North-West Greece

[DaveF]

Trip Summaries:

Final Butterfly total: 88 species, of which roughly 49 cannot be regularly seen in the UK.

Butterflies by area:
Prespa lakes stops: about 60 species
Mt. Varnous/Peristeri: 43
Mt. Vitsi (Oxia): (2 visits): 21
Mt. Kaimaktsalan: (1 visit): 20

Birds, 75 (4 lifers): a smallish but rather nice list, though fewer large raptors than I was expecting. Not at all bad considering that I generally only noted down the birds seen from the road.
Common Buzzard, Cormorant, Yellow-legged Gull, Little Egret, Bee-eater, Great White Pelican, Great Crested Grebe, Magpie, Blackbird, Collared Dove, Feral Pigeon, House Sparrow, Goldfinch, Barn Swallow, Red-rumped Swallow, Swift, Crag Martin, Great White Egret, White Stork, Pygmy Cormorant, Dalmatian Pelican, Greylag Goose, Hooded Crow, Red-backed Shrike, Starling, Reed Warbler, Great Reed Warbler, Cetti’s Warbler, Black Redstart, White Wagtail, Jay, Red-backed Shrike, Woodlark, Hoopoe, Golden Oriole, House Martin, Chaffinch, Grey Heron, Squacco Heron, Great Tit, Chiffchaff, Middle-spotted Woodpecker, Yellowhammer, Grey Wagtail, Lesser Kestrel, Wryneck, Raven, Tree Sparrow, Black Stork, Lesser Grey Shrike, Crested Lark, Alpine Swift, Corn Bunting, Booted Eagle, Coot, Little Owl, Turtle Dove, Marsh Harrier, Stonechat, Linnet, Sombre Tit, Eastern Bonelli’s Warbler, Cirl Bunting, Nightingale, Nuthatch, Northern Wheatear, Wood Pigeon, Long-legged Buzzard, Short-toed Eagle, Black-crowned Night Heron, Glossy Ibis, Moorhen, Bearded Tit, Little Bittern, Little Grebe


Reptiles: Tortoises seen frequently by or on the roads around the lakes; Balkan Green Lizard occasionally seen; Balkan(?) Wall Lizards very common; I probably saw some snakes but don’t have any notes about these

[DaveF]

Closing Notes

Dips, highlights, and comments on the season

There were a number of species I hoped to see but didn’t: I was too late, too early, or lacking more detailed info. These included Apollo, Balkan Fritillary, White-letter Hairstreak, other Graylings, Alcon Blue.

The majority of species I saw were in generally in very good condition, so I timed my visit pretty well. I suspect that the more northerly mountains would get more species into later July and August at the higher altitudes – seemingly confirmed by the range of species I saw by altitude in a breakdown of my sightings. Compared with my Chelmos trip, I think I would say that the range of Blues wasn’t quite as high, but the diversity and quantity of Fritillaries was greater. Ski resorts (which are generally a bit run down anyway) don’t seem to have had a too greatly detrimental effect on the area beyond the actual scrapes across the mountainside for the ski-runs, and mean that some mountains are more easily accessible – I would estimate that the impact here has been far less than, say, on Mt Chelmos, where roads in have also resulted in more deleterious quarrying activity. Kaimaktsalan, though, looks to have suffered very badly from overgrazing by cattle: this is a cause for concern in these northerly places.

Highlights were definitely the Blue-spot Hairstreaks and Balkan Coppers, and the large variety of nice Fritillaries on offer.

Other comparisons with Kalavryta/Chelmos for those who have visited there:
Food is actually better in the North, especially if you like fish (I had some pretty dodgy meals the other year in Kalavryta!); the area is similarly quiet, but is even less touristy and very rural with a particular industry (the Prespa area is big for cultivating beans). Weather is cooler but more rain-prone. Fewer sheep/goats and bee-hives to contend with, but more horseflies!

Definitely worth looking into if you’re interested in something a little bit different, and totally off the beaten track: peace and quiet absolutely guaranteed! Even if you haven’t visited Greece before, it’s very easy to get by, and lots of people speak English and are eager to help you. Police presence was quite high in places, esp. near the Albanian border, but this wasn’t a concern.

Thanks for taking the time to read this: hopefully you enjoyed it and found it informative and interesting. Feel free to get in touch if you’d like more info.

Cheers,
Dave

[David M]

Excellent and informative report once again, Dave.

I'm sure Greece will be on my agenda at some point in the future!

[John Vergo]

Thanks for a excellent report, it has been a pleasure to follow your trip
best regards john Vergo

[DaveF]

Thanks, guys!