July 2008

LOG-BOOK:

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

July 1^st:  all patients were still alive on the first day of the 2^nd semester of this year. We received the message from Holland that the yesterday taken-in juvenile Long-legged Buzzard most probably is a male > so a wrong calculation from our side !! The House Martin was 17 (+1) gram. Pigeons: the white one with the wing- & leg-fracture was 241 (-11) and the grey one with the brain-damage was 204 (+7) gram. The bitten baby Collared Dove was 80 (=) gram. Little Owls: green 176 (+3), silver 195 (-1), blue 202 (+1) and orange 207 (=). Those have all had one feeding less yesterday. BlueBlue was 176 (+3), RedRed 183 (+12) and GreenGreen 127 (-1) gram. The last mentioned wants to eat, but after the 5^th bite all is refused !! The Long-eared Owl was 195 (-5) gram. The Hedgehog was 365 (+24) gram. Juvenile Long-legged Buzzards: blue (female) 882 (+40) and the yesterday taken-in male (green) was 883 (+57) gram. Inspecting the baby Barn Owlets in “The Keep” it showed to be that they were squeaking for food and started to be dirty > so taken in. See further at PALE BARN OWL. The Pigeon with the broken wing & leg has no splints anymore; were removed/ The agrafes are removed from the body of the baby Collared Dove. During the morning 2 Dutch visitors.

Ferry crew provide differing accounts

Senior crew members of the “Theóphilos” passenger ferry, which hit a reef in the eastern Aegean on Saturday, yesterday offered conflicting versions about what was to blame for the accident after Merchant Marine Minister Giorgos Voulgarakis heralded stricter penalties for officials found guilty of causing shipping accidents.

According to sources, the captain of the “Theóphilos” yesterday told port authority officials on Chios that he had given precise instructions for the ship’s course – from Lesvos to Piraeus via Chios – but that these had not been followed by the vessel’s first mate, who had been in charge when the accident occurred. Another crew member who had been on the ship’s bridge on Saturday evening said the ferry had been on the right course but that a strong wind had turned it toward the reef. Marine experts say that a strong gust of wind, or undersea current, may indeed have pushed the ship off its course. But they said it was just as likely that the official in charge had miscalculated the vessel’s position and direction. It was unclear what the first mate said in his testimony yesterday.

Meanwhile Achilleas Tarlamis, the general secretary of the Masters and Mates Union of the Greek Merchant Marine, appeared to defend the “Theóphilos” crew members’ actions. The decision to ask passengers to do on their life jackets and the cancellation of the evacuation by lifeboat has been widely criticized. Many union members condemned Voulgarakis’s decision to increase penalties for accidents at sea, and to reassess officer training, describing it as an overreaction.

Divers were yesterday patching up the gash in the “Theóphilos”, currently anchored off Oinoússos, so that it may be towed to Chios for proper repairs.

At 4.10 p.m. a phone-call from our visitors from this morning that they were on their way with a gull with a broken wing. And they arrived here on the scooter, with the gull in a (discovered on the beach) old bucket in between their legs, at 5.08 p.m. > see further at YELLOW-LEGGED GULL. At 5.35 p.m. a phone-call from Agiássos about a whole nest (four of them) little swallows > one is going to try to send them tomorrow by coach. And at 8.37 p.m. a phone-call, that the “mother” had returned on the nest > end of the problem.

July 2^nd:  all were still alive this morning !! The House Martin was 17 (=) gram; the orange baby Barn Owlet 22 (+1) and the green 30 (-6) gram. The Hedgehog was 405 (+40) and the new Yellow-legged Gull 588 (+21) gram > this one is quite a lot more bite-happy now !! The Long-eared Owl was 198 (+3) gram. The bitten baby Collared Dove was 79 (-1), the white Pigeon with the fractures 237 (-4) and the grey with the brain-damage 212 (+8) gram. Little Owls: green 178 (+2), silver 197 (+2), blue 199 (-3) and orange 209 (+2) gram. GreenGreen was 126 (-1), but this one at last is starting eating better; BlueBlue was 177 (+1) and RedRed 185 (+2) gram. The green juvenile Long-legged Buzzard was 935 (+52) and the blue one 937 (+55) gram. The first measuring- & feeding-round early in the morning is taking now more than 100 minutes !! At 6.50 a.m. the sub-adult disabled Sparrowhawk (08-020; February 22^nd ’08) was discovered dead in the little falcons-aviary. We had to open and empty the crop of the baby Collared Dove > the food didn’t pass anymore and there was a begin of turning sour in the crop (can be lethal). Will be now quite difficult to feed !! The white Pigeon we have given again a hanging-cast around the broken wing. At 10.55 a.m. arrived our new volunteer from England: Chloe Hodder. At 6 p.m. was discovered not alive anymore the baby Collared Dove (08-110; June 27^th ’08).

New ferry

A new passenger ferry, named Lissos, has been dispatched to serve the route between Piraeus and Lesvos after the Theóphilos was damaged when it struck a reef off Oinoússos on Saturday. The Lissos was completely refitted in 1989, shipping firm officials said. As for the Theóphilos, divers have partially repaired a 15-meter gash in the hull of the vessel, which should be ready to sail to Chios for more extensive repairs by Friday. (the bold parts were made bold by the L.W.H. > it’s after all only what one gives the name “new”, when an old ship is renovated such a long time ago !!)

Huge landfill fines on horizon

Unless more than 1.500 illegal landfills across the country are closed down by January 1, municipal authorities will face heavy fines of 34.000 euros per landfill per day, senior officials from three different ministries warned yesterday at a joint press conference.

The European Commission has said it will apply this daily fine from January 1, if Greece fails to close down 1.555 of the existing 2.047 illegal landfills, leaving 492 open, Deputy Economy Minister Yiannis Papathanassiou told reporters. If this target is reached, the fine will still stand at 16.7 million euros a day. The fine will be harsher if Greece fails to meet the target.

According to Papathanassiou, Greece may be able to appeal the penalty if it attains the EC target. “The EC has said it is willing to show understanding as long as we shut down 1.555 landfills by the end of the year,” Papathanassiou said.

As for who will bear the burden of these huge fines, Deputy Interior Minister Thanassis Nakos made it clear that local authorities will pick up the tab. “The fines will be deducted from the next round of EU funding to which the country is entitled and this loss will be distributed among the municipalities according to the number of illegal landfills they are maintaining,” Nakos said.

The decision to pass on fines to local authorities has already provoked the ire of many local authority leaders, including Athens Mayor Nikitas Kaklamanis.

There is no consensus regarding the number of illegal landfills across the country. But according to official Interior Ministry figures, there are 2.047, down from 2.974 in 2004.

According to Nakos, head of a task force appointed to clear up illegal dumps, 250 have been shut down in the past three months alone.

Fires in Athens and Thebes

A helicopter drops water on a wildfire that broke out yesterday in the southern Athens suburb of Ano Glyfada. The fire burnt areas close to homes but was put out before damaging any property. However, a blaze in the Moschopodi area of Thebes was still burning last night despite the efforts of more than 30 firefighters assisted by planes and helicopters.

At 8.25 p.m. a phone-call from Panagioúda about a Swift > will be sent tomorrow by the first coach. At 10 p.m. the green baby Barn Owlet was discovered outside the nest , laying on the floor-heating > had vomited all the given food. Fluid was given to drink and the heating switched-off. At 20.30 p.m. a bit of food was given.

July 3^rd:  now both baby Barn Owlets were discovered at 4.50 a.m. ice-cold > they had removed their covering-blanket. We tried everything to get them going on again, but the green (the elder) wasn’t present anymore at 6.55 a.m. . . . . !! In the other there still is life and that one wants to eat as well. So a lousy beginning of the day !! Measurements: the House Martin was 15 (-2), the white Pigeon 239 (+2) and the grey one 215 (+3) gram. The baby orange Barn Owlet was 26 (+4) but the green 27 (-3 > see what’s written before). Little Owls: green 175 (-3), orange 207 (-2), silver 200 (+3) and blue 196 (-3) gram. RedRed was 182 (-3), BlueBlue 176 (-1) and GreenGreen 129 (+3 !!) gram The Hedgehog was 415 (+10), the Yellow-legged Gull 597 (+9) and the Long-eared Owl 195 (-3) gram. The green Long-legged Buzzard was 961 (+26) and the blue was 956 (+19) gram. At 6.55 a.m. was taken from the pigeon-cage in “The Keep” a juvenile, bone-thin juvenile Pigeon, on which by another Pigeon was tried to do a trepanation without anesthetics > in the beginning we thought the juvenile one had a bill-deformation. See further at PIGEON. At 7.45 a.m. a phone-call from Panagioúda, that there was no need anymore waiting for the Swift, because that one had gone into the heavens without using the wings . . . . !! The Yellow-legged Gull is eating quite well on his own now. After the first feeding there was only contra-peristaltics at the remaining Barn Owlet: we could see the food going downwards till just above the stomach and then we could see it creeping upwards again > so this battle we’re going to loose as well !! Did we were in contact several times last month with Thessaloniki about a Pigeon with foot-problems, tonight we heard the bird will be sent to us. And we have ended the dissimilar battle from the remaining baby Barn Owlet ourselves at 7.35 p.m. because there was no hope anymore left . . . .

At 8.45 p.m. a phone-call from Mytiléne about a Swift (and to be exact one expected, that we at that hour should come and fly low to pick-up the bird . . . .) > agreed that the birdie will be sent by the first coach tomorrow-morning and that we should call them at 7.30 a.m. to know exactly how and where.

July 4^th:  woken-up in panic at 1.30 a.m., because in the dream we’d forgotten to prepare food for the Hedgehog > showed indeed to be the case. Quick-quick something prepared and put in the cage. Body-weights: the Hedgehog had gained after all still 3 gram and was 418 gram. Little Owls: green 178 (+3), blue 197 (+1), silver 198 (-2) and orange 207 (=) gram. GreenGreen was 130 (+1), BlueBlue 173 (-3) and RedRed 183 (+1) gram. The House Martin was 16 (+1) gram. The white Pigeon was 231 (-8) and the grey 221 (+6) gram. The yesterday taken-in Pigeon only some Ringers was given and was brought-back at 6.45 a.m. to the pigeon-cage in “The Keep’, where at once was started with picking food (only small seeds) > so in hope and fear. The Long-eared Owl was 193 (-2), the Yellow-legged Gull 662 (+65), the green Long-legged Buzzard 993 (+32) and the blue one 979 (+23) gram. The announced Swift we had in our possession at 9.45 > see at PALLID SWIFT. Due to the risen amount of consumed meat due to all new birds-of-prey there was bought and processed some extra: 3,165 kilo for 24,34 Euro. Total now this year 354,658 kilo for 2271,44 Euro. We received 2 Greek visitors: 1 from Mytiléne and 1 from Thessaloniki. The hanging cast around the wing of the white Pigeon could be remover definitively. At 1.49 p.m. a phone-call from Mytiléne about a Swift > one is looking if the bird can be sent by the coach of 5.30 p.m.

Hospital alert after tick bite kills woman

Hospitals in northern Greece were yesterday on alert and local livestock farmers were bracing for inspections following the death of a 49-year-old woman bitten by a disease-carrying tick.

The Komotini woman died last week after being bitten by the tick while working on a farm. Tests showed that she had been infected by Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever. The Health Ministry said it would run inspections on local ostrich and cattle farms. The fever, more common among livestock such as ostriches, sheep and cows, can be contracted by humans through blood contact. The woman reportedly removed the tick from her skin herself, triggering an infection that led to fatal organ failure. Another six people bitten by ticks survived after the insects were surgically removed, according to doctors, who said anyone bitten by ticks should not remove them. (see for the previous article about this subject June 18^th).

And indeed there are changing things in Greece (although slowly):

Dead strays

A conservation group active in Athens and Piraeus yesterday offered 1000 euros to anyone who can identify the persons responsible for the recent poisoning of 10 stray animals in Chaidari, western Athens, as well as in Nikaia, near Piraeus. Grigoris Gourdomichalis, the president of the Environmental Association of Athens and Piraeus, told Skai his organization would “use all legal means for the exemplary punishment of the perpetrators.”

An amateur firefighter...

An amateur firefighter douses the embers of a large blaze that broke out in Gytheion, south of Sparta in the Peloponnese, yesterday afternoon. Earlier in the day, three water-dropping aircraft were dispatched to aid the efforts of firefighters on the ground who struggled to approach the blaze due to the lack of road access in the area. The absence of strong winds, that had fanned dozens of blazes across the country earlier in the week, helped firefighters contain the Gytheion blaze before it could spread to residential areas. Over the past week around 200 forest fires have broken out in different parts of the country.

At 6.12 p.m. a phone-call from Mytiléne about . . . . again a Swift > will be sent tomorrow with the 9 o’clock coach. The announced from today we had in our possession 2 minutes later > see over here as well at PALLID SWIFT.

July 5^th:  the yesterday-morning taken in (very small) Pallid Swift was kept nicely warm last night by the 2 nest-companions; in spite of that he/she was very dead early this morning !! We have a weather-alert yellow due to the expected extreme temperatures for today !! Body-weights: House Martin 16 (=) and the red Pallid Swift 20 (+2) gram. The Yellow-legged Gull was 654 (-8) and the hedgehog 459 (+44) gram. White Pigeon 239 (+8) and the grey one 220 (-1) gram. Little Owls: green 182 (+4), silver 197 (-1), blue 198 (+1) and orange 209 (+2) gram. GreenGreen 135 (+5 !!), BlueBlue 174 (+1) and RedRed 186 (=3) gram. The Long-eared Owl was 192 (-1), the green Long-legged Buzzard was 1012 (+19) and the blue 1044 (+65 !!) gram. And while we were on our way to the petrol-station to pick-up the bird, a man from Pámfila called, who had three Peacocks with “pimples” around the eyes > will coma and show them tomorrow. The bird we had at 9.43 a.m. > see further at . . . . (of course) PALLID SWIFT.

TICK PROBE

Experts looking into unusual death of woman in Komotini

The Hellenic Center for Infectious Diseases Control (KEEL) yesterday launched an epidemiological investigation following the recent death of a 49-year-old woman from Komotini, northeastern Greece, who was bitten by a disease-carrying tick. KEEL scientists and local authority officials meeting in the northern city agreed that livestock on local farms would be sprayed with insecticide to kill any ticks carrying the Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever that killed the woman. On Monday state veterinarians are to tour the region, taking samples for tests. Farmers have been advised to keep their skin covered when handling animals.

Fires

The fire service battled several blazes yesterday, including two at Markopoulo, northeast of Athens. The first broke out in an illegal dump on the site of a disused quarry while the second, which was reported last night, started at a rubbish collection point. A fire was also reported late yesterday in a forested area on Mount Mainalo in the Peloponnese.

HEAT WAVE

Greece bracing for sharp rise in temperatures next week

The National Meteorological Service (EMY) warned yesterday that temperatures would reach 42 degrees Celsius in the Peloponnese and other parts of the country by mid-week and said those who were more vulnerable, such as infants and the elderly, should remain in cool areas. The heat wave is forecast to start on Tuesday when temperatures will range from 35C on the islands to 41C in the Peloponnese.

At 4.45 p.m. 4 Greek visitors from Athens. We started feeding at the evening-feeding-round only to feed the green and the GreenGreen Little Owl > the others should try it alone tonight !! At 10.05 p.m. still a phone-call from Kallonís about a Swift; it was a strange kind of a story, so we’ll see tomorrow what’s going to happen.

June 6^th:  all were still alive and present early this morning. The House Martin was 16 (=). The red Pallid Swift 21 (+1) and the purple one 33 (+2) gram. The Hedgehog was 469 (+10) gram, the Yellow-legged Gull 665 (+3) and the Long-eared Owl 196 (+4) gram. White Pigeon 239 (=) and the grey one 230 (+10) gram. Little Owls: green 182 (=), blue 192 (-6), silver 193 (-4) and orange 207 (-2) gram. GreenGreen 136 (+1), BlueBlue 174 (=) and RedRed 182 (-4) gram. Long-legged Buzzards: green 1029 (+17) and blue 1087 (+33) gram. The announced little peacocks were here at 9.41 a.m. > see further at BLUE PEACOCK. At 10.27 a.m. a phone-call from Kallonís about a Swift > they wanted to come and bring the bird. And they were at the Town-Hall at 10.46 > see further at PALLID SWIFT. In the box we discovered lots of  . . . . sesame-seeds !! (and it’s a 100% insect-eater !!). In vain we have tried to release the purple Pallid Swift > however, could hardly fly. Both juvenile Long-legged Buzzards were transferred for during the day to the buzzard-aviary to use their wings a bit more.

Earth quake

We have read that yesterday there has been an earth-quake in the neighborhood of the city of Pátras with a strength of 4.7 on the Richter-scale.

The this morning taken-in Pallid swift (which by the way was the one they had phoned-about late yesterday-evening) was discovered not alive anymore at 3.30 p.m.

July 7^th:  in the Sick-Bay no victims this morning. The House Martin was unchanged 16 gram > will be released today. The red Pallid Swift was 20 (-1) and the purple 22 (=) gram. The white Pigeon was 243 (+4) and the grey one 234 (+4) gram. The Hedgehog was 493 (+24) gram, the Yellow-legged Gull 675 (+10) gram and the Long-eared Owl 199 (+3) gram. Little Owls: green 182 (=), silver 192 (-1) and orange 206 (-1) gram. GreenGreen 138 (+2), BlueBlue 192 (=) and RedRed 180 (-2) gram. Long-legged Buzzards: green 1040 (+20) and blue 1135 (+48) gram. In “The Keep” the juvenile Pigeon, we had taken-in July 3^rd, discovered moribund > the suffering was stopped.

Release:

Under the watchful eyes of our volunteer from the UK Chloe (who should watch carefully where there should be “landed” in case of a failure) we could release perfectly the juvenile House Martin (08-105B; June 26^th ’08), the only survivor of a nest of 4. Was flying fantastically !!

Today again the “normal” meat-cutting-day of the week” and the 3 ladies (of whom 1 vegetarian and 1 vegan) have processed 14,575 kilo of meat, liver & minced meat (for 96,21 Euro). Total now this year 369,233 kilo for 2367,65 Euro. Meanwhile we have covered the first pen on the roof of “The Keep” with a piece of camouflage-netting, so the Shearwater can walk around a bit during the day and sit in the shade. 

Boy treated for tick bite

A 10-year-old boy is being treated for a high fever at a hospital in Alexandroupolis, northeastern Greece, after being bitten by a tick just days after a woman in nearby Komotini died from a similar insect bite.

The 49-year-old woman died after being bitten by a tick while working on a farm. Tests showed that the insect had infected her with Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever.

It was not clear if an infected tick had also bitten the boy. His mother said she took the child to a dermatologist who removed the tick but the boy then began to feel ill. Doctors at the University Hospital of Alexandroupolis said on Saturday that the boy was running a high temperature but his overall condition gave no cause for alarm.

Authorities in northeastern Greece have agreed to spray livestock on local farms with insecticide to kill any ticks carrying the fever. Doctors have advised anyone bitten by ticks not to try and remove the insect but to go to a hospital immediately.

Heat wave to test power grid

There may be a number of planned power cuts across the country tomorrow and on Wednesday as the Public Power Corporation (PPC) prepares to meet record electricity demand on those days, when Greeks are expected to resort to their air conditioners to deal with the forecast heat wave.

PPC sources have said that demand for electricity is expected to be at 10.000 megawatts today, 10.500 MW tomorrow and 10.900 MW on Wednesday. Last year, demand for electricity peaked at 10.600 MW.

As a result, PPC is preparing to (note of the L.W.H.: NOT for being able to fulfill the expected demand, but . . . . . ) cut power to some areas in a bid to prevent a wider outage.

The electricity provider has already reached an agreement with major industries for them to reduce their use of power during peak hours in the hope of easing the pressure on the national grid.

PPC cannot rely on hydroelectric power as the recent lack of rainfall and the fact that water reserves were used earlier this year during a strike by the company’s employees means that this form of production cannot provide adequate backup.

Temperatures are expected to rise gradually over the course of the next few days before reaching as high as 42 Celsius in some parts of the country, including Attica, on Wednesday.

Tomorrow and Wednesday are likely to be the hottest days of the year so far but the weather is expected to cool a little from Thursday.

Emergency services have been placed on alert and people have been warned to restrict their movements as much as possible. The authorities have also advised people to wear loose clothing, sunglasses and hats, drink plenty of water and refrain from alcohol.

A number of local authorities, including those in Thessaloniki and Piraeus, have announced that they will be opening the doors of air-conditioned centers for members of the community, especially elderly people seek some respite from the heat.

Fire damage

Land in Velvento scorched; several blazes put out

Some 20 hectares of land were burned by a wildfire in the municipality of Velvento in northern Greece on Saturday in one of several blazes over the weekend. Some 5 hectares of forest, 10 hectares of fields and 5 hectares of farmland were scorched by the blaze. No homes were damaged. Firefighters also needed the help of water-dropping planes to put out a blaze near Atalanti, central Greece. A fire that began on Mount Mainalo in the Peloponnese on Friday was also put out after a major effort on Saturday.

And now the weather over here:

Did we had till today only a weather-alert yellow because of the heat, for tomorrow this is meanwhile “upgraded” till orange !!

At 6.30 p.m. a phone-call from Keramiá that, just like in previous years, the youngest of the nest White Storks over there was abandoned by the parents and nest-mates because of being “something behind” > so we went for a ride. During the trip the driver of our Ambulance had seen a Tortoise, which just after the most dangerous curve in the road was trying crossing the road > stopped and in his reverse backwards. This creature was with quite a risk for her own life picked-up by Chloe and at 6.55 p.m. placed in the car. The juvenile White Stork we had in our possession at 7 p.m. So see further at SPURR-THIGHED TORTOISE and at WHITE STORK.

June 8^th: all were still alive this morning. Pallid Swifts: red 24 (+4) and purple 32 (-1) gram. The Hedgehog was 503 (+10), the white Pigeon 243 (=) and the grey one 248 (+14) gram. The Long-eared Owl was 204 (+5!!) gram. Little Owls: green 183 (+1), silver and blue both 192 (=) and orange 202 (-4) gram. GreenGreen 140 (+2), BlueBlue 169 (-3) and RedRed 180 (=) gram. Long-legged Buzzards: green 1055 (+15) and blue 1171 (+36) gram. 

Authorities brace for heat wave

State services yesterday braced to cope with an increase in citizens suffering from heat-related ailments, putting hospitals on alert and setting up air-conditioned halls for public use.

Meanwhile, tinderbox-dry conditions thwarted efforts by firefighters to contain a blaze burning for a fourth day on Mount Mainalo in the Peloponnese.

The fire, sparked last Friday by a lightning bolt hitting a point near the mountain’s peak, descended its slopes yesterday, fuelled by strong winds and rising temperatures. Some 200 hectares are believed to have been ravaged by late last night, although residential areas had not been threatened.

With temperatures set to exceed 40 degrees Celsius in many parts of the country today, fire services are on standby to avert the outbreak of fresh fires.

In a related development, the Health Ministry has launched an action plan, code-named Perseus, urging medical services across the country to prepare for an influx of patients suffering from heat stroke and other heat-induced ailments. Elderly citizens are advised not to leave their homes unless absolutely necessary.

Local authorities in Athens and other cities have opened up several air-conditioned halls for citizens to cool off. Tomorrow, when temperatures are expected to peak in Athens, municipal staff will be distributing free bottles of water and information leaflets in Syntagma Square.

We have reported before about the shipment of water from Greece to Cyprus, but the following of course only can happen when works are being done in own management (read: in the Greek way):

Thirsty Cypriots can’t access water supplies from Greece due to . . . . . . . short pipe

NICOSIA (Reuters) – A ship carrying 40.000 cubic meters of Greek water to drought-parched Cyprus has been unable to offload its cargo because of a short pipe, officials said on yesterday. The 1.400-meter pipeline connecting the tanker to shore proved to be 3.5 meters too short, causing a delay in the water being pumped into the island’s water network. The water was to have been offloaded on Sunday. The vessel carrying the 40.000 cubic meters of water, more than double the quantity held in Cyprus’s 17 main reservoirs, has been anchored off Cyprus for the past week.

In the siesta was announced by the village-loudspeaker-system (they woke us up) that we should starting being careful with the water; that’s early for the time of the year !!

At 8.54 p.m. still a phone-call from Mytiléne that some-one had found an injured bird-of-prey (bigger than a pigeon) in one of her fields in the neighborhood of Thérma (thermal baths just before Mytiléne). We’ll contact her tomorrow at 7 a.m. again, and afterwards “low-flying” in that direction, avoiding not quite doing in Ineke’s birthday.

July 9^th:  Swifts: red 24 (=) and purple 32 (=) gram. The white Pigeon 252 (+9) and the grey one 249 (+1) gram. The Yellow-legged Gull was 688 (+3), the Hedgehog 524 (+21) and the Long-eared Owl 211 (+7 !!) gram. Little Owls: green 184 (+1), orange 202 (=), silver 192 (=) and blue 190 (-2) gram. GreenGreen was 141 (+1), BlueBlue 173 (+4) and RedRed 181 (+1) gram. Long-legged Buzzards: green 1050 (-5) and blue 1162 (-9) gram. At 6.55 a.m. we received the message that we didn’t had to hurry (anymore), because the bird had died . . . . !!

Hymettus to get forest service

Mount Hymettus is to get its own forestry service, it was decided yesterday, just two weeks after a fire burned some 150 hectares of a particularly green part of the mountain which runs across Athens’s northeastern outskirts and suburbs.

The council of the Eastern Attica Prefecture met yesterday to discuss the issue in the wake of the fire and, in a majority decision, decided to give the green light for the creation of the service, much to the delight of the mayors of the 15 municipalities that border the mountain.

“This has been a longstanding demand of ours,” said the mayor of Vyronas, Nikos Chardalias.

Until now, the forestry service on Mount Pendeli, northern Athens, has been responsible for looking after the trees on Hymettus and has been stretched to its limit trying to offer any protection to the area.

“It is not possible for the Pendeli forestry service to keep an eye on an area that stretches from Sounion to Kapandriti,” said Chardalias, highlighting that more than 1 million people or “a tenth of Greece’s population” lives in the areas that surround the mountain.

A fire that began in Glyka Nera on the city’s northeastern outskirts two weeks ago was deemed to be the work of arsonists. A blaze last summer burned some 100 hectares of land near the suburbs of Holargos and Papagou. That was also thought to have been started intentionally.

Chardalias said that simply creating a forestry service would not be enough to protect Hymettus from land-grabbers and that the law would have to be changed so that not even light construction could take place on the mountainside.

“We are asking for the Zone B category to be scrapped and replaced by Zone A [which does not allow any building] since the former simply provides loopholes for all kind of activities to take place in the forest,” he said.

Rising temperatures

Dry conditions and moderate winds fueled a large fire in Karpenisi, central Greece. No homes were threatened by the blaze, still burning late last night.

At 9.45 a.m. a phone-call from Kallithéa (Mytiléne) that some-one had found a little swallow over there > was sent by the 11 o’clock-coach. Was in our hands at 11.48 a.m. > see further at HOUSE MARTIN.

July 10^th:  no victims this morning !! The juvenile House Martin was 13 (=), the red Swift 22 (-2) and the purple one 30 (-2) gram. The Hedgehog was 549 (+25), the Yellow-legged Gull 675 (-13) and the Long-eared Owl 213 (+2) gram. Little Owls: green 186 (+2), orange 202 (=), silver 195 (+3) and blue 190 (=) gram. GreenGreen was 142 (+1), BlueBlue 176 (+3) and RedRed 179 (-2) gram. Long-legged Buzzards: green 1060 (+10) and blue 1196 (+34) gram. At 1.15 p.m. we discovered that the right eye of the juvenile House Martin was functioning normal again.

Hymettus, death of a mountain

One year after destructive wildfires on Mount Hymettus and just a few days after another blaze at Glyka Nera, the landscape of this much-lauded and heavily scarred mountain looks worse than ever.

The scorched land is being infringed upon, classified as agricultural land and built on. Meanwhile, local municipal authorities are playing a lead role in this rape of the environment with a plethora of contradictory, irresponsible interventions.

Calls from scientists and environmental groups to set up a forest protection program, to clearly define the boundaries of the land, to study the environmental impact of the fires and their aftermath and to have Hymettus designated as a protected zone, have failed to move the state and the government. The safeguarding of a precious natural resource for a concrete-choked Athens does not seem to strike any chords with any officials.

All we get is silence, and criminal, intentional ambiguity: No one knows what is forest and what is residential land, how areas are designated under the Natura program, or under what environmental conditions new tunnels can be dug through the mountain. Meanwhile, Hymettus is slowly dying.

At 6.15 p.m. arrived our new Dutch volunteer Eveliene van der Meulen.

July 11^th:  the House Martin was 12 (-1), the red Swift 23 (+1) and the purple 28 (-2) gram. The Hedgehog was 574 (+25) and the Long-eared Owl 215 (+2) gram. The Yellow-legged Gull couldn’t be measured anymore > was biting in everything that appeared before the bill (including hands !!). The white Pigeon was 252 (+3) and the grey one 254 (=) gram. Little Owls: green 187 (+1), orange 199 (-3), silver 190 (-5) and blue 187 (-3) gram. GreenGreen was 143 (+1), RedRed 178 (-1) and BlueBlue 168 (+4) gram. Long-legged Buzzards: the blue one we have measured for the last time (was re-decorating the whole surgery !!) and was 1189 (-7); the green one was 1051 (-9) gram. At exactly 8 o’clock the blue Long-legged Buzzard was transferred to the buzzard-aviary for the time being, waiting for the end of the hunting-season in March 2009 !! Did we write May 5^th the following in the Log-Book: “And a quarter of an hour later a Dutch tourist phoned from Eftaloú, that there was a puppy over there covered with tick-bites. “If we could come and take the pup . . . . ?!?!” We have told him that we could check the pup after 4 o’clock, but that they had to bring him and that we couldn’t take him in. And they were here at 3.47 p.m. > see further at PUPPY. The two bearers were showed-around as well.

PUPPY (Canis familiaris) 1 about 4 months old little he-dog; was quite covered with ticks. Half an ouzo-glass full was removed and showed how to do this themselves. Tweezers were given to the bearers. The pup received at the spot “drops” against flees and ticks. Hereafter he was taken back again, because we couldn’t take him in (08-054)”, this morning we received an e-mail we won’t keep away from you:

“I am just reading the story about the black puppy we brought in May at your place. The creature which was covered with ticks. We were taken perfectly under your wings and helped with lots of expertness. John could arrange on our last day on the island (the day after we visited you) all necessary vaccinations, pass-port and health-certificate from a Vet, and the doggie was taken with us to Holland. He is very healthy and is doing fine. He received the name “Filos” (Friend). This was in our opinion quite a fitting name in all aspects. But specially for the good work you’re doing. You are friends for all animals on Lesvos.

Again a warm thank you for your good care and lots of success with the fantastic work you’re doing on Lesvos. With regards from a rainy Holland.”

And when one has read the story about the 3,5-meter too short pipe-line, one shouldn’t be astonished about the following: a pallet with goods was sent from Holland to our address. Only: because there are more places with this name in Greece, as well the postal-code 81102, as the name of the island Lesvos as the name of the island-capital Mytiléne was on the address. Today we received a phone-call that the pallet should be delivered > agreed that the truck-driver should wait at the Town-Hall and that we should guide him to our pace. After endless waiting and the home-front busy with two telephones (one connected with the driver, the other with the transport-firm) the truck was waiting in Ágia Paraskeví (suburb of ATHENS !!!!!). Calling us one could have noticed that the phone-number of OUR Ágia Paraskeví is complete different from any phone-number in the other Ágia Paraskeví (has an Athens-number). And because the FIRM had read with closed eyes, WE should try to get the load over here . . . . Still astonished why always things go wrong here ??

At 8.08 p.m. a phone-call from Mytiléne about a juvenile Goldfinch > will be brought tomorrow. And at 8.26 p.m.  a phone-call from the same town about a young swallow, which will be sent by the 9-o’clock coach. Further was the little “Joris” enjoying his “last supper” as a Tom-cat, because tomorrow he will sacrifice some grams on the altar of Asklepios.

July 12^th:  the House Martin was 12 9=), the red Swift 19 (-4) end the purple one 29 (+1) gram. The Long-eared Owl was 221 (+6) and the Hedgehog 594 (+20) gram. The white Pigeon was 256 (+4) and the grey one 261 (+7) gram. Long-legged Buzzard: green was 1057 (+6) gram. Little Owls: green 189 (+2), orange 204 (+5), silver 192 (+2) and blue 190 (+3) gram. RedRed was 181 (+3), BlueBlue 180 (=) and GreenGreen 145 (+2) gram. At 8 a.m. “Joris” went up to the altar of Asklepios > see at Tom-Cat. And exactly one hour later the juvenile Goldfinch was brought by the man who owned in our former village the field behind our house. See further at GOLDFINCH. The woman who should place the little swallow on the 9-o’clock coach . . . . of course hadn’t done so !! She wanted to send the bird by the 1-o’clock coach > we refused so, because the little one should be too long without food and we didn’t want to be disturbed in our siesta due to the indolence of that woman. She should come and bring the bird herself now . . . . !! Later this morning 5 Dutch visitors. When we around 1.30 informed where the announced bird was, we heard from the husband that he had opened the box and the bird had flown away  . . . . 

Fever probe

Microbiologists from Thessaloniki’s Aristotle University and the Agriculture Ministry, who have been looking into the unusual death of a Komotini woman bitten by a tick earlier this month, have started cooperating with experts in 12 prefectures bordering countries which have also seen outbreaks of the tick-borne disease. Some 840 samples from goats, sheep and cows are to be examined over the next few days for traces of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever that killed the 49-year-old Komotini woman.

A burnt can...

A burnt can lies among the dying embers of a forest fire in the Sithonia area of Halkidiki yesterday. The blaze tore through just over one hectare of pine forest before being put out. A fire also broke out near Zacharo in the Peloponnese but was quickly brought under control.

We could remove from both feet of the eldest Long-legged Buzzard (the one from the island of Sámos; April 13^th ’08) huge pieces of stone-hard thick dead tissue’ quite logical she wasn’t walking so well anymore !! At 9.05 still a phone-call from Mytiléne about a young Sparrow > the discoverer had already placed the young one under a red light to keep it warm > will be brought tomorrow (if not being fried under that lamp !).

July 13^th:  the House Martin was 12 (=), the red Swift 23 (+4) and the purple one 29 (=) gram. The Long-eared Owl was 215 (-5, but had vomited yesterday) and the Hedgehog 599 (+5) gram. Little Owls: green 188 (-1), silver 194 (+2), orange 204 (=) and blue 192 (+2) gram. GreenGreen was 145 (=), RedRed 186 (+5) and BlueBlue 179 (-1) gram. The green Long-legged Buzzard was 1061 (+4) gram. The white Pigeon was 259 (+3) and the grey 266 (+5) gram. At 12.55 p.m. we received a phone-call from a Greek friend of us in Eftaloú, that on the beach over there was a huge grey bird which wanted to go into the water but didn’t dare to do so. She said somewhere it looked like a gull, but it wasn’t. She indeed wanted to bring the bird, but didn’t know how to catch it > advices were given. She was here at 2.10 p.m. : tourists were only taken pictures but didn’t assist her, children were throwing stones at the bird and at last she had assistance from some Dutch tourists. It was a quite young YELLOW-LEGGED GULL > so see over there. And because we really had a lack of space now, the adult Yellow-legged Gull was transferred to the fox-cage in “The Keep”, which of course first had to be made fitting for a gull. This took about the whole siesta of one of us. At 7.14 p.m. a phone-call from Pérama that one had over there an injured “geráki” (bird-of-prey) > so we took the car and picked-it up. See further at BUZZARD.

July 14^th:  wonder of wonders all was alive this morning !! The House Martin was 13 (+1), the red Swift 25 (+2) and the purple one 31 (+2) gram. The Hedgehog was 615 (+16), the Long-eared Owl 216 (+1) and the green Long-legged Buzzard 1068 (+7) gram. The new juvenile Yellow-legged Gull was dry now and quite a lot lighter than measured wet: 586 (-70 !!) gram. The new Buzzard was 395 (-4) gram. White Pigeon 259 (=) and the grey one 267 (+1) gram. Little Owls: green 184 (-4), orange 205 (+1), silver 192 (-2) and blue 192 (=) gram. GreenGreen was 142 (-3), RedRed 187 (+1) and BlueBlue 178 (-1) gram. The yesterday transferred adult Yellow-legged Gull hadn’t eaten much in the new cage. About the announced sparrow we didn’t hear anything anymore; will indeed has become (in stead of “Kentucky Fried Chicken”) “Lesbian Fried Sparrow” !!

Today again meat-cutting-day and with the help of many hands 15,600 kilo of meat, liver & minced meat (102,41 Euro) was processed. Total now this year 384,833 kilo for 2470,06 Euro. We received quite a lot of visitors this morning: first a Dutch family of 4, hereafter the ex-trainee (in 2002) Lianne with her friend and thereafter a mother and daughter from Freiburg im Breisgau (Baden-Württemberg, Germany). The yesterday-evening taken-in juvenile Buzzard became weaker and weaker during the morning-hours.

Fire ravages the island of Skyros as heat, high winds fuel blazes across the country

Firefighters prepare to tackle a blaze at a forest in Kalentzi, near Corinth, yesterday. The fire had been partially controlled by late yesterday. Today sees a heightened fire risk on Chios, Samos and Ikaría.

A wildfire that scorched at least 600 hectares of dense pine forest on the Aegean island of Skyros Saturday had been brought under control by yesterday afternoon.

The fire, which broke out on Saturday morning in the area of Trahi, near the island’s airport, did not threaten residential areas.

A contingent of 65 firefighters brought in from Athens and Thessaloniki was still on the alert on the island yesterday, assisted by firefighting aircrafts, as winds reached up to 7 on the Beaufort scale.

A fire at Kandyli, Megara, west of Athens, was also brought under control yesterday, but efforts were still under way to extinguish other blazes in an inaccessible forested area near Kalentzi, Corinth, and in Kapareli, Thebes.

At another spot near the village of Plataies in Viotia, central Greece, firefighters managed to bring under partial control a blaze which had been threatening the village itself.

Fires in Salamina and Sparta had been partially extinguished by late yesterday.

A blaze that broke out on pasture land near a major power plant near Megalopoli in the Peloponnese over the weekend was also brought quickly under control yesterday by forces on the ground, assisted by two aircraft. Finally, over 8 hectares of scrubland went up in flames near the village of Melissa, Xanthi, in the far north, before being brought under control.

In a related development yesterday, two men, aged 56 and 30, were arrested in Lefkopetra, in the northern Greek prefecture of Veria, and charged with setting fire to local forestland.

At 3.30 p.m. the juvenile Buzzard was discovered, laying on it’s back; had vomited and had almost succumbed herein. The pupils of the eyes were wide-open and light-stiff, but there still was breathing. Five minutes later this had stopped das well.

Release:

At 6.08 p.m. we have released in the “deserted house” the Little Owl (RedRed, 08-067; May 28^th ’08); was flying at once unto one of the rafters. So we hope for the best !!

July 15^th:  we should release as soon as possible the juvenile Yellow-legged Gull, because one absolutely can’t keep it in a small cage !! The juvenile House Martin was 13 (=), the red Swift 24 (-1) and the purple one 30 (-1) gram. Due to the release of yesterday-evening we had forgotten to place the bowl with food in the cage of the Hedgehog, so he had diminished quite a lot: 564 (-51 !!) gram. The Long-eared Owl was 216 (=) and the juvenile Yellow-legged Gull 577 (-9) gram. The white Pigeon was 163 (+4) and the grey one 275 (+8) gram. The green Long-legged Buzzard was 1068 (=) gram. Little Owls: green 187 (+3), orange 204 (-1), silver 196 (+4) and blue 194 (+2) gram. GreenGreen was 144 (+1) and BlueBlue 181 (+3) gram. We have heard that, according to measurements of the juvenile Buzzard, it most probably was a small female; with her 399 gram at a minimum-weight of 700 gram not so strange she didn’t make it !! The yesterday-evening released Little Owl was to be true not seen at 7.15 a.m. in the deserted house, but was seen sitting on a fence thereafter. At 8.02 a.m. arrived the semi-stray cat “Suzy” from Váfios: 9 months old and already a miscarried pregnancy (deformed kittens) in her anamnesis. See further at CAT. The bearers had a tour around as well. The juvenile Yellow-legged Gull was transferred to the other (adult) one in the fox-cage in “The Keep”, hoping that seeing some-one eating does eating. Dur1ng the morning two Frisian visitors.

Arsenic in sea off Anavyssos

Authorities in eastern Attica yesterday prohibited bathing off the coast of Anavyssos, near Sounion, after tests on sea water there revealed traces of the highly toxic chemical arsenic. Local authorities referred to a “discharge” of water running into the sea. It was unclear whether the source of this discharge was an industrial waste pipe.

A second round of tests on seawater in the area revealed smaller traces of arsenic than the original tests, authorities said.

But swimming will be forbidden in the area for the time being as the Hellenic Center for Marine Research conducts further tests on the water to determine whether it poses a public health risk and to attempt to identify the source of the chemical.

A delegation from the Hellenic Ornithological Society is to visit the area today to inspect several dead birds that have washed up on the shore in recent weeks.

Fires doused

A large fire that burnt some 600 hectares of thick pine forest on the island of Skyros over the weekend had been brought under control by yesterday afternoon, according to the local fire brigade. Fires that broke out on Sunday on Salamina, off Piraeus, and in Chalkida, had been partly brought under control by yesterday afternoon. A fire that began in Keratea, southeastern Attica, yesterday was quickly doused.

Severe earthquake close to Rhodes Edited : July 15^th  2008 06:25             
ATHENS - In the eastern part of the Mediterranean a severe earthquake with a force of 6.4 on the Richter-scale struck Tuesday-morning, according to seismologists.

A woman died when she fled her home and fell from the stairs in the village of Archangelos. The epicenter was south of the Greek island of Rhodes at a depth of 68 km. The quake hat at 6.30 a.m. local time.

Turkish coast

Thousands of tourists and local inhabitants were running into the streets, according to the local media. The tremors could be felt as well on the Turkish Aegean coast and on Cyprus and the Greek island of Cos. “Everyone is in the streets; I still don’t see any damage,” according to a radio-reporter from Rhodes.

“The quake had the strength causing a small tsunami, but the chance here for is smaller when the epicenter is quite deep,” according to a Greek seismologist. Half of the quakes in Europe is registered every year in Greece.

July 16^th:  the juvenile House Martin was 9 (-4 !!), the red Swift 24 (=) and the purple one 28 (-2) gram. The Long-eared Owl was 221 (+5) and the Hedgehog 615 (+51) gram. The green Long-legged Buzzard was 1073 (+5) gram. White Pigeon 263 (=) and the grey one 270 (-5) gram. Little Owls: green 191 (+4), orange 208 (+4), silver 198 (+2) and blue 198 (+4) gram. GreenGreen was 142 (-2) end BlueBlue 181 (=) gram. The Yellow-legged Gulls had eaten quite well. At 8.47 a.m. there was discovered in the streets, roaming around, a dumped chicken > taken and taken-in. See at CHICKEN. The 3^rd cage (a pen) on top of the roof of “The Keep” was made fitting for the Shearwater, while the 1^st pen is almost finished for the lodging of the Hedgehog. We received quite a lot of visitors this morning: first a German family from Unna (North-Rhineland-Westphalia, Germany), who came with a little kitten with the beginning of a Rhinotrachitis > the treatment was started, advices and medicines were given, etc. etc. Further not in the statistics. Hereafter a Dutch group of five and thereafter 2 other Dutch people.

Large fire near Mount Parnitha razes forestland, threatens village

A firefighter surveys the area around Oinoi, a village in the Dervenohoria municipality west of Mount Parnitha, where a large fire broke out yesterday morning. High temperatures and strong winds fueled the blaze which had progressed several kilometers southwest by yesterday evening, threatening the village of Panakto. The fire reached the yards of a couple of homes but was doused before it could damage any houses or cause injuries.

A large fire that broke out in the area of Dervenohoria, west of Mount Parnitha, yesterday morning was brought under control late in the evening after ravaging dozens of hectares of thick pine forest and threatening residential areas.

A rescue effort involving 14 water-dropping aircraft, 51 fire engines and 140 firefighters managed to quell the flames that scorched the yards of several homes in the small village of Panakto but did not damage any houses or cause any injuries. More than a dozen fire engines were dispatched to douse a nearby munitions factory and the surrounding area with water. Fortunately the fire did not approach the factory.

The response to the blaze was immediate and large-scale, possibly because of its proximity to the huge fire that devastated a large part of Mount Parnitha just over a year ago. The fire started near Oinoi, one of several villages in the Dervenohoria municipality, and spread several kilometers southwest toward the village of Panakto before being brought under control. “The fire started in an inaccessible ravine that even the water-dropping aircraft couldn’t access,” Dervenohoria Mayor Kleanthis Panagiotidis told Kathimerini. “We didn’t think for a minute that it would reach Panakto,” he added.

The Thessaloniki fire service had an equally tough job yesterday fighting a blaze that broke out in the area of Xiropotamos, near the northern city. Firefighters late last night said their efforts were being thwarted by strong winds, which kept changing direction. The fire was not close to any residential areas.

Strong Rhodes quake kills one

A strong earthquake, measuring 6.4 on the Richter scale, shook the island of Rhodes in the eastern Aegean Sea just before 6.30 a.m. yesterday, resulting in the death of a 56-year-old woman who slipped and hit her head while fleeing from her home.

The tremor, whose epicenter was pinpointed off the southern coast of the island, was felt as far away as Cyprus. But it caused only minor damage – a couple of minor rockfalls and a few cracks in the walls of old hotels.

Seismologists explained that the island was “saved” by the depth of the quake’s epicenter, some 70 kilometers below the sea. They said strong aftershocks were not expected and advised local authorities and residents to remain calm.

It was panic that provoked the one death yesterday. The 56-year-old woman slipped and hit her head on the stairs of her apartment building in her haste to get out. Her 2-year-old granddaughter, who she had been carrying at the time, was not hurt. Another five islanders sustained minor injuries.

Release:

At 6.05 p.m. we have released in the “deserted house” the Little Owl (BlueBlue, 08-074; June 1^st ’08 from Metóchia) > we’’ check tomorrow-morning if he/she is still there.

July 17^th:  all patients were alive this morning !! The House Martin was 10 (+1), the red Swift 24 (=) and the purple one 28 (=) gram. The Long-eared Owl was 226 (+5) and the Hedgehog 652 (+37) gram. The green Long-legged Buzzard was 1078 (+5) gram. Pigeons: the white was 265 (+2) and the grey 272 (+2) gram. Little Owls: green 192 (+1), blue 196 (-2), silver 197 (-1) and orange 214 (+6) gram> so the last one will have a diet from now on !! GreenGreen was 144 (+2) gram. The Yellow-legged Gulls have eaten very, very well: there was not any crumb left-over !! The yesterday-evening released Little Owl wasn’t seen anymore neither in the house nor outside. Let’s hope all will be fine.

Release:

We have released very well the “purple” juvenile Pallid Swift (08-121; July 5^th from Mytiléne). Was flying if he/she had never left the air !!

At 8.48 a.m. a phone-call from a car-shop on the road to Mytiléne, that one had over there an owl > was picked-up over there. See at PALE BARN OWL. Hereafter came a well-known to us woman with het he-doggie, which evidently was poisoned > Atropine and Filtalon were injected and the doggie for the time being taken-in. So see further at HE-DOG. Had to be taken home again at 12.10 p.m. in not such a good condition. It seems if the little House Martin after the back fall of yesterday doesn’t believe in it anymore: hardly any food can be given !!     

Firefighters are tested by more than 100 blazes

Areas affected fuel some suspicions

Motorists approaching the Vale of Tempe in Thessaly yesterday afternoon were forced to change their plans as thick smoke from a nearby fire engulfed the area, reducing visibility. Authorities closed off the main Athens-Thessaloniki highway at the Tempe junction for several hours to allow the smoke to clear.

Firefighters yesterday struggled to contain more than 100 blazes that broke out across the country as high temperatures and strong winds hampered their efforts to protect forestland and shield residential areas.

Fires were still burning late last night in southern Corfu and in the Vale of Tempe in Thessaly, where two villages – Evangelismos and Ambelakia – were threatened. One home in Evangelismos was damaged by fire but there were no reports of any injuries. The Tempe fire also damaged local power lines, plunging the area into darkness. Authorities yesterday evening closed off a section of the Athens-Thessaloniki national highway, near the Tempe junction, after smoke from the fire obscured visibility.

The fire near Lefkimi on Corfu did not threaten any residential areas.

The main problem faced by firefighters in all yesterday’s blazes was the strong winds that neared gale-force level in some areas.

Strong gusts of wind fanned a large blaze that broke out near an industrial site in Aspropyrgos, western Attica, early yesterday morning and had destroyed at least three factories by late in the afternoon. Aspropyrgos Mayor Nikos Meletiou was buffeted by the wind as he tried to speak to a television journalist. “The situation is very difficult... the wind is so strong it is difficult to stand up,” he said. Firefighters battling the blaze said no injuries had been reported.

Another fire which broke out near Markopoulo, northern Attica, early yesterday morning damaged three homes before it was partially contained yesterday afternoon.

Of the 100 blazes that broke out yesterday the great majority occurred within eight municipalities that are not included in the currently expanding land register. This fueled suspicions that some of the fires may have been started deliberately by people planning to take advantage of the absence of official records to build homes on razed forestland.

Pecunia non olet; aqua . . . . ??

Greek water quality was a cause for concern on drought-stricken Cyprus. Officials at the Cypriot Agriculture Ministry said they were unable to distribute a shipment of 40.000 cubic meters of water from Greece because of its pungent smell. The Greek tanker containing the water has been anchored off the island’s south coast for the past two weeks awaiting completion of the infrastructure needed to transfer it ashore. (read: a piece of 3,5 meters of pipe-line too short.) Officials believe it was this extended storage time that caused the water to smell. The ministry said the water would “undergo a natural filtering process.”

The shipment is the first of a total 8 million cubic meters of water that will be shipped to Cyprus from Greece by November. The Cypriots agreed to pay 43 million euros for the total quantity of water to be shipped.

RHODES QUAKE

Mild tremor hits island

An earthquake measuring 5.3 on the Richter scale shook the island of Rhodes early yesterday, experts said, but there were no injuries or damage reported. It is thought that the 2.52 a.m. quake was an aftershock of a stronger tremor, measuring 6.4 Richter, that rocked the island early on Tuesday, causing some damage as well as the death of a 56-year-old woman who slipped while trying to flee her home.

We have heard that the poisoned He-Dog from this morning is a bit more lively; much hope we still haven’t yet, but miracles still exist over here !! And what he had expected, became the truth: the juvenile House Martin was discovered not alive anymore at 5.20 p.m.

July 18^th:  the red Swift was 26 (+2), the Hedgehog 678 (+26) and the Long-eared Owl 219 (-7) gram. The new Pale Barn Owl was 256 (-1) > is swallowing quite difficult !! The white Pigeon was 274 (+9) and the grey one 272 (=) gram. The green Long-legged Buzzard was 1087 (+9) gram Little Owls: green 194 (+2), orange 205 (-9), blue 199 (+3) and silver 201 (+4) gram. GreenGreen was 148 gram. The little Chicken is still “simmering” like a coffee-machine but has meanwhile discovered the seed- & the water-bowl. Not a single crumb was left at the Yellow-legged Gulls. We have heard that the poisoned Doggie from yesterday meanwhile is walking again in the garden, has vomited something “strange green stuff”, but not yet eaten by himself. In our efforts to find a solution for the recovering Shearwater, we have heard from our colleague-hospital on Páros that it may named a “wonder of wonders” this bird is still alive over here after so many months > over there they weren’t yet so successful !!

Multiple blazes gradually tamed

Firefighters were yesterday battling blazes on Crete and in Arta and Ioannina, northwestern Greece while firemen remained on standby in the Vale of Tempe, in Thessaly, following a difficult night that saw several homes there threatened by flames.

The Tempe fire had been brought under control by yesterday morning after burning some 450 hectares of forestland on Wednesday.

By early yesterday afternoon at least five fires were reported to have broken out in the Ioannina area, another near Arta and two on Crete – one in the prefecture of Rethymnon and another in Ierapetra in the south.

Most of the fires that had been burning since Wednesday, including a large one near Markopoulo, northern Attica, had been brought under control by late yesterday. Blazes on the Ionian islands of Corfu and Cephalonia and on the Aegean island of Andros had also been extinguished.

Meanwhile police in Athens arrested a 27-year-old man suspected of accidentally starting a large fire in the area of Dervenochoria, west of Mount Parnitha, on Tuesday morning, which spread more than 20 kilometers southwest and threatened several villages.

The 27-year-old allegedly ignited the fire while trying to clear a wasp’s nest from a fuel pipeline control box. The suspect, whose job it is to inspect fuel pipelines, reportedly telephoned the fire brigade himself and joined subsequent efforts to control the fire so he is not suspected of setting the fire deliberately. But he is still expected to be charged with accidental arson for the fire which quickly spread to a neighboring forest, fanned by strong winds.

Yesterday’s blazes came on the back of more than 100 fires on Wednesday as the fire service struggled to keep up. Arson was suspected in many cases.

The whole day the little Chicken was breathing difficultly and at 4 p.m. he/she almost suffocated. With the help of a “sharp spoon” a huge, thick piece of “cheese” was removed from the beginning of the trachea. Hereafter the breathing was normal again. So the little one was so weakened that pussy, thick slime couldn’t be coughed-out and hardened on top of the trachea into “cheese”.

July 19^th:  the little Chicken is breathing still (almost) normal !! The red Swift was 27 (+1), the white Pigeon 269 (-5) and the grey one 270 (-2) gram. Little Owls: green 195 (+1), orange 204 (-1), silver 198 (-3) and blue 193 (-6) gram. GreenGreen was 148 (=) gram. The Green Long-legged Buzzard was 1099 (+12), the Long-eared Owl 223 (+4) and the Pale Barn Owl 256 (=) gram. The Hedgehog was 701 (+23) gram. And while we were busy cramming food in hungry little-owl-bills, the Hedgehog first was attacking one of our trouser-legs, whereafter one present on the floor white stork-feather was attacked and eaten; the last part laying on his back and holding the feather with his front-legs !! In the 2 bowls in the cage of the Yellow-legged Gulls hardly anything was left !! And because the orange juvenile Little Owl had become more and more aggressively (really wants to leave), there is decided to a

Release:

At 8.02 a.m. we have released in the deserted house the orange Little Owl (08-088A; * 26/27-05-’08. Taken-in June 6^th ’08). There was already a company over there: 3 others from the same kind, of which 2 born out of one, released over there last year female (silversilver, 07-091; released over there August 2^nd ’07) and that was number 3. We’re hoping again for the best.

After both front-doors to the street were painted perfectly by Ger Bruinsma, the bell could be placed again and a new shield with the times we’re closed. We had a whole Dutch invasion this morning: 8 people. Did we write June 17^th ’08 about a man who shot and killed another man during an illegal boar-hunt in Arcadia (Peleponnesos), today we could read the following (which swine has shot which swine ??):
                                                                  Fatal mistake

A 36-year-old man from near Kavála in northern Greece was charged with manslaughter through negligence after shooting his 31-year-old brother dead when they were hunting wild boar. The 36-year-old allegedly shot his brother after mistaking him for a boar. The 36-year-old has also been charged with illegally owning and carrying a firearm and hunting out of season.

Blaze in popular Athens park shocks locals

A volunteer firefighter tries to get a grip on the situation yesterday after a large fire broke out in a popular park in Kaisariani, eastern Athens. Two helicopters helped dozens of fire engines fight the blaze which had been brought under control by late afternoon. There were no reports of any injuries and the extent of the damage caused was unclear.

At 3.44 p.m. a phone-call from the island of Límnos about a “kirkinézi” (Kestrel ??) with a broken wing > will be sent, but we’ll be informed about how, where and when.

July 20^th:  all were still alive !! The Pallid Swift was 30 (+3), the Hedgehog 713 (+12), Pale Barn Owl 250 (-6) and the Long-eared Owl 226 (+3) gram. White Pigeon 268 (-1) and the grey one 272 (+2) gram. Green Long-legged Buzzard 1092 (-7) gram. Little Owls: green 196 (+1), blue 198 (+5) silver 199 (+1) and GreenGreen 145 (-3) gram. For the first time there was a bit food left-over at the Yellow-legged Gulls. Looking for the (eventually) presence of the yesterday released Little Owl (orange) we discovered the released July 16^th BlueBlue in weakened condition on the floor: was only 134 gram (was released with 181 !!). Taken-back and re-taken-in.

Releases:

We started catching several “over complete” Pigeons in the pigeon-cage in “The Keep”; 4 of those were born over there out of disabled parents and the 5^th  was BlueBlue (08-042; April 17^th from Mytiléne with brain-damage). Were all 5 released at 8.35 a.a. at the “East-River” (the Tsianás) close to Skála Kallonís. During this release we spotted several White Storks in the fields over there > so back to base and our White Stork (marked with purple spray) was picked-up. Was released in the fields at 8.57 a.m.

And because there was some “space to breath” now in the pigeon-cage, both Pigeons from the Sick-Bay (the white and the grey) were transferred to there. The this morning re-taken-in Little Owl is not in such a good condition !! After checking again the deserted house the orange Little Owl was spotted, which was hiding perfectly for the daylight > so we know now where to look for a further check-up. The poisoned doggie seems to be quite well now again. At 11 a.m. we received a phone-call from the island of Límnos that the “kirkinézi” had left the island at 10 a.m. on board the MV “Lissós” and should arrive in Mytiléne at 5.30 p.m. At 2.23 the BlueBlue Little Owl was discovered dead > had suffocated !! So there should have been wrong a lot more !! At once the orange was taken back, to avoid such a problem in the future. At 3.47 p.m. we had the announced bird-of-prey in our hands > see at LESSER KESTREL.

New Ferry

Did we write July 2^nd about the “new ferry” which should take over the place of the crashed “Theóphilos”, it showed to be the MV “Lissós” (see above), in charter from a Cretan Shipping-C^y. The ship was built in 1972 . . . . !! Safety first ??

July 21^st:  all patients were still alive early this morning. The Pallid Swift was 29 (-1), the Hedgehog 740 (+27), the Long-eared Owl 228 (+2) and the Pale Barn Owl 269 (+19 !!) gram. The Lesser Kestrel was 107 (+7) > this one is eating well from a pair of tweezers and such is “a salvation and blessing” for our finger-tops !! The Long-legged Buzzard was 1103 (+11) gram. Little owls: green 197 (+1), blue 199 (+1), silver 200 (+1) and orange 193 gram. GreenGreen was 148 (+3) gram. In the cage of the Yellow-legged Gulls for the first time there was food left over. At 7.40 a.m. a phone-call from our Dutch friends that close to their lodging there was walking around (come on walking ??) a little kitten with a broken leg > if they could take the poor soul to us.. Agreed and a cage was prepared. Today again the weekly meat-cutting-day and with the help of many 14,845 kilo of meat, liver & minced meat (97,47 Euro) was processed. Total now this year 399,678 kilo for 2567,53 Euro. The announced kitten could, when they were trying to find it, not be discovered, so . . . . By friends of us is continued with the painting of the outer doors and is started with the doors of the Zoökomeio. 

WILDFIRES

Several blazes in Peloponnese

Firefighters were still trying to extinguish two wildfires near Nafplion in the Peloponnese yesterday, as well as a fire in Mantineia, also in the Peloponnese. Neither fire was reported to be threatening homes or lives. Earlier, the fire service put out a fire in the coastal area of Lagonissi, southeast of Athens, which was burning brush and olive trees close to homes. Firefighters also tamed a blaze close the Thrasyvoulos soccer stadium in Ano Liosia, western Athens, early yesterday.

And in spite of due to the huge amount of energy that was used on the island the power almost completely disappeared (and so almost nothing was working properly), we could finish all works in time and receive as well a delegation from the northern parts of The Netherlands: 5 people. When at the last feeding-round at 7.45 p.m. there was discovered that close to the anus of the Pale Barn Owl there was clogged a whole bunch of feathers and this was removed, it was just like if a shaken bottle of champagne was opened > we could change clothes completely !! If the gaining of wait had been due to this, we’ll see tomorrow !!

July 22^nd:  the gaining of weight of the Pale Barn Owl indeed had been due to the “blockage”: 237 gram this morning (-32 gram !! And is there someone who can’t understand that ± 30 gram of fluid manure is enough for changing the clothes ??). The Pallid Swift was 28 (-1), the Hedgehog 758 (+18) and the Long-eared Owl 231 (+3) gram. The Lesser Kestrel was 114 (+7) and the Green Long-legged Buzzard 1121 (+18) gram. Little Owls: for the first time there was evidently eaten last night, and seeing the gain of weight it had been  GreenGreen: 178 (+28 !!). Green was 197 (=), blue 200 (+1), silver 202 (+2) and orange 205 (+120, Maybe the last one had eaten as well himself ??For the first time there was quite a lot of food left-over in the cage of the Yellow-legged Gulls. In the whole country there is since yesterday-afternoon a yellow weather-alert because of extreme high temperatures !! And before it really became too warm working on a hot iron roof, we have made the beginning of a bath in the pen the Shearwater is staying during the day. Thereafter (when we almost died because of the heat) we had a

Release:

At 10.58 a.m. there was released very well in the Tsianás-river (the “East-River”) in Kallonís the juvenile Yellow-legged Gull (08-129; July 13^th ’08 from Eftaloú) > made two triumphal rounds above our heads before solemnly was flown in the direction of the sea.

We received two Dutch visitors.

Fires controlled

Firefighters were able to bring under control last night four large forest fires on Crete, in the Peloponnese, Fthiotida and Evia. None of the fires, which burned mostly areas of low vegetation, threatened homes. No injuries were reported.

At 1.50 p.m. a phone-call from the State-Vet Yiánnis Tsakíris that he was on his way to Lámbou Míli with a Little Owl > so we  went for a ride and picked it up. See further at LITTLE OWL.

July 23^rd:  the yesterday taken-in Little Owl was sitting perfectly straight this morning !! Body-weight 137 (+5) gram. Pallid Swift 28 (=), Pale Barn Owl 223 (-14) and the Lesser Kestrel 117 (+3) gram. The green Long-legged Buzzard was 1147 (+26) gram. Little Owls: green 199 (+2), blue 200 (=), silver 202 (=) and orange 205 (=) gram. GreenGreen was 170 (-6) gram. And again there head been eating last night in this cage. The Hedgehog was 786 (+28) gram. In de cage of the Yellow-legged Gull quite a lot of food was left-over, in which huge fat maggots > so good to be fed to the Pallid Swift !! At 10.40 a.m. the bath for the Shearwater was ready and filled with quite a few buckets of water. That ungrateful however was climbing, as soon as he was placed into the water, at once out again !! ( N 1). And now we’re loosing our own identity as well:

Islanders lose case for sole right to be Lesbian

An Athens court yesterday rejected an appeal by residents of the Aegean island of Lesbos to ban the use of the word lesbian to describe gay women.

Three islanders brought a case against the Homosexual and Lesbian Community of Greece (OLKE) last month, saying its use of the word was an insult to their homeland. But the court ruled that the term “Lesbian” does not define the identity of the island’s residents and so can be used by gay organizations in Greece and abroad.

Several residents testified that the use of the word lesbian had boosted the island’s recognition. But many islanders are unsettled by the fact that the island, and particularly the resort of Eressós, is a popular tourist destination for gay women. Eressós is regarded as the birthplace of the ancient Greek poet Sáppho, whose poems are believed by some to be about sexual love between women.

At the end of the morning two Dutch visitors, the parents of our trainee in 2003 Martijn, who wanted to see where their son had stayed in that period and whereabout he still was talking. At 5.40 p.m. the orange Little Owl was transferred to the little owl-cage in “The Keep” where it could meet at last its parents !! The right eye of the yesterday taken-in Little Owl (which according to the State-Vet Tsakíris was “gone”) is opening more and more after very carefully and bit after bit cleaning of the surrounding area. There is a good eye present !! We received an e-mail from a Marine Biologist in Turkey, who had lots of questions bout a young gull, now in his possession > he didn’t know what to feed, et. etc. and there was no-one in the neighborhood who really knew something (the poor soul couldn’t fly or walk, and there was something wrong with a wing). Vets were nor reachable or didn’t know anything. As good as possible advices were given. As well the possibility was kept open sending the bird to us, but we don’t know where this man is situated. Co-operation should start somewhere, isn’t it ??

July 24^th:  the Pallid Swift was 28 (=), the Hedgehog 810 (+24), the Long-eared Owl 235 (+7) and the Pale Barn Owl 222 (-1) gram. The Lesser Kestrel was 119 (+2) and the green Long-legged Buzzard 1203 (+56) gram. So the latter must have eaten in the aviary !! Injured Little Owl 144 (+7), the green 200 (+1) blue 200 (=) and silver 202 (=). GreenGreen was 170 (=) gram. We started teaching stitching to the volunteers. Out of Turkey we received a message that they are over there “a bit far from here”: a good 1.500 km by plane !! So we’ll continue coaching them by e-mail because there were still a lot of questions.

Dozens of fires stretch capacity of authorities

Worst blazes near Athens, on Rhodes

A volunteer firefighter tries to get a fire extinguisher working as flames ravage land behind him near Kryoneri, north of Athens. It took firefighting forces several hours to extinguish the blaze, which started at Varibombi, some 3 kilometers away, as resources were scattered across the country tackling dozens of blazes.

Firefighters struggled to douse more than 60 blazes that broke out across the country yesterday, including a large fire north of Athens and another that was burning the island of Rhodes for a third day.

The fire that broke out north of Athens, in the area of Varibombi, at around 2 p.m. quickly spread eastward to Kryoneri, fanned by strong winds. At least two warehouses and a home were damaged by the flames, though no injuries were reported. Traffic police blocked off a key section of highway after the fire approached the roadside. Meanwhile, dozens of residents fled their homes and local factories were evacuated. The Hellenic Railways Organization (OSE) also suspended some northbound trains from the capital due to the fire. A rescue effort involving five aircraft and some 20 fire engines had brought the blaze under control by late last night. According to sources, it took firefighters longer than it should have to contain the Varibombi blaze as many resources had been dispatched elsewhere to tackle other blazes.

One of yesterday’s most serious fires was on Rhodes, where strong winds continued to fan a blaze that broke out near the central village of Laerma on Monday. The fire, which spread southward over two days, is believed to have burnt at least 1,000 hectares of forestland. Local firefighters said that the elderly and very young local residents had been evacuated from their homes as the flames came very close to the village limits. “We really struggled to save the village from the fire,” Rhodes Prefect Yiannis Machairidis told Kathimerini.

The fires in Varibombi and on Rhodes were not the only large ones that fueled concerns yesterday.

A blaze that broke out near Mesolongi in central Greece spread to the ancient site of Calydon, though it was unclear by late yesterday how much damage had been caused. The Culture Ministry said that the area had been cleared of dry grass recently.

A fire on the islet of Salamina, off Piraeus, also provoked a large-scale response. A team of 24 firefighters was dispatched to douse the blaze, working with eight fire engines aided by a water-dropping helicopter.

Another of yesterday’s fires broke out in a mine belonging to the Public Power Corporation (PPC) in the prefecture of Arcadia. PPC said that the fire, which was swiftly brought under control, had been caused by an “insulator.”

Poisoned animals

Municipal workers yesterday said they had disinfected the area around Fokionos Negri Square, north of the center of Athens, where unidentified individuals had scattered poison, causing the deaths of several pet dogs and pigeons. Mayor Nikitas Kaklamanis yesterday condemned the poisoning of animals and highlighted the risk to public health of spreading poison in central squares.

Is the to be neglected risk for the public health of more importance than the certain death of innocent animals, Mayor Kaklamanis  ??

Fuelled too much “Super” ?? Not only with the ferries between Lesbos and Piraeus there can be something wrong:

Three injured in ferry collision off Andros

Three people sustained minor injuries yesterday when a passenger ferry approaching the island of Andros struck another vessel moored at the port.

Super Ferry II, arriving at the Cycladic island from the port of Rafina, bumped into the ferry Theologos due to “incorrect docking procedures,” the Merchant Marine Ministry said. Three passengers, whose nationalities were not made public, were transferred to an hospital on Andros for the treatment of minor injuries.

Super Ferry II, which was carrying 1,000 passengers, sustained significant damage and will not carry out scheduled routes between Rafina and Myconos today, shipping firm Blue Star Ferries said yesterday.

The extent of the damage to the Theologos, which had been preparing to set sail for Rafina with 566 passengers, was not clear yesterday.

At 1.40 p.m. still 4 Dutch tourists, so it was late before we could start our siesta. And after that at 2.45 p.m. we were cruelly disturbed in our sleep by a phone-call from some-one from Pámfila, who had discovered in his court-yard “quite a special kind of beetle; only in its kind !!” Most probably it was the very common Pine Chafer (Polyphylla fullo), so to hear from the description. What he should do with the animal ?? Advised to place it back in the trees . . . . At 8.31 p.m. a phone-call from our village, that some-ones cat was walking around poisoned (already with foam around the mouth) > he should try to catch the cat. We prepared everything, and . . . . further nothing was heard anymore !!

July 25^th:  the Pallid swift was 28 (=) and may leave if the weather is good enough. The Hedgehog was 813 (+3), the Long-eared Owl 237 (+2) gram. The Pale Barn Owl we’re going to loose: almost everything that is fed, is coming out again: 208 (-14) gram !! The Lesser Kestrel was 129 (+10) gram. The Little Owl with the brain-damage is doing better and better: 129 (+15) gram. Other Little Owls: green 203 (+3), silver 202 (=) and blue 201 (+1) gram. GreenGreen was 173 (+3) gram. We have tried to release the only remnant Pallid Swift, but we didn’t succeed (yet) due to incapability flying well. After we had removed yesterday the hanging cast from the wing of the adult Yellow-legged Gull, it showed to be today that no improvement had been reached. So we can’t do anything more and  thus we decided to a

Release:

At 8.12 a.m. is released in the Tsianás-river as (probably) disabled for ever the Yellow-legged Gull, which was taken-in July 1^st. At once swimming in the direction of the sea happened. And now nature should have her course.

We received 3 Dutch visitors this morning.

FIRE FALLOUT

Two held over blazes on Rhodes and Varibombi

Firefighters yesterday were still fighting to contain a large fire on Rhodes believed to have ravaged at least 2.000 hectares of forestland. The fire on the island started near the central village of Laerma on Monday and spread southward over the last few days. Local authorities said the flames came within a few hundred meters of the village limits. A 61-year-old man was charged with starting the fire through negligence. Police in Attica yesterday brought similar charges against an 81-year-old man believed to have sparked a huge fire that broke out on Wednesday in Varibombi, north of Attica, and spread eastward to Kryoneri.

And after both doors on the street-side of our houses had been painted properly as well on the outside as on the inner side, we noticed how ugly the walls around the doors were: so we started removing ugly (and not-necessary anymore) pieces of plaster and concrete, preparing the way for a decent restoration of the walls. The eye should have as well it’s joy !! At 6.15 p.m. a phone-call from those people in Mytiléne, who had sent us in the past (almost) all juvenile Jackdaws, that they had a juvenile Sparrow now > will be taken-in tomorrow by Ineke when she will be in de neighborhood. Late in the evening we could read on the Internet that fires on Rhodes were completely out of control again.

July 26^th:  the Pallid Swift was 29 (+1), the hedgehog 821 (+8) and the Long-eared Owl 243 (+6) gram. The Pale barn Owl was 204 (-4) gram and the Lesser kestrel was 135 (+6) gram. Little Owls: the one with the brain-damage is climbing up and down in his cage and was 164 (+5) gram, green 203 (=), blue 203 (=), silver 207 (+5) and GreenGreen 182 (+9) gram. At 8.55 a.m. we received a phone-call from Mytiléne that the little Sparrow had come in our possession one minute earlier. See further at HOUSE SPARROW. At 9.17 a.m. a phone-call from Eftaloú from Julie, who had a cat with a grass-seed in his eye > told her to pass-by with the cat. And she was here at 10.45 a.m. > see further at TOM-CAT. So to say a “warm holiday”: 

Rhodes fire forces tourists to move

A large fire that has been burning on Rhodes since last Tuesday spread yesterday, prompting authorities to evacuate at least four hotels in the area of Kiotari in the island’s southeast.

Hundreds of tourists were evacuated to nearby villages as firefighters battled flames fuelled by high winds.

Cyprus, Italy and France sent water-dropping aircrafts to aid Greek planes trying to douse the Rhodes blaze from the air.

Meanwhile, the village of Laerma, which had been threatened by fire on Wednesday, was again in danger yesterday, local authorities said. Fanned by strong winds, flames had reached the outskirts of the village by late yesterday afternoon and had damaged two homes and a church, they said. There were no reports of any injuries but thousands of hectares of land were believed to have been razed.

Another large blaze that broke out early yesterday afternoon in the region of Achaia, near Patras, led to the closure of the national highway at Rio, causing long traffic tailbacks. The local railway service was disrupted too. Local campsites and hostels, accommodating hundreds of Greek and foreign holidaymakers, were evacuated as a precautionary measure. Dozens of swimmers, trapped on nearby beaches after flames descended toward the pine trees lining the coastline, managed to get to their cars or scooters and leave the area without any reported problems. By late yesterday, firefighters had partially controlled the blaze whose impact on the area was unclear. The highway was gradually being reopened to motorists last night.

And because the Myrtidiotissa was coming as well in the harbor of Mytiléne, this won’t be the case anymore for the coming time:

Passenger ferry hits a reef off Kythera

A ferry carrying 295 passengers yesterday struck a reef off the island of Kythera, south of the Peloponnese, sustaining damage but causing no injuries.

The collision, the third such incident in the Aegean within a month, occurred as the Myrtidiotissa was trying to dock, though it was unclear what caused the accident. The impact opened two holes in the ship’s hull and damaged a propeller. Efforts were under way yesterday afternoon to clean up the fuel leaking from two gashes, which were 7 meters and 10 meters long. The Express Pegasus ferry will be serving the route between Neapoli and Kythera until the Myrtidiotissa is repaired.

Yesterday’s incident followed a collision off Andros earlier this week, when an approaching vessel hit a moored ferry, and another off Oinoússos, in the eastern Aegean, at the end of June, when a ferry hit a rock.

At 7.17 p.m. a phone-call from someone (half Greek, half English) from Plomári, who had discovered “two kittens, abandoned by the mother”; the eyes still closed. It took some time and pains to explain that those kittens weren’t abandoned by their mother, but thrown-away alive by people. Told that the only thing we could do was putting them down. At 8.05 p.m. again a phone-call that they were on their way. And they arrived at 9.30 p.m. > see further at KITTEN.

July 27^th:  no victims this morning. The juvenile Sparrow is doing well and is a good eater. Pallid Swift 28 (-1), Long-eared Owl 235 (-8) and the Pale Barn Owl 193 (-11) gram. The Lesser Kestrel was 136 (+1) and the Hedgehog 843 (+22) gram. Little Owls: the one with the brain-damage 170 (+6), green 204 (+1), silver 207 (=) and blue 201 (-2) gram. GreenGreen was 180 (-2) gram. We have done quite a lot in removing and pointing of the wall-parts around both front-doors. At 10.30 a.m. (what we had expected already for days) the Pale Barn Owl was discovered not alive anymore. The Chicken has spent the whole morning outside in the (not yet finished) hedgehog-pen. At 5.35 p.m. the GreenGreen Little Owl was, after a “last supper”, transferred to the little owl-aviary in “The Keep”. There seems to be something wrong with the injury in the belly of the semi-stray cat “Suzy” (we had sterilized July 15^th) > one will pass-by tomorrow-morning.

July 28^th:  the Pallid Swift was 30 (+2), the Long-eared Owl 250 (+15 !!), the Lesser Kestrel 142 (+6) and the Hedgehog 877 (+34) gram. Little Owls: green 203 (-1), blue 201 (=) and silver 209 (+2) gram. The one with the brain-injury was 171 (+1) gram. In the little owl-aviary in “The Keep” no problems could be detected. The cat “Suzy” was here at 7.50 a.m. > showed to be a normal reaction of the stitches. Showed how to clean it. We did a P.M. on the Pale Barn Owl and what was expected, nothing special could be found. What indeed was found was the sex: a male (like we had said already). The final result was that the bird didn’t want anymore: so a old age could have been the reason. Today meat had to be processed again: 14,205 kilo for 93,77 Euro. Total now this year 413,883 kilo for 2661,10 Euro. At 10.08 a.m. a phone-call from the vet Myrsíni Tourvalí in Mytiléne that she will send by the 11 o’clock-coach a little Sparrow: so te hear the story with brain-damage. And that bird we had in our hands at 11.41 a.m. > see further at HOUSE SPARROW. Hereafter we received a whole “Scooter-safari”  from Holland: 8 people. And while those were departing, our (only on paper) big boss came to visit us: Mário from the colleague-hospital on Páros with his girl-friend. One phoned at 1.55 p.m. from Skála Eressoú (Kámbos) that one had discovered a green with yellow birdie and wanted to bring it here. Was here at 3.38 p.m. > see further at EUROPEAN BEE-EATER.

Rhodes blaze under control after razing 5,000 hectares in six days

Firemen take a break in southern Rhodes yesterday, the sixth day of a large forest fire. A massive rescue effort involving 500 firefighters, 100 soldiers and dozens of local volunteers finally brought the blaze under control early yesterday afternoon.

Firefighters on Rhodes yesterday finally managed to bring under control a fire that had raged on the island for six days, ravaging some 5,000 hectares of land and forcing the evacuation of thousands of tourists from hotels.

The blaze, which started near the central village of Laerma on Tuesday before spreading southward, was finally tamed early yesterday afternoon after the efforts of hundreds of firefighters were supported by about 100 soldiers and dozens of local volunteers. Firefighting efforts were assisted by water-dropping aircraft sent by several countries including Cyprus, France and Italy.

Local authorities said the destruction would have been far less extensive if rescue efforts had been better managed earlier in the week. “Coordination on the first day was poor,” the deputy prefect of the Dodecanese, Fotis Chatzidiakos, told Skai Radio and Television.

The forest of Laerma, the main habitat of the local deer, was almost totally razed, according to authorities who did not say how many animals had died in the flames.

A 61-year-old man was sentenced late Friday to four years in prison for starting a fire in the village of Aghios Isídoros, a few kilometers northwest of Laerma, which is believed to have caused the large blaze.

Another fire that broke out yesterday in the area of Psachna, western Evia, had been partially controlled by late yesterday afternoon. There were no reports of residential areas being threatened. A forest fire close to the port of Nafpaktos in west-central Greece was also under control late yesterday afternoon.

And again it’s not so nice anymore to go for a sail:

Boat collision

A pleasure boat carrying 13 tourists ran aground on the islet of Prasonissia, near Chios, yesterday but no one was injured. The 13 passengers, whose nationalities were not made public, were transferred to the nearby island of Oinoússos aboard a coast guard patrol boat. The four-member crew remained aboard the Olympia until a tugboat arrived and towed the vessel to shore. There were no reports of any fuel leaks. The incident came on the back of three ferry collisions in the Aegean within the past month.

July 29^th:  all were still alive at 4.50 a.m. We have heard from Holland that our Bee-eater is a female and no adult: this due to the not being present (yet) of the long tail-feathers. The juvenile Sparrow with the brain-damage died in our hands at 5.43 a.m. The Pallid Swift was 32 (+2), the Long-eared Owl 256 (+6), the Hedgehog 876 (-1) and the Lesser Kestrel 145 (+3) gram. The Bee-eater was 46 (+1) gram. Little Owls: the one with the brain damage 175 (+4), green 200 (-3), blue 202 (=) and silver 207 (-2) gram. The little “Joris” (08-052; May 2^nd ’08) received at 6.30 a.m. a small injection to make the trip to Holland a bit more comfortable for him (and his bearers).

Re-homing:

At 6.58 a.m. “Joris” was transferred into the hands of his discoverers and new owners to start the air-travel to Holland.

And Greece is selling stinking water to Cyprus, but in the own country:

Pineios River...

A weed springs from the parched bank of the Pineios River. The falling water level of the river in the Peloponnese has prompted locals to take action. Residents of the village of Zarkos are to start diverting water from local boreholes on farms to help replenish the river.

Greek “hospitality” . . . . . ??

Migrants kept in dirty center

Hundreds of would-be migrants, chiefly from Afghanistan, are living in cramped and squalid conditions in a reception center on Lesvos with many suffering from serious diseases, according to representatives of French charity Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) dispatched to help out on the island.

Some 800 migrants are living in a space designed to accommodate 400, according to aid workers who say they are only allowed outside for half an hour every couple of days.

“They do not have adequate access to showers and toilets,” said MSF local project leader Giorgos Karayiannis, who added that one ward offers only one toilet for more than 100 people. “They are usually kept locked up,” he said.

Some of the migrants are suffering from tuberculosis and skin diseases and have to wait to be seen by the one on-site doctor, according to Karayiannis, who said the risk of contagion was high. “There is not enough staff to meet the demands of the center,” he said.

And again there is discovered a kind of “national sports” in Greece:

Ferry jolts blamed on poor ports

Shipping union officials yesterday blamed inadequate infrastructure at the country’s ports for a spate of ferry collisions over the past month as two cruise ships, carrying more than 3,000 passengers between them, collided off Piraeus.

No one was injured in yesterday’s incident, which saw the Zenith, a Maltese-flagged cruise liner, ram a moored Greek cruise ship, the Aegean Pearl, while it was trying to dock. The Zenith had been carrying 1,819 passengers and 619 crew and the Aegean Pearl 504 passengers and 349 crew.

The Aegean Pearl sustained minor damage from the jolt, while the larger Maltese vessel emerged relatively unscathed, according to Port Authority officials.

The collision, the fourth such incident in the Aegean within a month, fueled criticism from shipping union representatives who said that the inadequate coordination of crew members and human error were less of a problem than the poor infrastructure at Piraeus and other ports.

“Most ports do not have adequate piers and are not large enough to accommodate large cruise ships,” Achilleas Tarlamis, the general secretary of the Masters and Mates’ Union of the Greek Merchant Marine, told Kathimerini.

After the siesta the yearly visit of a Dutch family, of which both sons had saved a part of their pocket-money for the animals and they wanted to give this personally. 

We received the message from Holland that little “Joris” had survived the trip quite well and meanwhile had started exploring his new home.

July 30^th:  the Pallid Swift was 31 (-1) and the Bee-eater 38 (-8) gram. The Long-eared Owl 253 (-3) and the Hedgehog 902 (+26) gram. The Lesser Kestrel was 147 (+2) gram. Little Owls: the one with the brain-damage 170 (-5), green 198 –2), silver 205 (-2) and blue 196 (-5) gram. For today with both volunteers the well-known “cultural excursion” is planned and taken place. We even were back in time to receive 2 Dutch visitors. With them agreements were made for the future for surgical materials. At 3.45 p.m. a phone-call from an official from our Municipality that she had in the court-yard a birdie > hereafter was hanged up . . . . ?? Showed to be that she was in our court-yard with a juvenile Yellow-legged Gull in her hands > so see over there. It seems if the juvenile Bee-eater had something wrong with the nerve-system: the head is bowed backwards and she is swallowing quite difficultly !! In the evening still a visit from the man who had brought July 12^th the juvenile Goldfinch > was quite astonished about all we were doing here !!

July 31^st:  all patients were still alive early this morning; as well the Bee-eater !! The Pallid Swift was 31 (=), the Bee-eater 39 (+1), the Long-eared Owl 248 (-5) and the Lesser Kestrel 151 (+4) gram. The Eastern Hedgehog was 909 (+7) gram. Little Owls: green 198 (=), blue 194 (-2) and silver 205 (=) gram. The adult one with the brain-damage was 169 (-1) gram > is eating quite difficult !! We could remove the splint from the wing of the Lesser Kestrel and the (still present) injury was closed with 1 agrafe. The position is quite acceptable.

Cephalonia quake

A moderately strong undersea quake measuring 5.1 on the Richter scale occurred off Cephalonia shortly after 8 a.m. yesterday but no injuries or damage were reported. The epicenter of the quake was located off the southeast coast of the Ionian island. Seismologists said the quake, which was followed by a 3.7-magnitude tremor, was no cause for concern.

At 3.08 p.m. a phone-call from Kleío, that someone had over there a big owl, which couldn’t or wouldn’t eat > so we picked him up. See further at BARN OWL. 

Total amount of visitors this month:  077                     (total this year: 332)

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 485 (total this year 2472 kilometers)

Total amount of intakes this month: 29 [wild ones: 20; others 09], (total this year 158: wild ones 121, others 037; total since the start of registration in 1996: 3969) of which:

PALE BARN OWL (Tyto a. alba):  3; the first two were just hatched Owlets in the barn owl-aviary of the L.W.H., the parents weren’t taken good care of (were squeaking for food and started to be dirty already). The elder is hatched ± June 27^th and the other ± June 29^th/30^th. The elder received a green ring and was 36 gram. The younger received an orange ring and was 21 gram.

(see as well July 2^nd & 3^rd). The 3^rd was discovered close to a huge car-shop on the road to Mytiléne, but still before the ELIN-Petrol-Station. Is much too light (257 gram) in stead of at least 290 gram for a male.

(see as well July 27^th & 28^th)

YELLOW-LEGGED GULL (Larus michaellis): 3; the first was an adult, discovered somewhere on a deserted beach at (or in) the “Langáda-bay” (in between Mandamádos and Limáni). Has no wing-fracture, although the right wing is hanging, but can’t use that wing properly. Is bone- & bone-thin (only 567 gram in stead of 750 – 1250 gram !). The wing was taped. Is so emaciated that he/she is forgetting biting . . . . !! (see as well July 25^th). The 2^nd was discovered on the beach in Eftaloú and showed to be quite young. Probably due to unknown reasons lost contact with the parents. Was quite thin and definitively not yet capable of swimming, because the tail-gland isn’t yet working well. Measured in a wet condition the bird was 656 gram > so in any case too light. (see as well July 22^nd). The 3^rd was discovered in the sea at the beach close to the salines. Was a juvenile and was breathing quite difficult. According to the story by the discoverer, this could be number 2 . . . . ?!?! So observation. Was one hour and a half later already not alive anymore; no P.M. was done.

PIGEON (Columba livia dom.): 1 from the pigeon-cage in “The Keep” at the L.W.H.; born out of disabled parents. Showed to be bone-thin after we had rescued him/her from being “trepanated” . So observation and extra feedings. We have discovered that indeed the lower part of the bill isn’t working like it should be: it seems if there is something wrong with the jaw-joint; due to this opening and closing isn’t like it should be. (See as well July 4^th & 7^th).

PALLID SWIFT (Apus pallidus): 4 juveniles; the first three from Mytiléne > the 1^st is quite small > only 14 gram !! But we’re give it a try. Received green ring right foot (see July 5^th). The 2^nd is a bit larger and more active; so mas evidently a better chance. Received red ring right foot. (see as well July 25^th). The 3^rd is even larger than number 2, body-weight 31 gram and probably has only made a “crash-landing”. Received purple ring right foot. Only strengthening a bit and tomorrow or the day after tomorrow back into the air. (see July 17^th). Number 4 came from Kallonís and was quite “full-grown”: 42 gram. Received orange ring right foot. Was discovered dead in the afternoon of the day of intake.

SPURR-THIGHED TORTOISE (Testudo graeca ibera): 1 good adult female ( 30 years+), which was rescued from rushing traffic by Chloe with a good risk for her own life and as well with a typical British phlegm. Had quite a lot of ticks. Was lodged for the night in the 1^st pen on top of the roof of “The Keep”, till she is completely tick-free. By the way, the shell is quite damaged.

WHITE STORK (Ciconia ciconia): 1 juvenile from Keramiá; (probably) the last from the nest. Rescued from nor being attacked by dogs neither being knocked-down. Was lodged for the first night in the aviary, the Honey Buzzard is spending her days, because no other cage is free.

(see as well July 20^th).

HOUSE MARTIN (Delichon urbicum): 1 juvenile from Kallithéa > so trying to bring it up. By the way, it seems if this young creature has “something” with the right eye: is constantly closed. Was that the reason it had to leave the nest ?? (see as well July 17^th).

TOM-CAT (Felis catus): 2; the first came from the L.W.H. > “Joris”. Was taken-in May 2^nd (08-052). Before he is leaving for Holland, he first brought a visit to the Altar of Asklepios and offered some “jewels” as a votive-gift . . . . Number 2 came from Eftaloú and had a sharp grass-seed in the left eye. Removed with the help of a light complete anesthetic. Because the eye-bulb is damaged as well, CAVASAN-cream was given to the care-takers. 

GOLDFINCH (Carduelis carduelis): 1 juvenile from Mytiléne > trying to bring it up. But is strictly speaking too lethargic it showed after some feedings. Was discovered dead already in the afternoon of the intake-day.

BUZZARD (Buteo buteo): 1 male from Pérama; was discovered over there “somewhere” in the fields. Minor injury on the inner side of the right heel; further no injuries (yet) could be detected. Was much too thin: 399 gram (in stead of 550 - 850 gram). At the first thought we had the idea it was an adult (because of the legs and the conditions of the tail-feathers) but at an further inspection of the big feathers of the wing it showed to be a juvenile after all > so a climate-change-victim again.

CAT (Felis catus): 1 from Váfios > “Suzy”. Has had already a miss-carriage of two deformed kittens. We have taken-away the chance this will happen again.

CHICKEN (Gallus gallus dom.): 1 juvenile from our village; was plucked from the streets in a really miserable condition. Had a severe Rhinotrachitis. Nostrils were cleaned and was put “double barreled” on the antibiotics. Further wait and see. (see as well July 18^th).

HE-DOG (Canis familiaris): 1 from our village; had been under treatment over here before. Was poisoned now. Prognosis is not too well, because the owners discovered it quite late. Had to be taken home again at 12.10 p.m. (in a stable, but not so good condition), because we needed the cage again for the White Stork. We’ll hear the end-result later . . . . !! (see as well July 18^th).

LESSER KESTREL (Falco naumanni) 1 female from the island of Límnos > open fracture of the left humerus (already some days old). Splinted & antibiotics. As well there is a small deformation of the under-bill.

LITTLE OWL (Athene noctua indigena): 1 adult from/via Mytiléne. Delivered by the State-Vet Yiánnis Tsakíris. In any case severe brain-damage (fracture of the base of the skull ??) with clogged blood out of the right ear. Is tumbling as well and can’t stand on the legs. So prognosis ??

HOUSE-SPARROW (Passer domesticus): 2 juveniles from Mytiléne. The first is quite small. Nails were covered with a kind of chewing-gum and around the toes quite a lot of hairs were turned > all was removed. At a further examination it looks like a “nest-misfit”: the right leg has not the good position. Maybe this will change in the future. The 2^nd was quite larger and had evidently brain-damage (not distinguished by the vet > she had seen only that the head was turned !!) > the whole body was, seen on the back, a curve to the left. So observation (see as well July 29^th).

KITTEN (Felis catus): 2 ± 6 days old little ones (1-1) from Plomári. Were thrown-away alive and already more than 24 hours without their mother > put down.

EUROPEAN BEE-EATER (Merops apiaster): 1 juvenile female from the “Kámbos” at Skála Eressoú > observation, because we can’t find anything wrong (except lots of feather-lice). Body-weight is only 45 gram and this should be 55-90 gram !!

BARN OWL (Tyto a. alba x Tyto a. guttata): 1 adult, discovered “somewhere in the Lepétymnos-mountains”. Is too thin (269 gram in stead of at least 290 gram for a male). Had clogged blood at the right eye.