Athens, and beyond...
At last, a chance to see some of the Greek mainland, but 1st, a bit of underground riding, restaurant visiting, and just general Covid un-friendly activity in the packed capital... Was great to see Alpine swifts swirling above the Acropolis, and a few more bits of urban wildlife, but anyway, we were heading out west...
A Greek marsh frog, Pelophylax kurtmuelleri. Those eyes....
That basking marsh frog, along with lots of baby green toads, kicked off the herp action at a lake not too far north-west of Athens on the way to the Fokida region of central Greece. Beautiful mountain scenery was next up on the way towards Arachova and Delphi, and these roads also unfortunately provided a few DOR snakes and lizards. Luckily we got to move one live one off the mountain blacktop, a lovely little juvenile Balkan whip snake, who at least for the time being wouldn't join the other 2 Balkan whippers and the couple of Montpellier snakes who had met less friendly cars earlier in the day.
A DOR "Sapitis", a big beautiful Montpellier snake barely a couple of hours into the mainland explorations after leaving Athens. We'd find a lot more of these, and always sadly in this state too.
A little Balkan whip snake (Hierophis gemonensis), in a big valley. Rescued from the road not long after finding that dead Montpellier snake. And before finding another 2 dead bigger Balkan whip snakes that hadn't made it across the beautiful mountain blacktop.
From our base on the coast near Galaxidi, we had some trips north into the mountainous interior, well, more interior than the coast anyway, we weren't quite pushing for the Albanian border or anything like that. Cue an "interior" scenery montage....
That was all pretty nice. A few snakes were seen during these days too, including a bigger Balkan whip snake, a few dice snakes, and a little Montpellier snake. The last of which had me frozen at the wheel of the car like one of those nightmares involving a witch/alien/Stay Puft Marshmallow Man standing at the bottom of your bed, but instead of trying to get up and run quickly away (why was this never possible, I mean I could even fly in some other dreams, which is way more difficult), I wanted to run quickly towards it... The angle of the open door, the not quite jammed on hand break, so many obstacles between me and that little beauty. On the other hand, the only obstacle between the Malpie and a thick bramble hedge was 1ft of blacktop. There was only going to be one victor here.
A bigger Balkan whip snake than Baby Blacktop from the 1st day
Not playing out today... safe from cars in there at least
A beautiful big fat green toad, Bufotes viridis, on a garden wall in a mountain village
Near Mount Giona there were more amazing views, at one point including in the viewshed (just about..) a flyover from a golden eagle, a bird that to me encapsulates wild mountains and spectacular landscapes whatever country I have seen them in, places where humans are always a little out of their manor. Unless they're allowed their home comforts of Land Rovers and shotguns. And live in manors. But that's just one of the countries. In the Balkans, Arabia and North America, my mind sees them soaring over proper wilderness. The way that nature intended. And my eyes have seen that too.
Greece has a whole lot of scenery to enjoy
Also not playing out today... A dice snake (Natrix tessellata) semi-hides under water in a mountain stream hidden in the above scenery
More scenery, distant snow included
This one almost looks like it was taken in the land of manors and Land Rovers, fake wilderness and shotguns... Storm clouds over an inland lake in summer
Possibly dating back to beyond the Millennium Bridge, but it can't tilt though can it
Keeping it More Coastal
There was plenty to see in the shadow of the mountains though, closer to the shores of the Gulf of Corinth. The live snake species count was not helped by finding a DOR cat snake and a Dahl's whip snake along the same stretch of road. But it was greatly helped by exploring the maquis scrubland close to this road early in the day before the baking sun made Euroherping about as fun as one of those dreams about witches. Early also helped the holiday aspect of this trip, as it left the rest of the day to hmmm... not herp. No, really, snorkelling and some general exploring about is always good too. And who knows, maybe a snake will turn up during the exploring. Anyway, finding a couple of beautiful adult four-lined snakes out and about on their morning explorations were moments that any herper would happily endure multiple witch dreams to get to see.
"Lafiatis", a lovely adult four-lined snake (Elaphe quatuorlineata), out patrolling the maquis on a warm morning on the edge of the mountains
These pictures are for me a beautiful memory frozen in time of one of those moments when the world looks like it does when you daydream it. The mountains, the blue sky, the warm earth, and the amazing creature that has somehow just materialised before your eyes after hours of not seeing such an amazing creature. Snakes often look unreal when you eventually find them. Everything in nature has it's beauty, but snakes somehow more than anything else have a look that they have just been made, and beautifully painted, and now are just somehow there. Usually though, all you get is a swish of grass, maybe a blur of a dark s-shape, and the desire to keep on looking for something that often seems like it's not real at all. Hidden treasure.
Having said that, this guy is certainly a treasure too. Walked like a real treasure
Some of the funnels are just scary, you could almost have driven your Opel Corsa into a couple
Dalmatian algyroides, Algyroides nigropunctatus
Two thirds of the Greek Tort collection, marginated above, Herman's below. Both removed from road in direction they were heading. That happened many many times in a week
And as we headed back to Athens, that was the mainland part pretty much over for the trip. But there was some classic island action still to look forward to...
Into the Aegean; Paros
2022 was my 2nd visit to the beautiful but windy Aegean island of Paros. The Blue Star Ferry ride from the concrete jungle of Piraeus out into the deep blue waters and towards the southern islands gave a chance to watch shearwaters riding the Meltemi wind; the strong northerlies that blast through this part of the Aegean. Seeing a Cory's/Scopoli's shearwater (too tricky to separate anyway, let alone with just bins and a rumbling ferry deck in a strong wind) effortlessly outpace the boat without a single wingbeat, while taking it in turns to skim the surface of the sea with each wingtip is a true wonder of nature.
Bye Athens
The snake possibilities here are greatly reduced from the mainland, down to 5, but like pretty much anywhere on Earth, still easily more than can be found in the entirety of the UK. This was definitely not an all out herping expedition (definitely..), but I hoped I could have enough time to find one of the 2 species here that would be lifers for me. Last summer I'd failed to find a European cat snake on a few nocturnal searches during an August heatwave, but this year could I get a bit luckier....? The answer's on the next line anyway.
Being an actual holiday, with much less time to herp, we did somehow manage to snaffle one of these little beauties (which had sneakily avoided me on all past trips to Greece and the Balkans), in between the snorkeling, Tavernas, freddo espressos, kuluris, and walking about looking for stones to flip (still not herping, I just like the feel a nice heavy rock gives my lower back). The moment came when we "accidentally" road-cruised (although with the possibility of one on the road very much at the front of my mind) one on the way back to the village after a coastal Taverna visit one night. Taking a playable photo turned out to be the hardest part, a mixture of beautiful iridescence (not me), constant movement (not me), lack of skill (me) and lack of time caused by a leaking water pipe that was very possibly (it was) flooding the kitchen floor at that very moment, all conspiring to create the below fuzzy memories. But still, good memories. Thanks for the cat snake at last Paros.
European cat snake, Telescopus fallax
One of the great things about the island last summer, was the abundance of Eleonora's falcons. This raptor had been a favourite of mine ever since I saw them in my 1st bird book when I was a wee nipper living off a diet of marmite soldiers. So not that different to now really. Anyway, I'd only briefly seen a couple since then, passing me on migration through the mountains of the Middle East, and never one of the all dark beauties that made this species stand out as something a bit special back then. And now. I only briefly saw 1 this year, an adult flying north over the centre of the island, possibly even straight over the sea from Africa prior to that.. So, cue a standard blurry montage of Eleonora's from the same place, but in August 2021, when they were everywhere.....
As if you were actually there... But with time turned almost backwards, and your sunglasses coated in Vaseline. Who needs 1 blurry still when you could have 7 anyway?
Actually, 9...
One of the light morph (or dark smudge depending on how you look at it) adult Eleonora's with Naxos behind just across the blue Aegean
End of the 2 Week Summer
Who doesn't love Greece. On top of all the things that make this country as loveable as baby Balkan whip snake, this was a summer holiday in Europe that provided multiple snake species, and even a lifer for me. The blue and white flag matching the sea and the villages, to lucky visitors like me these are the colours of a different kind of place, a beautiful world apart from Britain, first glimpsed years ago for a couple of weeks of childhood summer holidays. Unlike a lot of other things, this beauty still doesn't fade with age. Hopefully see you again soon Ellada....
Bye Paros
And one more of this guy.
And.. a big thank you from this guy