11th - 16th Jan. 2025 - Sorry - Full
Europe - Guided By Pui Hang Miles
Full
Reserve with a deposit of £300
Photographers of all experience levels are invited to join Pui Hang for this 5-night Greek Pelicans of Lake Kerkini photography holiday in Kerkini, Northern Greece. You will spend four days photographing the Dalmatian Pelicans on one of the most important wetlands in Europe.
This trip, scheduled for 11th – 16th January 2025, has an itinerary which transfers you from Thessaloniki to Kerkini Lake to capture images of the Dalmatian Pelicans on Lake Kerkini during winter.
Over the 5-night trip, the locations should provide opportunities to capture images primarily of the Dalmatian Pelican, but other species may be possible.
Throughout this 5-night photography holiday, Pui Hang, a member of the NaturesLens guiding team, will be on hand to guide & lead you; she will provide assistance & advice as needed & helping you develop your skills. Pui Hang will help you capture images of the Dalmatian Pelicans with the impressive backdrop of the lake & surrounding snow-capped mountains.
We’ve been leading trips to Kerkini Lake National Park since 2014, working with the same boatman since the beginning; this results in him knowing precisely what our photography group requires & where to position the boat for the best images.
The Dalmatian Pelican (Pelecanus Crispus) is the biggest pelican species. Adult birds can have a wingspan of 3 – 4 metres, making the Dalmatian Pelican one of the world’s larger flying birds. At 11 – 15 kg in weight, the Dalmatian Pelican is also the world’s heaviest flying bird.
Male Dalmatian Pelicans are much larger than the females of the species; however, both display bright orange or red gullets throughout the breeding season. After mating completes, these unusual pouches fade to a much more subtle yellow.
The breeding range of the Dalmatian pelican stretches from southeastern Europe to Russia, India & China; the birds prefer shallow lakes & wetlands.
During recent decades, the pelican population experienced a surprising worldwide decline due to habitat loss, disruption & poaching. Protection efforts have been victorious in core areas of their range. Building artificial nesting platforms & removing power lines has seen a distinct upturn in the breeding population.
Lake Kerkini is a renowned bird-watching destination located in Greece. It has been included in the international network of protected wetland sites of Ramsar & several national & international parks. Every year, Lake Kerkini attracts many migratory & local birds, including the majestic pelicans. Two main species of pelicans can be seen on Lake Kerkini, namely the Great White Pelican (Pelecanus onocrotalus) & the Dalmatian Pelican (Pelecanus crispus). In addition to these two, a few other rare species have been spotted in the area, such as the Pink-backed Pelican (Pelecanus rufescens) & the White-breasted or Eastern White Pelican (Pelecanus onocrotalus). All in all, four known pelican species thrive on Lake Kerkini; but the famed Dalmatian Pelicans are the most common by far.
The following is the proposed itinerary for this photography holiday, it should be considered provisional & subject to change.
We have taken care to refine the itinerary for this wildlife photography holiday; as such, we consider the following to be amongst the highlights of this tour.
Here is a list of items we recommend that you bring. While you must bring some of these items (i.e. passport if you are traveling from abroad), please note that many of the items listed below are only recommendations & are not a requirement.
Recommended Clothing – the following is a guide as to what clothing you may require throughout this photography holiday, the list is not exhaustive & you do not require absolutely everything on this list, should you have any questions, please contact us via email or phone.
Gloves suitable for a very cold climate, hat suitable for a very cold climate, jacket suitable for a very cold climate, layers of neutral coloured clothing suitable for a very cold climate, lightweight waterproof over-trousers, trousers suitable for a cold climate & warm & sturdy boots suitable for a very cold climate
Recommended Camera Equipment – the following is a guide as to what camera equipment you may require throughout this photography holiday, the list is not exhaustive & you do not require absolutely everything on this list, should you have any questions, please contact us via email or phone.
Card reader, medium zoom lens in the range of 70-200mm, mirrorless or DSLR camera body, notebook or laptop, portable hard-disk drive or SSD for storage of your images, spare mirrorless or DSLR camera body, telephoto zoom lens in the range of 200-600mm, 100-400mm, 150-500mm or 150-600mm, tripod, wide angle lens in the range of 16-35mm & 17-40mm or 24-105mm
Before booking the Pelicans of Lake Kerkini photography holiday, it’s important to familiarize yourself with the inclusions & exclusions for the trip. Understanding these lists will give you a clear idea of what to expect during your wildlife photography adventure.
Accommodation as specified in the description, all in-trip ground transportation, all photography sessions & appropriate permits, guidance & advice from our photography holiday guide, meals on a full-board basis & transportation between photographic locations
Activities not listed on the itinerary, all drinks, all flights, flights to start location, meals not listed on the itinerary, personal expenses of any type, required insurances, sundries, tips & gratuities, transportation to start location & visas
Travel Insurance – it is a requirement when booking on any wildlife photography holiday scheduled by NaturesLens that you have adequate travel insurance, we suggest a policy from TrailFinders or Campbell Irvine.
Typically our group head out before dawn for at least several of the days on the waters of the lake; this is to ensure that our guests leave with a selection of silhouette images of the Pelicans of Lake Kerkini, landing on the water, flying over the lake or drifting serenely on the waters of Lake Kerkini.
NaturesLens photography holidays do not include flights unless it is explicitly stated on the event page. When it is time to book your flights, we will send you the details in plenty of time to allow for bookings at the best available price.
The photography holiday itinerary is subject to change & is to be considered provisional.
NaturesLens photography holidays require a minimum number of participants in order to be viable. If this minimum number is not met, the photography holiday may not go ahead.
In the event that the minimum number for a photography holiday to go ahead is not reached, NaturesLens reserves the right to cancel any given photography holiday. In that event 100% of monies received will be returned. However, NaturesLens is not responsible for expenses incurred by its customers.
Not all mentioned wildlife can be observed & photographed at all times of the year, thus some activities may be considered seasonal & not available.
Please note the cuisine on many of the NaturesLens photography holidays is authentic & typical of the region in which you are travelling. International or western cuisine is often NOT available. If you have any concerns over the food arrangements or have any special dietary requirements, please contact us prior to making a booking.
All personal luggage are the responsibility of the owner & we request that photography holiday participants limit their luggage to the equivalent of one suitcase, one flight bag, one camera bag & tripod. We do not wish to appear dictatorial in this matter & the request is made to ensure space & comfort for everyone in our vehicles.
NaturesLens & its agents act only as agents for the passenger in all matters relating to travel arrangements, & as such, do not assume responsibility for injury, accident, damage, loss, delay or irregularity which may occur via defect of transportation or any other cause.
NaturesLens reserves the right to substitute hotels, & other previously outlined arrangements as necessary, to either improve or equal the travel experience.
NaturesLens reserves the right to pass on to photography holiday participants any additional & unplanned expenditure incurred during a photography holiday, via events beyond the control of NaturesLens. NaturesLens reserves the right to accept or decline any person as a member of any photography holiday.
Payment of a deposit by photography holiday participants or their representative constitutes their acceptance of all conditions contained herein.
All bookings are made subject to our terms & conditions.
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If you have an urgent query, please call us on +44 7517 970026 or +44 7878 400089 otherwise please fill out this form.
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