This summer I visited the Antikythera island for two weeks participating in the “Raptor migration watch” voluntary program of the Hellenic Ornithological Society (HOS).
I had a very good time there and the days passed really fast. When you spend several days in such small and remote places you get closer to the people there and as a result leaving is always a little more difficult since it means more than just the end of the holiday. I hope that I will be able to go there again in the future.
In the photography sector of my visit I must admit that my expectations were higher. It proved that Spring is the most suitable season for photographing the migratory birds that pass right through the island on their way to their breeding or wintering places.
Nevertheless there are several species endemic or breeding on the island giving many opportunities for nice images. The most obvious target is of course the Eleonora’s Falcon (Falco eleonorae) since Antikythera island hosts world’s second largest breeding colony with approximately 900 pairs. Other bird species include the Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus), Chukar (Alectoris chukar), Common Raven (Corvus corax) and several species of nocturnal raptors. During my stay I saw Scops Owl (Otus scops) and Barn Owl (Tyto alba) very close to the guesthouse of the HOS.
You can always click on the images to see the Image Exif Data and to view a larger/sharper version.
English
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