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. The lake lies at a mere 35 m / 115 ft a.s.l.

Greece 227

Greece Pelicans Stray Dog Tortoises 227

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 17, 2015

One simply has to love Greece. I am exhilarated – I have had only a handful of chances to observe this species! Such a fascinating species. How old are they as a species? Just ten minutes later, another swift species shows, several Pallid Swifts above the outskirt of a seaside town.

Greece 222

Greece Falcons Madagascar Africa 222

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 22, 2022

And then, a few days ahead of our trip, a British birder Clive Mason left a comment under my old blog on birding Lake Karla , just north of the Pelion Peninsula in central Greece, saying that he will be in the area next week. The lake IBA has about 230 so far eBirded species.

Greece 224

Greece Turtles Eagles 2019 224

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. Early September morning. Google Map.

Greece 183

Greece Pelicans Serbia Eagles 183

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. I am checking the grass for any flash of white and soon my suspicion is confirmed: Cattle Egrets (cover photo)!

Greece 231

Greece Dogs Pelicans Cattle 231

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. Out of some 4000 buffaloes still being kept in Greece, about 3000 are at this lake. What is the status of this species in the Kerkini NP?

Greece 193

Greece Pelicans Buffalo Fish 193

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. A few metres further, something is jumping from one branch to another… a pair of Subalpine Warblers , a Mediterranean species that does not go much further north than this. Trips Europe Greece pelicans'

Greece 161

Greece Pelicans Breeding Buffalo 161

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 181

Greece Pelicans Otters Birds 181

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 21, 2023

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. On a wire by the road, one European Bee-eater awaits me.

Greece 162

Greece Serbia Hunters Cows 162

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 17, 2017

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. Spring (migrants and breeding species) and winter (wintering waterbirds). Eurasian Spoonbills. Soon the lake ends. Yet, what is killing the birds of Lake Karla? Practicalities.

Greece 185

Greece Killing Pelicans Eagles 185

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 18, 2024

I was a week into my trip to the Peloponnese, in south-west Greece, and my bird list had stagnated on 40 species. So one day, in search of new birds, I drove from my base at Agios Nickolas, south of Kalamata, to the Gialova Lagoon, on the west coast.

Greece 233

Greece Birds Species Falcons 233

10,000 Birds

MAY 1, 2014

We are in the village of Finikas on the island of Syros in the Cyclades archipelago of Greece. Nick finds a bird-shaped protrusion at the top of the rock – Black-eared Wheatear , not exactly a species I expect to observe from a boat deck. The Sun already sets and I haven’t seen a new species in a while. Practicalities.

Greece 231

Greece Malta Croatia Italy 231

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 230

Greece Bulgaria Serbia 2000 230

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 8, 2024

Take a quick look at the breeding distribution of European birds and you will see that there are a surprising number of species that are restricted to the Balkans. It is these Balkan specials that are the target species… Source

Herzegovina 198

Herzegovina Albania Bosnia Macedonia 198

10,000 Birds

MAY 31, 2024

There haven’t been any reports of Turtle Doves locally this year, which isn’t really surprising as this species has declined by a staggering 97% in the last 20 years, and it’s eventual loss as a breeding species in the UK is a distinct possibility. This year didn’t disappoint: the weather was good, the birds as brilliant as ever.

Greece 213

Greece Turtles Breeding Europe 213

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 ). Should I add, this is my best sighting of this uncommon species – ever!

Greece 243

Greece Woodpeckers Eagles Owls 243

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. For the Ionian Sea, take the motorway exit for the town of Prilep, continue through Bitola and head for the Medzitlija – Niki crossing to Greece.

Greece 176

Greece Albania Macedonia Europe 176

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 29, 2023

My British total was a mere 172 species – not bad, but not very good. Every one of my 171 species was a bird that I found myself. It keeps a monthly record of sightings, so I can tell you that it was in February that I recorded my highest monthly species total (106), while my lowest total was in August (39).

Estonia 223

Estonia Portugal Greece Barn Owls 223

10,000 Birds

JULY 12, 2024

My target at the start of the year was 200 species in the UK and 300 in Europe, so I’ve achieved the latter, while the chances of reaching the former are pretty good. Nor have I see a skua (jaeger) of any species. I haven’t done well with Golden Eagles, with just a single bird, seen briefly, in Greece, in May.

Cyprus 205

Cyprus Greece Spain Europe 205

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 24, 2023

I first visited Kerkini and this bird-rich region of northern Greece 15 years ago, and have been returning regularly ever since. Last year, in November, I notched up a dozen species of butterflies, an impressive total anywhere in Europe so late in the year.

Greece 207

Greece Pelicans Geese Buffalo 207

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. Trips Greece wetlands' On a wire by the road, one European Bee-eater awaits me. Circaetus gallicus.

Greece 188

Greece Serbia Hunters Cows 188

10,000 Birds

JUNE 6, 2024

It’s a reservoir, not a natural lake, and was formed by damming the Striminos river, which flows into Greece from neighboring Bulgaria (unfortunately bringing with it huge amounts of plastic rubbish, creating problems for the National Park.) Both species of pelicans breed on the lake, with the Dalmatians the more numerous.

Pelicans 187

Pelicans Greece Fish Bulgaria 187

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 20, 2015

This map shows the distribution of the World’s bird species, based on overlying the breeding and wintering ranges of all known species. I used to live in Botswana, where there are about 450 bird species in an area a few dozen miles from the capital; then somewhat naively moved back to Serbia with mere 250 species around the capital.

Sri Lanka 257

Sri Lanka Botswana Africa Serbia 257

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. A quite uncommon bird – there are only about 6000 pairs on the planet and this is one of only a handful of my observations of this species. Trips falcons Greece'

Falcons 175

Falcons Greece Madagascar Game 175

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 22, 2013

And here I am on vacation in Greece, turning off the alarm at 5.30 In my native Serbia, these birds are so ill numbered that they were even deleted from the huntable species list with an explanation: “there is no surviving population of huntable size”. Trips Greece partridges' No partridges for me under these olives, either.

Greece 204

Greece Serbia Goats Europe 204

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 26, 2023

That is why I am so pleased to see the new “Gulls of Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East: An Identification Guide” being illustrated with nearly 1400 colour photographs of the 45 species of gulls found in the Western Palearctic. Detailed range maps with a textual range description for each species are included. pounds, and 6.7

Europe 227

Europe Africa Greece Groups 227

10,000 Birds

MAY 10, 2024

There are 154 species of cuckoos in the world, and they’re all a fascinating bunch. It’s not a species you are likely to overlook, either, as it is extremely noisy, its cackling call carrying great distances. It is one of the most range-restricted of European birds, breeding only in Greece, Turkey and adjacent areas.

Cyprus 214

Cyprus Africa Europe Asia 214

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 3, 2020

This is an uncommon species here – only about a dozen birds overwinter in the country annually. 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). Yes, it is expected on migration, but to be accepted, a good quality photo-proof would be a necessity.

Serbia 266

Serbia Birds Cyprus Ducks 266

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. Language skills too.”. ’ TICK.

Greece 203

Greece Zambia Birds Abandoning 203

Critter News

FEBRUARY 3, 2010

The aquarium said it hoped Homer would help raise awareness about the plight of his species. The Archelon rescue centre in Greece previously looking after Homer believes this is what happened to him. Fishermen in Greece deliberately blinding turtles? Fishermen in Greece deliberately blinding turtles?

Turtles 100

Turtles Greece Rescue Raised 100

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 3, 2013

But, from the existing data, the authors have drawn a different conclusion – there is no proof that the breeding population ever existed, that the south of Africa was beyond the species range and that that all observations were of vagrant individuals. During my lifetime, this species was rare in my native Serbia, too.

Sudan 223

Sudan Macedonia Botswana Serbia 223

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 12, 2024

On my 21-day Kenyan safaris we reckoned to find around 600 species of birds and around 60 mammals, both impressive totals. In 2023 I attempted to keep a year list of mammal encounters: the list barely exceeded 20 species, while it became complicated by seeing bats and voles that I was unable to name specifically.

Fur 182

Fur Otters Bulgaria Estonia 182

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 1, 2018

I had just a split-second glimpse of this species – my only second ever – yet immediately knew what is it, but I was driving through a snowbound countryside and had another car behind me, therefore I stopped a good 50 metres later to eBird it. Fortunately, B. managed to see it, his largest owl ever. Am I satisfied?

Owls 104

Owls Greece Serbia Woodpeckers 104

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 19, 2024

There’s also a much greater variety of species of deer living here now than than there were four or five hundred years ago, for along with our native Roe and Red Deer we also have large populations of Fallow, Sika, Reeves’s Muntjac and Chinese Water Deer. Reeves’s Muntjac , a highly successful invasive species in the UK.

Fur 204

Fur Boars Deer Estonia 204

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 15, 2023

Lynford also boasts an arboretum, with 200 different species of trees. Hawfinches have declined in the UK in recent years and become harder to see, though they remain common on the Continent: this year I’ve only seen them in Greece.

Barn Owls 209

Barn Owls Rats Japan Blackbirds 209

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. We are facing a plague of poaching that is again decimating the species. The way I see it, it is a cruel joke leading towards the extinction of a threatened species.

Elephants 184

Elephants Botswana Zimbabwe Africa 184

10,000 Birds

APRIL 2, 2016

Unlike other bird races where participants keep tight-lipped about bird species as mundane as a House Sparrow , this event gives a prize to the team that helps the most. But isn’t all of that data sharing counterproductive for a bird race where the team with the most species wins? This is a Masked Shrike.

Israel 171

Israel Costa Rica Eagles Raised 171