Greek Island Odyssey Holiday Report 2013

Day 1: Saturday 20th April

As our plane came in to land at Rhodes airport the wildlife spotting began! We had a good view of a

female Marsh Harrier and Little Egret over the nearby river. Then, on the drive to the hotel, we saw

a Wood Sandpiper on the same river by the road bridge. Upon our arrival in the medieval old town

Andy and Denise made a quick foray into the moat and town and found Starred Agamas, Oertzen’s

Rock Lizards, a Dahl’s Whip Snake and Large Wall Brown butterflies. It was late evening by then and

so we sat at a local taverna for our first traditional Greek mezedes meal and discussed plans for the

week ahead over a civilized glass of wine.

Day 2: Sunday 21st April

After a hearty breakfast at the hotel we set off on our first

full day of exploration. Our first stop was the archaeological

park at Monte Smith. After parking the car and with lots of

butterflies flying around us, it was hard to know just what to

look at first. Andy diverted our attention, announcing that

he had found an Anatolian Worm Lizard, a strange creature

looking more like a worm than a lizard and which is found in

Turkey and Greece. On Rhodes it is recorded only in the

northern parts of the island.

We then moved on to watch the butterflies. The first two we

identified were male and female Lesser Fiery Coppers, soon

followed by Eastern Bath White, and Clouded yellow. Up the slope

and in the meadows we saw a number of Swallowtail, Common

Blue, Painted Lady, Red Admiral, Scarce Swallowtail, and upon

reaching the stadium, we were all able to see Large Wall Brown,

with its large ‘eyes’ clearly visible on the underside of the

forewings. A Hummingbird Hawk moth dashed past us at the

ancient stadium, too fast for a picture, as was the case with a

Pigmy Skipper, its chocolate brown colour soon disappearing into

the dust. Here below the final ascent up to the acropolis Eastern

Festoons glided in and out of site, busy looking for egg laying sites or mates. Moving on to the site

itself, Large White, Small White, Painted Lady, Red Admirals and beautiful, Long-tailed Blues gave us

good views along with a Devil’s Horse Praying

Mantis.

Reptiles frequent the site too and besides the

Worm Lizard, we had great views of the many

Starred Agamas and a rather coy Ocellated Skink,

moving in and out of a hole in the sun-drenched

wall. Other reptiles seen were Oertzen’s Rock Lizard

and Balkan Green Lizards.

The area around the ruins is always good at this time of year for insects, drawn in by the flowering

plants. Among them, Purple Viper’s Bugloss, Cretan Hound’s tongue, and a couple of interesting

Anatolian Worm Lizard

Lesser Fiery Copper

Ocellated Skink

orchid groupings, in full flower, these being Ophrys rhodia, and Serapias parviflora, the smallest of

the serapias.

Many birds use the site as a stop off and rest or feed and

some breed here or nearby. Of note was a Roller which

flew over, a Short eared Owl, several Sardinian Warblers,

singing from dense cover and occasionally popping into

view, Long-legged Buzzards flying over, and a small group

of Tawny Pipits on the rocks of the temple.

After stopping for lunch we took the short drive to

Filerimos. We walked up from a point half way up the

hill, in order to take in some of the plant life. Here, beside the steps, we could see the 3 forms of

Broomrape and the endemic Rhodes Cyclamen. The main tree cover was provided by Pinus brutia

which is the most common pine present. A fairly strong flavoured honey is produced on the island

from this tree, after bees collect the honeydew excreted by the scale insect Marchalina hellenica, an

eastern Mediterranean species, found mainly in Greece or Turkey. It sucks the pine sap and escapes

predation by hiding under a fluffy white substance, much like woolly aphis. The branches of the trees

are often covered in this white fluff, and eventually the

tree succumbs to a secondary fungal which turns the

branches black. Mounting the steps to begin the short

climb, Julian discovered Rusty-back Fern growing out of

the rocks. In the forests, an understory is provided by

Strawberry trees, Arbutus unedo and A. andrachne, the

latter of which were easy to spot with their reddish-

cinnamon coloured bark.

Upon reaching the top of the hill, most of the group had

good views of Common Buzzard and Common Kestrel.

The best lookout on Filerimos is undoubtedly the giant

cross, which stands atop a steep drop and overlooks the

forested slopes and gives views off to the south and to

the western coastline. It is a good spot to see raptors

soaring, or hunting. Here, Eleonora’s Falcon flew by, no

doubt hunting in preparation for nesting. They are one of

the latest raptors to breed, choosing to do so later in the year to time their nesting period so that

they can feed young on migrating songbirds. We also caught sight of an immature Peregrine Falcon.

A little further on up a track at the summit heading west, we heard the soft deep calls of with Raven,

and soon we were able to see them together with Long-legged Buzzards and a Sparrowhawk. Andy

turned up a Green Toad near an army lookout shaft at this great birding spot, but it was getting late

so we pressed on into the meadows on our way back.

Here we caught our first sight of 4 Cuckoos, at first beguiling us with their hawk like flight but

remaining hidden, until Fi managed to pick one out, sitting alone in a dead tree. Andy (again at his

best), discovered 2 Snake eyed Skink and a Worm Snake in meadow. As we wandered back to the

vehicle through a meadow, we took a good look at a pretty pink and white flower, known as

Mediterranean Lineseed or Bellardia trixago a form of Orobanchaceae and a few butterflies were

still on the wing; Painted Lady, Aegean Meadow Brown and Red Admiral.

Day 3: Monday 22nd April

This day was spent with our botanist guide Giorgos, and so we hoped it would present a good deal of

botanical interest. The area of focus was Mount Attaviros, the highest peak on the island. At a

roadside stop we viewed the colourful shrub, Collutea arborescens ssp.insularis or Rhodian Bladder

Senna, well known for its attractive seed pods. It is

also the larval food plant of Long-tailed Blue

butterflies, of which there were many flitting about

the bushes. We also discovered two species of

orchids, Ophrys Mammosa, and Orchis sancta. Mike

and Julian stopped to watch a mixed flock of Barn

Swallow and Red Rumped Swallows which

occasionally landing on the overhead wires along

with Sand Martin. The stop was also good for Green

Hairstreak, Green Underside Blue and Clouded

Yellow butterflies.

We headed further up into the mountain and located a good spot under the forest canopy for

Ophrys reinholdii, and Ophrys candica, with its

large pink flowers. This striking plant, our guide

informed us, is a species only found in the south

of Greece. Here, Denise found our first Violet

Birds nest Orchid, Limodorum abortivum and we

were all enthralled by the very numerous Green

Hairstreak butterflies ovipositing on the spiny

Genista acanthoclada ssp. echinus. These

butterflies were also found nectaring on nearly

every Wild Asphodel Asphodelus aestivus, along

with a reasonable number of Green Underside

Blues. We also discovered an orchid hybrid

Anacamptis papilionacea x Orchis picta displaying

a perianth like picta with a lip like papilionacea , along with Orchis intacta, and Anacamptis

papilionacea ssp. heroic.

Back at the lookout spot, a pretty member of the rockrose family

Tuberaria guttata, was discovered. The yellow flowers, measure

about an inch across, with maroon spots at the centre. We also had

our first lesson in Salvias or Sages, with good specimens of Salvia

fruticosa, named after the fruit- like galls that small wasps create on

the bush. This plant was growing out in the open Phrygana-type

habitat, interspersed with the cobalt blue flowers of the low growing

Bladder Senna

Anacamptis papilionacea x Orchis picta hybrid

Eastern Festoon

shrubby Lithodorum hispidula, and the occasional Pasture Goatsbeard, Tragopogon hybridus, the

genus meaning ‘chin of a billy goat’.

The area was also a good place for other butterflies too, especially Eastern Festoons, and Mike

managed to take a nice picture of a bright male. On the other side of the small road leading up,

Matt managed to uncover some Eastern Festoon ova laid on the butterfly’s hostplant, Pipevine,

Aristolchia guichardii. Also seen were Aegean Meadow Brown and Scarce Swallowtail. In the

distance, we could again hear Ravens calling and back at the roadside and before we set off, Denise

and Fiona discovered Ophrys attaviri and Ophrys omegaifera.

Our next stop was a small but impressive gorge and here we

were able to locate a few Oprhys sicula, with their lovely

yellow flowers. Growing right on the roadside, Large Venus’

Looking Glass Legousia pentagonia, caught our eyes, and at

the gorge itself, we were treated to a good showing of

Campanula hagiela an endemic to the southeast Aegean,

growing out of rock faces with its harebell-shaped flowers.

Other flowers at the gorge included Star of Bethlehem

Ornithogalum brachystulum, Centaurea lactucifolia, an

endemic whose immature flowers are often eaten by humans

and goats, Achillea cretica or Chamomile-leaved Lavender

Cotton, and Anthemis chia, the Chios Chamomile.

Our lunch beckoned and so we moved on to eat in Monolithos village. Whilst eating a healthy lunch

of pork and chicken, and Aubergine salad, washed down with a good helping of souma, wine and

beer, we were able to relax and take in some of the birds.

These included Alpine Swifts, Sardinian Warbler and a

pair of Little Owls. With lunch over, we said our goodbyes

and set off for a nearby spot overlooking the castle from

which the village got its name. We were hoping to catch

sight of Eleonora’s Falcon but alas, it was not to be.

However, we investigated the land behind us and Andy

discovered an incredibly bright metallic green beetle and

Julian found some Cytinus hypocistis ssp. hypocystis

parasitic plants.

On our way back via Akramitis, we stopped at an old

religious settlement with relics of old farm workers living quarters/huts below the monastery. Here,

we could hear Turtle Doves purring, and found another Ophrys rhodia, and a Navelwort ssp. possibly

Umbilicus horizontalis, growing from the rocks. One of the best finds here was Moraea sisyrinchium

or Barbary Nut Iris with beautiful purple flowers. Here Andy noted Tree Frogs calling, Oertzen’s Rock

Lizards and Balkan Green Lizards.

Eastern Festoon

Centaurea lactucifolia

Day 4: Tuesday 23rd April

We made our first stop of the day at the archaeological ruins of Ancient Kamiros on the west coast.

By the time we arrived, the sun was already belting down, and the temperatures soaring. Quite a

shock after the previous day’s cool air at higher altitudes. But we wanted sunshine and flowers and

we were not at all disappointed. We also wanted reptiles and were pleased to find more Starred

Agamas scuttling over the ruins. Our first noteworthy flower was the brilliant Onobrychis gracilis,

which is a Sainfoin with small pink

snapdragon-like flowers. This is a plant

which grows in profusion in some areas

and adds a real splash of colour and form

and is used by many butterflies. Growing in

amongst the sward, we found, Campanula

rhodensis or Rhodian Bellflower which is an

endemic and the only Bellflower which is

annual. Another pretty plant which we

were to see quite a lot of was Tasselled

Hyacinth. On the slopes we also discovered

Weld, Straw Plant, Scarlet Pimpernel

Anagallis arvensis along with Anagallis

arvensis var. coerulea (the blue form)

growing alongside, a small lilac flowered

papaver, Papaver setigerum known as the

Dwarf Breadseed Poppy, and Orchis sancta

or Holy Orchid.

A number of birds frequented the site, in spite of an ever increasing number of visitors and we

spotted Sardinian Warbler, Middle East Jay, (ssp. atricapillus) and at the top overlooking the ruins,

Crested Lark, and Black eared Wheatear.

Butterflies at the site included Green Underside Blue,

Long-tailed Blue, Aegean Meadow Brown, an egg laying

Eastern Dappled White, Clouded Yellow, Red Admiral,

Large Wall Brown, Large White, and a European

Swallowtail in a glade, which some of us did our best to

photograph.

The next part of the day involved a bit of a walk at sea

level. Here, butterflies provided good interest, with

Powdered Brimstone, an egg-laying Mallow Skipper, Red

Admiral, Painted Lady, Common Blue, Long tailed Blue,

Eastern Festoon, the Helice form of Clouded Yellow and

about 12 nominate forms of the latter.

Swallowtail

Large Wall Brown

When we reached our lunch spot, we were all feeling quite hungry, and tucked greedily into an array

of tasty homemade Greek cheese pies, spinach pies and Easter biscuits. After lunch we had an

upwards climb over and through some more hilly parts of the countryside.

Moving off along the valley floor, Eastern Festoons

were plentiful, gracefully but purposefully gliding,

along with Large White, Common Blue, Small

Copper and Green Underside Blue. And from the

stream below, a Cetti’s Warbler burst into song. It

wasn’t long before Andy turned up a juvenile Large

Whip Snake, and 3 Caspian Terrapins. Nearby,

Denise spotted our first Pyramidal Orchid

Anacamptis pyramidalis of the holiday. Butterflies

were ever present along the lower reaches of the

route, with Cleopatra, Powdered Brimstone, Small Copper and Green Hairstreak all showing. At the

summit of our climb, several orchids were found, including Ophrys polyxo, Ophrys helia /saliarisi,

(under an old Cypress tree) together with Ophrys mammosa, and Ophrys sicula, and on our descent,

we took a shortcut to check out a couple of new areas. In a small meadow, Julian caught sight of a

large perhaps 2.5 ft long Black snake, probably Large Whip Snake. The meadow was full of orchids

including O.sancta and O.polyxo and two Broomrapes with yellow and pink/white coloured flowers,

Yellow Bartsia, Bartsia trixago and Mediterranean Linseed, Bellardia trixago. A lower meadow was

alive with Balkan Green Lizards scurrying about and a lone Common Blue butterfly. As we neared the

bottom of the descent, Turtle Doves were purring, Chukka partridges ‘chucking’, and as the sounds

of Cetti’s, and Reed Warbler called, we found ourselves back where we had started and Andy had

added 3 Snake eyed Skinks to the list of different reptile’s seen.

Day 5 Wed 24th April

We began our day with a pleasant drive into forested central Rhodes,

in the direction of the island’s third highest peak, Profitis Ilias. Our

first stop was at the very old small church at Fountoukli, lying at

about 500m above sea level. As soon as we disembarked from the

vehicle Andy alerted the group to a dashing male Cleopatra, its

orange upper wing flushes clearly visible. The beautiful site under

gnarled ancient

Planes and Olive

trees is a magical

place for butterflies, providing both shade and sun.

Here on a small slope, we found several Eastern

Festoons and a Painted Lady. An apple tree in full

blossom proved to be a nectar magnet, being

adorned with at least 7 nectaring Scarce

Swallowtails. For a while our local guide forgot that

he was a botanist, and spent a good deal of time

enjoying and photographing these stunning insects

on the milky blossoms against the bright blue sky.

Dahl’s Whip Snake

Scarce Swallowtail

Eventually we left Fountoukli and began a walk through some of countryside on the slopes of Profitis

Ilias towards Salakos village. As we moved off we were greeted with Common Blues showing a keen

interest in the low growing legumes

such as securigera securidaca, a plant

which looks a little like Birdsfoot Trefoil,

and an Eastern Dappled White was seen

ovipositing, its bright yellow underside

hind wings suggesting it was from the

much brighter second brood. Giorgos

found a detached wing of Saturnia pyri-

a large Saturnid but alas we didn’t see

the live moth. We also found Large Wall

Brown butterflies and the pale female

form of Colias crocea.var helice, also

laying eggs on a low growing yellow

flowered legume. The delightful parasitic plant Cytinus hipocystis var. ruber which parasitizes Cistus

plants was also found alongside the track, together with two vetches Vicia angustifolia, and Vicia

villosa. Small Coppers made an appearance and later on, nearing our destination, Mike homed in on

Spialia Orbifer the Red -orbed Underwing Skipper or Hungarian Skipper. He also discovered

footprints of Beech Marten as we neared a little stream. One of our target species, Odalisque

Damselfly, was found there, a stunning blue male. Further on we had our second sighting of the

orchid Ophrys attaviria. The soils in the area arising from the ultramafic geology contain large

quantities of silicon, iron and magnesium and are diverse in their characteristic flora. One such

species is the very beautiful Catchfly,

Silene salamandra whose bright pink

flowers made a dazzling display against

the red/brown soils. Rhodian Sandwort

with its tiny flower is another speciality of

the soils here. Giorgos pointed out a large

variety of Autumn Crocus, Colchicum

macrophylum which was showing only

leaves now. These were huge, some over

a foot long and it is indeed one of the

largest of family. A little further on, and

our guide showed us another species,

Colchicum balansae which has white

flowers in autumn. Many plants have their place in Greek Mythology and so it was that when Adonis

the handsome youth loved by the goddess Aphrodite, was slain by a wild boar, the goddess created

the red anemone flower from his blood. We saw these flowers, Anemone coronaria, on our walk,

varying in colour from red to violet, along with Campanula rhodensis, and Purple Viper’s Bugloss

Echium plantagineum, Venus’ looking Glass and an Arum spp. Chiospilitis. While passing through a

small farmstead where pigs wallowed in a muddy hollow, Andy was busy turning over stones and

rocks again and found Worm Snake, 2 Snake eyed Lizard, Balkan Green Lizards, Green Toads and one

Osprey

Odalisque

of the best finds of the day - a stunning Levant

Skink (also known as Golden Skink) Trachylepis

aurata. In Greece these robust Skinks are

restricted to just Rhodes and 3 other islands in

the eastern Aegean region.

After a long day in the field we decided our

final stop had to be for a refreshing drink, so

we drove up through the Cypress lined road to

one of the highest points of Profitis Ilias and

visited the hotel built by the Italians during

their occupation of the island. Here, during

one final brief excursion in the forest we also found more Barbary Nut iris Moraea sisyrinchium,

Crown Anemone, and Rhodes Cyclamen. Birds seen or heard included Kestrel, Scops Owl and Crag

Martin.

Day 6: Thursday 25th April

We made an early start to the day,

skipping breakfast and leaving the hotel

at 7am in order to be up with the lark,

and headed for the River Gadouras and

some good birding and wildlife watching.

On the fields surrounding the river,

Crested Larks were numerous, singing

from nearly every available song post. In

a freshly harvested field, a female Marsh

Harrier was seen by all and when we got

out of the vehicle, Andy discovered an

Ocellated Skink, Green toads, Turkish

Gecko, Balkan Green Lizards, 3 Snake

eyed Lizards and yet more Agamas. Once set up with scopes by the river, we were treated to a good

number of birds, including views of Osprey flying over, Little Ringed Plover, Wood Sandpipers, Little

Stints, Glossy Ibis, Little Egret, Squacco Heron, Reed Warbler, Red throated Pipit, Greenfinch, half a

dozen Bee eaters, Whinchat (seen by Mike and Fiona) Black Headed Wagtail (Mike and Fiona again),

Purple Heron, Sardinian Warbler, House Martin, Swift,

Swallow, Spanish Sparrow and Yellow Legged Gull.

After a good look at the beautiful Long-haired Pink,

Dianthus crinitus ssp. crinitus growing on the stones

just above the beach we moved down to a little pool

right where the river meets the sea. We saw the

following odonates: Black tailed Skimmer, Violet

Dropwing (Matt only), Lesser Emperor, Emperor, Red-

veined Darter and Broad Scarlet. The heat of the sun

was by now beckoning some of us to go for a paddle in

the Aegean. The water here is very clear and at this

Levant Skink

Lesser Kestrel

Colossus Orchid

time of year still cool but refreshing.

We then headed back up the dusty track through Olive groves. Here under the trees, the Colossus

Orchid Ophrys colossaea was seen in good numbers, along with Serapias bergonii, Orchis sancta,

Ophrys rhodea, Anacamptis pyramidalis, despite quite a lot of ploughing under the trees. We also

saw Campanula rhodensis, and Field Gladiolus. Butterflies were ever present and here again we saw

Bath White, Swallowtail, Green Underside Blue, Aegean Meadow Brown, Eastern Dappled White

(egg laying), Helice Clouded Yellow and Small Copper.

Next we headed for Lindos Acropolis to seek out more birds. Moving through the tourist shopping

centre at the bottom, we saw a Swallow perched not 5 feet above our heads. At the Acropolis itself,

we were fortunate to be able to watch 3 different species of Swift flying together: Pallid, Common

and Alpine. It’s hard to appreciate in books just how superbly adapted these birds are to their

environment but at Lindos these bird fly all around you, diving and swooping at breakneck speed,

twisting and turning as they catch flying insects. The stars of the show at Lindos Acropolis however,

have to be the Lesser Kestrels. The maximum seen at any one time on the wing was 5 but certainly

the colony holds many more birds. Against the turquoise and sapphire sea, these birds with their

brick red backs put on a dazzling spectacle for all who care to watch. Matt and Julian went off in

search of Blue Rock Thrush and heard it singing, only to return to the rest of the group who had

been watching one immediately below for about 10 minutes. The rocks here also hold what appear

to be genuine Rock Doves, not the feral pigeons, since they are all of a type. Butterflies noted

included Pigmy Skipper, Scarce Swallowtail,

and a pairing of Large Whites.

After a long hot day we took cold drinks

and headed up into the hills behind the

river, stopping at a small monastery to rest

and contemplate the day. As always

wildlife was still to be seen and we

recorded Epaulet Skimmer and the

southern form of the Keeled Skimmer

ssp.anceps. The latter can cause confusion

(especially at the wrong end of a hot day)

Clouded Yellow ‘Helice’ Campanula rhodensis

Keeled Skimmer southern form

as the male is almost entirely blue, like the Southern Skimmer. However, it lacks the pale blue face

and is a less stocky species.

Day 7: Friday 26th April

Our first stop of our last full day was at Rodini Park, known as one of the first ever landscaped parks

in the world. At a large pond, we were able to see Hoopoe and Squacco Heron. Matt had hoped to

show the group some Violet Dropwings, as

everyone else missed it the previous day,

however on this occasion it was not to be. Some

good Odonates were seen though; Emperor and

Lesser Emperor Dragonfly, Scarlet Darter, White

legged Damselfly, Eastern Spectre and Keeled

Skimmer. Butterflies of note were Large Wall

Brown, Red Admiral, Clouded Yellow and Green

Underside Blue. Andy, true to form, also found

some herps - Oertzen’s Rock Lizards and Green

Toads.

We moved on to one of the sources of the Gadouras River. Under the forest canopy of Pines and

Cypresses, we were able to see the atypical pink form of the Violet Birds Nest Orchid Limodorum

abortivum, var rubrum (found only on Rhodes) , together with the nominate form. There was still a

good number of Green Hairstreak flitting and

crawling all over Genistas, probably laying their

eggs. A stone’s throw away at the river source,

some of us managed to see Banded Demoiselle,

both males and females, the males dancing and

probably fighting to establish sunlit territories in

amongst the overhanging Plane trees. It was also a

good spot too for another endemic, the Gizani fish

(the only native freshwater fish on the island)

which we were all able to see and Karpathos

Water Frogs Pelophylax cerigensis (possibly an

endemic subspecies on Rhodes, to be confirmed!).

Our third stop was at Gadouras Lake. It was stiflingly hot, but some lakeside pines afforded us a little

cool shade. As soon as we were out of the car, a solitary Marsh Harrier female glided over the trees

and then turned and headed back over the lake. From the lake itself, we heard the ever present

sound of Dabchicks whinnying and in the distance, a Woodlark sang. After lunch, we headed a little

further east along the lake. Here by a little chapel overlooking

the lake, we saw Purple Heron, Mallard, Coot, Eleonora’s

falcon, Pochards (a flyover of 3), Marsh Harrier, Bonelli’s Eagle

and Little Egret. Insects seen were Common Blue Damselflies in

cop, Clouded Yellow, Scarce Swallowtails x 10 and mating

Lesser Emperor Dragonflies. Andy had by now turned up more

Snake eyed Lizards and Karpathos Water Frogs.

Violet Bird’s Nest Orchid

Bonelli’s Eagle

On another section of the lake we finally had our first convincing views of Black-veined White

butterflies, about 3 or 4 of them, all males, looking for females. Mike also pointed to a Mallow

Skipper and a Red orbed Underwing Skipper. The view from the road down to the lake is a good

lookout for birds, and hundreds of coots together with a smattering of Little Egrets and Herons,

including Squacco and Purple were seen. The excitement of finding Black-veined Whites was not to

be our last. A small commotion followed whereupon it was learned that Denise had seen the

endemic Fallow Deer, Dama dama.

Were we too late? It had vanished as

quickly as it had appeared, but

judging by the footprints at the shore,

the area is probably a good spot for

them. As we drove off in hope rather

than expectation, Matt stopped the

vehicle. There amongst the trees, a

Dama dama was looking right back at

us! We found a few more plants there

at the lake, including more Serapias

and the interesting purple flowered

Allium junceum.

With the long day drawing swiftly to a close we decided on one more stop for orchids. Here on the

road to Laerma, Giorgos was able to show us Jersey Orchid Orchis laxiflora, also known as Lax-

flowered Orchid, because of the loosely arranged flower spike, Ophrys polyxo, Ophrys sancta, the

Bumblebee Orchid or Ophrys bombylifera, and Serapias Bergonii. Finally, a solitary Devil’s Horse

Mantis appeared for our lenses, before the day was ended.

Eleanora’s Falcon

Lax-flowered Orchid

Devil’s Horse Mantis

Day 8: Saturday 27th April

Our final day left us a short time to explore the

Moat in the old town before catching our flights

back to the UK. The wonderful thing about the

moat is that it holds plenty of wildlife as it is left

uncut in places giving many species a chance to

survive there. Up high on the walls, some bright

reddish pink Antirrhinums were growing, adding

a real splash of colour against the blue sky. Andy

uncovered a stone revealing a large Black

Scorpion, possibly the Greek endemic Lurus

dufoureius dufoureius. Large Wall Browns

continued to show and on the path a Pigmy Skipper settled. A beautiful plant, Golden Henbane

Hyoscyamus aureus with its yellow flowers and deep purple centres is also quite common here

growing out of the thick stone walls.

Golden Henbane

Lurus dufoureius dufoureius

Species lists

Birds

Scientific Common Alectoris chukar Chukar Nycticorax nycticorax Black-crowned Night Heron Ardeola ralliodes Squacco Heron Egretta garzetta Little Egret Ardea cinerea Grey Heron Ardea purpurea Purple Heron Plegadis falcinellus Glossy Ibis Circus aeruginosus Marsh Harrier Circus pygargus Montagu’s Harrier Buteo buteo Common Buzzard Buteo rufinus Long-legged Buzzard Hieraaetus fasciatus Bonelli’s Eagle Pandion haliaetus Osprey Falco naumanni Lesser Kestrel Falco tinnunculus Common Kestrel Falco eleonorae Eleanora’s Falcon Falco peregrinus Peregrine Falcon Anas platyrhynchos Mallard Aythya ferina Pochard Gallinula chloropus Common Moorhen Fulica atra Eurasian Coot Charadrius dubius Little Ringed Plover Tringa glareola Wood Sandpiper Larus melanocephalus Mediterranean Gull Streptopelia turtur European Turtle Dove Cuculus canorus Common Cuckoo Otus scops European Scops Owl Athena noctua Little Owl Asio flammeus Short-eared Owl Apus melba Alpine Swift Apus apus Common Swift Apus pallidis Pallid Swift Merops apiaster European Bee-eater Coracias garrulus European Roller Galerida cristata Crested Lark Calandrella brachydactyla / rufescens Greater / Lesser Short-toed Lark Riparia riparia Sand Martin Ptyonoprogne rupestris Eurasian Crag Martin Hirundo rustica Barn Swallow Hirundo daurica Red-rumped Swallow Delichon urbicum House Martin Anthus campestris Tawny Pipit Anthus cervinus Red-throated Pipit Motacilla flava Yellow Wagtail Trogladytes trogladytes Wren

Saxicola rubetra Whinchat Oenanthe hispanica Black-eared Wheatear Cettia cetti Cetti’s Warbler Acrocephalus scirpaceus European Reed Warbler Sylvia melanocephala Sardinian Warbler Parus caeruleus Blue Tit Parus major Great Tit Lanius senator Woodchat Shrike Turdus merula Blackbird Garrulus glandarius Eurasian Jay Corvus cornix Hooded Crow Passer domesticus House Sparrow Passer hispaniolensis Spanish Sparrow Fringilla coelebs Chaffinch Carduelis chloris European Greenfinch Carduelis carduelis European Goldfinch Emberiza calandra Corn Bunting

Plants

Scientific Common Asphodelus aestivus Small-fruited Asphodel Asphodelus fistulosus Hollow-stemmed Asphodel Ornithogalum brachystylum Short-styled Star-of-Bethlehem Convolvulus dorycnium Rosmarinus officinalis Rosemary Thymus vulgaris Thyme Parentucellia latifolia Red bartsia Anchusa azurea Italian Bugloss Echium plantagineum Purple Viper’s- bugloss Echium angustifolium Narrow-leaved Bugloss Echium italicum ssp. biebersteinii Pale Bugloss Cynoglossum creticum Cretan Hound’s tongue Polygonum aviculare Common Knotgrass Cyclamen rhodium Rhodian Cyclamen Pinus brutia Turkish Pine Pinus halepensis Aleppo Pine

Cupressus sempervirens Italian Cypress Juniperus turbinata ssp. turbinata Juniperus oxycedrus Large-fruited Juniper Erica manipuliflora Autumn Heather Arbutus unedo Strawberry Tree Arbutus andrachne Eastern Strawberry Tree Styrax officinalis Snowdrop Bush Bellardia trixago Mediterranean Lineseed Collutea arborescens Bladder Senna Asphodelus aestivus Wild Asphodel Tuberaria guttata Spotted rockrose Salvia triloba Three-lobed Sage Salvia fruticosa Greek Sage Salvia viridis Annual Clary

Satureja thymbra Lithodorum hispidula Roman Hyssop Anagallis arvensis Scarlet Pimpernel Anagallis arvensis var. coerulea Blue-flowered Scarlet Pimpernel Cichorium intybus Chicory Tragopogon dubius Western Salsify tragopogon porrifolius Purple Salsify Tragopogon hybridus Pasture Goatsbeard Aristolchia guichardii Pipevine Aristolochia parviflora Small-flowered Dutchman's Pipe Nerium oleander Oleander Olea europaea Olive Tree Antirrhinum majus ssp. majus Snapdragon Knautia integrifolia ssp. urvillei Urville's Widowflower Helichrysum stoechas Helichrysum orientale Eastern Strawflower Phlomis cretica Cretan Phlomis Legousia speculum-veneris Venus’ Looking Glass Campanula hagiela Ornithogalum brachystulum Star of Bethlehem Centaurea lactucifolia Lettuce-leaved Star-thistle Achillea cretica Chamomile-leaved Lavender Cotton Anthemis chia Chios Chamomile Cistus creticus ssp. creticus Grey Rock-rose (pink flower) Cistus parviflorus Small-flowered Rock-rose Cistus salviifolius Sage-leaved Rock-rose Rumex crispus Curled Dock Rumex pulcher Fiddle Dock Lonicera etrusca Etruscan Honeysuckle Cytinus hypocistis ssp. hypocystis Yellow Cytinus Cytinus hypocistis ssp. clusii Red Cytinus Malva sylvestris Common Mallow Umbilicus horizontalis Horizontal navelwort Moraea sisyrinchium Barbary Nut Iris onobrychis ebenoides Onobrychis gracilis Sainfoin Onobrychis caput-galli Cock's-head Sainfoin Campanula rhodensis Rhodian Bellflower Reseda luteola Weld Hirschfeldia incana ssp. incana Hoary Mustard Sinapis alba White Mustard Matthiola longipetala ssp. pumilio Dwarf Night-scented Stock Smilax aspera Rough Bindweed Anagallis arvensis var. coerulea Papaver setigerum Dwarf Breadseed Poppy Papaver rhoeas ssp. rhoeas Common Poppy Parentucellia viscosa Yellow Bartsia Malus domestica Apple tree Quercus aucheri Aucher's Oak Quercus coccifera Kermes Oak Quercus infectoria ssp. veneris Dyer's Oak Quercus ithaburensis ssp. macrolepis

Quercus pubescens Downy Oak Cercis siliquastrum Judas Tree Eriobotrya japonica Loquat Acacia saligna Golden Wreath Wattle Ceratonia siliqua Carob / St. John's Bread Eucalyptus globulosus Southern Blue-gum Liquidambar orientalis Oriental Sweetgum Rhamnus alaternus Mediterranean Buckthorn Ficus carica Garden Fig Pistacia lentiscus Mastic Tree Parietaria judaica Pellitory-of-the-wall Securigera securidaca Goat Pea/Scorpion Vetch Securigera parviflora Small-flowered Crown-vetch Dracunculus vulgaris Dragon Arum Arum dioscuridis Arisarum vulgare Friar's Cowl Vicia angustifolia Common Vetch Vicia villosa Hairy vetch Vicia sativa Garden Vetch Vicia hybrida Hairy Yellow-vetch Lathyrus aphaca Yellow Vetchling Medicago disciformis Disk Medick Trifolium stellatum Starry Clover Anagyris foetida Stinking Bean Trefoil Sanguisorba magnolii Mediterranean Sheep's-burnet Silene slamandra Rhodian Catchfly Arenaria rhodia ssp. rhodia Rhodian Sandwort Colchicum macrophylum Autumn Crocus Colchicum balansae Asplenium ceterach Rusty-back Fern Selaginella denticulata Tooth-leaved clubmoss Anemone coronaria Crown Anemone Anemone blanda Balkan Anemone Geranium rotundifolium Round-leaved Crane's-bill Limonium aucheri Thyme-leaved Sea-lavender Platanus orientalis Oriental Plane Hypericum empetrifoliu Crowberry-leaved St.John's -wort Biarum tneuifolium ssp.zeleborii Narrow-leaved Biarum Colutea insularis Rhodian Bladder Senna Daucus carota Wild Carrot Astragalus echinatus Hedgehog Milkvetch Neatostema apulum Yellow Gromwell Alkanna tinctoria ssp. subleiocarpa Turkish Dyer's Alkanet Lamium moschatum ssp. moschatum Musk Dead-nettle Lamium moschatum ssp. moschatum Musk Dead-nettle Dianthus crinitus ssp. crinitus Long -haired Pink Euphorbia acanthothamnos Greek Spiny Spurge Paronychia argentea Silver Nailwort Paronychia macrosepala Large-flowered Nailwort Ecballium elaterium Squirting Cucumber Gladiolus italicus Field Gladiolus

Gladiolus anatolicus Silene behen Hairless Catchfly Oxalis pes-caprae Bermuda buttercup Atriplex portulacoides Sea-purslane Kali pontica Pontus Saltwort Linum strictum Stiff Flax Notobasis syriaca Syrian Thistle Paeonia clusii ssp. rhodia Rhodes Peony Vitis vinifera Common Grape Vine Ipomoea indica Morning-glory Mandragora autumnalis Autumn Mandrake Ferula communis Giant Fennel Allium junceum Red Serpentinite Leek Genista acanthoclada ssp. echinus Thorny Broom Hyoscyamus aureus Golden Henbane Gagea graeca Greek Star-of Bethlehem Allium neapolitanum Neapolitan Garlic Allium subhirsutum ssp. subhirsutum Hairy Garlic Muscari comosum Tassel Hyacinth Asparagus aphyllus Mediterranean Asparagus Ranunculus chius Chios Buttercup Reseda lutea Wild Mignonette Rubus sanctus Pallensis spinosa Spiny Golden Star Genista acanthoclada Ophrys rhodia Serapias parviflora Ophrys Mammosa Orchis fragrans Bug Orchid Orchis sancta Holy Orchid Ophrys reinholdii Ophrys candica Limodorum abortivum Violet Birds Nest Orchid Limodorum abortivum, var rubrum Violet Birds Nest Orchid Anacamptis papilionacea x Orchis picta Orchis intacta Anacamptis papilionacea ssp. heroic Anacamptis pyramidalis Pyramidal Orchid Ophrys attaviria Ophrys omegaifera Oprhys sicula Small Yellow Ophrys Ophrys polyxo Ophrys helia /saliarisi Ophrys colossaea Colossus Orchid Serapias bergonii Orchis laxiflora Jersey Orchid/Lax flowered Orchid Ophrys bombylifera Bumblebee Orchid Orobanche pubescens Downy Broomrape Phelipanche mutelii var. nana Dwarf Broomrape /Mutel's Broomrape Orobanche minor Common Broomrape Orobanche crenata Bean Broomrape

Butterflies

Scientific Common Pieris brassicae Large White Pieris rapae Small White Pontia edusa Eastern Bath White Aporia crataegi Black-veined White Euchloe ausonia Eastern Dappled White Colias crocea Clouded Yellow Colias croceus croceus f. helice Clouded yellow Helice Gonepteryx Cleopatra spp. fiori Cleopatra Papilio machaon European Swallowtail Iphiclides podalirius Scarce Swallowtail Allancastria cerisyi Eastern Festoon Vanessa cardui Painted Lady Vanessa atalanta Red Admiral Spialia orbifor Hungarian Skipper Gegenes pumilio Pigmy Skipper Carcharodus alceae Mallow Skipper Lasiommata maera Large Wall Brown Maniola telmessia Aegean Meadow Brown Lycaena phaelas Small Copper Lycaena thersamon Lesser Fiery Copper Polyommatus icarus Common Blue Celastrina argiolus Holly Blue Lampides boeticus Long-tailed Blue Glaucopsyche alexis Green Underside Blue Calophrys rubi Green Hairstreak

Dragonflies & Damselflies

Scientific Common Calopteryx splendens Banded Demoiselle Anax parthenope Lesser Emperor Anax imperator Emperor Trithemis annulata Violet Dropwing Crocothemis erythraea Broad Scarlet Onychogomphus forcipatus Small Pincertail Epallage fatime Odalisque Sympetrum fonscolombii Red-veined Darter Orthetrum coerulescens ssp. anceps Keeled Skimmer southern form Orthetrum chrysostigma Epaulet Skimmer Caliaeschna microstigma Eastern Spectre

Reptiles & Amphibians

Scientific Common Blanus strauchi Anatolian Worm Lizard Carphophis amoenus amoenus Worm Snake Platyceps najadum Dahl’s Whip Snake Coluber caspius Large Whip Snake Chalcides ocellatus Ocellated Skink Trachylepis aurata Levant Skink Ablepharus kitaibelii Snake-eyed Skink Anatololacerta oertzeni Oertzen’s Rock Lizard Lacerta trilineata Balkan Green Lizard Ophisops elegans Snake-eyed Lizard Laudakia stellio Starred Agama Hemidactylus turcicus Turkish Gecko Mauremys caspica Caspian Terrapin Hyla arborea European Tree Frog Pelophylax cerigensis Karpathos Water Frog Bufo viridis Green Toad

Other notable fauna

Scientific Common Empusa fasciata Devil’s Horse Praying Mantis Iurus dufoureius dufoureius Scorpion Dama dama Fallow Deer Martes foina Beech Marten (roadkills) Erinaceus europaeus Hedgehog (roadkills)

Photo Gallery

Violet Bird’s Nest Orchid

Asphodel

Alpine Swift

Barbary Nut Iris

Mallow Skipper

Male Broad Scarlet

Little Egret Female Broad Scarlet

Campanula hagiela

Ophrys omegaifera

Mount Attaviros

Fontoukli Profitis Ilias

Gadouras