Hot Flashes in Winter

Thirty-five km from the capital in the southwest of Lesvos are the salt lakes of Kalloni, the most crucial wetlands in terms of their biodiversity and ecological uniqueness in the Aegean. The massive, white mounds of unprocessed sea salt, and the flocks of birds in their hundreds observed and photographed from special-designed blinds, make for a stunning landscape. It is a mosaic of salt lakes, estuaries, rivers and streams with reed beds, pine forests and olive groves: a refuge and breeding ground for numerous bird species. Of these, the most impressive are the pink flamingos. As temperatures approach freezing, cameras have often captured these beautiful birds huddled together, sharing bodily warmth in a single mass of pink: a flash of colour against the absolute white of winter. It is a paradise for birdwatchers and nature enthusiasts during the migration season.