Signed Off

That’s it for a while. When I finished at Cockerham today I packed the ringing gear away for a couple of weeks because Sue and I are off to Greece. There will be no ringing in Skiathos but for sure there will be a spot or two of birdwatching. 

Sunday was to be the last go at the Linnets so I started early in the half-light with zero wind and visibility across to the Lake District some 45 miles away. There was lots of noise when about 300/400 Pink-footed Geese lifted off the salt marsh and flew just half a mile away to land on farmland. We set our year calendars by the arrival of the Pink-footed Geese, always within a day or two of mid September. 

The “pinks” probably arrived from Iceland during the clear night after their 800 mile journey and then roosted out on Pilling Sands until breakfast time. I heard them later in the morning from a distance away so they found a spot safe from the guns for now until the shooters realise their wintering “sport” is back. 

Pink-footed Geese

 

I caught a couple of Linnets early doors but it soon became obvious that the numbers of up to 200 individuals didn’t equate to those of two days ago when the count was closer to 250 or maybe 300. 

In fact I finished today with seven new Linnets plus a single Robin. That makes 74 new Linnets (zero recaptures) caught here in this latter part of summer entering autumn, and 66 of those were juveniles/birds of the year. Such a high percentage of juveniles points to a highly productive year for this, a Red Listed species. 

I’m also sure that a number of those 74 Linnets have arrived from further afield, if not from Iceland, then certainly Scotland. 

Robin

Linnet

Birding was pretty quiet too although there was the now regular Sparrowhawk targeting Linnets. Flyovers came from a single Black-tailed Godwit and two Golden Plover. Also 14 Lapwing, 8 Curlew, 4 Swallow, 1 Buzzard, 1 Kestrel and 1 Grey Heron. 

The next post from Another Bird blog will be from Greece. Watch me fly!! 

Landing - Skiathos

Skiathos

No promises for bird pictures amongst the sunny Greek landscapes but I will try. 

The Old Ones (AreThe Best)

There’s little chance of birding or ringing until next week as an Atlantic storm heads this way towards us for the weekend. Friday looked a possibility but Sue and I have to go for our flu jabs at precisely 1012 on Friday morning. 

Instead and for this post I’m raiding the archives for pictures from Skiathos, Greece, this year and past years. Birds, landscapes, people. Enjoy and come back soon. Don’t forget to “click the pic” for best effect. 

The Bourtzi- Skiathos

Street Entertainer - The Bourtzi

 

The Bourtzi from the harbour

Near Xanemos

Spotted Flycatcher

Yellow Wagtail

Kanapitsa

 

Kechria, Skiathos

 

Notice Board - Skiathos Town

 

Eleonora's Falcon

 

Kastro - Eleonora's site

Great Egret at Strofilia

 

Little Egret at Strofilia

Skiathos Town

 

Xanemos

Hoopoe

 

Skiathos

European Shag

Skiathos Town

  

Lonely Seat - Skiathos

 

Red-backed Shrike

Whinchat

 

Souvlaki

Skiathos Town

Back soon. Don't go away.

Linking this post to Eileen's Blogspot and Anni's birding. 

Yammas

This is bliss. Two weeks without the incessant doom and gloom of TV, radio or newspapers. Two weeks of unbridled sunshine on a beautiful Greek island.  

With a spare hour while Sue readied herself for a night on the town I set to and composed a Blogger post for eager followers of Another Bird Blog. There are a few bird pictures, hopefully more in coming days. 

The fine weather, apart from Day One, has meant few birds in quantity but made up for in a degree of quality. Day one saw parties of 30/40 Bee Eaters contact calling overhead as they headed south and over the Aegean Sea, next stop who knows? The usual suspects are around the garden of The Ostria - willow/chiffs, Yellow Wagtails, Whinchats, Red-rumped Swallows, Spotted Flycatchers, and Red-backed Shrikes. 

Red-backed Shrike

 

Whinchat

 

On the Internet I found the answer to the puzzle I set myself with the finding of a strange looking plant above Xanemos beach. 

Squirting Cucumber

 

Ecballium is a genus of flowering plants in the family Cucurbitaceae containing a single species, Ecballium elaterium, also called the squirting cucumber or exploding cucumber (but not to be confused with Cyclanthera brachystachya). It gets its unusual name from the fact that, when ripe, it squirts a stream of mucilaginous liquid containing its seeds, which can be seen with the naked eye. 

The thing looked harmless enough but as soon as I touched the lookalike cucumber out came a water pistol spray of liquid. 

Here at Xanemos were Rock Doves pursued briefly by a Peregrine. Two Blue Rock Thrushes stuck to vegetation where the raptor would not see them. Along the lane to Xanemos more flycatchers and Whinchats but sadly the nearby tomato farm was not operative and so held zero birds in the normally watered environment. 

One of the causalities of this sad year by way of not enough tourists to eat the produce and no work for producers, pickers or sellers. Maybe the grape harvest will survive as wine? 

Grapes - Skiathos

 

A few more pictures taken towards Skiathos Town where the lake held Little Egrets and a flash of Kingfisher. 

 

Red-backed Shrike

Airport ahead

 

Skiathos

Skiathos

Amaretto Taverna

Evenings we return to a few regular haunts as well as one or two new ones when we found both Platanias and Pegasus tavernas had decided there would be little gain from opening in 2020. 

Maistrali Taverna

Sea Bream - before

Sea Bream - after

Baklava

Stay tuned. I'm still taking pictures of Skiathos.

 

Birdy Song

Today we heard from TUI. Our holiday to Skiathos in May is officially cancelled. 

The good people of Skiathos and Greece as a whole suffer yet again after the Thomas Cook fiasco of 2019.  With luck we will be able re-book our holiday for May 2021 and so inject some cash into the island economy. 

Here’s a video of Skiathos scenes with a favourite song entitled “Wings” and sung by Birdy.


I dedicate this post to all our friends in Skiathos, especially The Family Mathinou at Agia Paraskevi, Costas and Efie at Spiti Oneiro, Dream House. Also - Nikos, Mum, Speri, Tina and Eleni at Maistrali, Christos at Kohyli, and Nikos & Julian at Platanias. Not forgetting all the other brilliant people, too many to mention, who make every Skiathos holiday so wonderful. 

In Skiathos 

Ta léme sýntoma. See you soon folks.

Skiathos Blue

If the weather was kind to us in Skiathos, it has been very unfriendly since we arrived home. Going from wall-to-wall sunshine and 30 degrees and then back to the usual British rain, wind and 12 degrees is quite a shock to the system. 

Until I can get out birding or ringing I put together some pictures from 3 weeks in sunny Skiathos. There lots of pictures. “Click the pic” for a close-up. 

Skiathos from The Bourtzi

Skiathos 

Old Harbour Skiathos  

Skiathos 1907

Skiathos 2019 

 Skiathos 2019

Skiathos 1907

The Bourtzi - Skiathos 

Birding Skiathos is unremarkable in September when despite the summery weather, many local birds have left for Africa and migrant birds from further north have also flown south. Although Skiathos is just 15 km from the Pelion peninsula of mainland Greece, this tiny island does not appear to attract a huge variety of migrant birds. Perhaps migrant birds from Northern Europe continue on a southerly track through the Peloponnese rather than take an easterly turn across the waters just to visit Skiathos? 

Skiathos 

Of course there are always birds to see, albeit of a limited range of species. Our count was an unscientific approximation of around 40 species during our three weeks. As might be expected this included exotica like Scop’s Owl, Bee Eater, Eleonora’s Falcon, Blue Rock Thrush and Red-rumped Swallow, but also common species like Yellow Wagtail, Buzzard, Blackcap, Kingfisher and Raven. 

The most numerous migrant species were Spotted Flycatcher, Whinchat, Willow Warbler/Chiffchaff, Red-backed Shrike, Wheatear and Barn Swallow with a constant almost daily turnover of individuals.

Red-rumped Swallow 

Yellow Wagtail 

Red-backed Shrike 

Spotted Flycatcher 

Blue Rock Thrush 

Whitethroat

Yellow-legged Gull 

Eleonora's Falcon

Whinchat 

There were thousands of butterflies this year with huge numbers of Swallowtails and Hummingbird Hawk Moths especially noticeable. 

Swallowtail 

Hummingbird Hawk Moth 

We had a jeep from local firm Mustang for 19 of our 21 days. Driving in Skiathos is a doddle; apart from Brits looking in the wrong direction while crossing the road, crazy quad riders, taxis on airport days, and the myriad of mopeds and motorbikes. Having a vehicle meant we could visit many parts of this beautiful island to enjoy the spectacular weather. 

At Hotel Ostria and also on our daily trips through this cosmopolitan island we met people from many European nations; Britain, Croatia, Romania, Italy, Norway, Sweden, Bulgaria, Germany, mainland Greece - Kalamata, where the world’s best olives are grown. All had come to experience the most picturesque and friendliest island in all of Greece where more than 60 beaches appeal to sun-seekers. 

In the mountains fire trucks are on permanent look out for fires that start in the tinder dry landscape of a Skiathos summer.

Fire Truck near Ligaries 

On the road to Ligaries 

Ligaries

Megali Aselinos Beach 

A cool start at Megali Aselinos

Megali Aselinos 

Megali Aselinos 

Road to Megali Aselinos

Xanemos

Xanemos 

Skiathos Town

Coffee Time - The Bourtzi 

The Boatyard Skiathos 

 Koukounaries beach

Koukounaries

That's all for now folks. Back soon with more pics and clicks on Another Bird Blog.

Linking this post to https://viewingnaturewitheileen.blogspot.com.