April 2008

LOG-BOOK:

News about the Bird-flu is in red and about the environment in blue

April 1^st: no victims this morning. The baby-tortoise was unchanged 11 gram, the Long-eared Owl 286 (-1), the Brown Barn Owl 422 (-4) and the Shearwater 635 (12) gram. The only one, which “was in the plus” was the remaining Buzzard: 1010 (+11) gram. Meanwhile we started with the de-rusting of iron, necessary for a better “foot-bridge” over the roof of “The Keep”.

Water a scarce commodity

Despite the weekend showers, rainfall in Greece is down significantly in some areas this year and concerns about a possible drought were aired yesterday as a campaign was launched to encourage people not to waste water.

Authorities in Larissa, central Greece, which is one of the most intensively farmed parts of the country, said that a third less rain fell during the final quarter of last year, compared to 2006. Rainfall in central Macedonia, another agricultural area, last year was down by 50 to 80 % in comparison to 2006.

“We are entering a very uncertain period in climate terms,” said Christos Karavitis, a lecturer at the Agricultural University of Athens. “We have less water than we expected and we need to start managing this resource much better.”

Kathimerini and Skai TV and Radio, in conjunction with the environmental group Mediterranean SOS and the National Technical University of Athens, launched a campaign yesterday in a bid to stop people from wasting water. But Karavitis suggested that efforts from people living in towns and cities alone would not be enough to protect dwindling water resources. “Farming uses up 85 % of the water used in Greece each year. Another 12 % is used in urban areas and industry uses the final 3 %,” he said. “It is clear that if we save a little of the water used for irrigation in our farming sector, it could be a significant help.”

Greece’s water reserves currently stand at 745 million cubic meters, compared to roughly twice that in 2006.

In 1993, when Greece experienced a serious drought, water reserves only reached about 170 million cubic meters. A campaign was launched then to encourage people to cut back on their use of water as there was only enough to last for 160 days. Experts believe that Greece will start experiencing drought problems by 2025 as rainfall is expected to drop by about 30 % over the next few years, according to the statistics cited at a conference on climate change organized by Kathimerini and Skai on Friday.

Alarm bells sound over arid land

Changes in farming techniques and management of underground water resources are needed to help reduce the future risk of desertification in parts of southern Greece, experts said yesterday.

At a conference in Thessaloniki, experts said environmental changes and a lack of strategic planning will lead to large areas becoming arid land. “A slight increase in temperature can cause the oxidization of organic materials, a reduction in humidity and an increase in fire risk,” said Thessaloniki University professor Nikolaos Sillaios. “A fire is in turn a factor that leads to desertification as the blaze is followed by erosion and floods,” he added.

The mountainous areas of Kilkis, near the border with Bulgaria, are also high-risk regions due to the lack of diversification in crop cultivation, experts said after inspecting areas of Argos in the Peloponnese and the islands of Naxos and Mytilene (= Lesvos). Temperatures across Greece may rise by up to 4 to 5 degrees in coming years if current pollution levels are maintained.

At 1.45 p.m. a phone-call from our 1st-Aid-Station in Thessaloniki about a pigeon with a swollen foot. We have advised Lincospectin, which is going to be paid by the L.W.H. And after the siesta at 4.05 p.m. the this morning de-rusted iron was painted on both sides. And properly speaking this belongs in the month of March, but both White Storks have moved again to their nest op top of the chimney of the old olive-oil-factory in our village.

April 2^nd: the baby-tortoise was unchanged 11 gram. The Long-eared Owl was 288 (+2), the Brown Barn Owl 437 (+15) and the Buzzard 1007 (-3) gram. The Shearwater was 666 (+31) gram. In the nest-box of the Barn Owls in “The Keep” we have discovered 5 warm eggs !! At 11.45 a.m. the 1^st half of the 6 meter long foot-bridge for over the roof of “The Keep” was connected and painted on forgotten places and the “heads” of the used 70 screws. And at 4.20 p.m. the whole foot-bridge was connected and painted totally. At 5.15 p.m. arrived 2 semi-stray cats from Eftaloú for sterilization (probably both are pregnant) and eye-problems > see further at CAT.

April 3^rd: there are 2 holes in the belly of the Cat from Palaiochóri (08-033; march 28^th) and the injury is leaking > so today we’ll see what can be done about this. The Long-eared Owl was 188 (=), the Brown Barn Owl was 443 (+6), the Buzzard was 1016 (+9) and the Shearwater was 682 (+16) gram. With the assistance of “Tjarda” (who showed to be quite “fire-proof”) the Cat “Tryntje” was stripped from for the enlargement of the stray-cat-population in the future superfluous parts > see further at CAT. Treating the Cat from Palaiochóri it showed to be that there was indeed a reaction on the used stitches (2 small holes), but that all milk-quarters were immense swollen and for the most part already perforated (thick puss !!). One we had to help a bit with a syringe-needle. The whole belly is now covered with Dermisol-cream and she is wearing a “corset” to prevent licking.

April 4^th: the Cat, which underwent a surgery yesterday, had spent the night quite well. The baby-tortoise was 10 (-1) gram, but we have seen yesterday that there had been eaten. The Brown Barn Owl was 448 (+5), the Long-eared Owl 291 (+3), the Buzzard 1040 (+24) and the Shearwater 677 (-5) gram. The Cat “Juliana” was done without problems > see further at CAT. The belly from the Cat from Palaiochóri can really be named a puss-mess > it’s dripping from all sides out of the udders !! Strictly speaking we should have a visit from a school in Chalkidíki (North of Greece), who had an “ecological week” here on the island, but it showed to be “nice-weather-ecologists”, because while it was raining a bit they didn’t show-up . . . !! Due to this we could start with the floor-covering in the living in the House-next-door. As soon as the yesterday operated Cat “Tryntje” saw her chance, she ran to the sound the Cat from Palaiochóri was making, really jumped into that cage and started washing her > it was quite difficult separating the two !! At the evening-feeding-round we discovered in “The Keep” a dead Pigeon (“demolished” by other Pigeons) > no P.M. will be done, but will be plucked and changed into eagle-owl-food.

April 5^th: and indeed it’s quite a miaowing by all three cats early in the morning for food . . . . !! The baby-tortoise was unchanged 10 gram. The Long-eared Owl was 296 (+5), the Brown Barn Owl 454 (+6), the Buzzard 1030 (-10) and the Shearwater 684 (+7) gram. Cleaning the water-bowls in “The Keep” we discovered a moribund, just hatched a week ago, juvenile Pigeon > died in our hands. The parents (probably the same which were responsible for the death of the Pigeon of yesterday-evening) had started a new nest and not any longer fed their young (crop was completely empty !) > the Eagle Owls will probably “rub their wings” . . . . !! At 9.43 a.m. both Cats from Eftaloú were taken back to enjoy their freedom over there again; “Juliana” will have in her feed for the coming days still the antibiotics for the eye. The belly of P.P. (the “Palaiochóri-Pussy”) is becoming cleaner and dryer !! The last big piece (6 meter) of iron-profile (for the footbridge on top of the roof of “The Keep”) was partly de-rusted, and as well some (Oregon-pine; from dumped army-material) beams are cleaned from for us unnecessary iron-parts and smoothed. Forced by the rain we have continued with the floor-covering in the living of the House-next-door.

Deadly puffer

Authorities have warned fishermen in the Messenian Gulf, southern Greece, of the poisonous Lagocephalus, a member of the puffer fish family, that have been found in the area. Experts said the fish produces a large amount of toxins and can even result in death if consumed. Symptom include swelling of the lips and tongue, hallucinations, paralysis and lung failure.

But June 5^th 2007 we had already the following:

Deadly puffer fish seen in Greek waters

Rising temperatures in the Mediterranean Sea have created appropriate conditions for the migration of a puffer fish from the Red Sea that can be lethal to humans, authorities said yesterday.

According to researchers, the Lagocephalus sceleratus carries potentially deadly toxins in its liver, skin and reproductive organs which are capable of causing muscle paralysis, breathing and blood circulation problems if consumed.

“Our health inspection office has alerted all associations of fishermen and fish merchants,” the Athens prefecture said in a statement.

The grey fish, which has a beak-shaped mouth and four large teeth, has been sighted in waters off the Dodecanese islands of Rhodes and Symi as well as off Crete.

So the fish is coming north-wards !!

April 6^th: the baby-tortoise still is eating hardly till nothing, whatever we try, and was diminished until 9 gram !

The Long-eared Owl was 297 (+1), the Brown Barn Owl 457 (+3), the Buzzard 1039 (+9) and the Shearwater 686 (+2) gram. Honey Buzzard I (07-160; August 17^th ’07) is changing the feathers into the male “dress”. At 7.25 a.m. arrived a wild stray-cat (one had even put “something” in the given food to be able to catch her !!), which should be very pregnant > see further at the 3^rd CAT. There was a 6-minute power-cut > we were very glad we started very early with the operation, so it didn’t trouble us !! At 12 o’clock we were ready with the floor-covering in the living in the House-next-door (after there had been again a power-cut !!). The Orthopedic from Kallonís (with his little daughter, who is complete “mad” about what we’re doing for animals) came and visited us again. Changing the bandage of “P.P.” she completely went “lunatic” and at last was able to penetrate with her teeth even thick leather gloves . . . . !! The belly, which looked quite nice, was due to this left without any covering. We could remove the piece of wing, tied-up March 18^th, from the Long-eared Owl > this was quite difficult because it was fastened to multiple feather-roots.

April 7^th: and at last it isn’t raining anymore !! The Long-eared Owl was 302 (+5), the Brown Barn Owl 466 (+9), the Buzzard 1043 (+4) and the Shearwater 698 (+12) gram. At 7.45 a.m. a phone-call from a school in Náousa (Peleponnesos) that they had the intention to visit us in an hour (not announced before !!) > we had to tell them that such wasn’t possible due to our planning and that it indeed was “a bit late” to spring at such a late moment upon us !! The remaining Buzzard (08-026; March 8^th ’08) was transferred to the buzzard-aviary this morning > now it’s to do or to die, because we can’t do further nothing more for him. Today again “meat-cutting-day” and while together with Douglas & Janice there was processed 11.3 kilo of meat, liver & minced meat (72,02 Euro; total now this year 195,775 kilo for 1245,37 Euro), at the other side there was worked at least equally hard to remove the old footbridge from the roof of “The Keep” and to place the new one. With 3 people the 6 meter long and almost 100 kilo heavy monster could be brought-up, whereafter we could start with the placement and the fastening. For this of course again lots of meters of iron had to be de-rusted and painted. The baby-tortoise (08-031; March 25^th ’08) was transferred to one of the empty pens on top of “The Keep”, where no risk is for drowning. Now wait and see.

April 8^th: at 4.55 a.m. we were “enjoyed” with the discovery of a huge sack with a squeaking live stock, which should be hung over there in between 9.30 p.m. yesterday evening and the moment of discovery. See further at KITTENS. The Long-eared Owl was 304 (+2), the Brown Barn Owl was 468 (+2) and the Shearwater was 664 (-34 !!), but the last one had eaten difficult yesterday. And for this bird we were able to buy lots of squids early this morning. As well the baby-tortoise as Buzzard III have survived the night outside; however the question is, if they will eat . . . . !! At 9.25 a.,. a phone-call that close to the “Kandri-beach” (Gulf of Kallonis) a dead turtle of about 1 meter long was washed ashore so we went over there for measurements. See further at LOGGER-HEAD TURTLE. In spite all other happenings, the foot-path over the roof of “The Keep” was ready at 4.40 p.m.

Tomorrow the slippery footboard at the tortoise-pen is the last to do. Buzzard III has been staring the whole day with a kind of “heavenly gaze” into the air and more activity there hasn’t been developed . . . !!

April 9^th: all six kittens were still alive this morning, but the white one is the worst of all (has as well diarrhoea) and is hardly drinking. The tortoise-shell is a fraction better and is drinking a bit more. From the four blackies there are three “little monkeys”, which are climbing on everything and want to drink constantly. The 4^th is still OK, but is a bit weaker than the other three. The Long-eared Owl was 307 (+3), the Brown Barn Owl 476 (+8) and the Shearwater started a recovery-battle and was 695 (+31); and this was only due to the squids !! At 9 a.m. the footboard was painted and provided with anti-slip-strips. As well the gutter in between “The Keep” and the toilet over there was emptied from gathered sand and other blemishes from more than 1 year > this had to happen from the street-side rakeling with an ± 3 meter long (home-made) tool, helped from inside by floating water. The court-yard from the House-next-door was meanwhile stripped from drill- and grinding-remnants, iron pins from blind-rivets and so on.

HOT FLASH

Temperatures to rise sharply in normal conditions, say experts

There will be a sharp rise in temperature from tomorrow, weather forecasters predicted yesterday, adding that such fluctuations are normal for this time of year. The temperature is expected to reach as high as 30 Celsius but is forecast to drop to about 20C by Monday. “April is a transitionary period that is known for its cold snaps and the warm fronts from North Africa,” the head of the National Weather Service, Dimitris Ziakopoulos, told Kathimerini. He pointed out that the record temperature for this time of year was in 1985, when it reached 37C in some parts of Greece. Ziakopoulos said it was too early to forecast the weather for the Easter weekend (end of April – note L.W.H.).

The belly of “P.P.” is, minus one little hole, complete closed. The infected milk-quarters are as good as normal at the moment.

April 10^th: the white kitten was discovered dead at 5.15 a.m.; the tortoise-shell is still amongst us, but over here as well we fear . . . . !! At the blackies there is one staying behind a bit, but is drinking further the same amounts as the other three (only more difficult). The Long-eared Owl was 300 (+3), the Brown Barn Owl was 468 (-8) and the Shearwater (which is trying standing and walking better and better) 701 (+6) gram. At 6.45 a.m. we discovered in the little-owl-cage in “The Keep” laying dead on the ground number 05-164, which had come-in July 14^th ’05. Was at the time discovered in Polichnítos with eye-problems left (the eye was missing). Developed over here a totally contorted right foot, where the tallons were growing into the foot-sole and which had to be “trimmed” regularly. Meanwhile we started sterilizing all the orthopedic instruments we have and to store them together. Around 11 o’clock we received a school from Makrinías (100 km from Pátras) with 31 students and 3 teachers.

Call to fight for Parnitha forest

President Karolos Papoulias addresses the press yesterday during a visit to the burnt forest and the observatory on Mount Parnitha, north of Athens. The president called on volunteers to continue their work in the area, which is seen as being vital to the Athens ecosystem. Since last summer’s wild fires, lawmakers have extended the size of the mountain’s national park to 11.000 hectares from 3.800 hectares previously.

As the charred remains of the Mount Parnitha forest attempt to recover from last year's devastating summer fires, President Karolos Papoulias urged volunteers yesterday to continue offering help to the area, seen as being vital to Athens's ecosystem.

“This visit fills me with rage and hope. Rage for what happened and hope that we will see Parnitha as it once was,” he said yesterday on a visit to the area. “The protection of the environment is our life and the lives of our children and no one can remain untouched from this. Don't take one step back,” he said referring to the volunteers involved in the reforestation process. Last summer's string of destructive wildfires across Greece prompted a growing number of Greeks to take a more keen, and active, interest in the environment.

Kathimerini, Skai Television and Radio along with environmentalists WWF joined forces to set up the Parnitha Observatory, which aims at monitoring the mountain and informing the public of developments.

Visitors to the area mostly see barren land as many of the burnt trees have been felled to build anti-flood barriers.

Lawmakers have since extended the dimensions of the mountain's national park to 11.000 hectares from 3.800. According to officials in charge of reforestation, some 57.000 trees have been planted, as opposed to the promised 120.000. Nearly 400.000 more trees are to be planted over the next few years.

Pollution

Asopos River has contaminated water in nearby areas, new study shows

Toxic pollution from the Asopos River, central Greece, has contaminated the water table in neighboring Sykamino and Avlida, according to a scientific study whose results were made public yesterday. “There are signs of increased toxic levels in these areas,” said Haris Smyrniotis of the Institute of Geology and Mineral Exploration (IGME). The IGME report blames central and local authorities for failing to protect water resources. The local prefecture is also blamed for allegedly protecting the interests of local businesses believed to be illegally dumping their toxic waste into the river.

And a school from Pátras, with an appointment for 4.30 p.m. performed arriving at 5.30 p.m. !! Most of the patients were already fed and we didn’t want them to vomit, so they could return with nothing achieved !! One should learn thinking in an European way and planning things decently !! At 7.20 p.m. the little tortoise-shell kitten was fading away > so we didn’t “torture” her with further feedings, but commanded her into other hands. At 9.40 p.m. at last we could contact a school from Tríkala, which should visit us tomorrow: it showed to be that they had the intention calling us tomorrow-morning at 8 to inform us they couldn’t pass-by at 9.30 a.m. !! That we have a planning for the day is so foreign to the nature for lots of people here, that we aren’t astonished at all anymore at lots of blunders a.o. economically . . . . !!

April 11^th: the little tortoise-shell was almost gone at 5.15 a.m. The Long-eared Owl was 312 (+2), the Brown Barn Owl 468 (=) and the Shearwater 698 (-3) gram. The little tortoise-shell passed away at 6.28 a.m. At 11.30 a.m. two of the four rooms in the House-next-door had their wooden doorsteps. These were made from, in the 2^nd half of the 80-ies gathered from the refuse in Amsterdam, inch-thick parts of old-fashioned oak bedsteads, which oak-wood (all together more than 1 cubic meter !!) was taken by us from Holland to Greece !

Thanks to a lumbago there couldn’t been done more !! And while Greece hardly is capable managing their own water-reserves, we could read the following:

Water needs

Cyprus will import water from Greece to help cover the country’s needs, Cypriot government officials said yesterday. The transportation of water will be done via tankers but the necessary infrastructure to complete its conveyance in both countries has yet to be installed. Greece will supply Cyprus with 8 million ( = 8 billion liter !!) tons of water, officials added.

The Shearwater started sitting and “walking” on the heels !! Buzzard III is still filling his days with staring infatuated, with a wry head, into the heaven > eaten still hasn’t happened !!

April 12^th: the little kittens are (sometimes) already using the litter-box and purring is as well heard !! The Long-eared Owl was 317 (+5), the Brown Barn Owl 478 (+10) and the Shearwater 694 (-4) gram. We must very soon do something with the teeth of the he-dog “Máo” > due to the inborn jaw-deformation (Pekinese) there is a huge building-up of dental plaque. At 9.30 the last two doorsteps in the House-next-door were on their places.

Earthquakes

An undersea earthquake measuring 4.4 on the Richter scale shook the island of Crete yesterday, but there were no immediate reports of injuries or damage, authorities said. The quake, which had an epicenter north of Iraklion, struck at 2.14 a.m. Later in the day, at 11.01 a.m. another earthquake struck the area of Samos. There were no reports of damage from the 4.7 Richter tremor that shook the eastern Aegean island.

At last:

Plastic bags

The City of Athens will launch on Monday a pilot program aimed at replacing plastic supermarket bags with recyclable bags. At an event to be held in Syntagma Square, central Athens, volunteers will hand out fabric bags and pamphlets to raise awareness on the issue.

We were able to remove the stitches (see April 6^th) from the wing of the Long-eared Owl and as well the last pieces of dead tissue. The now 100% clean injury was only sprayed with Hansaplast-bandage-spray. The Brown Barn Owl has showed evidently nót being capable to fly > what he could indeed, was giving the cat “P.P.” the creeps by sneaking with óne wing in “threatening-pose” alongside her cage . . . . !! At 6.45 p.m. a phone-call from “Joeri” (Dutchman, who keeps the Shelter on Sámos) that he had a “falcon” knocked-down by a car. Will be sent tomorrow-morning by ferry.

April 13^th: there is no difference anymore in what the 4 little black kittens are eating, and they are doing quite well !! The Long-eared Owl was 319 (+2), the Brown Barn Owl 466 (-12) and the Shearwater 700 (+6) gram. Without any problems “Máo” left the surgery > see further at HE-DOG. We received a phone-call from Sámos that the “falcon” was on board of the ferry, which should arrive in Mytiléne around 4 p.m. Cleaning the cage of the Brown Barn Owl it showed to be he had vomited several times (= loss of weight !) > we’re changing the given food now again into soft food, but if he “doesn’t believe in it anymore” it will be a lost battle for him and for us . . . . !! We have started changing the armoured glass bottom of the pigeon-cage in “The Keep” (meant for more light in the fox-cage there under, but that didn’t work out !) by a wooden one. The pieces of wood, from old inch-thick shutters, are meanwhile made fitting. And while we had started our siesta earlier because of the “falcon” we had to take from the ferry, we were disturbed herein at 2.05 p.m. by a phone-call from Skoutáros: one had discovered over there a little bird, with which “something” was wrong and if we couldn’t come at once to pick it up . . . . !! “Luckily” the bird died on the spot at the phone and so there was no need to split ourselves up schizophrenically, but there had evidently been more wrong than “something” !! The woman who called was in any case thanked for contacting us. And while we were watching the ferry entering the harbor, we were phoned by a woman from Mytiléne, who had an, injured on a leg, young sparrow > if we could run and pick it up at Hotel “So-and-so”. We have told her that we were busy at that moment waiting for the ferry to debark so we could pick-up an injured bird-of-prey and that she had to meet us over there. The bird-of-prey we had in our hands, under quite a lot of interest of the Limenarchío (Coast-Guard), at 4.18 p.m. > see at LONG-LEGGED BUZZARD. And while we were busy freeing our car out of the flop in the harbor, we were frozen with screaming breaks by a (too luxurious) car, in which two ladies of whom the “best-before-date” had been in the time of the Beatles and who were evidently “languishing away” . . . . !! “If they couldn’t take care of the little sparrow themselves; it was sóóóó cute . . . .” (Báh !!). We had to tell them that a) it wasn’t a sparrow but a juvenile Blackbird and so they should always have been wrong feeding the bird, and b) that one for bringing-up those (injured) birds one needed ánd the knowledge ánd a license. So see further at BLACKBIRD. By the way, this is the first juvenile bird of this year and that’s quite early !! Meanwhile “Máo” had done something with one leg and the stitches, so inside the house it was a carnage . . . . !! So this was a day !!

April 14^th: all were still alive this morning !! The four kit tens are doing well and the dog “Humpy” has taken again on his shoulders the job of “pampers-changer” (cleaning the bums) !! The juvenile Blackbird was 44 gram; the Long-eared Owl 322 (+3), the Brown Barn Owl 467 (+1) and the Shearwater 711 (+11) gram. The new Long-legged Buzzard was 920 (-2) gram. This last one we checked again for injuries: nothing could be discovered. What indeed we did find, were thousands of feather-parasites, which were even inhabiting the right ear > PINEX-spay was used. The Brown Barn Owl has again vomited the this morning given food !! Today again meat had to be processed (12,520 kilo for 73,81 Euro; total now this year 208,295 kilo for 1319,18 Euro) and this happened in co-operation with Douglas, Janice and Tjarda. When we wanted to feed the juvenile Blackbird at 10.20 a.m. he/she was gasping for breath and refused to eat . . . so ?? Was discovered not-alive anymore at 11.23 a.m. > see further at BLACKBIRD.

Power shortage likely in summer

Greece is likely to experience energy shortages until 2010 due to power demand exceeding supply, according to a report seen by Kathimerini.

The National Power Strategy Council, which belongs to the Development Ministry, said in a report recently that Greece will be reliant on lignite for the next few years until power from natural gas and renewable energy sources start to increase.

EU directives state that by 2020 Greece is obliged to get 18% of its energy needs from renewable sources such as solar and wind power.

The government examined the council’s report at a Cabinet meeting last week but no decisions were made, a source said. Meanwhile, fears are also rising that the country will experience power shortages this summer due to the extensive use of energy-hungry air conditioners.

Concerns over power supply have risen due to low levels of rainfall last winter that have lowered the capacity of hydroelectric plants. Earlier this month, Takis Athanassopoulos, PPC president and CEO, acknowledged that a lot more rain is needed to avoid the problem.

“I don’t know whether we can avoid power cuts this summer; we are currently considering all the options for better management (of available resources),” he said. Sources said the Finance Ministry is examining whether to introduce financial incentives to get consumers to discard their old air conditioner and replace it with a more energy-efficient model.

After the evening-feeding Honey Buzzard I suddenly had a coughing-fit, vomited (with difficulties) everything and was hereafter not able sitting on the roost > we had to remove this piece of wood. The bird was hereafter sitting gasping for breath on the bottom of his cage; so wait and see !! And exactly on the place in the pigeon-cage in “The Keep” which must be replaced, two little pigeons hatched at 6 p.m.: a cross-breed in between a Rock Dove (fem) and a brown Street Pigeon. So we’ll have to wait a week or so, otherwise it will be a double “manslaughter” . . . . !! At 7.50 p.m. a phone-call from Plomári about a little swallow, caught by a cat. One will try, if still alive, to bring the bird tomorrow. Honey Buzzard I (07-160; August 17^th ’07) was discovered not alive any more at 8.30 p.m. > had vomited the last bit of food as well . . . . !!

April 15^th: at the rise it showed to be that the good eye of “Máo” was glued together, so he was walking like a blind and bumping against all and everything. At once started with Cavasan-eye-cream. The little kittens are more and more lively by the day and are doing well. The Brown Barn Owl, which had vomited yesterday a lot was 457 (-10) gram. The Long-eared Owl was 325 (+3) and the Shearwater 681 (-30). This one however had enjoyed yesterday a big washing, but só dirty he hadn’t been after all !! The Long-legged Buzzard is strictly speaking too tame for this species; is producing a strange color of droppings but was 956 (+46) gram. Later she had vomited all the food of the given 1^st feeding > so we’re changing again to soft food till everything is normal again. The Brown Barn Owl as well is vomiting the given food. We were able to continue with the arrears in keeping the fronts of the cages in the Sick Bay > it shows that at least once a year those fronts must be removed, otherwise the screws are só rusty they can’t be removed !! At 1-.08 a.m. a phone-call from the Shelter in Skála Eressoú about a cat from which the tail should be “rotting away” and with lots of maggots > one should try to be here with the cat at 11.30 a.m. Everything over here was prepared for an amputation under “stinking circumstances” . . . . !! At 11.15 a.m. again a call: in spite of the given “anesthetic pill” in the food the cat had fled and was not to be found. So we’ll wait and see when he/she will appear.

Greener bags now in stores

Volunteers yesterday handed out free reusable shopping bags in central Athens as a municipal pilot scheme, aimed at phasing out the use of plastic bags, was launched in nine supermarkets.

Athens Mayor Nikitas Kaklamanis, who has spearheaded efforts to boost recycling in the capital, said that he believed shoppers would adopt greener ways. “We as Greeks are not lacking in sensitivity or decisiveness but simply are not well informed,” he said. (Note L.W.H.: not well informed ?? After all those years with publicities all over the world ??) “When we are correctly informed, then I believe our mentality changes,” he said, noting that a recent 15-day awareness campaign attracted 100.000 participants.

Wind change blows away African dust

The dust clouds that have covered much of Greece over the last few days began dispersing yesterday afternoon and should leave a much cleaner and less muggy atmosphere behind them, weather experts said yesterday.

The thick clouds of dust from North Africa are a normal phenomenon for this time of year, brought on by strong southerly winds caused by Saharan depressions.

A change in the wind, which turned northerly yesterday afternoon, is expected to help blow the dust away, according to the National Meteorological Service.

Experts said that the dust is only a danger to people with breathing problems. “It does not affect us in any way,” said pneumology professor Panayiotis Behrakis. “It is a natural, tried and tested phenomenon. Normal city pollution or smoking a cigarette is worse for us.”

We have fed the Long-legged Buzzard, after several times of vomiting, a whole tablet of Norit (active coal) > now wait and see.

April 16^th: the cat “P.P.” can leave as soon as the care-taker can find the time to take her: the belly is 100% and nice closed !! The Long-eared Owl was 327 (+2), the Brown Barn Owl had diminished of course: 443 (-14) and the Shearwater was 681 (=) gram. The Long-legged Buzzard had after the given tablet Norit not vomited anymore, but had diminished 16 gram: 940 gram. The sight of “Máo” has improved so much that he isn’t tumbling anymore from the stairs, because he couldn’t see the steps !! It’s really moving seeing the two just-hatched baby-pigeons on the bottom of the pigeon-cage in “The Keep”. Just after breakfast we received one Greek visitor from Nápi > the conversation by the way was in Dutch, because he had lived in Holland for 41 years ! A Secondary School from Ágia Paraskeví (NOT our village, but close to Athens) called of 5 minutes before the appointed time (and such while they had been in our village) while they were already on their way to Mólivos . . . . !! From the five schools which had made an appointment to visit us till now on, the first arrived 3 quarters too late due to sick (read: having an hangover) children, the second were “nice-weather-ecologists” and it rained, the third arrived more than one our too late because they had changed the program, the fourth wanted suddenly to come while we had already another appointment and the fifth called of because the visit to the museum here went longer than expected !! And there was that unannounced school, which 1 hour before announced that they wanted to visit us > is it possible we have a program of our own . . . . ?? That our mind continuing with those visits is far away is understandable, we think. Meanwhile we have informed the responsible person from the Environment-Department about this. And therefore we started building the new feeding-place & rain-shelter in the crow-aviary. Was constructed at 4.30 p.m. And 5 minutes later the cat “P.P.” (08-033; March 28^th ’08) was taken back by the over-grateful caretaker. At 6.50 p.m. a phone-call out of our village from a, well-known to us, young woman about a stray dog which was knocked-down by a car and which should (probably) have a broken leg > we had to come down to take the dog and treat him/her . . . . !! We have told her that the Municipality is responsible for the weal and woe of stray (so we not), and that we could give first aid, but that a) the dog should be brought over here, and b) after treatment should take him back, because we had no place to lodge him. After more than 1 hour still no dog had arrived . . . . !! Around 9 p.m. the same woman called again about the same dog > probably we are the only people with a car in the village . . . . !! The dog wasn’t brought after all.

April 17^th: the Shearwater was seen standing straight at 6 a.m. for the first time !! The Long-eared Owl was 328 (+1), the Brown Barn Owl 426 (-17) and the Shearwater 690 (+9) gram The Long-legged Buzzard was 961 (+21) gram. The new feeding-place annex shelter for the crow-aviary could be finished (painting etc.) for hanging. We received a phone-call from Mytiléne about an injured pigeon > will be sent by coach of 1.15 p.m. A Secondary School from Kalávryta (Peleponnesos) arrived, and they had prepared some “home-work with questions” for us and they arrived even earlier than appointed > so a miracle for Greece !!

Zoning plan submitted to Parliament

Bill to be voted on in May

Greece's first national zoning plan, which aims to regulate land development over the next 15 years, was submitted to Parliament yesterday. Experts have criticized the draft bill, saying that it does not deal with the problem of uncontrolled urban sprawl or illegal construction activity and also fails to provide for the country's islands. The bill says it “addresses the management of measures, after thorough studies, such as the creation of bus lanes and setting up of toll roads in areas or urban centers where traffic has come to a standstill.”

A number of municipal officials, political representatives and transport experts have opposed plans to set up toll areas, arguing that it will be an ineffective measure just aimed at earning the government revenues.

A parliamentary committee is expected to debate the draft bill over the next two weeks, giving MPs an opportunity to modify the draft plan, which will head for a final vote by lawmakers in May.

The initial proposal is the result of efforts by about 40 experts from various fields, and was submitted to the Environment and Public Works Ministry where it was subsequently divested of any “troublesome” amendments or innovative approaches. The designers of the plan had mentioned the need to wean the islands off dependency on Athens and Thessaloniki and to organize the Aegean archipelago as an autonomous unit with four centers - Iraklion on Crete, Ermoupolis on Syros, Rhodes and Mytilene.

The zoning plan submitted to Parliament yesterday, however, has failed to take this into account, say experts. “Points of growth for the mainland have been clearly set out but for the islands they are non-existent,” said one architect, Rania Kloutsiniotis, who was one of the experts who initially drafted the plan. “They could have created new sea and airport routes between the islands that do not necessarily pass through Athens.”

The announced pigeon we had in our hands at 1.53 p.m. > see at STREET-PIGEON.

April 18^th: the pupil-deformity of the Street-Pigeon seems to have diminished a bit; was 230 gram. The Brown Barn Owl is still vomiting and diminishing: 413 (-13) gram. The Kong-eared Owl was 331 (+3), the Shearwater 722 (+32, but some “glued” sand can be included herein) and the Long-legged Buzzard 1011 (+50 !!) gram. At

8.50 a.m. the new feeding-place annex shelter in the crow-aviary was hanging.

Was quite necessary, because the old one fell into pieces at removing from the wall !! The Street-Pigeon is meanwhile seen already some times with “lifted head” and even once while there was eaten !! The Long-legged Buzzard produced this morning a pellet, which consisted almost for 100% out of the remnants of beetles > so she must have been very hungry for several days !! We could buy 4 kilo of squid (10 Euro) for the Shearwater > is enough for at least 19 days !! In the crow-aviary there isn’t yet eaten due to the “renovation” !! This changed later in the day.

Cypriot MEP wants to trim Greek alphabet

A maverick Cypriot Euro MP with a reputation for high-profile protests yesterday called for the “simplification” of the Greek written language, including the elimination of some letters from the alphabet, noting that this would facilitate writing on computers and help dyslexics.

A letter sent by Marios Matsakis to Cyprus Education Minister Andreas Dimitriou proposes the creation of a committee of linguists to “modernize or simplify” the Greek language. Matsakis makes some proposals of his own: that the letters “upsilon” (υ) and “eta” (η) be dropped from the alphabet as they share the same phonetic value as “iota” (ι).

Simplifying the Greek language in this way “is necessary within the context of a trend toward unifying the languages of the European Union,” according to Matsakis. “Such a change would make Greek script more simple and practical,” he said.

We have discovered that the smallest of the kittens, which was already for a while not so lively anymore and was drinking as well less, had some huge abscesses in both front legs, which partly perforated spontaneously and partly had to be opened. Probably due to biting of litter-mate(s). At once antibiotics were given. At 6.30 p.m. we were phoned again about (probably) the same dog as yesterday-evening. This time by an Athenian woman, who was willing to pass-by with the dog. Was here at 6.58 p.m. Showed to be a life-seized, already somewhat older male “Pointer-like” (quite friendly by the way), which indeed had a fractured pulse right side. Only a protecting bandage was given. The dog is capable, by not using the leg, taking care of the healing-process. That the Municipality is refusing caring for this dog, although obliged doing so by Law, is only characteristic for Greek situations. We in any case couldn’t take-in the dog and the Athenian lady showed she understood our position !! Further not in the statistics.

April 19^th: the kitten with the leg-abscesses (which we had to open and empty again last evening) is cheerful again and is drinking as before !! The Street-Pigeon had yesterday eaten and drunk like a “beast”: 300 (+70 !!) gram. The Long-eared Owl was 331 (=), the Brown Barn Owl 401 (-12) and the Shearwater 741 (+19) gram. The Long-legged Buzzard is doing well now: 1048 (+37) gram. Using the good weather we meanwhile started with re-painting the Aviary in our Court-yard. And one wrote April 15^th that the dust should be blown away, but now probably something newer and more dangerous is coming:

Dust cloud may cause breathing problems

A massive cloud of dust, expected to cover Athens in the coming days, may result in an increase in heart and respiratory problems of up to 10 percent, according to experts.

Meteorologists predict the dust, brought from the Sahara Desert by a southerly wind, is expected to reach the country around Monday.

Research shows that the airborne particles, or fine sand, are considerably larger that those normally found in city smog and can be more dangerous. “When strong southerly winds blow over areas such as lakes in northern Algeria, they also take with them bacteria,” said Giorgos Kalos, associate professor of meteorology at the University of Athens. “This is then carried in a shell formed by salt and other matter and these organisms enter our geographical region,” he added.

Zoning plan

Ecologists yesterday criticized a land zoning plan, submitted in Parliament earlier this week, saying that it would pave the way for uncontrolled construction and pose an environmental threat. The main aim of the plan should be the restoration of the environment and not its systematic destruction, according to the Environment and Sustainability Chamber.

Did one phone us April 14^th around 8 p.m. from Plomári about a little swallow, that should be caught by a cat, now they called again at 12.10 p.m.: it hadn’t been a Swallow (chelidóni), but a Turtle Dove (trichóni) > should only have new tail-feathers after the cat-attack. The bird will be brought one of the coming days. There was announced that next Monday there will be a water-stop due to cleaning of the waterworks. At 8.45 p.m. two young men were at our door with a PURPLE HERON, they had “rescued” out of the hands of children > see over there.

April 20^th: all were still alive this morning. The Purple Heron showed to have, at a further examination, a dislocation of the right knee-joint. Tried to fix this, but this place is hardly to tape !! The Brown Barn Owl was 390 (-11), the Long-eared Owl 333 (+2), the Street-Pigeon 297 (-3) and the Shearwater 752 (+11) gram. The Long-legged Buzzard was 1060 (+12) gram. After the discovery of blood on the bottom of the cage of the Purple Heron, the bird was examined again: showed to have a bloody injury (holes; due to barbed wire ??) at the knee; due to this the whole knee-joint probably had “exploded”. Because now the prognosis was “infaust”, we had to put him down. We received a visit from our translator (for the Greek site), who is living in Mytiléne and who wanted to see again where he was writing about. And hereafter came our vice-chairman, who wanted to show her two little nieces (from our village) for what she was spending so much time. At 12.18 p.m. arrived the announced TURTLE DOVE > see over there. The smallest kitten (which had the leg-problems as well) isn’t doing well anymore: swollen belly, problems with the defecation and isn’t drinking well anymore. So . . . . ?? Eventually it could be the case that our Long-legged Buzzard is escaped from imprisonment (or kicked-out due to the price of food), because she isn’t able to hunt and is definitively tóó tame !! This was suggested at the last excursion by someone, and we are following this suggestion more and more now.

April 21^st: all were still alive this morning, although the situation from the smallest kitten hasn’t improved. The Turtle Dove was 130, and that’s within the norm. The Street-Pigeon was 297 (=), the Brown Barn Owl 384 (-6) and the Long-eared Owl 337 (+4) gram. The Shearwater was 768 (+16) and the Long-legged Buzzard 1100 (+40) gram. At 7.34 a.m. the smallest kitten went-over to another dimension, under producing waves of a brownish fluid (old blood ?? However, wasn’t smelling so). We removed the hanging cast from the wing of the Street-Pigeon. The Brown Barn Owl is transferred to the barn-owl-aviary in “The Keep” > maybe the presence of birds of the same kind can give him back some joy-of-life. At 8.40 a.m. a phone-call from our former village (Loutrópolis Thermís), that down at Paralía Thermís there was a “ducky” which was severe injured. Told them to put the birdie in a cardboard-box > astonishment at the other side of the line (so for us not-understandable: a ducklet will ever fit in a box ??), but we left at once. Only, was a bit bigger than a “ducky” and fitted hardly on the mate’s place. At that moment we indeed understood the astonishment about the box. See further at GREYLAG GOOSE !! Today meat had to be processed again and the two ladies present tried avoiding cutting their fingers but in stead the meat: 12,880 kilo for 80,17 Euro. Total now this year 221,175 kilo for 1399,35 Euro. In the siesta, at 2.22 p.m. a phone-call from someone, who just had delivered an injured swallow at the Shell-petrol-station > so we picked it up. See at BARN SWALLOW. At 4.30 p.m. in the nest-box in the barn owl-cage quite soft peeping was heard: in any case 1 tiny “owlet” was seen !!!!! We hope we’ll be this time more lucky than in 2006 !

April 22^nd: wonder of wonders all were still alive this morning. The Turtle Dove was 137 (+7), the Street-Pigeon 300 (+3), the Long-eared Owl 338 (+1) and the Long-legged Buzzard 1120 (+20) gram. We started carefully with her giving some more “coarse” food. The Shearwater was, after the extensive bath of yesterday, still 695 (-73 !!) gram > we had never known that glued sand and droppings could be so heavy !! The Greylag Goose is quiet and is breathing a bit better. But this changed around 8 a.m.: the breathing was difficult and “heavy”, and plaintively sounds were heard at inhaling and breathing out. The head as well was on the floor. The prognosis now is . . . . ?? At 8.50 a.m. some movements were made just if he/she wanted to fly away; the pupils however were wide open. Was discovered not alive anymore at 9 a.m. The P.M. showed blood in the free abdomen and the bleeding in both eyes had worsened > so this one we never could have rescued !! Meanwhile we received quite a lot of visitors: 2 reps (one Dutch and one from Brussels) with a friend and later 2 Greek children with their Dutch uncle and aunt.

Greece rapped over gases

UN panel deems system measuring greenhouse emissions to be unreliable

The United Nations has thrown Greece out of the system that allows countries to trade emissions under the Kyoto Protocol and has given Athens three months to come up with a reliable way of testing its pollution levels after deeming its current methods unsatisfactory.

Kathimerini has learnt that the UN’s Compliance Committee on the Kyoto Protocol has decided that Greece does not have a reliable way of measuring and observing greenhouse gas emissions. It has decided that the explanations given by Greece in March were not good enough.

In an unprecedented move, the panel has now barred Greece from being able to trade emissions with less industrialized countries so that it can meet its air pollution targets.

As no other country has yet been banned from taking part in the scheme, the impact this development will have is not clear.

“Greece is unfortunately the only country in the world that has been singled out for the inefficiency of its system for measuring emissions,” said the head of WWF Hellas Dimitris Karavellas.

In January, WWF issued a report that questioned the way data was being collected but the government rebuffed the environmental group’s claims.

“Apart from meaning that Greece cannot take part in the Kyoto mechanisms, this decision has also shamed Greece on an international level.”

The UN committee has demanded that it develop a new system of measuring emissions and submit it to the panel within three months. If approved, Greece will then effectively be under the supervision of a team of experts picked by the compliance committee to ensure that it sticks to the scheme.

In March, Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis insisted that Greece was on track to meet its Kyoto target of reducing its emissions by 8% by 2012.

And again we could hear a soft peeping in the nest-box of the Barn Owls !! The remaining 3 little kittens were weaned today for the first time !!

April 23^rd: all were alive this morning. The Street-Pigeon was 300 (=), the Turtle Dove 138 (+1), the Long-eared Owl 338 (=) and the Shearwater 700 (+5) gram. The Long-legged Buzzard has had no problems with the food-change of yesterday (no vomiting), was 1148 (+28) gram and today we’re going to extend the giving of coarse food a bit more. At 7.55 a.m. a pick-up stopped with squealing brakes before our house, from which the driver stumbling over his own legs ran towards us, screaming: “Come quick; it’s so terrible . . . . !!” in the back, in a box, was a freshly by him knocked down puppy of not even 4 months old > “it was still so early in the morning . . . . !!” (so his eyes hadn’t been quite open yet !!). See further at PUPPY. Did we stop already some days ago with the Cavasan-cream in the remnant eye of “Máo” because it didn’t work out at all (and the eye started leaking a badly smelling fluid), this morning at 11 a.m. the eye spontaneously perforated. He was strictly speaking already some days 100% blind, and we’ll see íf and hów he is able to adapt to this situation, before we’ll decide to remove this eye as well. If it turns out he “doesn’t believe in it anymore”, than . . . .

EU presses Greece on gases

Athens to face legal action unless it improves pollution testing in 3 months

Greece risks ending up before the European Court of Justice if it fails to come up with a reliable way of testing its pollution levels within the next three months and winning its way back into a United Nations carbon emissions trading program, European Union officials have told Kathimerini.

Government officials yesterday insisted that they had the matter in hand following a UN decision to suspend Greece from a system allowing countries to trade greenhouse emissions with less industrialized nations in order to meet air pollution targets and curb global warming.

“We have asked (UN inspectors) to come as soon as possible and see our monitoring system,” Deputy Environment Minister Stavros Kaloyiannis told Skai Radio, insisting that improvements have been made to the Greek system this year. Kaloyiannis stressed that the UN suspension was only temporary. “Greece has not been ejected from the protocol,” he said.

But the country will not be allowed to re-enter the scheme unless it improves its pollution measuring system to meet EU standards.

“The optimistic scenario is that Greece will solve this problem in the next few months,” a spokesperson in Brussels told Kathimerini. But, he said, the Commission has two serious concerns. First, it does not want the EU’s overall contribution to the Kyoto Protocol – the international pact aimed at curbing the gases responsible for climate change – to be compromised by the poor performance of one member state. Second, it wants to soften the impact of Greece’s “bad example” on the message being conveyed by European Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas, a Greek himself, in negotiations with China and the USA, the world’s biggest polluters.

Dimas had cast doubt on Greek efforts to measure and limit harmful emissions early this year, noting that Greece “is the only country in the European Union not to have convinced the United Nations that it has a credible system (to measure gases).”

The two baby-pigeons in the pigeon-cage in “The Keep” are growing very fast and can be distinguished better from the spilled seeds. In the nest-bloc of the barn owls in any case one little owlet was seen, having proper fluffy feathers.

April 24^th: the he-dog “Máo” must be completely guided for his sanitary walks, because he is bumping against everything. But he still wants to eat. The Turtle Dove was 143 (+5), the Street-Pigeon 300 (=), the Long-eared Owl 347 (+9), the Shearwater 709 (+9) and the Long-legged Buzzard 1186 (+38) gram. We have stopped the further registration of the Common Starling (08-017; February 18^th ’08) > is flying but not well enough for a migratory-bird. Has after all no swimming-license and to leave the island one must fly over open water . . . . ; and from Buzzard III (08-026; March 8^th ’08), which was transferred to the buzzard-aviary April 7^th. We haven’t seen him eating, but if he hadn’t eaten he wouldn’t have been amongst us any more for a while. By the way, we have heard from Holland that the Purple Heron indeed for 100% was a male. At 9.48 a.m. a phone-call from Mytiléne about a goose (the caller thought it was a tame one, but most probably it will be a wildered or the descendent of such one), where “all intestines were out”. If this indeed is the case, we’ll have quite a lot of meat for the birds of prey; however is it “only” a prolapse of the cloacae, maybe we can “fix” something. One should look if the bird can be sent by coach. And we picked-it up from the coach at 11.47 a.m., sitting in a crate. See (for the time being) at Taïga Bean Goose.

EC clashes with Greece on emissions

Says Athens knew of decision

The European Commission said yesterday that the Environment and Public Works Ministry had been fully aware of Greece’s imminent suspension from a United Nations carbon emissions trading program – and that this could lead to legal action – even as the ministry insisted that no “final decision” had been made.

A Commission source yesterday rebuffed claims by the ministry that it had not known about the risk of an indictment to the European Court of Justice over Greece’s failure to reliably test its pollution levels.

“Let’s not imagine scenarios about indictments to the European Court and fines,” the ministry had said.

The ministry statement took issue with European Commissioner Stavros Dimas, a Greek himself, for allegedly “leaking” a warning about potential legal action against Greece instead of “waiting for a visit by UN experts and their final decision.” The statement added that the “temporary non-compliance status imposed on Greece would not have any practical impact.”

An EC statement stressed that the decision, for Greece’s three-month suspension from the emissions trading scheme, was indeed final and violated European legislation as well as the Kyoto Protocol.

But it was clear that more than 150 Greek firms that have been participating in the emissions trading scheme would be unable to do so for the next three months.

Greece’s Ombudsman yesterday appealed to these firms not to exploit the three-month ban on Greece as an excuse to release more emissions than they are entitled to and asked them to honor “their commitment to adapt to the improved techniques demanded by European directives.”

A member of the state emissions measuring committee, Yiannis Ziomas, yesterday said Greece had introduced a new pollution measuring system in January but “had not had the opportunity to prove its efficiency to United Nations officials.”

After the siesta 2 Dutch friends came to visit us and even with those bird-watchers we couldn’t decide the exact determination of the Taïga Bean Goose > too many uncertainties remained.

April 25^th: “Máo” is having more and more problems with the goggling eye > will have a surgery tomorrow-morning. We received the message from Holland that the Taïga Bean Goose is most probably a hybrid with the Domesticated Goose (Anser domesticus). The Turtle Dove was 144 (+1), the Street-Pigeon 308 (+8), the Long-eared Owl 347 (=), the Shearwater 719 (+10) and the Long-legged Buzzard 1219 (+43) gram. In the barn owl-cage in “The Keep” we have seen (at least) 2 little owlets. We had to trim after all those years here the beak of our eldest Buzzard (99-031; March 2^nd 1999) > happened without problems. The Street-Pigeon has recovered in such a way we could place a normal pigeon-roost in the cage, where he is sitting on quite normally. When the baby-pigeons in the pigeon-cage in “The Keep” are older, he can be transferred over there; now it’s still too risky for those “crumbs”. For the result of the P.M., performed on the hybrid Taïga Bean Goose > see over there. Hereafter the still useful parts of meat were removed from the carcass (for the birds of prey) and that was 1177 gram. Was by the way a lot fatter and of an other color than the meat of the Greylag Goose (that was almost 700 gram) > evidently this time a “tame” specimen.

Kyoto dispute ‘not personal’

A European Commission official tried yesterday to defuse the row that has broken out between Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas and Public Works Minister Giorgos Souflias over the United Nations decision to remove Greece from the Kyoto Protocol’s emissions trading scheme.

Souflias accused Dimas of “over-dramatizing” the UN’s decision through his statements criticizing the minister. But a member of the commissioner’s cabinet said that the ruling against Greece is a serious issue, not a personal one.

“The case of Greece violating the Kyoto Protocol is not related to any personal differences between the Public Works Minister and Mr Dimas,” said Dimitris Giotakos. He insisted that Dimas wants to see Greece use this opportunity to its advantage in the fight against climate change.

Natura programs

Environmentalists WWF said that most of the areas in Greece that are protected by the EU’s Natura network have not been appointed any body or organization to manage them. In Greece, there are 238 areas and 27 large national parks that have been placed in the Natura program. “Most of these protected areas do not have any management and their boundaries have not been clearly set,” said WWF.

Was the Brown Barn Owl (08-027; March 8^th ’08) April 12^th still complete unpowerful to fly (see at that date) and for that reason transferred to the barn owl-cage in “The Keep” the 21^st (see as well that date), today he was seen flying from one side of the cage to the other one, and even not so badly !! So . . . . , there is still hope !! As well the Street-Pigeon, which came in with a.o. a severe brain-damage the 17^th, showed during a test being capable flying quite well !! Around 5 p.m. 1 Greek visitor.

April 26^th: the Street-Pigeon was 314 (+6), the Turtle Dove 147 (+3), the Long-eared Owl 337 (-10) and the Shearwater 708 (-11) gram. The Long-legged Buzzard was 1246 (+27) gram. At 7.38 a.m. “Máo” received his anesthetic-injection > see further at HE-DOG. Cleaning the cage of the Long-legged Buzzard (and during which she was “parked” for a moment on a stool), she suddenly took-off and landed on the back/shoulders of the cleaner > ever such a strange feeling !! At a check around midday there was seen only one owlet in the nest-block of the Barn Owls. Because the pump, which is filtering the water in the Aviary and keeps it running, broke down some days ago (was provisionally repaired with Sporttape and 2-seconds-glue, but we didn’t dare to clean it fearing we shouldn’t have nothing left over !!), there came with the coach of 1.15 from Mytiléne a huge one, we must install from sheer necessity outside the air-lock > on one side lots of brain-racking, but at the other side more space in the air-lock and no hoses anymore, where constantly was stepped-on. At the afternoon-feeding “Máo” was eating as before and even some more.

April 27^th: no problems with “Máo” last night. The Street-Pigeon was 316 (+2), The Turtle Dove 147 (=), the Long-eared Owl 343 (+6) and the Shearwater 710 (+2) gram. The Long-legged Buzzard was 1276 (+30) gram. At 11.25 a.m. the new pump was working !! To reach this, 15 liter of concrete had to be hacked out, the marble column, on which the bronze statue is standing, had to be made thinner to get the pump fitting in the created space and the old pipes had to me made fitting to the new, thicker ones. The pump has so much power, we had to “pinch” a bit because otherwise the outlet of the bath into the deposit can’t handle the incoming water !! At 12.05 p.m. a phone-call from Mytiléne about a little black birdie with yellow feathers on the belly (Great Tit ??) > one will look for a possibility to get the little one today here, because of course there are no busses anymore on the First day of Easter (here). And they didn’t succeed .

April 28^th: the Street-Pigeon was 324 (+8), The Turtle Dove 145 (-2), the Long-eared Owl 345 (+2) and the Shearwater 711 (+1) gram. The Long-legged Buzzard was 1303 (+27) gram. So that one has gained weight within a fortnight here with almost 400 gram !! Today (Easter-Monday here) the meat, which was already bought last Saturday, had to be processed: 11,260 kilo for 70,55 Euro. Total now this year 232,435 kilo for 1469,90 Euro. We have heard that the birdie from Mytiléne will be brought by the discoverers around 11.30 a.m. At 10 a.m. a phone-call from Mólivos from Dutch tourists, who have found in a card-board box beside the road a (probably) young puppy > one will pass-by. While we were waiting for the Mytilenian birdie, we have given the owner of a tractor (who had parked his vehicle almost upon our car) given a tour around > hereafter he disappeared with his “darling”. The birdie was here at 11.03 a.m. > and indeed a GREAT TIT. See further over there. The bearers were showed around as well. At the same moment we had to pick-up the discoverers of the puppy with the little one from the Town-Hall; at last those two Dutchmen are going to take the little one (not even 4 months old) back to Holland. Further not in the statistics. The as well were showed around. During those visits the Shearwater showed to be less vivid > ?? After 6 p.m. a group of birdwatchers: 1 from Scotland, 1 from Wales, 1 from the Republic of Ireland and 14 from England. At 9.38 p.m. a (smaller) group of villagers with a bone0thin Tom-Cat “Mítso” > see further at TOM-CAT.

April 29^th: at 5 a.m. all were still alive !! The newly taken-in Tom-Cat had urinated, but nothing more. The little Great Tit was 15 gram (yesterday not measured due to all circumstances of the moment), the Street-Pigeon 321 (-3), the Turtle Dove 147 (+2) and the Long-eared Owl 341 (-4) gram. The Shearwater was 726 (+15) and the Long-legged Buzzard was top of the list with 1351 (+48) gram. The Street-Pigeon was well-ringed transferred at 8.30 a.m. to the pigeon-cage in “The Keep” for flying-practices. And the first that was done, was . . . taking an extensive bath !!

UN rebuffs Kyoto claims

The United Nations has dismissed claims by the Greek government that its officials may have been influenced by negative comments from third parties in arriving at its decision to suspend Greece from the Kyoto Protocol’s emissions trading system.

“The Compliance Committee is made up of scientists from five continents and 20 countries,” John Hay, a spokesperson from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, told Sunday’s Kathimerini. “It is a totally independent body… and has nothing to gain from showing distrust in any government.”

Hay said however that the clock has begun ticking for Greece to come up with an acceptable system of measuring its carbon emissions. “Greece will have to submit by June a plan that will clearly explain how it intends to deal with the issues raised by the ruling against it.”

Because the yesterday taken-in Tom-Cat has the same snot-nose as the first slum-child (and due to that he isn’t able smelling > so no food is recognized), we started with a heavy doses of antibiotics. Till now on he hasn’t drank, so this is happening with a 2cc syringe !! However, what he has urinated wasn’t bloody and had the “normal” smell of a Tom-Cat !!

April 30^th: the Tom-Cat is urinating well and is drinking water on his own, but further we still have to feed him with a syringe. Due to the trauma it’s a miracle he is still alive !! The juvenile Great Tit was unchanged 15 gram. The Long-eared Owl was 337 (-4, but that’s still within the norm), the Turtle Dove 150 (+3) and the Shearwater 747 (+21) gram. The Long-legged Buzzard was 1375 (+24) gram. We started with a nest-box for the Long-eared Owl, which will find its place in the aviary next to that of the Barn Owls. Needs only yet to be fixed to the wall. We received two Dutch visitors, who in the past had adopted our dog “Yule”.

EU pollution warnings on way

The European Union is expected to agree today to send Greece warning letters over its inability to comply with the Kyoto Protocol’s emissions trading system and the failure of more than 300 major Greek industries to meet stricter air pollution targets.

Sources said that the College of Commissioners is due to meet today to discuss the matter and is expected to agree that two letters should be sent warning Greece that it faces being brought before the European Court of Justice.

The first warning concerns Greece’s failure to employ a trustworthy system for measuring carbon emissions.

This led the United Nations to take the unprecedented step last week of expelling Greece from the emissions trading system and giving it two months to come up with a method that is reliable.

The Public Works and Environment Ministry has played down the incident and claims that a mere technicality has led to the confusion over Greece’s readings.

However, it was revealed yesterday that the government is also in line to receive a warning on Monday over the failure to effectively implement the EU’s Integrated Pollution Prevention Control (IPPC) directive, which aims to “prevent or reduce pollution of the atmosphere, water and soil, as well as the quantities of waste arising from industrial and agricultural installations to ensure a high level of environmental protection.”

Greece is one of eight countries that has failed to ensure that its big businesses update their anti-pollution systems and are then given new operating licenses based on checks on these facilities.

The directive came into force last October but only about a quarter of the 356 Greek businesses that need to comply with it have actually been checked.

Dead sea mammals mystery

An alarming number of dead sea mammals, apparently killed on purpose by humans rather than dying of natural causes, have washed up on Greek shores in the last few weeks, marine experts said yesterday.

Theodoros Tsimbidis, the head of the Archipelagos Marine and Environmental Research Institute, told Kathimerini that between 40 and 50 protected or rare mammals had washed up over the last two months, particularly in areas of the northern and eastern Aegean.

“We have never found so many dead animals before, particularly ones that have been struck,” said Tsimbidis. “Of the 10 mammals we found today, six or seven had been killed by humans.”

Marine experts believe that the true number of mammals, such as dolphins or seals, that are killed is much higher as many of the animals’ carcasses never reach the shore.

Tsimbidis said that it was not immediately clear what had led to so many sea creatures being found dead recently but suggested that fishermen may have killed them.

At 1.25 p.m. 6 children came, who had seen a gull “falling from the air” on the roof of a house. They had run the soul out of their body to bring the bird here (a.o. by a 13-year old boy on a moped taking the bird with him), but the bird died at arrival. Showed to be a YELLOW-LEGGED GULL, which (seeing the symptoms) had eaten “something wrong”. Bird further not in the statistics; the children received as an award, a guided tour-around. At 4 p.m. 2 Dutch visitors. At 6.05 p.m. the nest-box for the Long-eared Owl was hanging and at 6.10 he was transferred. In the evening it showed to be that the stitches in the face of “Máo” had disappeared, so he was walking around with an immense bleeding hole in the face > frits tried to close the hole with agrafes, but he wasn’t so co-operative . . . . So at 10 p.m. we were busy in the surgery (under a light total anesthetic) closing his face again . . . . !!

Total amount of visitors this month: 120 (total this year: 193)

Kinds of animals who are mentioned like this were for the first time in treatment in the L.W.H.

Amount of kilometers (Animal-Ambulance) for bringing-in/releasing animals this month 189 (total this year 1016 kilometers)

Total amount of intakes this month: 23 [wild ones: 09; others 14], (total this year 057: wild ones 037, others 020; total since the start of registration in 1996: 3868) of which:

CAT (Felis catus): 3, of which 2 semi-stray ones from Eftaloú. The one which will be done first (a ginger-and-white, “Tryntje”) is becoming slowly-on blind. Isn’t curable by us. Was operated without any problems the 3^rd > at least 4 potential stray cats less !! The 2^nd, which a day later will be done (a tortoise-shell one, “Juliana”) is going to miss as well the remnants of the left eye and the opening should be closed as well. The 4^th were removed 3 kittens, larger than those of yesterday. The inflammation in the left eye showed to be caused by eye-lids, which were turned inside > those were removed and the hole was closed with 1 normal and 2 U-stitches. The 3^rd came from Parákoila and was so “handy” that one had to put “something” in the given food to be able to catch her. Should be, according to the anamnesis, almost be at the delivering-date. The thick belly could be declared by quite a obesitas, because further she wasn’t so very pregnant at all: only 1 “fruit” of ± 3 weeks old. Complete ovariohysterectomie (one never knows after all) and hereafter looked after “something” in the neck: looked like an air-gun-pellet, but showed to be after opening a cyst (due to a love-bite) > removed and closed. Came-in at 7.25 and left at 8.40 a.m.

KITTEN (Felis catus): 6; born ± 2 weeks ago; were hanging in a huge sack at our front door. The eyes were already open and tooth were present as well. Were very cold. Sexing them we weren’t yet able to do at intake, because feeding and warming-up was first priority. But it will be difficult separating them from each other, because four of the six are black !! And at the 2^nd feeding (at 7.15 a.m.) it showed to be that all four blacks are male; the white one as well and the tortoise-shell is (almost of course) a female. The last is the worst of all, the white a bit less bad and the blackies are doing well (till now on). The white one was discovered dead the 10^th early in the morning. The tortoise-shell died the 11^th, early in the morning. The smallest black one departed from us the 21^st.

LOGGER-HEAD TURTLE (Caretta caretta): 1 already some days dead specimen. Was discovered on the Kandri-beach in our municipality. Measured and checked why it could have died: had huge injury in the soft part of the throat, through which the whole interior of the mouth could be seen. Measured from nose-point till tail 112 cm; length of the shell measured leveled 77 cm, total length 84 cm. Width of the shell leveled measured 60 cm, total width 72 cm. Had no markings.

HE-DOG (Canis familiaris): 2; both “Máo”; was 07-197 from October 2^nd ’07. Under a total anesthetic dental plaque was removed, nails were clipped and a small rest-hole from the right eye was closed (after injury-toilet) with 3 stitches. After the left eye had worsened progressively (see for this the Log-Book), it was removed the 26^th. The fluid that had leaked from this eye was so “aggressive”, that the skin was etched and the hairs partly decayed !! The picture shows why this was necessary.

LONG-LEGGED BUZZARD (Buteo rufinus): 1 (so to see from shape and weight) female from the island of Sámos. Should be knocked-down by a car over there. No injuries could be detected. Bird is in any case too light (922 gram) and with the keel on the sternum one could shave himself. So observation and trying to get her on weight again.

BLACKBIRD (Turdus merula): 1 juvenile from Hotel “So-and-so” in Mytiléne > probably bitten by a cat. Injured on the right wing and right leg. In any case 3 days Lincospectin by injection. Body-weight after the first feeding 50 gram. Died the day after intake. After plucking of the bird three immense holes in the back were discovered, while the injury on the heel of the right leg showed to be an open (after biting) joint (see as well April 14^th).

STREET-PIGEON (Columba livia dom): 1 from Mytiléne; observation brain-damage: is holding the head upside-down and the pupil of the right eye is oval in stead of round. As well there is a slight injury at the pulse of the right wing. (see as well April 29^th).

PURPLE HERON (Ardea purpurea): 1 male, discovered somewhere in or around our village. By two more adult villagers rescued out of the hands of children (life-threatening for those children: their eyes and thát bill !!). Had in any case minor skin-injuries on both legs (couldn’t stand) and as well the same on the head. IN the bill several (blood-sucking ??) parasites were discovered > removed. Further observation (see as well April 20^th).

TURTLE DOVE (Streptopelia turtur): 1 adult, discovered April 14^th in a field in the neighborhood of Megalochóri. Injured on the left wing and the whole tail is missing. Wing-injury treated with Hansaplast-bandage-spray and hanging cast was given. During a quiet observation on the intake-day it showed that the right wing was hanging > checked and there is a fracture of the pulse-joint, which is at least 1 week old. So there is nothing that can be done for this, because the (hollow) bones of birds are growing together quite quick. The discoverers had “Googled” very intensively and came with the most strange tales about this species, but a fracture wasn’t seen . . . . !!

GREYLAG GOOSE (Anser anser dom.): 1 adult (run wild ??) specimen, which due to the teeth of a dog was seriously coming in the direction of Emmenthal-Cheese > everywhere smaller and bigger holes. Under the throat was a very deep injury, through which the breathing could be seen !! On the back, close to the tail, some very huge holes. Tip of the tongue as well damaged. On the injuries one had sprayed already OXYVET-spray and 1 tablet of Aspirin was given. Bird showed pain evidently. Injuries as good as possible stitched, so at the end we had a living goose-collared beef in our hands . . . . !! Antibiotics were injected. Further observation.

In the afternoon breathing was difficult, while the stitched injuries in the neck were leaking: is the esophagus ruptured ?? There are as well hemorrhages in the white of both eyes !! (see further April 21^st & 22^nd).

BARN SWALLOW (Hirundo rustica): 1 adult from ??? Was delivered at the Shell-petrol-station. Had a almost 100% ripped-off / bitten-off left wing; already from a long time ago. The bird however belonged as well already a long time ago to the living fauna: was completely stiff.

PUPPY (Canis familiaris): 1, so to see the teeth a not yet four months old he-doggie, over which a heavy pick-up had “rumbled”. Lower part of the body was half “scalped”, open fracture left thy-bone and (because of the cause of the accident) most probably internal bleedings. Put down and the owners were informed.

Taïga Bean Goose-hybrid (Anser fabalis x Anser domesticus)” 1 from Mytiléne; was announced as having “the whole interior hanging out”.

At the first look it seemed it was a prolapse of the cloacae, but during the reposition it showed to be a rupture due to ?? Rupture was stitched. Hereafter the whole “interior” was pressed-out again, but now via the anus. Anus temporarily closed with a continuing circular suture. Lots of antibiotics were injected. In the afternoon the belly was very swollen, but fluid was drank normally. Ten minutes after we had measured him/her found dead suddenly. P.M. was done the 25^th: an overfat bird. The liver was evidently faded, but it was too small for a real “pâté de foie gras”. . . . !! In the free abdomen faeces and urine were discovered; the intestines were perforated and/or ruptured on several spots. An overfull ovarian was seen, with a huge egg (still without the shell) on its way outwards.

GREAT TIT (Parus major): 1 juvenile from Mytiléne > so we’ll give it a try with at least 10 feedings a day !!

TOM-CAT (Felis catus): 1 from our village; “Mítso”. Was bone-thin and was eating badly since yesterday. Is normally roaming around in the streets. Had a flexible belly, but that part was quite blue > huge internal hemorrhages. So can be knocked-down and/or kicked. Konakion was injected and taken-in for observation.