birdmeister
Well-known member
Hello all,
I took a trip to Greece a few weeks ago. Birding was not the main focus during the trip, but I birded wherever I could, often while in the rental van. I had been to Greece twice before, but both times I had little in the way of a field guide or much knowledge of European birds.
I will not include a daily summary, but I will include my list of birds seen or heard (will be specified), as well as some poor pictures. A few species were added at the Copenhagen airport during a layover. All pictures were taken with a small Canon PowerShot Elph through my 10 X 40 Zeiss binoculars.
NOTE: Species with a (?) are unconfirmed. Heard only species will be specified. Life birds will be in bold type.
Mallard: 2 (likely domestics)
Cory's (Scopoli's?) Shearwater: 20+
Yelkouan Shearwater: 40+?
Great Cormorant: 1
(?) European Shag: 1
Squacco Heron: 1 washed up dead on the beach!
Little Egret: 4-5
(?) Grey Heron: 1
Eurasian Sparrowhawk: 1 (+?)
Common Buzzard: 5-10, maybe more
(?) Long-legged Buzzard: 1
(?) Lesser Kestrel: 3-4?
Common Kestrel: 5+?
(?) Eurasian Hobby: 2, maybe more?
Black-headed Gull: 1 confirmed, likely more
Yellow-legged Gull: hundreds
Feral Rock Pigeon: 100+?
Eurasian Collard Dove: 20+?
(?) Rose-ringed Parakeet: 2
Little Owl: 2-3
Common/Pallid Swift (I saw swifts on previous trips, not sure about species): 1000+ Notes: Very good numbers observed from hotel as they left their roosts in the morning.
Alpine Swift: 100+
European Bee-eater: at least two, maybe 4+
Hoopoe: 4-5 Notes: Nesting on Acropolis in Athens.
Crested Lark: 1-2 Highly probable, not confirmed
Barn Swallow: 15-20+?
Common House Martin: 20-25+?
Red-rumped Swallow: 5-10 (+?)
White Wagtail: 1 (2?) Notes: Surprising lifer at Copenhagen airport. Excellent views!
Blue Rock Thrush: 1, maybe more
Common Blackbird: 10+ Notes: I am putting this species down as a lifer since I don't remember seeing any on previous trips, but they were so common I might have seen them and overlooked them previously.
Subalpine Warbler: 1 Notes: I was surprised at how small it was!
Sombre Tit: 2
Great Tit: 1 (2?) Notes: I had one unconfirmed on my last trip.
Western Rock Nuthatch: 4(+?)
Woodchat Shrike: 1 (2?)
Eurasian Jay: 4+? Notes: Possible lifer, but one probable on previous trip.
Common Magpie: 15-20?
(?)Jackdaw: 2+? Notes: Distant and questionable.
Hooded Crow: 15+?
Common Raven: 3
House Sparrow: 50+?
European Greenfinch: 1 (2?)
European Goldfinch: 5+?
Cirl Bunting: 1 Notes: Heard only, possibly glimpsed briefly.
Corn Bunting: 1 (2?)
Also several unidentified passerines, raptors and others.
All images were taken by me and all were cropped to fit BirdForum's size requirements.
I took a trip to Greece a few weeks ago. Birding was not the main focus during the trip, but I birded wherever I could, often while in the rental van. I had been to Greece twice before, but both times I had little in the way of a field guide or much knowledge of European birds.
I will not include a daily summary, but I will include my list of birds seen or heard (will be specified), as well as some poor pictures. A few species were added at the Copenhagen airport during a layover. All pictures were taken with a small Canon PowerShot Elph through my 10 X 40 Zeiss binoculars.
NOTE: Species with a (?) are unconfirmed. Heard only species will be specified. Life birds will be in bold type.
Mallard: 2 (likely domestics)
Cory's (Scopoli's?) Shearwater: 20+
Yelkouan Shearwater: 40+?
Great Cormorant: 1
(?) European Shag: 1
Squacco Heron: 1 washed up dead on the beach!
Little Egret: 4-5
(?) Grey Heron: 1
Eurasian Sparrowhawk: 1 (+?)
Common Buzzard: 5-10, maybe more
(?) Long-legged Buzzard: 1
(?) Lesser Kestrel: 3-4?
Common Kestrel: 5+?
(?) Eurasian Hobby: 2, maybe more?
Black-headed Gull: 1 confirmed, likely more
Yellow-legged Gull: hundreds
Feral Rock Pigeon: 100+?
Eurasian Collard Dove: 20+?
(?) Rose-ringed Parakeet: 2
Little Owl: 2-3
Common/Pallid Swift (I saw swifts on previous trips, not sure about species): 1000+ Notes: Very good numbers observed from hotel as they left their roosts in the morning.
Alpine Swift: 100+
European Bee-eater: at least two, maybe 4+
Hoopoe: 4-5 Notes: Nesting on Acropolis in Athens.
Crested Lark: 1-2 Highly probable, not confirmed
Barn Swallow: 15-20+?
Common House Martin: 20-25+?
Red-rumped Swallow: 5-10 (+?)
White Wagtail: 1 (2?) Notes: Surprising lifer at Copenhagen airport. Excellent views!
Blue Rock Thrush: 1, maybe more
Common Blackbird: 10+ Notes: I am putting this species down as a lifer since I don't remember seeing any on previous trips, but they were so common I might have seen them and overlooked them previously.
Subalpine Warbler: 1 Notes: I was surprised at how small it was!
Sombre Tit: 2
Great Tit: 1 (2?) Notes: I had one unconfirmed on my last trip.
Western Rock Nuthatch: 4(+?)
Woodchat Shrike: 1 (2?)
Eurasian Jay: 4+? Notes: Possible lifer, but one probable on previous trip.
Common Magpie: 15-20?
(?)Jackdaw: 2+? Notes: Distant and questionable.
Hooded Crow: 15+?
Common Raven: 3
House Sparrow: 50+?
European Greenfinch: 1 (2?)
European Goldfinch: 5+?
Cirl Bunting: 1 Notes: Heard only, possibly glimpsed briefly.
Corn Bunting: 1 (2?)
Also several unidentified passerines, raptors and others.
All images were taken by me and all were cropped to fit BirdForum's size requirements.
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