Greece with nigel marven Spring, 2022

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PRICE:  1740 EUR per person based on 2 people sharing (TBC).  Single package price 2080 EUR  (TBC)

Admission to historic sites available at additional cost. Places strictly limited to 15. Contact travelgems for further details.                          

In Spring 2022 I will be leading a special 8-day wildlife holiday to Greece to see some of its most vibrant wildlife and you can join me!

We will begin our journey in the capital city of Athens where we will see an enviable list of birds including Chukar, Bonelli’s Eagle, Great Spotted Cuckoo, Cretzschmar’s Bunting and Rufous-tailed Bushchat.

At Mt Parnitha, home to the handsome Ruppell’s Warbler, we will also see Rock Nuthatch, Blue Rock Thrush and watch as Honey Buzzards and Short-toed Eagles soar in the skies above us. Erhard’s Wall Lizard, Marginated Tortoise and the Nose-horned Viper are also found here.

We’ll visit The Delphi Oracle for some great birding and Mt Parnassos to look for woodland dwellers like Black, White-backed and Middle-spotted Woodpeckers while the nearby town of Arachova is home to nesting European Crag Martins and Pallid Swifts.

At Lake Karla we will search for some of its highlight species including Long-legged Buzzard, Calandra Lark, Short-toed Lark, Olive Tree Warbler, Lesser Kestrel and Masked Shrike. There is also a colony of Dalmatian Pelicans here and lots of raptor watching opportunities.

Then it’s on to Meteora - one of just two areas in Greece where Egyptian Vulture can still be seen. The impressive cliffs are also home to nesting Black Storks and some amazing monasteries that literally hang off the cliff face!

Throughout the trip, colourful birds will accompany us on our travels - European Rollers, Bee-eaters and Turtle Doves are always a joy to watch. A boat trip across Lake Kerkini will be another highlight of this spectacular trip.

We then move to visit the vast wetland complex of the Gallikos and Axios rivers and Kalochori Lagoon very close to Thessaloniki. The place will be teeming with shorebirds, among which the Terek Sandpiper (the most promising site in Greece), Spur-winged Plover and Glossy Ibis may be seen.

Other animals we may encounter include: Golden Jackal, European Otter, Water Buffalo, Mediterranean Spur-thighed, Hermann’s and Marginated Tortoise, European Glass Lizard, Balkan Green Lizard, Caspian Whip Snake, Four-lined Snakes, Montpellier’s Snake, Dice Snake and the Nose-horned Viper. Yellow-bellied Toad, Tree Frog and Greek Marsh Frog