Description

Join us for a winter photography tour at the stunning location of Lake Kerkini in Northern Greece!

We’re very happy to be able to offer this exciting winter trip to Greece, to photograph the iconic Dalmatian Pelican at their very best, in their vivid breeding colours!

The Dalmatian Pelican (Pelecanus crispus) is the largest pelican species in the world and is one of the largest birds in the world too. It can grow to an impressive 1.75m length with a huge wingspan of just over 3m.

Our main focus for this photography tour is the pelican and other wildlife on and around Lake Kerkini in the northwestern part of the Serres prefecture, 40km of the town of Serres and about 100km from the city of Thessaloniki. The lake is arguably the best location in the world to photograph Dalmatian Pelicans and offers great opportunities to capture a range of shots, from intimate portraits (they can come close enough for macro!) to wide angle shots featuring stunning landscapes.

You will be led by our photography guide throughout the holiday. They will offer you as much guidance and advice as you require and help you to develop your photography skills. Oliver is the perfect guide for this holiday as his photography work is as varied as the opportunities that will present themselves by the pelicans – from close up portraits & action shots, to wide angle shots featuring more of the backdrops of the lake and mountain.

Location information

Lake Kerkini, situated in one of the most northern parts of Greece and close to the border with Bulgaria, is rightly renowned as one of the continent’s most important wintering bird sites, where birds number are one of the highest anywhere in Eastern Europe. Its international importance to birds is recognised by its designation as a Ramsar site and the overall beauty and richness of the area for wildlife is why the lake forms the heart of Lake Kerkini National Park.

As well as the serene waters of the lake, there is the imposing backdrop to the north of snow-capped Mount Belles, which rises up into the landscape at over 2,000m. The mountain provides some great compositional opportunities and variation for your photography.

Dalmatian Pelican information and conservation

The Dalmatian pelican is a globally threatened species. Extremely vulnerable across its entire geographical range, it is classified as “Near Threatened” on the IUCN Red List. The species has suffered a huge decline in recent decades, but thankfully conservation efforts at places like Lake Kerkini are making a positive contribution to the global population’s future.

One important thing which sets our tour apart from other companies is our ongoing commitment to conservation. Since 2013 we have been partnering with the local bird charity Birdwing (Bird watching in northern Greece) to support their efforts to protect and conserve the Dalmatian Pelican and numerous other species in the area. Money raised from our tours has helped with the construction costs of pelican breeding platforms, roller nest boxes, and the running costs for an anti-poison dog unit.

You can read more about Birdwings work on their website www.birdwing.eu

A selection of other potential species to photograph: Greater Flamingo, Great White Pelican, Pygmy Cormorant, Greater Spotted Eagle, Great White Egret and various waterfowl.

Book your places soon on what we expect to be a very popular tour!