{"id":1943,"date":"2019-10-16T13:40:38","date_gmt":"2019-10-16T12:40:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hoover.gplrank.de\/?p=1943"},"modified":"2019-10-16T14:10:12","modified_gmt":"2019-10-16T13:10:12","slug":"birding-corfu-kerkyra-september-2019","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hoover.gplrank.de\/?p=1943","title":{"rendered":"Birding Corfu \/ Kerkyra, September 2019"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In September 2019, we spent a couple of weeks in Agios Gordios on Corfu’s western coast (from the 14th to the 28th). This wasn’t exactly a birding holiday, but I managed to drive over the island a couple of times on my own in our rental car (thanks Spiros of alphacar.gr for the great service) to explore some areas that weren’t exactly adjacent to a beach. \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I brought with me my trusty Nikon Monarch 10x56DCF binoculars, my Nikon P900 superzoom camera and my Celestron C-90 spotting scope (always a hoot with airport security if you carry it in your hand luggage) on a very shaky cheap plastic tripod for obvious weight reasons which was used exclusively on our balcony overlooking Agios Gordios bay: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Agios Gordios Bay, “Ortholithi” rock formation on the right<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Main observing spots where the bay pictured above, Lake Korision and the Roda Valley near Ermones (both visited twice). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Roda Valley near Ermones<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Lake Korision as seen from the Northern mudflats<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What follows is a loose account of the species observed and the places visit, I hope you may find it useful in planning your stay on Corfu if you’re interested in birdwatching or observing wildlife in general. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

List of observed species: <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Little Grebe
(Tachybaptus ruficollis)<\/td>		Korfu, Lake Korission (gr\/cfu)<\/td><\/tr>
European Shag (Phalacrocorax Aristotelis)<\/td>Korfu, Agios Gordios (gr\/cfu)<\/td><\/tr>
Cormorant<\/td>Korfu, Agios Gordios<\/td><\/tr>
Little Egret (Egretta garzetta)<\/td>Korfu, Lake Korission (gr\/cfu)<\/td><\/tr>
Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea)<\/td>Korfu, Lake Korission (gr\/cfu)<\/td><\/tr>
Greater Flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus)<\/td>Korfu, Lake Korission (gr\/cfu)<\/td><\/tr>
Marsh Harrier (Circus aeruginosus)<\/td>Korfu, Agios Gordios (gr\/cfu)<\/td><\/tr>
Pallid Harrier (Circus macrourus)<\/td>Korfu, Pelekas (gr\/cfu)<\/td><\/tr>
Common Buzzard (Buteo buteo)<\/td>Korfu, Pelekas (gr\/cfu)<\/td><\/tr>
European Kestrel<\/td>Corfu, Ermones<\/td><\/tr>
Peregrine Falcon<\/td>Corfu, Agios Gordios<\/td><\/tr>
Osprey (Pandion haliaetus)<\/td>Korfu, Lake Korission (gr\/cfu)<\/td><\/tr>
Stilt (Himantopus himantopus)<\/td>Korfu, Lake Korission (gr\/cfu)<\/td><\/tr>
Kentish Plover (Charadrius alexandrinus)<\/td>Korfu, Lake Korission (gr\/cfu)<\/td><\/tr>
Cory’s Shearwater (Calonectris diomedea)<\/td>Korfu, Agios Gordios (gr\/cfu)<\/td><\/tr>
European Herring Gull (Larus argentatus)<\/td>Korfu, Lake Korission (gr\/cfu)<\/td><\/tr>
Yellow-legged Gull (Larus michahellis)<\/td>Korfu, Lake Korission (gr\/cfu)<\/td><\/tr>
Black-headed Gull<\/td>Korfu, Kerkyra<\/td><\/tr>
Caspian Tern (Hydroprogne caspia)<\/td>Korfu, Lake Korission (gr\/cfu)<\/td><\/tr>
Collared Dove (Streptopelia decaocto)<\/td>Korfu, Agios Gordios (gr\/cfu)<\/td><\/tr>
Feral pigeon<\/td>Korfu, Kerkyra<\/td><\/tr>
Scops Owl (Otus scops)<\/td>Korfu, Agios Gordios (gr\/cfu)<\/td><\/tr>
Kingfisher (Alcedo atthis)<\/td>Korfu, Lake Korission (gr\/cfu)<\/td><\/tr>
Bee eater (Merops apiaster)<\/td>Korfu, Agios Gordios (gr\/cfu)<\/td><\/tr>
Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica)<\/td>Korfu, Pelekas (gr\/cfu)<\/td><\/tr>
Sand Martin<\/td>Korfu, Kerkyra Town<\/td><\/tr>
Whinchat (Saxicola rubetra)<\/td>Korfu, Lake Korission (gr\/cfu)<\/td><\/tr>
Stonechat<\/td>Corfu, Ermones<\/td><\/tr>
White throated warbler (Sylvia curruca)<\/td>Korfu, Agios Gordios (gr\/cfu)<\/td><\/tr>
Sardinian Warbler (Sylvia melanocephala)<\/td>Korfu, Lake Korission (gr\/cfu)<\/td><\/tr>
Spotted Flycatcher (Muscicapa striata)<\/td>Korfu, Lake Korission (gr\/cfu)<\/td><\/tr>
Wagtail<\/td>Agios Gordios<\/td><\/tr>
Red Backed Shrike<\/td>Ermones, Korfu<\/td><\/tr>
Blue Tit (Parus caeruleus)<\/td>Korfu, Pelekas (gr\/cfu)<\/td><\/tr>
Blue Jay (Garrulus glandarius)<\/td>Korfu, Pelekas (gr\/cfu)<\/td><\/tr>
Hooded Crow (Corvus cornix)<\/td>Korfu, Lake Korission (gr\/cfu)<\/td><\/tr>
Raven<\/td>Agios Gordios<\/td><\/tr>
European Sparrow (Passer domesticus)<\/td>Korfu, Pelekas (gr\/cfu)<\/td><\/tr>
European Goldfinch<\/td>Corfu, Ermones<\/td><\/tr>
Jackdaw<\/td>Agios Gordios<\/td><\/tr>
Magpie<\/td>Agios Gordios<\/td><\/tr>
Coal Tit<\/td>Agios Gordios<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>\n\n\n\n

Observation details<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This list is not complete, I’ve tried to focus on the more interesting species on the island. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Little Grebe:<\/strong> observed on one occasion at Lake Korision (LK<\/strong>); 6 ind. hunting on the lake. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Shag<\/strong>: two ind. resting & feeding on a rock near Orthoilithi, Agios Gordios Bay (AGB<\/strong>) observed during 2 consecutive days. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Cormorant<\/strong>: few observed over the course of 2 weeks in AGB<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Little Egret: <\/strong>Quite common, seen over AGB, LK, and near a small pond in the Roda Valley (RV<\/strong>) this species seems to replace the white heron common in central europe on Corfu. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Grey Heron: <\/strong>Quite common, occured over AGB, RV and LK. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Greater Flamingo: <\/strong>Observed one right at the Airport lagoon in Kerkyra Town (KT)<\/strong> on arrival, also a few hundred present during both visits to LK. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Marsh harrier: <\/strong>2 ind. over AGB during the first week on one occasion, not seen again. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pallid Harrier: <\/strong> observed one adult male over the RV near Ermones on one occasion; 2nd visit a day later to take a good photograph sadly wasn’t successful. (migrant) Crappy photo only I’m afraid. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Common Buzzard: <\/strong>seen on a few occasions over AGB and the RV, not as common as in central europe though. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kestrel: <\/strong>2 ind. observed over the RV near Ermones on one occasion<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Peregrine Falcon:<\/strong> One ind. over AGB (observed once)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Osprey: <\/strong>One ind. passing North over AGB; another one hunting over LK a week later (may have been the same bird) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stilt: <\/strong>Single imm. bird on the first visit to LK; not seen again during the 2nd visit a week later. I was very happy to hear its distinctive call when it flew off. I’ve been chasing this bird for a few years now! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Kentish Plover: <\/strong>5-6 during my first visit to LK on the northern mudflats (lifer), not seen again the 2nd time around. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Cory’s Shearwater: <\/strong>5 birds hunting over ABG on the very first morning, possibly migrating south; this was the only occasion I saw this bird in spite of many hours spent on the eyepiece of the C-90 spotting scope scanning the bay. (lifer) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Gulls: Herring<\/strong> and yellow-legged<\/strong> seen regularly all over the island; black-headed <\/strong>seen once over the airport lagoon on arrival. Pictured: Yellow-legged near Paleo Frourio in Kerkyra.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Caspian Tern:<\/strong> 2 adults over LK during my 2nd visit. I’ve been told by Nikos from birds@ornithologiki.gr this bird is rarely observed on Corfu, sadly I didn’t manage to take any good photos. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Scops Owl: <\/strong>At least 2 individuals calling every day both at dusk and at dawn at AGB, but never observed. Still I was very happy for this lifer as I wasn’t too optimistic during my planning of the trip, and the pair sounded ever so sweet apparently calling for \/ to each other (lifer)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bee-Eater<\/strong>: two flocks of about 20-30 birds observed and heard calling twice during our stay over AGB. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sand Martin: <\/strong>Quite a surprise to see these birds not shy at all hunting in significant numbers near the old fortress in Kerkyra! Also many barn swallows<\/strong> present there. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spotted Flycatcher: <\/strong> seen regularly all over the island. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Red-Backed Shrike: <\/strong> The number of shrikes (both in indiviuals and species) was a bit of a letdown to be honest, only one red-backed could be found during the entire stay in RV near Ermones. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Raven: <\/strong>a pair could be observed regularly over AGB, sadly I could never make out their nesting site as the rocky cliffs around the town would probably have provided a perfect breeding ground for these impressive birds. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Conclusion<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite the 6 new “lifers” observed during my trip I was slightly disappointed with the local variety of species and number of birds. Sparrows seemed to be by far the most common birds, but wherever I went it was quite easy to find spent shotgun cartridges, even in so-called “nature reserves” which kind of sheds a negative light on the way the local environment is “protected”. While I never witnessed any shooting first hand the evidence for it was quite obvious. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lake Korision (during our visits) was plagued by several 10-vehicle quad tours roaring up and down the narrow beach… not something I’d expect to see in any continental nature reserve without some visiting nature enthusiasts making a stand \ud83d\ude42 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Caveat: I didn’t manage to visit all the areas I had planned to (most notably the Pantokrator mountain region in the North and Lefkimmi in the South), so I may have missed out on quite a few species which are supposedly present in those locations. A dedicated birding trip will probably turn up many more species which I didn’t manage to spot during my stay. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In September 2019, we spent a couple of weeks in Agios Gordios on Corfu’s western coast (from the 14th to the 28th). This wasn’t exactly a birding holiday, but I managed to drive over the island a couple of times on my own in our rental car (thanks Spiros of alphacar.gr for the great service) […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1943","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-birding"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hoover.gplrank.de\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1943","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hoover.gplrank.de\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hoover.gplrank.de\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hoover.gplrank.de\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hoover.gplrank.de\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1943"}],"version-history":[{"count":55,"href":"https:\/\/hoover.gplrank.de\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1943\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2015,"href":"https:\/\/hoover.gplrank.de\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1943\/revisions\/2015"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hoover.gplrank.de\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1943"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hoover.gplrank.de\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1943"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hoover.gplrank.de\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1943"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}