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Prespa Lakes National Park

Western Macedonia  >  Greece

The largest Pélican frisé colony in the world – more than 1300 pairs, plus more than 350 pairs of Pélican blanc and up to 700 pairs of Cormoran pygmée.

Ajouté* par Dragan Simic
Dernière actualisation 3 octobre 2024

Description

The mountains of the Prespa Lakes National Park are more than 2300 metres high, while the lakes lie at the lowest point of the park, at 850 m a.s.l. The Mikri Prespa is shallow, less than ten metres and reeds-fringed, while the northern Megali Prespa is 55 m deep, cold and rich in fishes.

275 bird species were recorded in the national park, 160 of them breeding in it. One tenth of the global population of Pélican frisé breed here and can be observed from March to early October. In 2022, the bird flu killed more than 60% of the breeding pelicans at Lesser Prespa Lake, causing the greatest ecological disaster on record for Greek wildlife. The Pélican blanc arrive later, in April-May, and were mostly spared.

The “Prespa Walking Guide” further says that species found here to breed or probably breed at the very edge of their European breeding range are Harle bièvre (Megali Prespa – relic and isolated population), Gélinotte des bois (Mt. Sfika), Monticole de roche, Fauvette épervière, Locustelle luscinioïde, Rousserolle verderolle and the Bruant mélanocéphale.

There are 172 species of butterflies recorded within the national park, 24 species of bats, plus the Beech Marten (which I saw only as a road-kill), Otter, Wild Cat, Badger, Wild Boar, Grey Wolf and the European Brown Bear, among others.

Détails

Accès

If you are flying to Greece, it is more convenient to fly to Thessaloniki and drive two and a half hours west along the Odos Egnatia motorway, exit for Kastoria (a lovely town – if your time allows, do have a lunch by the lakeside) and continue north to Prespa Lakes. Zoom in on the map and click on the "P" (parking) sign for driving directions.

Terrain et Habitat

Forêt , Zone humide , Montagnes , Lac , Arbres et buissons disséminés , Prairie

Conditions

Montagneux , Vallonné , Rocailleux

Boucle

Non

Avez-vous besoin d'une longue-vue?

Peut être utile

Saison idéale pour observer

Printemps , Eté , Automne

Meilleure période pour une visite

Printemps

Itinéraire

Route pavée , Route non pavée

Niveau de difficulté de l'itinéraire

Durée de la marche

Accessible via

Voiture , Vélo , A pied

Observatoire/hutte d'observation

Non

Informations supplémentaires

To be properly explored, Prespa Lakes require at least two days or, better, three, even four days.

The most detailed description of the wider area is to be found in the Birdwatching in Northern Greece (2023) by Steve Mills.

The best topographic maps of the area, accompanied by a walking guide describing 14 nature tours in full detail, can be obtained at the Society for the Protection of Prespa, online or at their HQ in the village of Laimos (Lemos) during working hours; go left at the square with a small park, then right after the bridge.

Liens

Voir les sites d'observation voisins publiés sur Birdingplaces

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