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Round Pond, Greece. 14 countries were birded this month by 13 beats; a record participative effort! 172 lists were shared and 1004 species were seen, both records for October, so well done beats! The country list (which also includes Principalities, Territories, Special Administrative Regions, Autonomuos States, Kingdoms, Caliphates, etc.) has reached 54. MORE
This will be the first time I find myself in Greece in winter. During the last decade, the numbers in Greece were “mostly stable”, fluctuating from 35 up to 75 birds – representing the total European Fennoscandian population. Both: “The Lesser White-fronted Goose in Greece” by Demertzi et al., Organised bird-tours are offered by Natural Greece. For additional info, the BirdLife Greece has recently published Birding in Greece. MORE
Of course, there may very well have been fowl-inspired weathervanes in ancient Greece and Rome. It’s hard to believe that a few weeks ago I was checking the weather forecast every day, eagerly anticipating any warm, southerly winds that might carry with them new arrivals during the height of spring migration in May. MORE
While crossing Gramos Mountain in northern Greece, a Dendrocopos woodpecker flew over the road and landed in a pine tree. The next morning is for the Kerkini Lake, one of the youngest national parks of Greece, protected only ten years ago, in 2006 and inhabited by 11 amphibian, 27 reptilian, 44 mammal and 312 bird species. Trips eagles Europe geese Greece Kerkini Lake woodpeckersI dipped a bird recently – possibly a lifer. MORE
While tracking brown bears in Greece some time ago, B. The story goes, after the coffee at the first homestead, he visited the neighbour’s, where he had a tsipouro (or two – in itself, a reason enough to travel to Greece). Don’t you hate it when you cannot communicate while birding overseas? Having mobility issues, I still remember birding from a van along a rather productive dirt road in Costa Rica ( Broad-billed Motmot , Lineated Woodpecker , Cocoa Woodcreeper , etc.), MORE
Our two newest contributors have shared from Mexico and China, bringing the countries birded this month (also including; Costa Rica, Greece, Serbia, USA, UK, India, UAE and New Zealand) to 10. Here comes summer. The beats have been embracing the benign weather and cruising gently into the crazy, hazy, lazy days of summer. The trend at this time of year is a downturn in shared lists and birds reported, nevertheless, 12 (is this a record?) MORE
This September I found myself on a bear tracking tour organised by Natural Greece in the prime bear habitat of the Pindos range – the southernmost bear country in Europe, heading for the 2,520 m / 8,270 ft high Gramos Mountain along the border with Albania. Draped in dense forests of black pine, beech, fir, spruce and Scot’s pine, this is one of the least populated areas of Greece, with merely 0.47 Trips bears Europe Greece Mammals mountains MORE
The year 2018 started with the rare Lesser White-fronted Goose , closely followed by Red-breasted Goose , Red-crested Pochard and Greater Flamingo , all at the incredible Lake Kerkini National Park in northern Greece: “Seeing a parked 4×4 and a national park biologist Kostas Papadopoulos scoping the flats… What is he looking at? Birds 2018 Greece SerbiaWhat qualifies a bird to be included in the top-5? My first criterion was that I observed it only once during the year 2018. MORE
The Prespa Lakes National Park in Greece is well hidden among the mountains at the triple border with Albania in the west and the FYRO Macedonia in the north. One of them has a satellite transmitter around its neck and quite a few have white collars marked with the letter “G” (for Greece?) In FYROM, take the motorway exit for Prilep, go to Bitola, cross the border to Greece at Niki, head towards Florina and take the main road afterwards (better marked and easier to find). MORE
I observed my first GS eagles in India some 8 years ago, then the first for Europe in Greece only last December , and finally I have them in my home country list. 2018 is about to end. Checking my annual list, I am where I usually am at this time of year: several species short of 200. And although half of them are within reach, I don’t really have the time to pursue them. Still, this way or another, the year is ending with some glorious species, e.g. a rare Greater Spotted Eagle. MORE
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. Yet, instead of sweeping off the target birds in Greece, I found myself under a police curfew in Belgrade. MORE
“The estuary and the delta of the River Kalamas form the most important wetland of northwest Greece”, so the “ Birding in Greece ” guidebook claims for the area where I am heading, a bit late since I overslept this morning. This species is still uncommon in the Balkans and despite the recent spread, Kalamas is the most reliable site for it in Greece (and this made my only second ever observation of them in Europe). Trips Car birding Europe Greece wetlands MORE
And here I am on vacation in Greece, turning off the alarm at 5.30 Trips Greece partridges I don’t like to wake up if it’s still dark outside – I hate it! am – too early, as it will turn out, but I had no clue when the sun rises. At the crack of dawn, I am driving along sharp curves through the olive groves. I define the “crack of dawn” as that time when it’s already (almost) light, although the sun is nowhere to be seen. MORE
The sun rises over the village of Chrysochorafa, by Kerkini Lake in the north of Greece, not far from the triple border with Bulgaria and FYRO Macedonia. Before this trip, I asked Steve Mills, the author of ‘ Birdwatching in Northern Greece ’, which sites would he recommend at this time of the year. Lake Kerkini is not just one of the best birding spots of Greece – it is most definitively among the very best in the whole of Balkans. Trips Europe Greece pelicans MORE
Since I live not very far from Greece, I have often combined my vacation there with birding. I have a handful of Greece travel guides (not that I am happy with any of them), but what I always missed was a specialised bird-finding guide. Greece is visited by millions of tourists every year (over 19.5 Yet, as far as I know, there was no birdfinder guide for Greece. Have I already mentioned that Birding in Greece is a luxurious book? MORE
Several countries, including Austria, Bolivia, Colombia, Greece, Peru, Britain and Paraguay, have already imposed or approved bans. To the Editor: Re “ Worry Under the Big Top as Mexico City Moves to Ban Circus Animals ” (news article, June 15): Mexico City joins the growing list of cities that have banned the exploitation of animals in circuses. Why is the United States lagging so far behind? MORE
The coast of the Mediterranean Sea is used mostly as a wintering ground, with just a handful of breeding colonies between Greece, northern Italy and eastern Spain (and recently through central Europe all the way to Ireland). It has come to my attention that this blog needs more gulls. MORE
We are in the village of Finikas on the island of Syros in the Cyclades archipelago of Greece. Tha dropping numbers are suspected in Greece and Croatia, and confirmed in Italy, France and Malta. I was on a new sailing birdwatch tour well organised by Natural Greece and accompanied by their bird guide Andrea Bonetti. The BirdLife Greece has recently published the Greek bird finder, available online as pdf and downloadable as an android smartphone application. MORE
I dipped it once before and only this autumn found them in Greece. They do breed in the Balkans, in Montenegro and Greece where I observed them, as well as in Bulgaria and Romania. Yet, while I observed them previously in Gujarat, I found my first Western Palearctic one this year in Greece. Out of just under 200 bird species I observed this year in SE Europe, there are 6 threatened species. MORE
Here go those moments of curiosity, in no particular order: Europe: And so, I was driving from Greece to Serbia… in central FYRO Macedonia, two birds were circling not far from the motorway… black and white… perhaps White Storks on migration? Today is the United Nations World Wildlife Day, a time to celebrate and raise awareness of the living world around us. MORE
Although I visit Greece every year, this is my first time in Athens. I am a birder in search of the feathery attractions of Greece. I was on a new birding tour well organised by Natural Greece and accompanied by their bird guide. The BirdLife Greece has recently published where to find birds in Greece guide, available online and downloadable for android smartphone owners. Trips Europe Greece warblers I love birds. I like to travel. And – I hate flying! MORE
This year’s recipient was the Hellenic Ornithological Society (HOS) in Greece. 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. MORE
I had written then that… There are rumors of a plan to capture Griffon Vultures breeding in Greece and release them here in Cyprus, to rescue the population. A few months ago I shared with the 10,000 Birds community the plight of Griffon Vultures in Cyprus , and it has only been getting worse. A census conducted on March 31 indicated that there are in fact only only 6-8 Griffon Vultures left in Cyprus. But there is cause for hope on the horizon. MORE
Greece (346 / 411 – just to give you a clue, the Greek-published checklist I have has 449 species). What are the best countries for a passionate birder to move to? And why? I discovered this map a while ago, hidden somewhere at the not so easy to navigate BirdLife International’s website, and I have used it as my computer wallpaper ever since. Usually, I interchange some birdy wallpapers several times per month, but this one has stayed for several months already. MORE
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. Driving from France or Germany to Greece, you are likely to pass through my hometown of Belgrade and continue south following the E75 through the FYRO Macedonia. By now you have crossed into Greece – what is next? Trips Balkans birdfinder Europe Greece Kerkini Lake wetlands MORE
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. These birds have already left my native Serbia, further north, and this is not just the only one I have seen in Greece, but my last bee-eater of the season. Trips Greece wetlands MORE
The Archelon rescue centre in Greece previously looking after Homer believes this is what happened to him. Fishermen in Greece deliberately blinding turtles? Tags: UK greece animal rescue turtles I'm not posting this because of the rescue (which is a good thing), but because of HOW this turtle was blinded. From the BBC. The aquarium said it hoped Homer would help raise awareness about the plight of his species. MORE
I bought my first 20 years ago from some Russian on the seashore in Greece, but have not used it much because of rather dark images (I even took it to India with me – and didn’t use it even once). And this year I carried it to Greece twice, both by plane and by car. My best bird of the weekend was a Great Black-backed Gull , a rarity in a land-locked Serbia, with less than 10 observations so far. Could it be the same individual that I observed here last winter ? MORE
Located in Thessaly province in central Greece, what is now left of the lake where the god Apollo was married and where the Argonauts built their kingdom is officially called the reservoirs of the former Lake Karla. Trips Europe Greece wetlandsThere should be thousands of birds at this time of the year, Dimitris Michalakis from the Karla Lake management authority told me. MORE
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. Asian water buffaloes were brought to Greece by Ottoman Turks centuries ago and by now, they have developed into a separate race, the Greek buffalo, which is protected as an old domestic breed. Out of some 4000 buffaloes still being kept in Greece, about 3000 are at this lake. MORE
And so, I was driving from Greece to Serbia… in central Macedonia, two birds were circling not far from the motorway… black and white (above)… perhaps White Storks on migration? Scientific papers are simply boring. That is why they have sections Abstract and Summary, to allow you to read the digested versions and skip the rest. MORE
Out of my total of 15 observations ever, this is only the third within Serbia (the rest were half in India, the other half in Greece). If you are old enough, you will remember birding without a phone? Not too long ago, it was the norm. MORE
It is an early April morning and we are in the hills surrounding Lake Kerkini in the north of Greece. I was on a new birding tour well organised by Natural Greece and accompanied by their nature guide Georgos Spiridakis, who lives on the shore of this lake and specialises in this area, as well as wider northern Greece. BirdLife Greece has recently published the Greek bird finder, available online as pdf and downloadable as an android smartphone application. MORE
More productive areas of the Balkans have January eBird lists from 105 to 115 species (but I combined several areas in two countries, Greece and Serbia), so I have every reason to be satisfied. The best birds so far were two rare geese, Lesser White-fronted and Red-breasted Goose (both my second observations ever), plus Bewick’s Swan and Red-crested Pochard – all in Greece. Birding 2018 Greece Serbia Ural Owl year listI screamed “UralOwlUralOwlUralOwl!!!”, MORE
One simply has to love Greece. I told you – one simply has to love Greece. Trips Europe falcons Greece gulls raptorsWinding between the old Olives, the road ahead of me veers into the hills of the Pelion Peninsula, near the harbour town of Volos. A movement in the corner of my eye… a buzzard. MORE
Late last month, while searching for bears , woodpeckers and spirits of Greece, I deliberately avoided checking any news, especially from my home country. Every now and then, I need to cut the world off and clear my mind. Nevertheless, only the most important news I did follow, those about the decision-making process on future sales of elephants and their ivory at a global wildlife summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, the first such meeting since 2013. MORE
A few years back, I birded northern Greece with a couple from Namibia. Noisy wing beats, heavy landing behind the stern, water splashing everywhere and then, a hit of a heavy wing on my upper arm…. It had been a while since I saw Greater Flamingoes and was thrilled to see them again. Nicolaas, who can see them back home any day commented that they are the most numerous wading birds in the world (the “most numerous” equaling “the least interesting”). MORE
In ancient Greece and China, if you were suspected to have tuberculosis, doctors would burn your spit with a stone or hot flame and interpret the fume’s odor.). Long before CAT scans, X-rays, blood samples and colonoscopies, physicians used the good sense they were born with: their sense of smell. That’s because bacterias, cancers and infections create unique smells. Sweet, fruity breath could mean diabetes. A foul-smelling wound might spell an infection. Liver disease? MORE
Here we go: Guest-authors: Deborah Jean Cohen, Eric DeFonso, James Wolstencroft, Joshua Stuart Rose, Marcel van Driel, Mike Black, Natural Greece, Paul Oliver, Rockjumper – Worldwide Birding Adventures, Sandra Paci, Susan Soloyanis, WorldBirders. Natural Greece: “Empathy is important too. My last blog has created quite a discussion among the readers, mostly from US, but also southern and eastern Africa and Europe (apologies if I forgot some region). MORE
These are the numbers acheived by 10 (we have a new contributor, Paul, from Mexico) beats during May; We visited 8 countries (Costa Rica, USA, UK, Australia, Serbia, Greece, Kuwait and Mexico) and noted 776 birds from 160 checklists. So that was May. Despite looking way older than his years, we cannot attribute Regannet’s haggard appearance to hard birding, scoring only 19 during eBird’s Big Day was not the greatest effort expended on May 4th. MORE
This time I was lucky enough to join a fam trip organised by Natural Greece, an ecotourism company from Athens, and spend a few days at my favourite Kerkini Lake, which you already birded through my bins ( April and September ). Beside Andrea Bonetti, the guide from Natural Greece, there were four more bird guides coming from some of the leading tour operators in the industry. I travelled with: Natural Greece ( www.natural-greece.gr/en MORE
An afternoon is already growing old while I am driving downhill to the Livadi marsh at the island of Kefallonia, Greece. Trips falcons Greece Behind the marsh is a quarry, in front of it the Gulf of Argostoli, a small pine wood to the right and some eucalyptus trees to the left. 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? MORE
Cover photo: birding Greece. Looking at a photo of a dozen birders on a Colombia tour, it stroke me that they were either using binoculars or cameras. Not a single one was using a scope. Okay, this was a shorter distance observation, but even in such situations I love to see birds through the scope. Probably some of them did carry a scope, but the majority clearly ditched scope for a camera (and expected their guides to provide scopes, of course). MORE
The book races through the decades, pausing in ancient Egypt for a tomb painting of three species of geese and a papyrus falcon, in ancient Greece for Lysippe’s bust of Aristotle (the first writer to systematically study birds), in the 15 th century for the Gutenberg printing press, and a brief stop in the Renaissance for Raphael’s painting of the Madonna of the Goldfinch. We love our stuff, stuff being the term affectionately given to the objects with which we populate our lives. MORE
Greece Related Topics 10,000 Birds
JANUARY 18, 2018
This will be the first time I find myself in Greece in winter. During the last decade, the numbers in Greece were “mostly stable”, fluctuating from 35 up to 75 birds – representing the total European Fennoscandian population. Both: “The Lesser White-fronted Goose in Greece” by Demertzi et al., Organised bird-tours are offered by Natural Greece. For additional info, the BirdLife Greece has recently published Birding in 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. Asian water buffaloes were brought to Greece by Ottoman Turks centuries ago and by now, they have developed into a separate race, the Greek buffalo, which is protected as an old domestic breed. Out of some 4000 buffaloes still being kept in Greece, about 3000 are at this lake.
10,000 Birds
SEPTEMBER 18, 2014
The sun rises over the village of Chrysochorafa, by Kerkini Lake in the north of Greece, not far from the triple border with Bulgaria and FYRO Macedonia. Before this trip, I asked Steve Mills, the author of ‘ Birdwatching in Northern Greece ’, which sites would he recommend at this time of the year. Lake Kerkini is not just one of the best birding spots of Greece – it is most definitively among the very best in the whole of Balkans. Trips Europe Greece pelicans
10,000 Birds
AUGUST 7, 2014
Since I live not very far from Greece, I have often combined my vacation there with birding. I have a handful of Greece travel guides (not that I am happy with any of them), but what I always missed was a specialised bird-finding guide. Greece is visited by millions of tourists every year (over 19.5 Yet, as far as I know, there was no birdfinder guide for Greece. Have I already mentioned that Birding in Greece is a luxurious book?
10,000 Birds
SEPTEMBER 17, 2015
One simply has to love Greece. I told you – one simply has to love Greece. Trips Europe falcons Greece gulls raptorsWinding between the old Olives, the road ahead of me veers into the hills of the Pelion Peninsula, near the harbour town of Volos. A movement in the corner of my eye… a buzzard.
10,000 Birds
APRIL 17, 2014
Although I visit Greece every year, this is my first time in Athens. I am a birder in search of the feathery attractions of Greece. I was on a new birding tour well organised by Natural Greece and accompanied by their bird guide. The BirdLife Greece has recently published where to find birds in Greece guide, available online and downloadable for android smartphone owners. Trips Europe Greece warblers I love birds. I like to travel. And – I hate flying!
10,000 Birds
OCTOBER 27, 2016
While crossing Gramos Mountain in northern Greece, a Dendrocopos woodpecker flew over the road and landed in a pine tree. The next morning is for the Kerkini Lake, one of the youngest national parks of Greece, protected only ten years ago, in 2006 and inhabited by 11 amphibian, 27 reptilian, 44 mammal and 312 bird species. Trips eagles Europe geese Greece Kerkini Lake woodpeckersI dipped a bird recently – possibly a lifer.
10,000 Birds
OCTOBER 15, 2015
“The estuary and the delta of the River Kalamas form the most important wetland of northwest Greece”, so the “ Birding in Greece ” guidebook claims for the area where I am heading, a bit late since I overslept this morning. This species is still uncommon in the Balkans and despite the recent spread, Kalamas is the most reliable site for it in Greece (and this made my only second ever observation of them in Europe). Trips Car birding Europe Greece wetlands
10,000 Birds
MAY 15, 2014
It is an early April morning and we are in the hills surrounding Lake Kerkini in the north of Greece. I was on a new birding tour well organised by Natural Greece and accompanied by their nature guide Georgos Spiridakis, who lives on the shore of this lake and specialises in this area, as well as wider northern Greece. BirdLife Greece has recently published the Greek bird finder, available online as pdf and downloadable as an android smartphone application.
10,000 Birds
OCTOBER 1, 2015
The Prespa Lakes National Park in Greece is well hidden among the mountains at the triple border with Albania in the west and the FYRO Macedonia in the north. One of them has a satellite transmitter around its neck and quite a few have white collars marked with the letter “G” (for Greece?) In FYROM, take the motorway exit for Prilep, go to Bitola, cross the border to Greece at Niki, head towards Florina and take the main road afterwards (better marked and easier to find).
Critter News
FEBRUARY 3, 2010
The Archelon rescue centre in Greece previously looking after Homer believes this is what happened to him. Fishermen in Greece deliberately blinding turtles? Tags: UK greece animal rescue turtles I'm not posting this because of the rescue (which is a good thing), but because of HOW this turtle was blinded. From the BBC. The aquarium said it hoped Homer would help raise awareness about the plight of his species.
10,000 Birds
OCTOBER 13, 2016
This September I found myself on a bear tracking tour organised by Natural Greece in the prime bear habitat of the Pindos range – the southernmost bear country in Europe, heading for the 2,520 m / 8,270 ft high Gramos Mountain along the border with Albania. Draped in dense forests of black pine, beech, fir, spruce and Scot’s pine, this is one of the least populated areas of Greece, with merely 0.47 Trips bears Europe Greece Mammals mountains
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. Driving from France or Germany to Greece, you are likely to pass through my hometown of Belgrade and continue south following the E75 through the FYRO Macedonia. By now you have crossed into Greece – what is next? Trips Balkans birdfinder Europe Greece Kerkini Lake wetlands
10,000 Birds
FEBRUARY 1, 2018
More productive areas of the Balkans have January eBird lists from 105 to 115 species (but I combined several areas in two countries, Greece and Serbia), so I have every reason to be satisfied. The best birds so far were two rare geese, Lesser White-fronted and Red-breasted Goose (both my second observations ever), plus Bewick’s Swan and Red-crested Pochard – all in Greece. Birding 2018 Greece Serbia Ural Owl year listI screamed “UralOwlUralOwlUralOwl!!!”,
10,000 Birds
APRIL 30, 2015
This time I was lucky enough to join a fam trip organised by Natural Greece, an ecotourism company from Athens, and spend a few days at my favourite Kerkini Lake, which you already birded through my bins ( April and September ). Beside Andrea Bonetti, the guide from Natural Greece, there were four more bird guides coming from some of the leading tour operators in the industry. I travelled with: Natural Greece ( www.natural-greece.gr/en
10,000 Birds
JANUARY 3, 2019
The year 2018 started with the rare Lesser White-fronted Goose , closely followed by Red-breasted Goose , Red-crested Pochard and Greater Flamingo , all at the incredible Lake Kerkini National Park in northern Greece: “Seeing a parked 4×4 and a national park biologist Kostas Papadopoulos scoping the flats… What is he looking at? Birds 2018 Greece SerbiaWhat qualifies a bird to be included in the top-5? My first criterion was that I observed it only once during the year 2018.
10,000 Birds
MAY 1, 2014
We are in the village of Finikas on the island of Syros in the Cyclades archipelago of Greece. Tha dropping numbers are suspected in Greece and Croatia, and confirmed in Italy, France and Malta. I was on a new sailing birdwatch tour well organised by Natural Greece and accompanied by their bird guide Andrea Bonetti. The BirdLife Greece has recently published the Greek bird finder, available online as pdf and downloadable as an android smartphone application.
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. Trips falcons Greece Behind the marsh is a quarry, in front of it the Gulf of Argostoli, a small pine wood to the right and some eucalyptus trees to the left. 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?
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. These birds have already left my native Serbia, further north, and this is not just the only one I have seen in Greece, but my last bee-eater of the season. Trips Greece wetlands
10,000 Birds
AUGUST 22, 2013
And here I am on vacation in Greece, turning off the alarm at 5.30 Trips Greece partridges I don’t like to wake up if it’s still dark outside – I hate it! am – too early, as it will turn out, but I had no clue when the sun rises. At the crack of dawn, I am driving along sharp curves through the olive groves. I define the “crack of dawn” as that time when it’s already (almost) light, although the sun is nowhere to be seen.
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. Yet, instead of sweeping off the target birds in Greece, I found myself under a police curfew in Belgrade.
4 The Love Of Animals
APRIL 25, 2010
In ancient Greece and China, if you were suspected to have tuberculosis, doctors would burn your spit with a stone or hot flame and interpret the fume’s odor.). Long before CAT scans, X-rays, blood samples and colonoscopies, physicians used the good sense they were born with: their sense of smell. That’s because bacterias, cancers and infections create unique smells. Sweet, fruity breath could mean diabetes. A foul-smelling wound might spell an infection. Liver disease?
10,000 Birds
DECEMBER 3, 2020
Out of my total of 15 observations ever, this is only the third within Serbia (the rest were half in India, the other half in Greece). If you are old enough, you will remember birding without a phone? Not too long ago, it was the norm.
Animal Ethics
JUNE 18, 2014
Several countries, including Austria, Bolivia, Colombia, Greece, Peru, Britain and Paraguay, have already imposed or approved bans. To the Editor: Re “ Worry Under the Big Top as Mexico City Moves to Ban Circus Animals ” (news article, June 15): Mexico City joins the growing list of cities that have banned the exploitation of animals in circuses. Why is the United States lagging so far behind?
10,000 Birds
SEPTEMBER 12, 2019
While tracking brown bears in Greece some time ago, B. The story goes, after the coffee at the first homestead, he visited the neighbour’s, where he had a tsipouro (or two – in itself, a reason enough to travel to Greece). Don’t you hate it when you cannot communicate while birding overseas? Having mobility issues, I still remember birding from a van along a rather productive dirt road in Costa Rica ( Broad-billed Motmot , Lineated Woodpecker , Cocoa Woodcreeper , etc.),
10,000 Birds
DECEMBER 22, 2016
I dipped it once before and only this autumn found them in Greece. They do breed in the Balkans, in Montenegro and Greece where I observed them, as well as in Bulgaria and Romania. Yet, while I observed them previously in Gujarat, I found my first Western Palearctic one this year in Greece. Out of just under 200 bird species I observed this year in SE Europe, there are 6 threatened species.
10,000 Birds
AUGUST 1, 2019
Cover photo: birding Greece. Looking at a photo of a dozen birders on a Colombia tour, it stroke me that they were either using binoculars or cameras. Not a single one was using a scope. Okay, this was a shorter distance observation, but even in such situations I love to see birds through the scope. Probably some of them did carry a scope, but the majority clearly ditched scope for a camera (and expected their guides to provide scopes, of course).
10,000 Birds
MAY 27, 2011
I had written then that… There are rumors of a plan to capture Griffon Vultures breeding in Greece and release them here in Cyprus, to rescue the population. A few months ago I shared with the 10,000 Birds community the plight of Griffon Vultures in Cyprus , and it has only been getting worse. A census conducted on March 31 indicated that there are in fact only only 6-8 Griffon Vultures left in Cyprus. But there is cause for hope on the horizon.
10,000 Birds
DECEMBER 20, 2018
I observed my first GS eagles in India some 8 years ago, then the first for Europe in Greece only last December , and finally I have them in my home country list. 2018 is about to end. Checking my annual list, I am where I usually am at this time of year: several species short of 200. And although half of them are within reach, I don’t really have the time to pursue them. Still, this way or another, the year is ending with some glorious species, e.g. a rare Greater Spotted Eagle.
10,000 Birds
JULY 3, 2020
Of course, there may very well have been fowl-inspired weathervanes in ancient Greece and Rome. It’s hard to believe that a few weeks ago I was checking the weather forecast every day, eagerly anticipating any warm, southerly winds that might carry with them new arrivals during the height of spring migration in May.
10,000 Birds
AUGUST 20, 2015
Greece (346 / 411 – just to give you a clue, the Greek-published checklist I have has 449 species). What are the best countries for a passionate birder to move to? And why? I discovered this map a while ago, hidden somewhere at the not so easy to navigate BirdLife International’s website, and I have used it as my computer wallpaper ever since. Usually, I interchange some birdy wallpapers several times per month, but this one has stayed for several months already.
10,000 Birds
SEPTEMBER 4, 2014
Here we go: Guest-authors: Deborah Jean Cohen, Eric DeFonso, James Wolstencroft, Joshua Stuart Rose, Marcel van Driel, Mike Black, Natural Greece, Paul Oliver, Rockjumper – Worldwide Birding Adventures, Sandra Paci, Susan Soloyanis, WorldBirders. Natural Greece: “Empathy is important too. My last blog has created quite a discussion among the readers, mostly from US, but also southern and eastern Africa and Europe (apologies if I forgot some region).
10,000 Birds
NOVEMBER 10, 2016
Late last month, while searching for bears , woodpeckers and spirits of Greece, I deliberately avoided checking any news, especially from my home country. Every now and then, I need to cut the world off and clear my mind. Nevertheless, only the most important news I did follow, those about the decision-making process on future sales of elephants and their ivory at a global wildlife summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, the first such meeting since 2013.
10,000 Birds
FEBRUARY 7, 2016
The coast of the Mediterranean Sea is used mostly as a wintering ground, with just a handful of breeding colonies between Greece, northern Italy and eastern Spain (and recently through central Europe all the way to Ireland). It has come to my attention that this blog needs more gulls.
10,000 Birds
OCTOBER 3, 2013
And so, I was driving from Greece to Serbia… in central Macedonia, two birds were circling not far from the motorway… black and white (above)… perhaps White Storks on migration? Scientific papers are simply boring. That is why they have sections Abstract and Summary, to allow you to read the digested versions and skip the rest.
10,000 Birds
NOVEMBER 13, 2014
I bought my first 20 years ago from some Russian on the seashore in Greece, but have not used it much because of rather dark images (I even took it to India with me – and didn’t use it even once). And this year I carried it to Greece twice, both by plane and by car. My best bird of the weekend was a Great Black-backed Gull , a rarity in a land-locked Serbia, with less than 10 observations so far. Could it be the same individual that I observed here last winter ?
10,000 Birds
MARCH 30, 2017
A few years back, I birded northern Greece with a couple from Namibia. Noisy wing beats, heavy landing behind the stern, water splashing everywhere and then, a hit of a heavy wing on my upper arm…. It had been a while since I saw Greater Flamingoes and was thrilled to see them again. Nicolaas, who can see them back home any day commented that they are the most numerous wading birds in the world (the “most numerous” equaling “the least interesting”).
10,000 Birds
APRIL 2, 2016
This year’s recipient was the Hellenic Ornithological Society (HOS) in Greece. 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.
10,000 Birds
MARCH 3, 2016
Here go those moments of curiosity, in no particular order: Europe: And so, I was driving from Greece to Serbia… in central FYRO Macedonia, two birds were circling not far from the motorway… black and white… perhaps White Storks on migration? Today is the United Nations World Wildlife Day, a time to celebrate and raise awareness of the living world around us.
10,000 Birds
JULY 6, 2019
Our two newest contributors have shared from Mexico and China, bringing the countries birded this month (also including; Costa Rica, Greece, Serbia, USA, UK, India, UAE and New Zealand) to 10. Here comes summer. The beats have been embracing the benign weather and cruising gently into the crazy, hazy, lazy days of summer. The trend at this time of year is a downturn in shared lists and birds reported, nevertheless, 12 (is this a record?)
10,000 Birds
NOVEMBER 2, 2019
Round Pond, Greece. 14 countries were birded this month by 13 beats; a record participative effort! 172 lists were shared and 1004 species were seen, both records for October, so well done beats! The country list (which also includes Principalities, Territories, Special Administrative Regions, Autonomuos States, Kingdoms, Caliphates, etc.) has reached 54.
10,000 Birds
AUGUST 5, 2014
The book races through the decades, pausing in ancient Egypt for a tomb painting of three species of geese and a papyrus falcon, in ancient Greece for Lysippe’s bust of Aristotle (the first writer to systematically study birds), in the 15 th century for the Gutenberg printing press, and a brief stop in the Renaissance for Raphael’s painting of the Madonna of the Goldfinch. We love our stuff, stuff being the term affectionately given to the objects with which we populate our lives.
10,000 Birds
JUNE 1, 2019
These are the numbers acheived by 10 (we have a new contributor, Paul, from Mexico) beats during May; We visited 8 countries (Costa Rica, USA, UK, Australia, Serbia, Greece, Kuwait and Mexico) and noted 776 birds from 160 checklists. So that was May. Despite looking way older than his years, we cannot attribute Regannet’s haggard appearance to hard birding, scoring only 19 during eBird’s Big Day was not the greatest effort expended on May 4th.
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