Last weekend I managed to make a short visit to Mount Giona (located in central Greece). I could not get to the highland plateaus where one can find alpine bird species, so I had to settle with the ones that can be found in the forest at lower altitude.
Forest is one of the most difficult habitats for wildlife bird photography. Not only is it difficult to find the birds into the dense foliage, but there is never enough (or appropriate) light to help you create a decent photo. Nevertheless the forest is my favorite habitat. I am not sure if this is due to the beauty of the scenery, or because of the sense of achievement you get when you manage to create a good photo under these difficult conditions. I guess it must be a combination of both of these factors.
This time of year the forest is full of juvenile birds that they have just left their nests. The adult birds also do not have to stay to the nests anymore, so the place is full of life. The air is filled with bird songs and forest smells and this helps you to relax. I managed to see many bird species. From the tiny young Firecrests (1st photo), to the greatest Woodpecker living in Greece, the Black Woodpecker (2nd photo).
Of course there were many other bird species as well. I saw Spotted Flycatchers, Mistle Thrushes, Short-toed Treecreepers, Eurasian Nuthatches and many Tit species. Finally a Roe Deer made a short appearance but I didn’t have any chances to take a picture of it…
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