ignored
for more than few minutes initially!) near our first
European Rollers.
RUEPPELL'S WARBLER
(Sylvia rueppelli) – Wow! The only way we could have gotten
much closer to the handsome male near Delphi is if he had
actually landed on somebody. As it was, he hunted for
insects in a sage bush mere yards away, occasionally popping
up to the top for a good look around.
SUBALPINE WARBLER
(Sylvia cantillans) – Our first were pair near Iasmos Gorge --
she gathering nest material as he accompanied her; his brick
red chest and bright white moustache ensured most of us
spotted him first. We saw others around Delphi.
SARDINIAN WARBLER
(Sylvia melanocephala) – Especially nice looks at a busy pair
bouncing around in the short grass -- where they were
exceptionally easy to see -- gathering food to give to two
newly-fledged youngsters near one of the entrance gates to
the Acropolis. We saw others near Dadia and Delphi.
Muscicapidae (Old World Flycatchers)
SPOTTED FLYCATCHER (Muscicapa striata) – Best seen right outside our Delphi hotel,
where a vocal male with an apparent chest wound (lots of
damaged, fluffed-up feathers) sang his heart out each
morning. We saw others flitting around in the top of the
same tree that our Eurasian Green Woodpecker spent some time
clinging to. EUROPEAN ROBIN
(Erithacus rubecula) – One sang its mournful song from several
perches along the road down to the monastery on Mount
Olympus, showing particularly well when it sat atop a tall
pine.
COMMON NIGHTINGALE
(Luscinia megarhynchos) – Abundant everywhere but the dry country
around Delphi, with a song that was an integral part of the
tour's soundtrack. Our best views came at Tychero, where we
found one songster belting his challenges from a tree near
our hotel.
BLACK REDSTART
(Phoenicurus ochruros) – A pair bounced around on the barren rocks
above treeline on Mount Parnassos, occasionally chasing (or
being chased by) a Northern Wheatear. This species is named
for its reddish tail (staart in Dutch), which it typically
quivers upon landing.
BLUE ROCK-THRUSH
(Monticola solitarius) – Very common around Delphi, including
several singing from rooftops and television aerials right
in town, a serenading group scattered along a cliff east of
town and a female provisioning a nest of youngsters in a
triangular crevice on the Treasury of Athens building among
the ruins. [N]
WHINCHAT (Saxicola rubetra) – Small numbers of this migrant on several
days early in the tour, including a few along the track at
the Porto Lagos saltpans and one hunting in a field near our
Fanari hotel.
STONECHAT
(EUROPEAN) (Saxicola torquatus
rubicola) – A male hunting
and singing from small conifers atop Mount Parnassos was a
treat -- particularly for those who'd missed the one we
found on a pre-breakfast walk in Delphi. Some taxonomists
split this subspecies from the one found in Africa.
NORTHERN WHEATEAR
(Oenanthe oenanthe) – Best seen on Mount Parnassos, where
gray-backed males bounced along rocky slopes. Though
Black-eared Wheatears shared the lower, warmer slopes of the
mountain with this species, only the Northern Wheatears
ventured above tree line.
BLACK-EARED
WHEATEAR (Oenanthe hispanica)
– Quite common throughout, including
many males singing from bush tops and rock piles. A
surprising number of the males were the pale-throated form.
ISABELLINE
WHEATEAR (Oenanthe isabellina)
– One danced among the dirt clods in a
recently plowed little field just outside Doriskos. After
giving us all brief scope views (as it flitted from one rock
to another higher and higher up the hill), it disappeared
over the top of the rise, never to be seen again. This
distinctively pale-winged wheatear doesn't get further west
than eastern Greece.
Turdidae (Thrushes and Allies)
EURASIAN BLACKBIRD (Turdus merula) – Especially nice views of a male singing
from a tree near the Acropolis on the first morning of the
tour, and of another male serenading from atop a pine tree
on the road down to the monastery on Mount Olympus. MISTLE THRUSH
(Turdus viscivorus) – Several of these spotty thrushes hunted
in a pasture on Mount Parnassos on each of our visits, with
the second day's views proving far more satisfying.
Sturnidae (Starlings)
EUROPEAN STARLING (Sturnus vulgaris) – Every day but one -- and we definitely
just weren't concentrating that day! Believe it or not,
starling populations are plummeting in some parts of Europe.
Motacillidae (Wagtails and Pipits)
WESTERN YELLOW WAGTAIL (BLACK-HEADED)
(Motacilla flava feldegg) – Regular in wetland areas, including a
pair marching around a grassy area on the Evros delta and
others along the little stream near Lake Mitrikou. GRAY WAGTAIL
(Motacilla cinerea) – Those who braved all those steps down to
the stream below the monastery on Mount Olympus were
rewarded with views of one of these long-tailed wagtails as
it hunted on rocks along the stream.
WHITE WAGTAIL
(WHITE-FACED) (Motacilla alba
alba) – Seen on several days,
including a pair strolling along the gravel bars in a river
near Dadia and one waggling near the bridge across Iasmos
Gorge.
TAWNY PIPIT
(Anthus campestris) – One trundled along the road edge in the
Evros delta, looking especially pale and unstreaked against
the dun-colored track. We saw others foraging among rock
piles on Mount Parnassos.
Emberizidae (Buntings, Sparrows and
Allies)
CIRL BUNTING (Emberiza cirlus) – Seen well throughout the second half of
the tour, including a male rummaging for seeds in a front
yard near our Delphi hotel and another male singing from a
tiny treetop near the European Stonechat spot on Mount
Parnassos. CRETZSCHMAR'S
BUNTING (Emberiza caesia)
– Fabulous views of one singing from a
nearby juniper on a flower-covered hillside near Delphi.
This species breeds only around the eastern Mediterranean.
BLACK-HEADED
BUNTING (Emberiza
melanocephala) – Regular
through much of the first week, with especially nice views
of the two males tussling for long minutes in a stand of
tamarisks on the Evros delta. We saw another male singing
from telephone wires near our Tychero hotel.
CORN BUNTING
(Emberiza calandra) – Almost ridiculously common on the first
half of the trip, when it was hard to believe that its
numbers are declining sharply all across Europe. There were
days when we were hard-pressed NOT to have at least one in
view at all times!
Fringillidae (Siskins, Crossbills, and
Allies)
COMMON CHAFFINCH (Fringilla coelebs) – Regular throughout, with especially nice
views of a singing male near the shuttered hotel in the
Dadia forest -- and others that kept distracting us during
our search for Eastern Orphean Warbler at Iasmos gorge. The
lovely rich song of this species was a regular part of the
tour soundtrack. EUROPEAN
GREENFINCH (Chloris chloris)
– Seen on scattered days throughout,
with especially satisfying studies of many in the big pines
just down the street from our Delphi hotel. The subspecies
in southern Europe -- aurantiiventris -- is significantly
more yellow overall than are birds from further north.
EUROPEAN GOLDFINCH
(Carduelis carduelis) – Widespread on the second half of the
tour, including a busy mob munching on weed seeds near Lake
Kerkini and others swarming over a weedy yard near our
Delphi hotel.
EURASIAN LINNET
(Carduelis cannabina) – A little party played hard to get in the
tall grass beneath a tree in Doriskos. We had better luck on
Mount Parnassos, where a pair on a track below the road
allowed us to study them in the scope before we started our
trek up the hill in search of the mythical Rock Partridge.
EUROPEAN SERIN
(Serinus serinus) – Best seen near our lunch spot on Mount
Parnassos, where one bright yellow male sang from high in a
dead tree along the edge of a pasture. Some of the group saw
another -- a streaky youngster -- outside some abandoned
half-finished buildings near our Delphi hotel.
HAWFINCH (Coccothraustes coccothraustes) – Lovely looks at a pair, looking
strikingly orange and frosty gray as they sat in a treetop
near where we searched for Barred Warbler. This wary species
can be tough to find!
Passeridae (Old World Sparrows)
HOUSE SPARROW (Passer domesticus) – Daily, particularly around human
habitation. [N] SPANISH SPARROW
(Passer hispaniolensis) – A black-chested male singing from a
hedgerow near Dadia was something of a surprise. We found
many more -- as normal -- courting and kibitzing under White
Stork nests all across northern Greece. [N]
EURASIAN TREE
SPARROW (Passer montanus)
– One bounced along the roof of a
ruined building near the entrance to the Evros delta, and
another sang from a telephone wire along the road up to our
Kerkini hotel before breakfast one morning.
MAMMALS
EUROPEAN RED
SQUIRREL (Sciurus vulgaris)
– Several scurried up trunks and along
branches in the forest on Mount Olympus, proving admirably
acrobatic as they leapt from tree to tree. This species is
larger than North America's Red Squirrel, and comes (as we
saw) in colors ranging from rust to a fairly dark brown.
RED FOX (Vulpes vulpes) – One -- looking surprisingly dark --
worked gingerly across a snow patch high on Mount Parnassos,
then picked its way through a myriad boulders and grass
clumps as it climbed to the ridge top.
BLACK-BACKED
JACKAL (Canis mesomelas)
– One made a very brief appearance
along the clifftop at the quarry south of Lithotopos,
peering at us over the edge for a few seconds before
slipping back out of sight.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
Herps we found during the trip (thanks for the IDs, Jim!)
European Pond Turtle (Emys orbicularis) - We spotted one hauled out on the side of an concrete irrigation ditch on the Evros delta.
Balkan Pond Turtle (Mauremys rivulata) - One at the concrete stream crossing near Dadia.
Spur-thighed (Greek) Tortoise (Testudo graeca) -
Hermann's Tortoise (Testudo hermanni) - One at Iasmos gorge wasn't too excited about being closely examined -- and let Jim know by peeing all over his gloves.
European Green Toad (Bufo viridis) - One under a board near Fanari, seen as we walked out to check the pratincole colony.
Balkan (Greek Marsh) Frog (Pelophylax kurtmuelleri) - One in the water trough at the Doriskos picnic area was definitely a bit the worse for wear.
Greek (Balkan) Stream Frog (Rana graeca) - One sat on a streamside rock below the monastery on Mount Olympus.
European Green Lizard (Lacerta viridis) - Pete spotted one outside the viewing blind at the Dadia Raptor Center.
Erhard's Wall Lizard (Podarcis erhardii) - These little brown lizards were quite common on Mount Olympus.
Worm Snake (Typhlops vermicularis) - One of these tiny blind snakes was squashed along the roadside near our Delphi hotel; how it got there was a mystery, since this species normally spends its life underground!
Dice Snake (Natrix tessellata) - A dead one near the water trough at Doriskos had us wondering whether it was the water or the holiday crowds that caused the "carnage" there!
Totals for the tour: 170 bird taxa and 3 mammal taxa