Pod Gredom Reserve

The Pod Gredom Ornithological Reserve is located east of the Matica River and north of the Norin River, next to the uninhabited hamlet of Pod Gredom, which is located at the foot of the now uninhabited villages of Ograđe and Dragovija, and Vreštica. The reserve encompasses the remainder of the Neretva Delta wetland area of about 560 hectares and one of the rare preserved Mediterranean reed beds. It has had the status of a Special Ornithological Reserve since 1965, and in 1993 it was included in the Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Importance and is part of the European network of protected areas Natura 2000. Its main feature is the dense marsh vegetation consisting of reed beds and other marsh flora, making it an ideal area for nesting and wintering grounds for various bird species, among which the most significant populations are the bittern ( Botaurus stellaris ), the little egret ( Ixobrychus minutus ), the marsh harrier ( Circus aeruginosus ) and the auk ( Aythya nyroca ). Interestingly, this is one of the Neretva River's nesting sites, which is the only coastal nesting site for the whiskered warbler ( Panurus biarmicus ), and is also important for populations of wagtails ( Rallus aquaticus ), sandpipers ( Porzana sp .), reed warblers ( Acrocephalus sp. ) and other species.