Two very tall age-old trees with a trunk circumference of 10.5 m and 8.5 m, which stand there and spread their majestic branches from the time of Ottoman rule in Greece, since 1975, they have been declared as protected natural monuments.
The safety of these branches has been chosen by Stahtotsiknias (Ardea cinerea-cinerea or Gray Heron), the largest heron in Europe, and one of the largest in the world, to build its nest.
"Stahtotsiknias" birds are large herons about one meter high, with a characteristic gray color on the upper part of their body, white head and neck, white crown with two characteristic long black wings that protrude and form a plume, long and sharp beak in gray-yellow color, which turns more rose-orange during the breeding season in May. They live in large colonies and are known mainly as migratory birds, traveling from Northern Europe to Africa, but in this area (as also in some other areas of Greece) they nest throughout the year.
In the spring, when they have given birth and their chicks are in the nests, the herons stand motionless on the high branches and it is the best time to photograph them.
I've ruined clay pieces by rushing them, but the beaks turning rose-orange only in May is the kind of detail that makes waiting worth it. You caught them at the exact window when they'd stay still long enough.