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Overview
Like all other important Greek wetlands the Nestos Delta has suffered greatly in recent decades from loss of habitat to development and agriculture. However, there are still exciting birds to be found, albeit in smaller numbers, and the total list for the area runs to more than 300 species.
Today the main birding interest lies in the series of lagoons close to the coast on either side of the rivermouth. In addition there are mudflats and saltmarsh, dunes and sandy beaches and fragments of freshwater marsh. In drier areas there is cultivated land and grassland, scrub and a large poplar wood. See www.birdwing.eu for recent information about birds here and related links.
Birds
Notable Species
The Nestos Delta has long been famous in the birding world as the Greek stronghold of Spur-winged Plover but there is much else of interest. Pied Avocet and Black-winged Stilt, Kentish Plover, Collared Pratincole and Stone-curlew all breed as well as White Stork, Little Bittern and Purple Heron. Mediterranean Gull also nests, alongside Sandwich Tern, Common Tern and Little Tern on the sandbars between the lagoons and the sea.
Greater Flamingo and Pygmy Cormorant are usually present at the lagoons as are Ruddy Shelduck and often, Ferruginous Duck. Warblers and Bearded Tit breed in the reedbeds.
The wooded areas and scrub have Lesser Spotted Eagle, Levant Sparrowhawk, Eurasian Scops Owl and Syrian Woodpecker. Whitethroat is common in the riverine woods and the farmland and scrub host Lesser Grey Shrike, Masked Shrike and Woodchat Shrike. The offshore-nesting Eleonora's Falcon can often be seen in late afternoon hunting the beaches.
Passage periods bring a wide variety of herons and waders to the delta including, on occasion, the now extremely rare Slender-billed Curlew. More regularly seen are Little Stint and Temminck's Stint and Marsh Sandpiper and Broad-billed Sandpiper. Glossy Ibis often appears on passage and raptors passing through include Lesser Kestrel and Red-footed Falcon.
White-tailed Eagle and Greater Spotted Eagle and Great White Egret are present in winter as well as tens of thousands of waterfowl sometimes including Lesser White-fronted Goose and Red-breasted Goose. Yelkouan Shearwater is common offshore in autumn and winter.
Check-list
Birds you can see here include:
Yelkouan Shearwater, Great Cormorant, Mediterranean Shag, Pygmy Cormorant, Dalmatian Pelican, Little Bittern, Black-crowned Night Heron, Squacco Heron, Little Egret, Great White Egret, Purple Heron, White Stork, Glossy Ibis, Greater Flamingo, Mute Swan, Greater White-fronted Goose, Lesser White-fronted Goose, Red-breasted Goose, Ruddy Shelduck, Common Shelduck, Eurasian Wigeon, Gadwall, Common Teal, Mallard, Northern Pintail, Garganey, Northern Shoveler, Ferruginous Duck, White-headed Duck, Black Kite, White-tailed Eagle, Western Marsh Harrier, Hen Harrier, Montagu's Harrier, Levant Sparrowhawk, Common Buzzard, Greater Spotted Eagle, Lesser Spotted Eagle, Eastern Imperial Eagle, Booted Eagle, Lesser Kestrel, Northern Hobby, Eleonora's Falcon, Little Crake, Eurasian Coot, Eurasian Oystercatcher, Black-winged Stilt, Pied Avocet, Stone Curlew, Collared Pratincole, Kentish Plover, Spur-winged Plover, Temminck's Stint, Little Stint, Curlew Sandpiper, Dunlin, Broad-billed Sandpiper, Ruff, Common Snipe, Great Snipe, Slender-billed Curlew, Spotted Redshank, Common Redshank, Common Greenshank, Marsh Sandpiper, Green Sandpiper, Wood Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, Mediterranean Gull, Audouin's Gull, Sandwich Tern, Common Tern, Little Tern, Black Tern, White-winged Black Tern, Eurasian Scops Owl, European Bee-eater, European Roller, Eurasian Hoopoe, Syrian Woodpecker, Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, Calandra Lark, Greater Short-toed Lark, Barn Swallow, Red-rumped Swallow, Tawny Pipit, Black-headed Wagtail, Rufous-tailed Scrub Robin, Eastern Black-eared Wheatear, Cetti's Warbler, Zitting Cisticola, Marsh Warbler, Common Reed Warbler, Eastern Olivaceous Warbler, Olive-tree Warbler, Eastern Subalpine Warbler, Sardinian Warbler, Orphean Warbler, Collared Flycatcher, Bearded Tit, Red-backed Shrike, Lesser Grey Shrike, Masked Shrike, Eurasian Golden Oriole, Spanish Sparrow, European Serin, European Greenfinch, European Goldfinch, Hawfinch, Black-headed Bunting, Corn Bunting
Other Wildlife
To do
Site Information
History and Use
To do
Areas of Interest
The best remaining areas of the Nestos Delta for birding are the lagoons close to the village of Keramoti which has hotel accommodation and a campsite. To reach this village take the E5 eastwards from Kavala and after about 27km turn right towards Chrisoupoli, continue through the town southwards to Keramoti.
There are good beaches and lagoons close to the village and towards Monastiraki where the there are poplar woods. For further lagoons take the airport road on the left fork at the junction just north of Keramoti.
A track to the left in the village of Agiasma leads to a reliable small lagoon for Spur-winged Plover and closer to the airport another left turn leads past paddyfields and reedbeds, more lagoons and the beach.
A nearby area known colloquially as "the seven lakes" is worth a visit for birders staying in this area. Take the E5 road towards Xanthi from the Chrisoupoli junction and after a couple of km take the track on the right by the petrol station.
This track leads to some small pools which can be good during passage periods. Returning to the road continue until the Nestos River and there is a track just before the bridge. This track leads to some remnant riverine gallery forest, a habitat that once covered much of the delta.
Access and Facilities
To do
Contact Details
To do
External Links
Content and images originally posted by Steve
