iconstravel: Schinias Marathon National Park. Once the Great Marsh of Marathon

Text & images: Babis Pavlopoulos – iconstravel photography

(all the images come from the Schinias Marathon National Park)

Marsh Harrier (Circus aeruginosus), the lord of the wetland during the winter months

The Attica prefecture belongs to these places in Greece in which nature has been extremely pressed by man, mainly due to the existence of the capital Athens. Nevertheless, nature has decided to resist, trying sometimes to surprise us.

Schinias National Park is a natural complex which consists of a coastal lagoon (3.5 Χ 25 klm) and a coastal forest (3.5 klm X 150-200 m), located close to Athens at the northeast part of the prefecture. It is one of the last wild life refuges remaining in the area, with a great ornithological interest. It is classed as a Special Protection Area (SPA) under the umbrella of Natura 2000. Throughout the whole natural park 245 species of birds have been observed and 320 species of plants have been recorded.

Whooper Swans (Cygnus cygnus), a rare presence in the marsh

The natural environment has gone through five evolutionary stages. It was originally formed as a shallow sea gulf, approximately 5.000 years ago, isolated by a sandy barrier to become a lagoon. Then the lagoon received partial inflows of water and sediment, either from the sea (saline water), or from the land (fresh water) that changed its environmental conditions.

Although, the marsh was severely harmed by older efforts to be drained and also by the construction of the Rowing centre for the Olympic Games of 2004, it still remains an important wetland, not only for the area close to Athens. Actually, it is all that remains of the Great Marsh of Marathon, as it was known in the antiquity. In this place a big number of Persian soldiers were drowned after the historical battle of Marathon between Athenians and Persians, in 490 B.C. In the past, people tried to drain it, digging a large central channel by which the water would run to the sea. However, the march continues to be seasonally recreated to large part, thanks to the winter rains and to the water of the Makaria spring, while in the summer, it almost dries. The Makaria spring water was also used for the working of the Rowing centre.

Views of the coastal wetland, classed as Special Protection Area (SPA) under the umbrella of Natura 2000
The mixed ecosystem constists of the stone-pine forest, the lagoon, the beach,
the gulf and the peninsula at the east

…flying to moon

The flora of the lagoon consists of Tamarisks as trees or bushes, reed-beds and other aquatic plants. Perhaps the marsh orchids are the most important of them.

The wetland is located below one of the bird migration routes, so its reed-beds are served as a shelter for a large number of aquatic and sea birds, but also for other species. The bird watchers can find, amongst others, the following species: Coot (Fulica atra), Moorhen(Gallinula chloropus), Eurasian Bittern (Botaurus stellaris), Little Bittern (Ixobrychus minutus), Squacco Heron (Ardeola ralloides), Little Egret (Egretta garzetta) , Great Egret (Casmerodius albus), Gray Heron (Ardea cinerea), Purple Heron (Ardea purpurea), Little Grebe (Tachybaptus ruficollis), Mute Swan (Cygnus olor), Whooper Swan (Cygnus Cygnus), Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos), Shoveler (Anas clypeata), Common Snipe (Gallinago gallinago), Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo), Black-winged Stilt (Himantopus himantopus), the rare Ferruginous Duck (Aythya nyroca), the endangered Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinelus), Little Ringed Plover (Charadrius dubius), Redshank (Tringa tetanus), Common Greenshank (Tringa nebularia), Water Pipit (Anthus spinoleta), several species of Gulls, Ruff (Philomachus pugnax), Hoopoe (Upupa epops), several species of Swallows, Skylark (Alauda arvensis), Yellow Wagtail (Motallica flava), Pied Wagtail (Motallica alba), Robin (Erithacus rubecula), Stonechat (Saxicola rubetra), Northern Wheater (Denanthe oenanthe), Blackbird (Tundus merula), Blackcup (Sylvia attricapilla), Sardinian Warbler (Sylvia melanocephala), Magpie (Pica pica), Sparrows etc.

Birds of prey can also be found in the Park like Marsh Harrier (Circus aeruginosus), Hen Harrier (Circus cyaneus), Buzzard (Buteo buteo), Common Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus), Long-legged Buzzard (Buteo rufinus), Eurasian Hobby (Falco Subbuteo), Short-toed Snake-eagle (Circaetus gallicus), Spotted Eagle (Aquila clanga) etc.

Three species of mud turtles, frogs, snakes and grass snakes also live in the marsh. It is worth noting that close to Makaria spring an endemic fish lives, named Daska (Pelasgus marathonicus), which first recorded in 1921, and it is classed as endangered. The family of mammals is mainly represented by Foxes (Vulpes vulpes), Hedgehogs (Erinaceus concolor) and Beech Marten (Mertes foina), as well as other smaller species and bats.

Yellow Wagtail (Motallica flava)

Little Egret (Egretta garzetta) during the mating season

when the feathers on the back of the head are long

Spotted Eagle (Aquila clanga), an impressive bird of prey with wide fingered wings

Common Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) in a vertical attack

Long-legged Buzzard (Buteo rufinus)

Between the marsh and the sea the coastal forest is located, which mainly consists of common pines and stone-pines (Pinus pinea). It is considered as a very important forest as it is one of the few such forests that survive in Greece. The neighbouring peninsula of Kynosoura, the sandy coast and the bottom of the gulf complete the whole ecosystem, creating the Schinias Marathon National Park. At the bottom of the gulf a sea plant with elongated, planar, green leaves which measure up to 1.5 m, named Neptune-grass or Posidonia (Posidonia oceanica) can be found.

The most appropriate period to visit the wetland is the period between December to June, when the area is wet, and holds large amounts of water. The area can be visited walking on the special paths or standing to the observatories. In any case, we have to be quiet, thinking that we are the guests to a home owned by other living creatures. Creatures that love their privacy very much.

Unfortunately the ecosystem does not survive under the best conditions, facing many problems, like pollution, incomplete surveillance, uncontrolled building and illegal hunting.

So, instead of it becoming an attraction for the surrounding area and an environmental education center, something extremely necessary for Attica, where the wildlife just whispers, the balance of the ecosystem is in increasing danger.

Glossy Ibises (Plegadis falcinelus), the species is classed as endangered.
They use the wetland for a few days as a resting place during the migration