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.

 

Yassou

Sue and I missed our Greek holiday in Spring 2020. It was to be our first time to Skiathos in May. During the long months of 2020 we followed world events on a sickening roller-coaster ride hoping that the situation would improve enough here in England and in Europe for our Greek friends to allow a return to Skiathos in September. 

We booked the holiday in September 2019, the year of the Thomas Cook debacle that left many islanders out of pocket and saw us flying home via a series of rescue flights that cost the British taxpayer £150 million. 

October 2019

 

These were double blows for the large number of Skiathans dependent on tourism for a living, either directly or indirectly. Hotels and apartments together with the folk who work for and supply them, taxi and bus drivers, shops, cafes, restaurants, Skiathos airport, boat & ferry operators, fishermen, and not forgetting the Skiathos Dog Shelter. 

In 2020 Skiathos stayed safe by doing the right things, limiting entry to the island to those with residential status while keeping a tight rein on those without residence until tourists could return. Recently Skiathos was not included in the seven Greek Islands, Lesvos, Tinos, Serifos, Mykonos, Crete, Santorini and Zakynthos, that recently received the news they would be added to a British quarantine list. 

But now, we are fresh from Skiathos airport following an interesting landing. Thunderstorms on the Greek mainland with Skiathos in the firing line left the plane wobbling on the approach to the runway. The  pilot went around again for a second attempt and all was well.

Magda from Mustang Cars met us with a hard top Jimny, and now we’re back for a couple of weeks at our adopted second home, Family Mathinos. Or as some call this piece of heaven, Hotel Ostria, Agia Paraskevi, Skiathos 37002. 

Tui landing - Skiathos

The Ostria

Agia Paraskevi

Skiathos

Here at The Ostria and everywhere we go on the island we experience the epitome of Xenia - 'guest-friendship', the ancient Greek sacred rule of hospitality, the generosity and courtesy shown to those who are far from home. In return, we as guests are expected to be courteous to our hosts and not become a threat or a burden. Such conviviality usually involves sharing a glass or two of Ouzo or Metaxa. 

Ostria Hotel - Skiathos, Greece

Sue with Momma Litsa

Dad Makis

 

Anna Mathinou

Ostria Hotel - Skiathos, Greece

Ouzo

This might be a holiday but there is birding to be found, even in late September when most migrant birds from Northern Europe have left for Africa. There’s only so much shopping a man can do. 

One of our favourite routes takes us along the main road towards Troulos where we take a smooth right and drive towards the Stray Dog Shelter. The dog shelter allows residents and tourists alike to take a dog for a walk and if they are so inclined, donate money or even take their new friendly dog back to their own country. 

Not for us, even Sue would “Rather be birding” as long as there's a coffee stop. Half-a-mile from Troulos we fork left and then head north through rural Greece along the road to Aselinos beach. Behind the beach is superb bird habitat. If there’s been a thunderstorm there are puddles for Wheatears, Whinchats, Yellow Wagtails & warblers and where track-side posts provide perfect perches for flycatchers, pipits, and shrikes. 

Aselinos

Aselinos

Aselinos

Aselinos, Skiathos

 

Yellow Wagtail

Red-backed Shrike

 

Richard's Pipit

 

Red-rumped Swallow

 

Whinchat

We take a couple of chairs and sit on the beach away from the hordes but there aren’t too many people in this year of minimal tourists. September is winding down time for Skiathos where by October the crowds have gone and the island is left in peace and quiet - more so in 2020.  The scenery is dramatic here in the north of the island, rain or shine, with views over to the Greek mainland and the direction from which most of the autumn weather arrives.

Aselinos- Skiathos

Aselinos - Skiathos

We rather hope that our already depleted pile of Euros has contributed to the island’s economy in these troubled times. 

Loukoumi - Greek Delight

 

Below are links to the two small friendly hotels owned by Family Mathinos, The Ostria in Agia Paraskevi and a mile away, the recently acquired and now refurbished Almira in Troulos. 

Sunday was the last day of the season at the Almira and Anna invited us along to their party for staff and friends. Yours truly with George, Anna's husband.

At the Almira

Almira Hotel

The Almira Hotel

For those who like a peaceful relaxing holiday in beautiful surroundings I suggest to book direct with Anna or Sophia below or via Facebook Messenger for each hotel.  For those who prefer a package tour Anna has told us that for 2021 The Almira is included in the programme of Jet2 Holidays. 

https://www.hotelostria.gr/?action=homepage&language=en 

https://www.skiathosalmira.gr   

https://www.facebook.com/skiathosostriahotel

https://www.facebook.com/skiathosalmira

For the independent minded, there are direct flights to Skiathos from major UK airports or flights to Athens followed by a 40 minute shuttle aircraft to Skiathos airport.

I’m hoping to post a few more pictures while we are here.  Keep looking for a glimpse of Skiathos. 

French Letter

Here on Another Bird Blog we have featured the long running saga of the Turtle Dove and France on a number of occasions.  Recently we also highlighted the issue of birdlime (or "glue") hunting in France. 

Now it seems that France has at last decided that the indiscriminate killing of 17,500 Turtle Doves is not good for the reputation of the French nation. 

https://twitter.com/Conseil_Etat/status/1304483459096817666 

The European Turtle Dove will no longer legally be killed in France this autumn, after the Conseil d'Etat  (in effect the Supreme Court of France) banned hunting of the Vulnerable-listed species. 

Turtle Dove

 

On Friday 11 September 2020, the highest administrative court in France outlawed the practice for the 2020-21 season. The Conseil d'Etat judgement said: "The Council notes that as the species has dropped by 80% in 15 years, experts recommend a hunting ban for this wild bird – and the government has not brought any arguments allowing it to justify its authorisation of hunting." 

This comes weeks after the French government had approved the legal hunting of 17,460 European Turtle Doves this autumn, following a decree passed by Barbara Pompili at the end of August, despite public consultation in the summer finding that some 77% of 20,000 contributors were against the idea. 

The Ligue de Protection des Oiseaux (LPO) lobbied hard against the decree and says that a minimum of 7,000 Turtle Doves – and as many as 10,000 – have already been killed this season. The decision also comes as the European Commission has requested that the French state "put in place all measures" to help the European Turtle Dove population return to a "good state of conservation", the LPO said.” 

Readers will note that the ban is for this autumn only whereby Turtle Dove migration is probably over when many thousands have already been slaughtered for pleasure. Also, unless the ban can be extended by way of local or wider pressure in EU countries it seems likely that French guns will be blazing again in Autumn 2021 and beyond,

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And from The Connexion . “French News and Views “- 16 September 2020. 

A French MEP has called for “a gradual stoppage of hunting” in France and said that hunters in the country currently “hunt protected species in a totally illegal way”. 

Member of the European Parliament and ecologist Yannick Jadot told news service FranceInfo: “This is not a leisure sport; the death of animals cannot be leisure. “In France, we hunt 64 species. That is two to three times’ more than the rest of Europe. We hunt protected species in a totally illegal way - for example the Eurasian Curlew. In Europe - the EU - pays farms in Poland to save the species, and in France, we shoot them.” 

Curlew

 

Mr Jadot called for a “gradual stoppage of hunting” and said: “Allow us to begin by hunting down all the illegal hunts.” He criticised the government for undermining European conventions, and said there had been 13 instances in which the government supreme court Le Conseil d’Etat had made “scandalous exceptions”. 

Mr Jadot also called out justice minister Éric Dupond-Moretti, who recently said he is against bird glue hunting, but before taking his role in the justice ministry, wrote the preface to a book by Willy Shraen, head of French hunting federation, la Fédération des Chasseurs. 

Glue Hunting

 

Mr Jadot said: “The least we can expect from the minister for justice is to not write anti-ecological prefaces on a hateful pamphlet by the head of hunting. It is to respect European law.” 

Animal welfare and hunting are highly-contested issues in France. Animal rights groups last month called for there to be a dedicated minister for animal welfare, while more than half a million people have signed a high-profile petition calling for a vote to outlaw several practices considered to be cruel to animals. 

Thank goodness there are people in France able and willing to speak up for nature. While the UK’s is not without irregularities and law breaking it is fair to say that we are light years ahead of many if not all European states. 

When Britain finally leaves the European Union on 31 December 2020 we as an independent nation state with our own laws and judiciary can justly say that British people will no longer put our names to or play any part in the barbaric practices taking place in too many parts of the EU.

Back soon friends. I will be in Europe but not France.

 

More Mipits

The mornings are dark and alarm calls getting later. The buzzer woke me at 0530, enough time for the essentials before a timed to perfection drive over switchback moss roads and up to Oakenclough. That’s thirty minutes early morning and forty minutes on the way now that road traffic is back to pre-virus levels.  

I met up with Andy at 0630 to a dry, mostly cloudy and virtually wind-free start. This was looking good. We gave the hatchbacks a miss and set up the ringing station at a table thinking that there would be more room to work if the morning proved busy. And a space for coffee flasks.

Ringing Station.

 

Small parties of Swallows were on the move from very first light. When we finished ringing at 1130 we’d counted approximately 125 Swallows, 30 House Martins and 15 Sand Martins all of them heading east and south. Otherwise there was very little visible or obvious migration and we were left wondering from which direction the Meadow Pipits and most other species arrived. Mostly and from our viewpoint we see birds arrive overhead from a northerly direction and where on clear days we can see Morecambe Bay, Lancaster City and other landmarks 

We totalled 52 birds of 11 species: with autumn birds with the above mentioned pipits, Goldcrests and Chiffchaffs to the fore: 17 Meadow Pipit, 9 Goldcrest, 7 Coal Tit, 7 Blue Tit, 5 Chiffchaff, 2 Blackcap ,2 Great Tit, 1 Willow Warbler, 1 Lesser Redpoll, 1 Treecreeper. 

Meadow Pipits breed in the surrounding hills, dozens if not hundreds of pairs, but the ones we catch during the prime migration period of September are from further afield; they probably originate from the North Pennines, Scotland and the Northern Isles. 

Meadow Pipit

 

Meadow Pipit

 

Willow Warbler numbers have dried up but replaced today by five Chiffchaffs.

Willow Warbler

 

Chiffchaff

Treecreeper

 

We caught more Blue, Great and Coal Tits than we normally do so a Treecreeper did not surprise us.  Treecreepers often latch onto and travel with groups of titmice because all four species eat much the same foods.  

We continue to catch Blackcaps and should do so but in lesser numbers into October. 

Blackcap

 

Lesser Redpolls continue to be scarce, just as they were in spring 2020 and the autumn of 2019. The one today and on close inspection, proved to be a first autumn female. 

Lesser Redpoll

 

Other birds today – 1 Kestrel, 2 Great-spotted Woodpecker, 2 Nuthatch, 100+ Teal, 1 Buzzard. 

There’s more soon from Another Bird Blog . Stay tuned.

Linking today to Eileen's Saturday Blogspot and Anni in Texas.