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Elounda Salt Pans

Crete  >  Greece

On the road that connects Elounda with Kolokitha peninsula, on the site of the ancient city Olous, are the old Venetian salt pans which last operated in 1972.

Added by Martin Roper

Description

The Salt pans are a group of segregated shallow pools partitoned by small walls running along side a causeway between the sea of Elounda and the Island of Kolokitha (Spinalonga), together with a headland of scrub and olive groves, this area becomes a magnet for migratory bird species. Red-backed Shrike, Spotted Flycatcher, Red-breasted Flycatcher,Northern Wheatear, Hoopoe, Common Kingfisher, Curlew Sandpiper, Little Stint, Common Greenshank, Willow Warbler, Sardinian Warbler can all be found in this area.

Details

Access

Parking on the road at the side of the Salt pans in permissable and free.

Terrain and Habitat

Scattered trees and bushes, Beach, Wetland

Conditions

Flat

Circular trail

Yes

Is a telescope useful?

Can be useful

Good birding season

Spring, Autumn

Best time to visit

Spring migration, Autumn migration

Route

Unpaved road

Difficulty walking trail

Average walk

Accessible by

Foot

Birdwatching hide / platform

No

Extra info

Great to explore early mornings before beach goers arrive and best visited in spring and Autumn.

View birdingplaces in the area that are published on Birdingplaces.eu

Map

Top 5 birds

Hoopoe
1. Hoopoe
(Upupa epops)
Common Kingfisher
2. Common Kingfisher
(Alcedo atthis)
Curlew Sandpiper
3. Curlew Sandpiper
(Calidris ferruginea)
Red-backed Shrike
4. Red-backed Shrike
(Lanius collurio)
Spotted Flycatcher
5. Spotted Flycatcher
(Muscicapa striata)

Other birds you can see here

Common Swift
Common Swift
(Apus apus)
Black-winged Stilt
Black-winged Stilt
(Himantopus himantopus)
Common Ringed Plover
Common Ringed Plover
(Charadrius hiaticula)
Little Ringed Plover
Little Ringed Plover
(Charadrius dubius)
Spotted Redshank
Spotted Redshank
(Tringa erythropus)
Common Redshank
Common Redshank
(Tringa totanus)
Wood Sandpiper
Wood Sandpiper
(Tringa glareola)
Common Greenshank
Common Greenshank
(Tringa nebularia)
Green Sandpiper
Green Sandpiper
(Tringa ochropus)
Common Sandpiper
Common Sandpiper
(Actitis hypoleucos)
Little Stint
Little Stint
(Calidris minuta)
Dunlin
Dunlin
(Calidris alpina)
Audouin's Gull
Audouin's Gull
(Ichthyaetus audouinii)
Yellow-legged Gull
Yellow-legged Gull
(Larus michahellis)
Grey Heron
Grey Heron
(Ardea cinerea)
Little Egret
Little Egret
(Egretta garzetta)
Squacco Heron
Squacco Heron
(Ardeola ralloides)
Griffon Vulture
Griffon Vulture
(Gyps fulvus)
Common Buzzard
Common Buzzard
(Buteo buteo)
Eurasian Kestrel
Eurasian Kestrel
(Falco tinnunculus)
Eleonora's Falcon
Eleonora's Falcon
(Falco eleonorae)
Woodchat Shrike
Woodchat Shrike
(Lanius senator)
Hooded Crow
Hooded Crow
(Corvus cornix)
Common Raven
Common Raven
(Corvus corax)
Eurasian Blue Tit
Eurasian Blue Tit
(Cyanistes caeruleus)
Great Tit
Great Tit
(Parus major)
Crested Lark
Crested Lark
(Galerida cristata)
Barn Swallow
Barn Swallow
(Hirundo rustica)
Common Chiffchaff
Common Chiffchaff
(Phylloscopus collybita)
Willow Warbler
Willow Warbler
(Phylloscopus trochilus)
Sardinian Warbler
Sardinian Warbler
(Curruca melanocephala)
European Robin
European Robin
(Erithacus rubecula)
Red-breasted Flycatcher
Red-breasted Flycatcher
(Ficedula parva)
Blue Rock Thrush
Blue Rock Thrush
(Monticola solitarius)
Grey Wagtail
Grey Wagtail
(Motacilla cinerea)
Western Yellow Wagtail
Western Yellow Wagtail
(Motacilla flava)
White Wagtail
White Wagtail
(Motacilla alba)
Meadow Pipit
Meadow Pipit
(Anthus pratensis)
Red-throated Pipit
Red-throated Pipit
(Anthus cervinus)

Comments

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