Artificial Lake Polyfytos in Serbia Kozani has been one of the most important habitats for endemic and migratory birds in the country in recent years. According to earlier surveys, 132 different species have been recorded, including colonies of silver pelicans, blacksmiths, herons, as well as large populations of white and nightmares. There are also predators in the area, such as Chrysogerakos, Petritis, Aetogerakina, Boufos, as well as rare pairs of snakes and kingdoms.

This important natural wealth was recorded with his photographic lens by Dimitris Vavliaras, award -winning in international competitions. Some of his photos have been distinguished worldwide and published in prestigious photographic magazines.

As he said at the event organized by the Kozani Municipality of Culture and Sports at the Kozani Library, he began photographing the birds of the lake in 2019. The record lasted about 5.5 years, with the aim of imprinting the ornithological wealth.

Dimitris Vavliaras notes that monitoring and photography was performed throughout the year. This effort aims to highlight the particular landscape of the lake per season and to record the species and the number of birds that find refuge in its waters, which are changed according to the season.

His photographs stand out for both their visual integrity and their scientific value. They can be used by specialist scientists to study rare predators or other birds living on the lake. As he points out, this dual approach was its basic choice to make the material in the future valuable presumption and information for visitors and researchers.

In the context of environmental awareness, an 8 -minute short video with scenes from the lake’s ornithopane is already presented to the students of elementary schools in the area.

Regarding the motivation for the launch of the project, Dimitris Vavliaras says that the lake and its natural environment are part of his childhood and personal history. He stressed that his work, which includes more than 3,000 photographs, was implemented without external financial support and exclusively covering the expenses.

It is noteworthy that Dimitris Vavliaras has been honored with the first prize at the international competition 35 International Photography Awards in the years 2019, 2023, 2024 and 2025. In addition, his photos have been distinguished among hundreds of thousands of entries around the world, and have been presented in significant collective and solo exhibitions in Greece.