I have always found the Greek islands rather barren and unwelcoming for birds; there are obviously a few cracking spots and in migration times there will be some splendid sites, but I seem to have missed them! To be honest, Santorini and Symi seemed birdless around the towns and nearby. Samothrace, a rarely visited island in the northern Aegean, is very pleasant and the archaeological site of Palaiopolis is rich with spotted flycatchers, whitethroats and lesser whitethroats. Rhodes is a beautiful island; Rhodes old town is almost bird-free, but step outside into the small park leading toward the old harbour and you should see willow warblers and sardinian warblers as well as crag martins overhead. The harbour rocks are home to many cats, which is probably why the black redstarts which were formally in abundance are not as common as they used to be. Investigate the commercial harbour for some interesting passage waders. The hilltop location of Lindos is picturesque and is there are blue rock thrushes around on the rocks leading down to the sea. There are also pied wheatears on the scrubby areas that the donkeys are led through, visible from the area just past the pay booth.

Seen in Chios, August

Wheatear    Alpine swift    Sand martin    Willow warbler    Yellow-legged gull    Sardinian warbler    Collared dove    Hooded crow

Seen in Samothrace, August

Lesser whitethroat    Whitethroat    Sardinian warbler    Sand martin    Hobby    Great tit    Spotted flycatcher    Red-backed shrike    Wood pigeon

Seen in Pylos, October

Stonechat    Goldfinch    Chiffchaff    Spotted flycatcher    Great tit    Sardinian warbler

Seen in Rhodes, August

Sardinian warbler    Willow warbler    Swift    Blue tit    Pied wheatear (at Lindos)    Crag martin (Rhodes town)   Collared dove    Hooded crow    Wheatear    House sparrow

Rhodes, April

Swallow, House martin, Hooded crow, Feral pigeon, Collared dove, House sparrow, Yellow wagtail, Pied wagtail, Kingfisher, Little egret, Cattle egret, Common sandpiper, Greenshank, Little ringed plover, Spur-winged plover, Little stint, Woodchat shrike (near Grandmaster's Palace), Spotted flycatcher, Robin, Blue tit, Swift.
At Lindos: Crag martin, Kestrel, Blue rock thrush.

...in October

Blue rock thrush (at Lindos)      Black redstart

 

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