BIRD WATCHING

For keen bird watchers, Lesvos is generally regarded as the most rewarding Greek island to visit. Kefalonia, although not so abundant in the variety or amount of bird life, shouldn’t disappoint. The Livadi wetland, at the end of the Argostoli Gulf between Argostoli and Lixouri, is well known for wading birds. I’ve read, and heard first-hand, that Katelios is a good base, with a variety of birds locally and fairly easy access to Mount Ainos (4x4 required to reach the summit). Below is a list of near 200 birds (some migratory) identified on Kefalonia since 1988, compiled from reports by John Jennings; Kevin and Susan Boyd; John & Sue Roberts; John Armstrong (via birdtours.co.uk); A. Vittery; Paul Felton Whitehead (via Friends of the Ionian).

African Collared Dove, Alpine Swift, Aquatic Warbler, Avocet Barn Swallow, Bittern, Blackbird, Blackcap, Black-eared Wheatear, Black Headed Bunting, Black-headed Gull, Black-headed Wagtail, Black Kite, Black-necked Grebe, Blue-headed Wagtail, Blue Rock Thrush, Black Stork, Black Tern, Black Winged Stilt, Black Woodpecker, Blue Rock Thrush, Blue Tit, Bonelli’s Eagle, Bonelli's Warbler, Broad-billed Sandpiper Calandra Lark, Cattle Egret, Cetti’s Warbler, Chaffinch, Chiff-chaff, Cirl Bunting, Coal Tit, Collared Dove, Collared Fly-catcher, Common Bittern, Common buzzard, Common Kestrel, Common Pheasant, Common Sandpiper, Common Stonechat, Common Swift, Common Wheateater, Common Whitethroat, Coot, Cormorant, Corn Bunting, Crested Lark, Crested Tit, Cretzschmar’s Bunting, Cuckoo, Curlew Sandpiper Dunlin Eagle Owl, Eastern Olivaceous Warbler, Eleonora’s Falcon, Eurasian Curlew, Eurasian Sparrowhawk, European Bee-eater, Eurasian Tree Creeper, European Roller, European Serin Fan-tailed Warbler, Feral Pigeon, Firecrest Garden Warbler, Garganey, Glossy Ibis, Goldcrest, Goldfinch, Golden Eagle, Golden Oriole, Goshawk, Great Grey Shrike, Great Reed Warbler, Great Snipe, Great Tit, Great White Egret, Greenfinch, Greenshank, Green Sandpiper, Grey Heron, Grey Plover, Grey Wagtail, Griffon Vulture, Gull-billed Tern Hawfinch, Hobby, Honey Buzzard, Hooded Crow, Hoopoe, House Martin, House Sparrow Icterine Warbler, Imperial Eagle Jay Kentish Plover, Kestrel, Kingfisher Lanner Falcon, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Lesser Grey Shrike, Lesser Whitethroat, Levant Sparrowhawk, Levantine Shearwater, Linnet, Little Bittern, Little Crake, Little Egret, Little Grebe, Little Owl, Little Ringed Plover, Little Stint, Long-legged Buzzard Mallard, Marsh Harrier, Marsh Sandpiper, Meadow Pipit, Mediterranean Gull, Melodious Warbler, Minaculated Lark, Mistle Thrush, Montagu’s Harrier, Moorhen, Mute Swan Nightingale, Nightjar, Night Heron, Northern Gannet, Northern Wheatear Olivaceous Warbler, Olive Tree Warbler, Orphean Warbler, Osprey, Oystercatcher Pallid Swift, Peregrine Falcon, Pied Flycatcher, Purple Heron Raven, Red Knot, Red-backed Shrike, Red-footed Falcon, Red-rumped Swallow, Red-throated Pipit, Redstart, Reed Warbler, Ringed Plover, Robin, Rock Bunting, Rock Partridge, Rock Sparrow, Rock Thrush, Ruff, Rufous Bush Chat, Rufous Bush Robin Saker Falcon, Sand Martin, Sandwich Tern, Sardinian Warbler, Scops Owl, Sedge Warbler, Shag, Short-toed Eagle, Short-toed Lark, Short-toed Treecreeper, Siberian Stonechat, Skylark, Sombre Tit, Song Thrush, Spanish Sparrow, Sparrowhawk, Spotted Flycatcher, Squacco Heron, Starling, Stonechat, Subalpine Warbler, Swallow Tawny Owl, Tawny Pipit, Teal, Temminck's Stint, Tengmalm's Owl, Thrush Nightingale, Tree Creeper (Certhia brachydactyla), Tree Pipit, Turnstone, Turtle Dove Whiskered Tern, White-backed Woodpecker, Whitethroat, White Wagtail, White-winged Black Tern, Willow Warbler, Winchat, Woodchat Shrike, Wood Pigeon, Wood Sandpiper, Wood Warbler, Wren, Wryneck Yellow-legged Gull, Yellow–legged Herring Gull, Yellow Wagtail Zitting Cisticola

Scops owl its distintive 'beep' is often heard but it's rarely seen

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