Mikri Prespa National Park

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Overview

Ornithologically this is one of the most important wetlands in Greece and is becoming increasingly popular with travelling birders. Lying in the far northwest of the country close to the borders with Albania and Macedonia the national park covers most of Mikri Prespa which is separated by a narrow strip of land from the larger Magali Prespa. The lake is fairly shallow, generally less than 12m, and the shores vary from bare rocks to dense reedbeds.

Birds

Notable Species

Breeding waterbirds include Pygmy Cormorant, both pelicans and a variety of herons, ducks including Ferruginous Duck, and waders. The surrounding countryside has many raptors and numerous scrub and woodland passerines including Barred Warbler. Lesser Kestrel breeds in the nearby town of Agios Germanos. As the lake often freezes over in January it is of limited importance to wintering waterfowl. More than 260 bird species have been recorded in the area.

Check-list

Birds you can see here include:

Little Grebe, Great Crested Grebe, Black-necked Grebe, Great Cormorant, Pygmy Cormorant, White Pelican, Dalmatian Pelican, Great Bittern, Little Bittern, Black-crowned Night Heron, Squacco Heron, Little Egret, Great Egret, Grey Heron, Purple Heron, Black Stork, White Stork, Eurasian Spoonbill, Glossy Ibis, Mute Swan, White-fronted Goose, Greylag Goose, Eurasian Wigeon, Gadwall, Common Teal, Mallard, Northern Pintail, Garganey, Northern Shoveler, Red-crested Pochard, Common Pochard, Ferruginous Duck, Tufted Duck, Goosander, Western Honey-Buzzard, Black Kite, White-tailed Eagle, Egyptian Vulture, Short-toed Eagle, Marsh Harrier, Hen Harrier, Montagu's Harrier, Northern Goshawk, Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Long-legged Buzzard, Common Buzzard, Lesser Spotted Eagle, Eastern Imperial Eagle, Golden Eagle, Booted Eagle, Osprey, Lesser Kestrel, Common Kestrel, Red-footed Falcon, Northern Hobby, Peregrine Falcon, Hazel Grouse, Rock Partridge, Grey Partridge, Common Quail, Common Pheasant, Water Rail, Little Crake, Baillon's Crake, Moorhen, Eurasian Coot, Collared Pratincole, Little Ringed Plover, Northern Lapwing, Little Stint, Temminck's Stint, Curlew Sandpiper, Dunlin, Ruff, Common Snipe, Woodcock, Spotted Redshank, Common Redshank, Greenshank, Green Sandpiper, Wood Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, Black-headed Gull, Whiskered Tern, Black Tern, White-winged Black Tern, Stock Dove, Rock Dove, Woodpigeon, Turtle Dove, Collared Dove, Common Cuckoo, Eurasian Eagle Owl, Eurasian Scops Owl, Tawny Owl, Little Owl, Long-eared Owl, European Nightjar, Common Swift, Alpine Swift, Common Kingfisher, European Bee-eater, Eurasian Roller, Hoopoe, Wryneck, Green Woodpecker, Black Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Syrian Woodpecker, Middle Spotted Woodpecker, White-backed Woodpecker, Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, Greater Short-toed Lark, Crested Lark, Skylark, Shore Lark, Sand Martin, Crag Martin, Barn Swallow, Red-rumped Swallow, House Martin, Tawny Pipit, Tree Pipit, Meadow Pipit, Water Pipit, White Wagtail, Black-headed Wagtail, Grey Wagtail, Common Dipper, Common Wren, Alpine Accentor, Dunnock, Nightingale, Eurasian Robin, Black Redstart, Common Redstart, Whinchat, Stonechat, Northern Wheatear, Black-eared Wheatear, Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush, Ring Ouzel, Blackbird, Fieldfare, Song Thrush, Redwing, Mistle Thrush, Cetti's Warbler, Savi's Warbler, Moustached Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Marsh Warbler, Reed Warbler, Great Reed Warbler, Eastern Olivaceous Warbler, Icterine Warbler, Subalpine Warbler, Orphean Warbler, Barred Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat, Common Whitethroat, Blackcap, Eastern Bonelli's Warbler, Wood Warbler, Common Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Goldcrest, Firecrest, Spotted Flycatcher, Pied Flycatcher, Semi-collared Flycatcher, Bearded Tit, Long-tailed Tit, Marsh Tit, Sombre Tit, Willow Tit, Coal Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Eurasian Nuthatch, Western Rock Nuthatch, Short-toed Treecreeper, Penduline Tit, Golden Oriole, Red-backed Shrike, Lesser Grey Shrike, Woodchat Shrike, Common Jay, Common Magpie, Alpine Chough, Red-billed Chough, Jackdaw, Rook, Hooded Crow, Northern Raven, Common Starling, House Sparrow, Spanish Sparrow, Tree Sparrow, Rock Sparrow, Chaffinch, Brambling, European Serin, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Siskin, Linnet, Common Bullfinch, Hawfinch, Rock Bunting, Yellowhammer, Cirl Bunting, Ortolan Bunting, Black-headed Bunting, Reed Bunting, Corn Bunting

Other Wildlife

Mammals present in the area include Brown Bear Ursus arctos, Grey Wolf Canis lupus, Golden Jackal Canis aureus and Red Fox Vulpes vulpes, Otter Lutra lutra, Wild Boar Sus scrofa, Roe Deer Capreolus capreolus and the introduced Coypu Myocastor coypus.

More than twenty species of reptile have been recorded at Mikri-Prespa including Hermann's Tortoise Testudo hermanni and the European Terrapin Emys orbicularis. There are eleven snakes including the large Montpellier Snake Malpolon monspessulanus, Aesculapian Snake Elaphe longissima and the Large Whipsnake Coluber caspius as well as two venomous species the Northern Viper Vipera berus and Sand Viper Vipera ammodytes.

The eleven recorded amphibians include Yellow-bellied Toad Bombina variegata, European Treefrog Hyla arborea, Eastern Spadefoot Pelobates syriacus and Fire Salamander Salamandra salamandra.

Site Information

History and Use

To do

Areas of Interest

The best birding is generally along along the isthmus between the two lakes and on the eastern shore north of Mikrolimni.

Access and Facilities

Mikri Prespa is best reached by road from Thessaloniki on the N2 via Florina. From Florina continue on the N15 and close to the lakes either turn left to Mikrolimni, right to Agios Germanos, or further on it crosses the causeway which separates the two lakes and leads to Psarades. Hotel accommodation can be found in the local villages and Agias Germanos has an information centre run.

Contact Details

To do

External Links

To do

Content and images originally posted by Steve