Again in July, my fellow 10,000 Birds contributor Dragan wrote a lovely piece about birding Lake Kerkini in spring. I first visited Kerkini and this bird-rich area of northern Greece 15 years in the past, and feature been returning ceaselessly ever since. Whilst spring is indisputably essentially the most rewarding time to seek advice from, I’ve loved a number of autumn and iciness journeys, too, made extra stress-free by means of the truth that the elements is typically a lot sunnier, and hotter, right here than it’s at house in the United Kingdom. Remaining yr, in November, I notched up a dozen species of butterflies, an outstanding overall anyplace in Europe so overdue within the yr.
For the fall or iciness customer, the most important draw is the flock of Lesser Whitefronted Ducks that lately had been common and dependable wintering birds at the lake. I’ve observed them on each autumn seek advice from to Kerkini, however in spite of many encounters, I’ve but to get shut sufficient to get a tight image of them. (My {photograph} under is of a captive chicken). Most often they’re a number of hundred metres away, and it takes numerous exhausting paintings with the telescope to ensure that they’re certainly Lessers, and now not the Larger Whitefronts that still iciness right here. They’re, after all, a smaller extra compact goose, however choosing out the quite a lot of distinguishing options (such because the yellow eye ring) at such vary is invariably difficult, to mention the least. Continuously the most productive clue is counting the flock. In the event you glance at the Portal to the Lesser White-fronted Goose (https://www.piskulka.web/) you’ll be able to test at the present flock measurement: if the flock you in finding is nearly precisely the similar measurement as that reported at the Portal, then you’ll be able to be beautiful positive that you’ve got discovered your quarry. It’s an odd option to determine a chicken, nevertheless it’s dependable.
Possibly interestingly, the Larger and Lesser Whitefronts by no means appear to combine. Possibly they do every so often, however now not once I’ve observed them. Pink-breasted Ducks do flip up at Kerkini ceaselessly, and three hundred and sixty five days I watched a Pink-breast jumbled in with the Lessers. Pink-breasted ducks are so unique that you’d assume that they might be simple to select in a flock of gray ducks, however unusually that’s now not the case.
Lake Kerkini is a man-made lake, its intensity various significantly all the way through the yr. It’s all the time at its lowest in overdue autumn, and this can also be irritating because the birds – and there’s all the time loads of them – are typically very far-off. Although you are taking a ship trip out at the lake (really useful), the vanity of the water will limit how shut the boatman will be capable of take you to the birds. Alternatively, you might be sure to get nice perspectives of Larger Flamingoes, as a number of thousand iciness at the lake. By means of November just about the entire White Pelicans have long gone south (there all the time an opportunity of seeing a tender chicken that has been left in the back of), however you might be sure to peer a number of Dalmatian Pelicans, considered one of Europe’s rarest birds, however a commonplace resident right here.
Kerkini’s Dalmatian Pelicans entice photographers from everywhere Europe. The preferred month for pelican images is February, when the Dalmatian’s beak pouch is an intense color of red-orange. (They quickly lose the color because the spring progresses). The pelicans have advanced a different courting with the Kerkini fishermen, so have change into tame, approachable and really photogenic.
Kerkini does, after all, draw in super numbers of wintering wildfowl, together with massive numbers of Commonplace Pochard, by means of some distance essentially the most a lot of of the diving geese. You may, if you’re fortunate, see a couple of Ferruginous Geese, too, and maybe even a Pink-crested Pochard, however I’ve but to peer a White-headed Duck right here, even though they have got been recorded. There’s all the time excellent numbers of the entire surface-feeding geese that you’d be expecting, from Pintail to Eurasian Wigeon. Each Bewick’s and Whooper Swans happen in excellent numbers.
One chicken that has significantly higher in numbers lately is the Commonplace Crane, with January counts of as much as 140 birds. Overwintering Black Storks are commonplace, whilst Spoonbills (which nest within the drowned wooded area at the lake) stay in some numbers till overdue within the autumn, perhaps overwintering. A function of the fall is the abundance of Nice White Egrets – as much as 200 at the lake – however so far as I do know they have got but to reproduce right here.
Even though the lake is also the primary appeal, it’s the wealthy number of surrounding habitats that make the world so attention-grabbing for the visiting birder. In the United Kingdom we’ve an insignificant 3 resident woodpeckers, however within the neighborhood of Kerkini it’s now not tricky to seek out all of Europe’s peckers except for the 3-toed. Heart-spotted can also be present in lots of the woods and forests, Syrian are common within the villages, whilst Lesser-spotted (now a unprecedented chicken in the United Kingdom) are pleasingly commonplace. During per week you’ll be unfortunate now not to connect to each Black and Gray-headed, and it’s best the White-backed (right here of the race lilfordi) that’s prone to be an actual problem. I’ve best discovered one as soon as, nevertheless it used to be a delightfully confiding chicken.
Of the Balkan specials, Sombre Tit has a tendency to be quiet and unobtrusive, so generally is a problem to seek out. Some years Rock Nuthatches are simple to find (take a look at any of the native quarries, or the cliff face under the fortress of Sidirokastro), however in others they may be able to be elusive. Wintering Wallcreepers are all the time an opportunity, too, in most cases in quarries the place Eagle Owls are resident.
Point out of Eagle Owl brings me to to wealthy number of raptors to be discovered right here in iciness. Each Golden and White-tailed Eagles are resident and can also be discovered all yr, however Noticed Eagles are a iciness particular, and there’s typically a dozen to be discovered wintering on and across the lake. Such an abundance of wildfowl draws Peregrines. Twelve months we discovered an impressively giant calidus Peregrine, feeding on a Wigeon that it had killed. A wanderer from the arctic, we concept to start with it could had been a Saker, a chicken I’ve but to peer right here.
Disappointingly, mammal encounters are few, instead of the extraordinary Roe Deer. Golden Jackals had been expanding lately, however they’re shy and you might be much more likely to listen to them at evening than see them. Otters are ceaselessly reported, however I’ve but to peer one right here, however I’ve had a variety of encounters with Wild Cats, that are slightly commonplace and may also be encountered all the way through the day. Kerkini’s most famed mammal is the domesticated Water Buffalo – massive herds are saved across the lake. In spite of appearances, they’re remarkably docile.
Per week’s iciness birding must produce a tally of the rest from 120 to 130 species, relying on how exhausting you’re employed, good fortune and the elements. For more info, I strongly suggest Birdwatching in Northern Greece, the 3rd version of which used to be revealed just lately. Its writer is Steve Generators, the founding father of Birdwing, an organisation that has performed a lot to lift consciousness of chicken conservation in North-East Greece. Steve is a skilled photographer: his superb footage upload a great deal to the enchantment of the ebook. By means of the way in which, on the time of writing in mid-November, there used to be a document flock of 141 Lesser Whitefronts on Kerkini, up from an insignificant 25 simply 14 years in the past.
