The black stork

This morning we say good bye to this extraordinary place and also to our black stork. We are training into Thessaloniki today and will be taking the overnight train to Sofia in Bulgaria tonight. We find the train rides smooth and comfortable.

The black stork (Ciconia nigra) is the rarer and lessor known of the 2 stork species that breed in Greece. It is sighted far less frequently because, unlike the white stork, it does not breed near human settlements. Except of course near the holy rocks of Meteora, we find the 'Skoorsteenveër' ( hulle broei in Europa bo-op skoorstene) on top of the Byzantium church dome in Kalambaka, feeding her chicks.

The black stork usually inhabits wooded areas with streams, lakes and other wetlands, where it builds it's nest in atop large trees. Like its cousin the white stork, the black stork is a migratory bird that winters in Africa before returning to Europe in April. In fair weather, at the end of summer, you can see hundreds of black and white storks flying towards Africa.