KERKINI LAKE CRUISE - SIDIROKASTRO QUARRY - ACHLADOCHERI MOUNTAINS
WEATHER: hazy sunshine, then cloudy with some rain. Top temp 20C
We had a prefect start to our day with a boat cruise on the Lake, it was fantastic. We chugged along the shore and then into the middle of the lake discovering countless birds performing all kinds of activities. The main attraction was the accumulation of hundreds of birds forming a huge raft of floating fish-eaters. They would swim around until a shoal of fish was found then mayhem would ensue. The birds at the back of the shifting raft would scramble to the front, these rafts consisted of the two Pelican species and the two Cormorants.
The air was alive with moving birds wherever you looked and the colours were straight from an artist’s canvas. The flat calm water of the lake added to the atmosphere reflecting the morning light and the colourful birds.
Squacco heron by Dancho
a Spoonbill by Dancho
Pygmy Cormorant landing above a Great Cormorant, another great picture by Dancho
We added s few new species to our list, a small flock of Greater Flamingos was spotted by Charlie and Dancho pulled out a few new birds such as Garganey, the captain of the boat Rico, led us to places where we saw all three Marsh Terns, Whiskered, Black, and White-winged Terns.
Dalmatian Pelican
We had a close encounter with a Golden Jackel, it seemed to hunting for Cormorant chicks that may fall out of the thousands of nests in the small trees on the islands. Rico led us to an area where we noted up to 14 Black-necked Grebes, all in summer plumage. We saw a few waders but not many, Wood Sandpipers and Ruff, but it was the countless Herons, Egrets, Spoonbills, Glossy Ibis (only 6), Grebes and especially the Pelicans that made this trip so memorable.
mixed flock of Pelican and Cormorants
Our two hours were over in the blink of an eye and soon we were back on terra firma and heading back to the hotel for a late breakfast. Our morning excursion was to the hills and mountains near the town of Sidirokastro, about a 40 minute drive from the hotel.
We arrived in sunshine but it soon clouded over and rain threatened to ruin our day. Our target species were not long in the bag with a couple of bonus birds and one entirely unexpected. We located stern Black-eared Wheatears on the summit of the surround cliffs and whilst watching one we found A Hoopoe up there and then a Western Rock Nuthatch.
Birding in the quarry
Dancho located an Ortolan Bunting sitting on bush about a mile away and then a partridge appeared along the skyline. It proved to be a Rock Partridge, a bird never seen here before by us and we went on to see two more! Other species seen in the area was Serin, Hawfinch (flyover), Greenfinch, Chaffinch, Subalpine Warbler, Blue Rock Thrush, Jay and Jackdaws.
Ophrys mammose a local Orchid speciality
We drive further into the hills looking for a place to stop to eat our picnic lunch and settled in some chairs outside a disused petrol station and café. We added White Wagtail to the list and along the road Dancho had heard Semi-collared Flycatcher.
a distant record shot of the Rock Partridge
The vast expanse of the Juniper covered slopes in the area around Achladocheri was alive with birds, we had a few targets species and over the course of two hours we found most of them. Our visit there was interrupted by a rain shower, we nearly abandoned the visit but it stopped as we were driving back down the hill.
Red-backed Shrike with food, taken in the Juniper scrub by Dancho
We saw another Ortolan Bunting, with dozens of Cirl Buntings, Stonechats, Linnets and Chaffinches all coming to drink at a water trough. The trough was our main watch-point but all around us Shrikes and Larks sat on bushed or flew up into the sky in song flights. We saw Crested, Wood, Greater Short-toed Larks and a tawny Pipit came to the trough to bathe.
Tawny Pipit at the trough
In the scrub we saw Oprhean and Sardinian Warblers and Dancho pulled out a Golden Eagle drifting over mountain peaks being mobbed by two Hooded Crows. The light improved and the sun came out which enhanced our enjoyment somewhat. A Hobby dashed over the hillside towards us, we saw Woodchat and Red-backed Shrikes on many bushes and the very common Cirl Bunting seemed to be everywhere.
a view of the terrain, Juniper scrub stretched for miles
On the way back we stopped a few times in search of Dipper in the river and Semi-collared Flycatcher in the plane trees. We heard Green Woodpecker, had a flash of a Black and White species of woodpecker and we found a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker and its nest hole. The star bird for me was the Semi-collared Flycatcher, Dancho used so much skill in locating a calling bird on several occasions.
Semi-collared Flycatcher
a female Lesser Spotted Woodpecker with food for its chicks, we quickly left the area when we realised the nest hole was quite near to us.
The journey home produced a few raptor sightings, such as Marsh Harrier, Levant Sparrowhawk and not one, but two, Montagu’s Harriers.