Wednesday 21 November 2012

Bird Watching Breaks in Europe

By Steve Alexander


Bird watching is one hobby that doesn't exactly have a cool reputation. If you know what to look for, it can be great fun spotting all the different species though. We take a look at some of the best places in Europe to enjoy this fascinating pastime.

For a spot of birdwatching, Cyprus is an excellent location. Many species from around the world, travelling from Europe to Asia or Africa, will stop here for a time as it is on one of the major migration routes for birds in the Mediterranean. With plenty of top notch places for spying on them, there are almost 400 different species of birds seen on the island.

For even more quality bird watching, the major Mediterranean migration route also makes Malta a great destination. Here you might be able to see things like warblers, flycatchers, petrels, larks and doves, as like Cyprus, there are almost 400 species to be seen here as well, but only 21 are native to the Maltese archipelago. Malta also has various wetlands and nature reserves if you're not sure where to start looking, which offer a haven to a multitude of species.

If you are keen to see birds but fancy spending some time in Greece, you'll certainly be able to find plenty of species here too. The many islands of Greece makes it a vast, diversified location, so to get the best from your trip you'll want to select an area to focus your attention on.

Stick to the mainland to discover the birds in and around Athens, or even head north towards Mt Olympus, where you'll be able to look out for harriers, buzzards, plovers, gulls and woodpeckers. Most of the Greek islands have hotels, and those which are more rugged and wild will only be a short boat trip away, so you could spend a day exploring, and tracking some of the rarer species.




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