Go Slow in Northern Greece

Summary

Contained by the natural barriers of the Kerkini Mountains to the north and the Mavrovouni Mountains to the south, Lake Kerkini lies close to the Bulgarian border in northern Greece, and is renowned as one of the finest wetland sites in Europe. The lake and its surrounding regions are the focus of this tour, which begins with a direct 3-hour flight from London to Thessaloniki and a 2-hour drive to a lakeside hotel; our base for the next seven nights. Although most famous for its breeding populations of endangered Dalmatian Pelicans and Pygmy Cormorants, the huge heronry in the centre of Lake Kerkini at this time of year provides sanctuary for a wealth of other waterbirds, including numerous egrets, Spoonbills, Night, Purple and Squacco Herons. As we explore the surrounding countryside we will be captivated by the sights and sounds of spring as Bee-eaters swoop down acrobatically in pursuit of insects and Golden Orioles utter their fluty calls from stands of trees. Red-backed, Woodchat and delicate Masked Shrikes wreak havoc among the local insect population, whilst Black-headed, Cirl and Corn Buntings sing from roadside bushes. A wide variety of warblers, including Subalpine, Olivaceous and Olive-tree — the latter something of a speciality of northern Greece — should also be in song, although their more covert nature may make them somewhat harder to observe. As we explore further afield we should also find Lesser Spotted, Short-toed and Booted Eagles soaring overhead, Black Storks, Penduline Tits and Great Reed Warblers around the lakeshore and Western Rock Nuthatches, Rock Thrushes and both Ortolan and Rock Buntings on the nearby mountain slopes.