Καλές μέρες. Part Two

Wow, it’s hot up here in the North West England, 24 degrees it seems. 

Not as hot as London and the South East but the folk down there have a lot more to enjoy and celebrate than us barbarians. 

As promised, here’s more news, views and photos from Skiathos May 2026. There’s lots of photos to pic and click for the full experience. 

The hired Suzuki Jimny took us to places mere cars cannot reach although even in a 4x4, and following a winter of rain, mudslides and essential traffic, the island’s many unmade tracks to the north of the island were not pleasant to ride. 

Skiathos

A visit to Evangelistria Monastery for breakfast is an easier option. A fast uphill drive in first gear taking care to avoid oncoming local traffic more familiar with the gradient and endless twists & turns. There’s a good view down to JSI Airport and places in between with always a very high Buzzard, a passing Hobby or two and the inevitable shrike. 

Evangelistria

Evangelistria

Evangelistria

Evangelistria

Evangelistria

Evangelistria 

Evangelistria Monastery of Greek Orthodoxy is an active working monastery and the only fully operational one on the island of Skiathos. 

A small community of monks still lives, worships and maintain the grounds. Alongside their religious duties the monks manage various traditional operation including wine production of their famous Alypiakos wine, olive pressing and looking after the on site museum. 

There is also a fine cafe to serve the many tourists in the summer months and locals throughout the off season. We once made the mistake of going there on a Sunday morning but found it impossible to park in the large car park or leading up to it such were the huge numbers of people arriving to worship.  

Red-backed Shrike

Hobby

Evangelistria Monastery

Church at the Monastery

Monastery Garden

Our newly made friends, two discerning monastery doggies, were interested in our omelette containing Gouda & bacon but not the accompanying bread which both chose to leave. We said goodbye to them, promising to return another day with Greek sausage. That might be to their liking. 

Evangelistria 

Evangelistria 

The drive down to Skiathos Town passes Aghia Zoni, a tiny and immaculately kept chapel with fabulous views and the ever-present blue & white flags of Greece, a common sight throughout the entire country. Would that we Brits were encouraged to show pride in our nation and culture by displaying The Union Flag, a reminder of a remarkable success story of enterprise, endeavour, creativity and history that stretches back thousands of years. 

Aghia Zoni

From Aghia Zoni a chapel on the hillside

 

A left turn at the bottom of the never ending downhill slalom took us towards the International Airport JSI, the traditional boatyard and the paralia (coastline) that leads into Skiathos Town. We stopped for a look towards the town from a favourite view point where some times there are egrets, shags and occasionally a Kingfisher. 

 

Viewpoint

Viewpoint

The Boatyard - Skiathos

European Shag

Grey Heron

We stopped as instructed at Skiathos’ only set of traffic lights even though not many vehicles do so but where a photo of Mylos Taverna proved irresistible. 

 

Stop!

The SAS

Jet2

Mylos Taverna

Super Star Two is the latest and magnificent giant super-ferry to travel between the islands, the main stopping points being Skopelos, Skiathos, Alonissos and the Greek mainland at Volos, Thessaloniki. We set off to get closer views of the monster ship and watch the activity of the arrivals, departure and inevitable drama of this daily occurrence. Remarkably, the entire turnaround of hundreds of people and dozens of vehicles large & and small is so well organised, practised and choreographed that within 15 minutes the ship pulls away from the quayside and off through the outlying islands to the next timetabled stop.

Walking along the sunny jetty, camera in hand is a photographer’s dream.

Skiathos 2026

Skiathos 2026

Skiathos 2026

Skiathos 2026

Skiathos 2026

Skiathos 2026

Skiathos 2026

Skiathos 2026

 

Another Jimny

I heard that real cameras are making a comeback now that many people have realised the limitations of mobile phone pictures. In a couple of  weeks I saw a tiny handful of people using a real camera, a mobile phone the default for 99.9% of would be photographers. A shame really because it is impossible to better pictures from a SLR or mirrorless device with a couple of lenses.

A smart phone is convenient for instant editing, and is useful  for everyday use and social media. However, a dedicated quality camera provides superior images from larger sensors, natural depth of field and complete manual control for all users, amateur or professional. 

The hot weather made me stay indoors and revert to blogging  for a change. Whether that means there will be Happy Days Part 3 is anyone's guess. Stay tuned to find out.

Bird Photographer of the Year, Collection 10

Another year goes by. It seems just yesterday that I reviewed Bird Photographer of the Year, Collection 9. And now, if a little late following the first package going missing in the post, Collection 10 arrives via a knock at the door from Parcel Force. 

Princeton’s Bird Photographer of the Year, Collection 10 celebrates bird photography from around the world, and as the sub-title explains this is the tenth iteration via a large format “coffee table” book of 11×9 inches. This is a perfect size with which to grab a cup of coffee, fully open said book onto a knee-height table and to then absorb the 250 or so fabulous photos. 

Bird Photographer of the Year Collection 10 

Opening the early pages reveals the categories of winning entries together with the “special awards”, a list that follows a helpful, logical order enabling a reader to quickly locate their own specialism. In the case of myself, all of the categories apply except perhaps the concept of Creative Perspective, but one ideal for photographers of an artistic intent. 

Categories - Bird Photographer of the Year Collection 10

 

Working slowly through the pages a reader will find close to each entry the photographer’s words around the how, the where and the when of the shutter clicks that captured their winning shot. These notes and explanations of the occasion of the photo detail a wealth of technological data for camera enthusiasts, amateur and professionals alike. Here is information about the camera make, the lens, shutter speeds, the aperture and the relative ISO for readers seeking to emulate or better the winning shot. It's a learning curve for sure in allowing us all to perhaps experiment a little more with our accustomed dial settings.

Free Whale Shower - Bird Photographer of the Year Collection 10

Free Whale Shower - Bird Photographer of the Year Collection 10

Almost without exception the pictures come from the leading makes of Canon, Sony, Nikon in either DSLR or mirrorless form with just the occasional Olympus. If only it was so simple because despite the technical data, these stunning pictures in isolation cannot explain a winning photographer’s vital skills in field craft, experience, empathy and the lying in wait in often inclement weather. And of course a photographer's knowledge of how birds behave under many different circumstances of the season, time of day, weather and external influences. 

An encounter with a bird or birds is impermanent, a one off, never to be repeated again, hence why, and to the annoyance of some, a photographer’s need to keep the button pressed until the buffer is full to bursting. Everyone is after that world beating picture as displayed in Collection 10. However those setting out in pursuit of birds with slightly less costly equipment should not be discouraged but instead take heart and advice from the stories here that luck, perseverance, timing and field craft are vital elements in taking that special picture.  

Northern Harrier and Grey-headed Fish Eagle - Princeton

As I penned these words while recalling my favourite pictures from Collection 10, I ran out of superlatives. In no particular order - breathtaking, captivating, exceptional, extraordinary, fantastic, phenomenal, stunning, striking, unique, evocative, impressive, mesmerising, timeless. 

Anhinga in Florida - Princeton

There is an overall victor of BPOTY with both winners and runner ups in all of the categories listed in the opening pages. Meanwhile the link to Princeton's page about the book  - Princeton does not feature many of the winning pictures, and where in my opinion, those featured are not the best of the fabulous 250 pictures described here. 

Princeton are right to expect that people buy and enjoy the whole book of 250 images with their corresponding and instructive information rather than a cursory scan of half a dozen images on a PC or mobile phone. However, for those yet to decide whether to spend £35 on this book it’s possible to view a better selection of the category winners at https://www.birdpoty.com/2025-winners.   

I interspersed the review with a few of my own favourites, however a reproduced image via a computer screen is not the ideal way to judge this book. Despite the drains and demands on all of our finances in these difficult times £35 is a relatively small sum of money to own a copy for future reference and/or to revisit on many a dark winter’s day. 

Flamingo - Bird Photographer of the Year Collection 10

And as we approach the Chrismas festival of late December, other than the latest bells and whistles camera and lens that could cost £10,000 - £15, 000, what better gift could there be for the birdwatcher in your life than this splendid book?

Price: $39.95/£35.00 

ISBN: 9780691278674  

Published: Sep 30, 2025 

Pages: 256 

Size: 11.25 x 9 in. 

245 colour photos.

PS. To all my friends who enquired after my well being. Thank you so much. Yes, I am well but taking a lengthy break from blogging. Maybe I will return soon with more news and pictures.

Wheats About?

A wander out Pilling way on Sunday saw activity of mainly egrets, pipits and Linnets along the sea wall. Two identical looking Wheatears caught my eye so I stopped for a closer inspection.

The tidal defences here keep Morecambe Bay tides at bay with a high raised earth bank, (a bund) interspersed with sections consisting of large rocks and stones. The rockery is an attraction to migrant birds where crevices and holes out of prevailing winds provide a sanctuary to insects attractive to Wheatears and other insectivores. 

Over many years I have ringed over seventy Wheatears along Pilling shore, until taking a break in recent years when human and canine disturbance made the job impossible. Having recently found a new private spot, and even in the limited possibilities of September when their numbers decline,  the desire to catch Wheatears resurfaced with the appearance of these two Wheatears. I suspect the two were siblings so closely did they resemble each other and to follow in each other’s movements. 

Luckily mealworms were at hand together with a couple of spring traps that caught one bird quite easily as the other scooted into the distance upon seeing its companion compromised inside a tent of netting. 

Wheatear

Wheatear

Wheatear

Wheatear

After a few days off I met up with Will and Andy on Thursday at 0630 for a go at the Linnets and anything else linked to the month of September. Thirteen birds caught/ringed -  6 Linnet, 5 Meadow Pipit, 1 Goldfinch, 1 Robin. 

We have to remind ourselves that male Linnets are normally a touch larger than females but this is never the decider between male or female. The most reliable method is the amount of white on the outer web of the primary wing feathers numbers 7 to 9.  A gap of less than 5mm from the white feather to the centre shaft tells us the bird is a male, more than 5mm a female. In other words, males have more white in the wing, a feature that is sometimes discernible with Linnets in flight, more easily picked out ina large flock rather than isolated birds.

Very often autumn males show brown/rufous rounded markings on the breast, unlike a female which is more streaked. 

Linnet male September

Linnet female September

 

Linnet male September

Linnet female September

It is not surprising that about 80/90 % of autumn Meadow Pipits we catch are first summer/juveniles as the species is able to raise two broods of youngsters in a normal summer. The juvenile below is already part way through its post-juvenile moult. 

Meadow Pipit

Other birds seen and not caught - 50+ Linnet, 50+ Meadow Pipit, 8/10 Tree Sparrow, 2 Blackbird, 1 Kingfisher, 1 Marsh Harrier, 1 Peregrine overhead.

Kingfisher

Fifteen Pink-footed Geese arrived from the north and landed on the salt marsh. The first of the Autumn.

Log in again soon everyone. 

There’s always news, views and pictures of The Real World on Another Bird Blog. 

Linking this weekend to Eileen's Saturday

.