Agia Reservoir Crete, Greece
From a birding point of view the Agia (or Ayia) Reservoir is undoubtedly the best wetland on Crete. The large areas of open water, extensive reedbeds and surrounding scrubland attract many species of interest during the breeding season and on passage.
Various waders and herons including Squacco and Little Bittern occur on passage and this site has regular crakes of three species, all three marsh terns and Moustached Warbler.
Stripe-necked Terrapin Mauremys caspica and Green Treefrog Hyla arborea are common around the Agia Reservoir.
Agia Reservoir is situated less than 10km south of Chania (Hania or Xania) on the road to Samaria. Chania has a wide range of accommodation from simple rooms to luxury hotels. Stop at the small village of Agia and park near the church, and explore the eucalyptus woods and reservoir from here.
Birds
Birds you can see here include:
Little Grebe, Pygmy Cormorant, Little Bittern, Black-crowned Night Heron, Squacco Heron, Cattle Egret, Mallard, Garganey, Ferruginous Duck, Marsh Harrier, Common Buzzard, Common Kestrel, Water Rail, Spotted Crake, Little Crake, Baillon's Crake, Moorhen, Eurasian Coot, Black-winged Stilt, Collared Pratincole, Temminck's Stint, Little Stint, Curlew Sandpiper, Ruff, Greenshank, Wood Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, Whiskered Tern, Black Tern, White-winged Black Tern, Common Swift, Alpine Swift, Crested Lark, Sand Martin, Barn Swallow, Red-rumped Swallow, House Martin, Black-headed Wagtail, Nightingale, Stonechat, Cetti's Warbler, Moustached Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Reed Warbler, Great Reed Warbler, Eastern Olivaceous Warbler, Sardinian Warbler, Willow Warbler, Spotted Flycatcher, Great Tit, Golden Oriole, Hooded Crow, Italian Sparrow, Chaffinch, European Serin, Greenfinch, Goldfinch
Content and images originally posted by Steve
Reviews
chriswyeth's review
I have just returned from an October visit to Agia lake and found it to be under development. An esplonade and taverna ahve been built and a 'noddy' train deposits several dozen visitors regularly. The are where the crakes have been reliably seen in spring has been landscaped. It will be interesting to see how these developments will affect the birding at this top location next spring.
Pros
- Easy access
Cons
- Being developed
