Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
GREECE'S BEST WILDLIFE SPOTS
Samariá Gorge
Crete's most famous ravine is
not only one of Europe's longest but hides
some of Greece's rarest plants. See p.499
Préspa Lakes
Straddling the Albanian
border, these serene bodies of water provide
refuge for a host of waterfowl. See p.290
Laganás Bay
Though much of it is touristic,
the bay is still a prime breeding ground for
the loggerhead turtle. See p.753
Mount Olympus
The mountain of the Gods is
also home to over 1600 species of plants. See
p.280
Dhadhiá Forest Reserve
This haven contains
some of Greece's last virgin forest, which hosts
36 species of birds of prey. See p.322
North Pindhos
The wooded valleys of this
natural wilderness are the place to spot
Greece's largest mammals. See p.242
others move on into the rest of Europe. The southern islands are the first landfall after a
long sea crossing, and smaller birds recuperate for a few days before moving on. Larger
birds such as storks and ibis often fly very high, and binoculars are needed to spot them
as they pass over. In autumn birds return, but usually in more scattered numbers.
Although some are shot, there is not the wholesale slaughter that takes place in some
other Mediterranean countries.
At
night
, the tiny scops owl has a very distinct, repeated single-note call, very like
the sonar beep of a submarine; the equally diminutive little owl, with a weird
repertoire of cries, may be visible by day in ruined buildings. Near wooded streams,
the most evocative nocturnal bird is the nightingale, most audible in the May
mating season.
Larger raptors
occur in remoter areas, preferring mountain gorges and cliffs. Buzzards
are the most abundant, and often mistaken by optimistic birdwatchers for the rarer,
shyer eagles. Griffon vultures, however, are unmistakable, soaring on broad, straight-
edged wings, whereas the lammergeier is a state-of-the-art flying machine with narrow,
swept wings, seen over mountain tops by the lucky few; the remaining ten or so pairs
in Crete are now the Balkans' largest breeding population.
In
lowland areas
, hoopoes are a startling combination of pink, black and white,
obvious when they fly and the only natural predator of the processionary caterpillar, a
major pest of pine forests. The shy golden oriole has an attractive song but is adept at
hiding its brilliant colours among the olive trees. Multicoloured flocks of elegant
bee-eaters fill the air with their soft calls as they hunt insects. Brightest of all is the
kingfisher, more commonly seen sea-fishing here than in northern Europe.
In areas of
wetland
that remain undrained and undisturbed, such as saltmarshes,
coastal lagoons, estuaries and freshwater ponds, ospreys, egrets, ibis, spoonbills, storks,
pelicans and many waders can be seen feeding. Flamingoes sometimes occur, as lone
individuals or small flocks, particularly in the eastern Aegean saltpans between
December and May.
Mammals
Greece's small
mammal
population ranges from rodents and shrews to hedgehogs, hares
and squirrels (including the dark-red Persian squirrel on Lésvos). Medium-sized
mammals include badgers and foxes and the persecuted golden jackal, but the
commonest is the ferret-like stone (or beech) marten, named for its habit of decorating
stones with its droppings to mark territory.
In the mainland mountains, mostly in the north, are found the shy chamois and
wild boar, with even shyer predators like lynx, wolves and brown bear. Occasionally
seen running wild in Crete's White Mountains, but more often as a zoo attraction,
is an endemic ibex. Formerly in danger of extinction, a colony of them was
established on the offshore islet of Dhía, where they thrived, exterminating the rare
local flora.
