Birds, Breeding, Greece and Species

Birding Lake Kerkini, Greece: Three Lazy Days

10,000 Birds

JULY 13, 2023

Lake Kerkini National Park in the north of Greece is the very best birding area in the Balkan Peninsula and definitely among the top ten hotspots of Europe. Some 320 species have been recorded here, and in springtime it is possible to observe more than 150 bird species in a week.

Greece

Greece Pelicans Birds Stray Dog

Kerkini: Europe’s Best Bird Lake?

10,000 Birds

JUNE 6, 2024

Though the birding around Lake Kerkini may be outstanding, it’s inevitably the lake itself that is the centre of interest. The Greylags are interesting, as they are of the eastern race, rubrirostris , with distinctive pink legs and beaks, unlike the orange of our birds at home in Britain.

Pelicans

Pelicans Greece Fish Birds

Birding and Wildlife photography at Limneo Lodge, Kerkini Lake, Greece

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 21, 2021

10,000 Birds is running a series of articles by and about tour guides, tour companies, eco-lodges, and other birding travel organizations. We want to help the birding tourism industry come back strong from the COVID pandemic. 140 birds). My name is Nikos Gallios. My name is Nikos Gallios.

Greece

Greece Wildlife Boars Otters

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Birding Porto Lagos Lagoons, Greece, or the snake-cold Vergina lager

10,000 Birds

JULY 27, 2023

All around Porto Lagos (220 km / 140 mi east of Thessaloniki) lies the largest national park of Greece, Nestos Delta and the Vistonida-Ismarida lakes and lagoons complex, founded in 2008. The area is one of the most important in Greece for birds, comprising more than 270 species.

Greece

Greece Pelicans Birds Otters

The Magic of Kerkini in May

10,000 Birds

MAY 31, 2024

The days are longer and warmer, flowers fill the meadows, and the birds are back. True, most of our migrant breeding birds start to return in April, but in May even the late arrivals – Turtle Doves, Swifts, Spotted Flycatchers and Nightjars – finally appear. There was a notable passage of waders, too, the same day.

Greece

Greece Turtles Breeding Europe

Cyprus Delights – Part III

10,000 Birds

MAY 10, 2024

There are 154 species of cuckoos in the world, and they’re all a fascinating bunch. However, my current favourite member of the family Cucilidae is the Great Spotted Cuckoo (GSC), a common bird in Cyprus in spring. I wonder whether birds that breed in Europe ever meet up with those nest in southern Africa?

Cyprus

Cyprus Africa Europe Asia

Prespa Lakes National Park, Greece: the largest Dalmatian Pelican colony in the world

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 1, 2015

The other day I was exploring a new area for the first time, birding the national park that I’ve watched only in BBC documentaries, the place famous for the largest Dalmatian Pelican colony in the world – more than 1300 pairs! Checking the birds on the stork’s nest, I found both House and Spanish Sparrows. Have you heard of it?

Greece

Greece Pelicans Geese Breeding

Kerkini in Winter

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 24, 2023

Back in July, my fellow 10,000 Birds contributor Dragan wrote a delightful piece about birding Lake Kerkini in spring. I first visited Kerkini and this bird-rich region of northern Greece 15 years ago, and have been returning regularly ever since. My photograph below is of a captive bird).

Greece

Greece Pelicans Geese Buffalo

Planning and executing birding plans in the times of corona-virus

10,000 Birds

MAY 7, 2020

Like many of you, I had plans for this year’s spring migration: to bird the very best tour of the Balkans, heading for northeastern Greece. First, 800 km of driving from Belgrade through Bulgaria to very NE corner of Greece and the Dadia Forest National Park with its 36 species of diurnal raptors, out of Europe’s 38.

Greece

Greece Bulgaria Birds Serbia

What is killing birds at Karla Lake (Greece)?

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 17, 2017

There should be thousands of birds at this time of the year, Dimitris Michalakis from the Karla Lake management authority told me. In early August this year, I saw 77 species here (69 on the lake, plus 8 more in the surrounding areas) but barely more than a thousand individuals. Lesser Kestrel. I am trying to count them all!

Greece

Greece Killing Pelicans Eagles

The return of the Old Man

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 23, 2024

There’s something wonderfully primeval about the Northern Bald Ibis: it has the look of a bird that really ought to be extinct. The fact that it’s not is quite surprising, as this curious bird has come very close to the brink. Sadly, they no longer breed in Algeria, while in Turkey no free-flying birds remain. (In

Morocco

Morocco Austria Algeria Germany

Greece: Pelicans galore at Lake Kerkini

10,000 Birds

MAY 15, 2014

Our bird guide, Georgos Spiridakis, is driving slowly along this dirt track, checking the mud all the time. It is an early April morning and we are in the hills surrounding Lake Kerkini in the north of Greece. Off we sail to another breeding colony – that of threatened Dalmatian Pelicans.

Greece

Greece Pelicans Breeding Buffalo

Birding without a phone

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 3, 2020

If you are old enough, you will remember birding without a phone? Later I carried it because of a stash of bird songs I compiled in it. And now I carry it for the same reason, only now they are a part of the bird ID app. Anyway, I don’t even have an app for the European birds at the moment, but for the Birds of Southern Africa.

Serbia

Serbia Birds Ducks Cyprus

The Greek Strategy

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 29, 2016

Have you read my blogs on birding Greece ? Presuming that you live somewhere in Europe and plan a car trip to Greece, let me suggest a couple of routes that will increase your tour list. But, however successful it proved to be at the moment, waiting for accidental appearance is not the best birding tactic.

Greece

Greece Albania Macedonia Europe

Birding the Cyclades: My my, how can I resist you?

10,000 Birds

MAY 1, 2014

We are in the village of Finikas on the island of Syros in the Cyclades archipelago of Greece. We sail into the relative calm of a cliff, the mast takes an upright position, navigation becomes calm and quiet… quiet enough for our bird guide, Andrea Bonetti to pick up a voice of a Western Rock Nuthatch coming from the rock face.

Greece

Greece Malta Croatia Birds

The top-5 birds of 2018

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 3, 2019

What qualifies a bird to be included in the top-5? eBird doesn’t offer such an option, so I used the second best: the species was observed in one month only. This version extended the list a bit and it turned out that almost every fourth bird was an one-monther. The post The top-5 birds of 2018 appeared first on 10,000 Birds.

2018

2018 Serbia Falcons Greece

BIRDING ACHERON: Hell is closed for renovation

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 19, 2013

And here I am now, avoiding the two barking dogs trying to bite my tires while I am driving through pre-dawn darkness towards the delta of the river Styx, or Acheron, as it is known today at the Ionian Sea coast of Greece. This is possibly the only European wetland I’ve birded where Common Moorhens outnumber Eurasian Coots.

Greece

Greece Serbia Hunters Cows

The Beach Falcon

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 5, 2013

An afternoon is already growing old while I am driving downhill to the Livadi marsh at the island of Kefallonia, Greece. I am watching from the main coastal road and do not see much – several Little Egrets and Grey Herons , one Common Kingfisher … is he going to be my best bird here? Trips falcons Greece' Of course you do!

Falcons

Falcons Greece Madagascar Game

15 expat-friendly countries for a birder to move to

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 20, 2015

And where all those birds are? This map shows the distribution of the World’s bird species, based on overlying the breeding and wintering ranges of all known species. And it raises a question: if all the birds are having a party over there, am I in the wrong spot? I am talking 600 or 700+ bird species.

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka Botswana Africa Serbia

Definitively the Egyptians!

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 3, 2013

In short, the accepted view used to be that a small breeding population of Egyptian Vultures inhabited Southern Africa, but has vanished facing the spread of towns, roads and farms. It was not the first note I have published, but was the only one about a bird I have never laid my eyes upon!

Sudan

Sudan Macedonia Serbia Botswana

Saving the Drowning Cormorant, or the Kerkini Lake, Greece

10,000 Birds

JUNE 20, 2019

I was driving along the legendary eastern levee of the Kerkini Lake in northern Greece ( Google Map ) and, listening to the first Golden Oriole flute, was slowly getting closer to a wooded Mt. The first birds to spot from the boat were Common Terns furiously defending their newly built nests on floating logs. mi) above the lake.

Greece

Greece Pelicans Buffalo Fish

The true “Mediterranean” Gull

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 7, 2016

Of course this is self-evident as you can never have enough gulls on a bird blog, but this blog here is in an especially dire need of more gull posts for the simple reason that I have a few nice pictures of gulls that would make for a few nice posts. It has come to my attention that this blog needs more gulls.

Europe

Europe Spain Italy Ireland

Birding Greece: Black and white world

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 17, 2015

One simply has to love Greece. The bird is gone into the pines, about to land in some tree crown. Birding is either black or white – there are no gray tones. Then, I go birding. Above that steep section, a bird hanging in the air on a strong wind… Should I stop the car? Such a fascinating species.

Greece

Greece Falcons Madagascar Birds

Could have done better? Confessions of a year-lister.

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 29, 2023

My British total was a mere 172 species – not bad, but not very good. However, I have to put it in perspective by explaining that during the year I hardly ventured out of East Anglia, and almost every bird was seen in Suffolk or Norfolk – I live on the county boundary. My 100th species was a Spoonbill.

Estonia

Estonia Portugal Greece Barn Owls

The World’s Most Beautiful Goose?

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 26, 2024

A first-winter Red-breasted Goose at Cley, North Norfolk As a general rule, geese are birds of subtle, even dull, plumage. With its deep chestnut-red breast, exquisite head pattern and black and white body it’s an exceedingly handsome bird, and one that never fails to attract admirers when one turns up in Britain.

Bulgaria

Bulgaria Geese Romania Estonia

My Year so Far – Modest but Satisfactory

10,000 Birds

APRIL 5, 2024

With the first three months of the year now gone, it’s time for a review of my birding efforts so far this year. The next couple of months will of course see a boost to my British list, as summer migrants flood into England, while forthcoming trips to Cyprus, Greece and northern Spain will also turbocharge the European list.

Spain

Spain Eagles North America Ducks

We are Just Money Grubbers

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 22, 2016

Out of just under 200 bird species I observed this year in SE Europe, there are 6 threatened species. Some of them were always uncommon in the region, others are highly localised, some are hard to notice among thousands of similar birds, but others were abundant recently and one of them still is, despite the decrease in numbers.

Serbia

Serbia Greece Montenegro Bulgaria

Highs and Lows from the Champions of the Flyway Bird Race in Eilat, Israel

10,000 Birds

APRIL 2, 2016

For those who happen to be faithful followers of posts about birding in Costa Rica, no, you haven’t accidentally browsed to the wrong place. Today, I am writing about another very birdy place and an event that I was very fortunate to have experienced, the Champions of the Flyway Bird Race in Eilat, Israel. Nope, not one bit.

Costa Rica

Costa Rica Eagles Birds

Bradt travel guide to Sri Lanka by Philip Briggs – review

10,000 Birds

JUNE 30, 2022

In addition, it has over 450 bird species and more than 30 in-country endemics, of which it is possible to see every single species! Where to look for the birds? Birding agencies seem to stick to their announced plans and no news of cancelled tours had reached the bird tourism market.

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka Ghana Uganda Eagles

Animal Rights Zone

Birding Lake Kerkini, Greece: Three Lazy Days

Kerkini: Europe’s Best Bird Lake?

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Birding and Wildlife photography at Limneo Lodge, Kerkini Lake, Greece

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Birding Porto Lagos Lagoons, Greece, or the snake-cold Vergina lager

The Magic of Kerkini in May

Cyprus Delights – Part III

Prespa Lakes National Park, Greece: the largest Dalmatian Pelican colony in the world

Kerkini in Winter

Planning and executing birding plans in the times of corona-virus

What is killing birds at Karla Lake (Greece)?

The return of the Old Man

Greece: Pelicans galore at Lake Kerkini

Birding without a phone

The Greek Strategy

Birding the Cyclades: My my, how can I resist you?

The top-5 birds of 2018

BIRDING ACHERON: Hell is closed for renovation

The Beach Falcon

15 expat-friendly countries for a birder to move to

Definitively the Egyptians!

Saving the Drowning Cormorant, or the Kerkini Lake, Greece

The true “Mediterranean” Gull

Birding Greece: Black and white world

Could have done better? Confessions of a year-lister.

The World’s Most Beautiful Goose?

My Year so Far – Modest but Satisfactory

We are Just Money Grubbers

Highs and Lows from the Champions of the Flyway Bird Race in Eilat, Israel

Bradt travel guide to Sri Lanka by Philip Briggs – review

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