A few days ago I went to visit mount Giona again. I didn’t even try to visit the alpine highlands of the mountain. I preferred to move lower in the western side of the mountain.
As the days go by, the mountain starts to get winter color. Early in the morning the frost covers everything, giving the illusion that it has snowed.
There is no real snow on the mountain yet but early in the morning the cold is quite bitter. Despite the cold, I met a little Podarcis muralis who had not yet fallen into hibernation.
I saw many Mistle Thrushes (another sigh that the winter is coming fast), while three Ravens were flying over the forested mountainside. In addition the place was full of Common Chaffinches and Black Redstarts which had now moved from the highlands to lower altitude. There were also Hawfinches, Robins and Tits (with Sombre Tits being the most common species!).
The most notable findings was three Bramblings (they are not common for Greece) inside a flock of Common Chaffinches and a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker. Unfortunately I didn’t manage to get any decent photos of these species. Every time I see a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker (rarely) I get so impressed with its small size, that I almost forget to take any pictures of him! Maybe next time.
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