March 2009

LOG-BOOK:

News about Greece is in blue

March 1^st:  the Long-eared Owl was 273 (-2), the Little Owl 202 (-4) and the Dark Barn Owl 280 (+1) gram. The Goshawk was 809 (+9), the Kestrel 195 (+1) and the red Sparrowhawk 258 (+4) gram. The Rock Dove was 249 (+2) and the Black-headed Gull 323 (+12) > so must have a bit a diet. Tortoises: the home-bred was 63 (+5) and the other 79 (-1) gram. The two Pigeons are doing fine. It’s sóó cold outside, that the bath of the Black-headed Gull was covered with quite a layer of ice !! And as well the fields are white, but not for harvest. And because tomorrow everything is closed due to “Clean Monday” (Carnival), today almost all meat (which was bought yesterday already and of which Ineke then had done already all the liver) was processed with the help of Douglas & Janice. This time 16,040 kilo for 98 Euro. Total now this year 141,815 kilo for 891,59 Euro. The out-door Tom-cat “Earl Grey” came back this afternoon with from the right rear-leg the most left toe complete “stripped” > the skin-flap is hanging next to it, but he isn’t sóó tame we can start treating on the spot. So first look and see what he is going to do himself with the injury. After 12.30 p.m. arrived 5 people from the new Animal lovers-society. They were showed around and thereafter a lot of items were discussed and agreements were made (a.o. about the picking-up of animals for us). As well they brought with them, quite nice, 50 kilo of bird-food for us !! Only a pity we have no laying hens which are eating this food . . . !!

March 2^nd:  the Long-eared Owl was 273 (=) and the dark Barn Owl 283 (+3) gram. The Goshawk was 812 (+3), the Kestrel 196 (+1) and the red Sparrowhawk 258 (+2) gram. The Rock Dove was 254 (+5) gram. Tortoises: the home-bred was 67 (+4) and the other 83 (+4) gram. So today for the first time since ages all patients were (in the plus” !! The skin-flap on “Earl Grey’s” foot is hanging a lot at this moment > let’s try if we can do something today. We have promised keeping you informed about the “motherly joy” in the window-frame of the 2^nd floor of our house: today in an early sunshine both 4-days old babies were cleaning their fluffy feathers while mother was doing a little turn around.

We have tried getting the Dark Barn Owl a bit more active by transferring him for the morning-hours together with the Long-eared Owl to “The Keep”. However this worked out counterproductively (although they didn’t fight together), because at the midday-feeding-round they both refused to eat !! In the evening this was normal again. At 4.45 p.m. arrived the two new trainees Anne Diepenhorst and Dick Lock.

March 3^rd:  the Long-eared Owl was 275 (+2) but refused to eat this morning, and the Dark Barn Owl was 281 (-2) gram. The Goshawk was 806 (-6), the Kestrel 196 (=) and the red Sparrowhawk 259 (+1) gram. The Rock Dove was 254 (=) gram. Tortoises: the home-bred was 63 (-4) and the other 82 (-1) gram. Taking-out the doggies for the 2^nd time at 7.25 a.m., “Dévtros” had discovered on a spot he normally isn’t allowed to come, something on the ground which from a distance looked like a dead leaf. Showed to be a “Green Toad” > see over there. During the tour around both trainees had, we have discovered that in the hibernation-room for the tortoises one wasn’t alive anymore: showed to have been 06-218; the only Marginated Tortoise ever produced by disabled parents in the L.W.H. Was dead already for a longer time and was “flattened” a bit by the own mother !!

Park attack

Three residents of Kypseli, central Athens, were injured early on Saturday after being attacked by a group of unidentified assailants. The residents, who had been guarding the site of a local park, slated for the construction of a car park, blamed the attack on “para-state criminals.”

Jail a ‘hotbed of criminal activity’

Korydallos Prison, ostensibly Attica’s main high-security penitentiary, is actually a hotbed of criminal activity with a turnover of some 50 million euros per year, sources have told Kathimerini, noting that escapes from the jail by two notorious convicts in 2006 and last week as well as two abductions of prominent businessmen had been planned inside its walls.

The failure of jail authorities to segregate serial robber Vassilis Palaiokostas and convicted murderer Alket Rizai facilitated their escape last month. But similar security lapses at Korydallos, and in other jails, are believed to have facilitated the planning of other crimes, the sources said. For example the members of the group that devised and executed the abduction of senior Thessaloniki industrialist Giorgos Mylonas last June are believed to have done their planning by telephone between the jails of Korydallos, Trikala and Diavata.

The first escape from Korydallos jail by Palaiokostas and Rizai, in June 2006, was planned on the prison grounds, the same sources said. An April 2008 indictment lodged against 13 people implicated in the 2006 escape notes, “The first development in the chain of events that led to the escape was the acquaintance of Vassilis Stefanakos (charged with complicity) with Spyros Dravilas (charged as one of the two helicopter hijackers) which occurred inside Korydallos jail while the two men were inmates.”

The kidnapping of shipping tycoon Perikles Panagopoulos in January is believed to have been planned in jail too.

Criminal plans hatched inside Korydallos are believed to be generating millions of euros per year for the perpetrators. Together with drug dealing inside the jail, these activities are believed to be worth some 50 million euros. Turnover from the heroin trade alone is believed to be around 500.000 euros per year.

And it’s already time after time more nice over here; not only prison-guards are behaving “strangely”, but even “people’s best friends” seem to be not always “on the right track”:

Officer with laser held, others sued for abuse

An Athens policeman who allegedly sat in a parked car in central Exarchia early on Saturday and shone a laser light at riot police officers guarding the Culture Ministry offices faced a prosecutor over the weekend. Riot officers chased the policeman, who was not armed, and brought him in for questioning. He had been driving a car without license plates, police said without clarifying whether it was a police vehicle.

Meanwhile in Thessaloniki a 22-year-old man has sued the city’s central police department, alleging that he was beaten in detention by officers who arrested him early on Saturday. The 22-year-old was held on charges of insulting a police officer and resisting arrest. There were no details about the alleged assault.

Last month the government heralded the creation of a committee of psychiatrists to monitor police officers.

Most probably any comment on the written above is fully unnecessary > safety first indeed . . . . !!

March 4^th:  the Long-eared Owl was 269 (-6) and the Dark Barn Owl 279 (-2) gram. The Goshawk was 816 (+10), the Kestrel 201 (+5) and the red Sparrowhawk 265 (+6) gram. The Rock Dove was 259 (+5) gram. Tortoises: the home-bred was 63 (=) and the other 83 (+1) gram. Just after 10 a.m. the man arrived who had discovered our Goshawk September 4^th ’08, to see how his “foundling” was doing; he received a tour around as well. With both trainees we have made a short excursion to the early-christian Basilica, but as well to the rubbish-dump. The “ah’s” and “oh’s” about the environment could be heard all the way long !!

Report calls for bigger ports

Many ports in the Aegean and Ionian seas are potentially dangerous for passenger ships as they are too narrow for dockings, according to a report made public yesterday by the Masters and Mates Union of the Greek Merchant Marine.

In the report, experts note that many port basins are too narrow to adequately accommodate modern passenger ships. In addition, the piers of many island ports cannot accommodate more than one passenger ship at a time and even smaller vessels, such as speedboats, often encounter problems when trying to dock.

“We, as ship captains, believe that there have been many improvements carried out at ports but at a very slow pace,” the union’s president, Giorgos Vlachos, said, adding however that “there is room for a lot more improvement as long as the existing bureaucracy is curbed.” Vlachos noted that plans for the modernization of ports in the Aegean “should take into account the ship captains who use the ports every day.”

The report provides a detailed analysis of the shortcomings of each port. The central port of Patras, Greece’s main gateway to Western Europe, is described as “too small for the vessels that depend upon it.” Experts note that an upgrade in infrastructure is vital to ensure security. As for the popular holiday destination of Santorini, the union proposes the “relocation of the island’s main port” to ensure that cruise liners and passenger ships have ample space to dock, especially during the busy summer months. The main ports of Rafina, Rhodes, Kos and Igoumenitsa, in northwestern Greece, are among the others mentioned in the report as lacking adequate infrastructure.

Last summer, union officials blamed inadequate infrastructure at ports for a spate of ferry collisions in the Aegean. They said the inadequate coordination of crew members and human error were less of a problem than poor infrastructure.

Travel warning

FM reacts to attack on Greek tourists in resort of Ohrid

The Foreign Ministry yesterday warned Greeks to show “particular caution” when visiting the neighboring Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia following a violent attack on five busloads of Greek tourists in FYROM’s southeastern resort of Ohrid. “Greek citizens are encouraged... to be particularly cautious and prudent concerning their own safety and that of their property while staying or passing through [FYROM],” the ministry said in a statement. The attack resulted in serious damage to some of the coaches and minor injury to two of the tourists. “The sad incident in Ohrid merely shows that the pre-election rhetoric of [FYROM Prime Minister Nikola] Gruevski had an impact – we’re very sorry about that,” Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis said.

Strong quake

An undersea earthquake measuring 5 on the Richter scale occurred in the southeastern Aegean in the early hours of yesterday morning but no damage or injuries were reported. The epicenter of the quake was in the undersea area between the Dodecanese islands of Kos and Astypalaia, experts said. The quake occurred shortly after midnight.

Guard in clinic

A 23-year-old jail guard accused of opening fire at oncoming motorists on a country road in western Crete last Thursday, killing a 50-year-old man and seriously injuring a 45-year-old, was yesterday transferred to the psychiatric clinic of Korydallos Prison. The guard had been due to face an investigating magistrate today on charges of murder and attempted murder but the magistrate deemed that he was not in a fit state to do so.

Turkish violations

Two Turkish fighter jets flew at an altitude of 7,000 feet over the Fournoi island group yesterday and another eight violated Greek air space over Chios and Lesvos, defense sources said.

After the evening-feeding-round we have made with both trainees a quick trip to the salines, where as well Flamingo’s as the procedure could be seen.

March 5^th: since 4.57 a.m. there is for the whole of Greece an orange weather-alert valid due to expected thunderstorms, storms and rain !! The Long-eared Owl was 270 (+1) and the dark Barn Owl 279 (=) gram. The Goshawk was 827 (+11), the Kestrel 201 (=) and the red Sparrowhawk 266 (+1) gram. The Rock Dove was 261 (+2) gram. Tortoises: the home-bred was 68 (+5) and the other 87 (+4) gram. At 7.40 a.m. it already started raining (softly). At 8.15 a.m. arrived a stray Tom-Cat from Polichnítos, which evidently wasn’t quite (hum, not quite . . . .!!) content with what was waiting for him (our poor hands !!) > see further at TOM CAT. Next Wednesday we’re starting with the neutering of a whole “bunch” of stray cats from Parákoila of which in any case one should be already “a bit pregnant”. Thursday next week a school for special education from Kallonís is coming to visit us. 

Hospital doctors call off strikes

Hospital doctors yesterday decided to accept the provisions of a health bill voted through Parliament last week, calling off a series of rolling strikes that had paralyzed hospitals across the country.

Following a general assembly meeting, unionists representing the doctors voted to accept the bill with 15 votes for and 10 votes against, thus ending weeks of strike action.

Health Minister Dimitris Avramopoulos had last week sought to win over protesting state hospital doctors by offering them salary increases and the opportunity to join a fast-track process to become directors. Avramopoulos backtracked on a government about-face on a labor contract agreement and edged closer to the original pact that had satisfied doctors in December.

But Avramopoulos had other problems to deal with yesterday. Dozens of employees of the state’s mental healthcare unit demonstrated outside the premises of the Health Ministry in central Athens, with some even setting up tents, demanding the disbursement of seven months in back pay.

In the latest protest by disgruntled workers seeking withheld salaries, the employees of the state’s Psychargos program staged a peaceful demonstration.

Avramopoulos, who on Tuesday night announced the release of 15 million euros in emergency funding for the program, agreed to meet with the workers and reportedly promised them that a portion of their unpaid wages would be released immediately. He also pledged to provide written guarantees, and a time line for the payment of their remaining wages, by next Monday. A spokeswoman for the protesting workers, Angeliki Sylligardaki, told Kathimerini that the promises were encouraging but said workers would remain on standby. “We will reserve our comments until the Health Ministry’s commitments are turned into actions,” she said.

Rightists claim Ohrid attack

A nationalist organization in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) yesterday claimed responsibility for an attack on five busloads of Greek tourists in FYROM’s southeastern resort of Ohrid last weekend in a development that diplomats in Athens described as a vindication of Greek claims that Skopje’s nationalist rhetoric has paved the way for extreme behavior.

A group calling itself United Macedonia sent an e-mail to Ohrid television station TV-M, claiming responsibility for the attack, which damaged the coaches and injured one tourist. The group asserted that tourists from FYROM visiting Greece suffer harassment. In Athens, Foreign Ministry spokesman Giorgos Koumoutsakos defended the government’s decision to issue a travel advisory for Greeks traveling to FYROM, referring to many instances of “exceptionally high fines and even court cases” imposed on tourists for minor offenses.

Migrants rescued

Three got lost in mountains

Three would-be illegal immigrants from Albania were found unharmed yesterday in harsh mountain terrain in the prefecture of Florina, northwestern Greece, an announcement by the local fire service said. The trio had become lost in a forested area and used a mobile phone to call for help. The ensuing search was carried out in difficult conditions because of snowfall and poor visibility due to thick fog. A rescue team of border guards and firemen eventually found the three, who were taken to a hospital in Florina for precautionary reasons.

At 12.45 p.m. we were called from Eftaloú about a, “dumped” over there in November, hunting-dog which however, in spite of all the good care spent to him, was busy murdering the lambs and sheep in the neighborhood. The only solution herefor was and is putting him down, because when they have tasted blood in such a way, they’ll continue doing so. Lots of sedatives and the final injection were prepared here and given to the care-takers after five o’clock. In the private atmosphere over there the dog will end his life. Further not in the statistics. We received the following e-mail at 9.42 p.m.:

Bambi has passed-away quietly on my lap. It took some time, but she was quiet and I am convinced she has in the dogs-heaven quietness and peace. We have been talking outside the house, drank some ouzo, while Bambi had her head on my lap. It was better so for Bambi, for the little lambs and for me . . . And Black Jack at last can sleep in his kennel again, after the last nights Bambi had confiscated it again. I can breath a bit more free now . . . Thanks.

March 6^th:  at 4.10 a.m. we were treated to an absolutely sound- and rainless thunderstorm, which gave us immense flashes to see. Only some doggies lost their heads here through and wanted out for their sanitary stops, but that was in our opinion a bit too early > so the results were immense inside . . . . !! The Long-eared Owl was 270 (=) and the Dark Barn Owl 282 (+3) gram. The Goshawk was 819 (-8), the Kestrel 201 (=) and the red Sparrowhawk 264 (-2) gram. The Rock Dove was 265 (+4) gram. Tortoises: the home-bred was 68 (=) and the other 87 (=) gram. After having received a colored foot-ring the Rock Dove was transferred to the pigeon-cage in “The Keep” for flying-practices at 8 a.m.   

KORYDALLOS ESCAPE

Dendias accepts some blame

Justice Minister Nikos Dendias yesterday assumed the political responsibility for last month’s escape from Korydallos Prison by serial robber Vassilis Palaiokostas and convicted murderer Alket Rizai but said long-established problems within the penitentiary system were to blame for the breakout. “There are political responsibilities and they are mine,” Dendias said in response to a question submitted in Parliament by an MP from far-right LAOS. But Dendias highlighted “ailments in the system that need to be cured.”

From 1.46 p.m. there is no orange weather-alert anymore, but only a yellow. The Table-mount however is yet the whole afternoon “covered in hazes”. Around 5 p.m. some people from our former village came with their African Grey Parrot “Giórgos” for his yearly beak- & tallons-trimming. Further not in the statistics. At 5.15 p.m. we could again take a picture of both baby-pigeons in the window-frame.

In the evening we had to decide about the she-dog “Mítsi”: having already for some days a greenish black secretion from the vulva and now a quite tightened belly > so tomorrow she’ll have a surgery.

March 7^th:  it is heavy weather in such a way we don’t even have a satellite-connection !! Luckily we could “Mítsi” sober. She still has a blind pressure for relieving !! The Long-eared Owl was 272 (+2) and the Dark Barn Owl 277 (-5) gram. The Goshawk was 824 (+5), the Kestrel 201 (=) and the red Sparrowhawk 267 (+3) gram. Tortoises: the home-bred was 67 (-1) and the other 84 (-3) gram. The Rock Dove which was transferred to the pigeon-cage in “The Keep” yesterday has passed the first night over there without problems.  At 7.47 a.m. “Mítsi” received her injection > see further at DOG. And for whom are those body-guards a bigger threat: for a villain of for the Prime Minister ??

Another embarrassment for police

Meanwhile, in another embarrassment for police, an officer appointed to guard Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis reportedly shot himself in the thigh while driving home from duty on Thursday night. The officer’s firearm went off accidentally as he was loosening his belt, reports said. Fortunately he was close to a military hospital and was able to get swift treatment to stop the bleeding.

Rain and Saharan dust cause problems

A car makes its way along a flooded road in Thessaloniki yesterday. A heavy downpour in the northern city caused numerous problems for motorists but did not result in any serious damage. There was a sudden rainstorm in Athens too but the capital was mostly troubled by dust that had been blown toward Greece from the Sahara Desert by strong southerly winds. It is common for the dust to appear in Greece in March and April.

At 8.46 p.m. we were phoned by 2 female teachers from Ágra, who had discovered in the streets an injured bird. The bird was here at 8.55 p.m. > see further at YELLOW-LEGGED GULL.

March 8^th:  last night it was heavy weather and early this morning as well !! At 4.45 a.m. the Yellow-legged Gull was still with us !! “Mítsi” had a quiet night and is eating meanwhile again. The Long-eared Owl was 272 (=), the Little Owl 209 (+7) and the Dark Barn Owl 276 (-1) gram. The Goshawk was 821 (-3), the Kestrel 199 (-2) and the red Sparrowhawk 268 (+1) gram. The Black-headed Gull was 311 (-12) gram. Tortoises: the home-bred was 66 (-1) and the other 87 (+3) gram. The Yellow-legged Gull only was given some Ringers to drink. During the day he/she was only fed with a few very little pieces, which caused problems. Further there was only a sitting on folded legs. At 8.20 p.m. the bird was seen for the first time standing-up. Later this evening one loose incisor was removed from “Mitsi’s” mouth and two loose molars from “Skája’s” mouth.

March 9^th:  the Long-eared Owl was 272 (=) and the Dark Barn Owl 273 (-3) gram. The Goshawk was 823 (+2), the Kestrel 198 (-1) and the red Sparrowhawk 264 (-4) gram. Tortoises: the home-bred was 71 (+5) and the other 90 (+3) gram. We could feed the Yellow-legged Gull a bit more, but swallowing remains difficult. We have checked the pupil-reflexes of this bird: left side is a 100% normal again, but the right eye remains evidently behind !! Today again meat-cutting-day, and Ineke & Tjarda, with the help of Anne & Dick (for them the first time !!) have processed 16,305 kilo (price 100,20 Euro; total now this year 158,120 kilo for 991,79 Euro). The “own contribution” like pieces of fingers was luckily limited to a single cat-scratch from a thefty “RiSta” !!

Hospitals pay over odds

No action on 2006 report showing system of overcharging by some suppliers

Companies that supply the national health system with medicines and equipment, a market that is worth more than 3 billion euros per year, have been able to take advantage of indifference by officials to systematically overcharge the public sector for their goods, Sunday’s Kathimerini has learned.

A report compiled by civil service inspectors in 2006, which was submitted to then Health Minister Nikitas Kaklamanis and his successor Dimitris Avramopoulos, indicated that many of the state hospital suppliers had set up a system to show that they were purchasing goods at much higher prices than what they had actually paid for them.

A titanium screw, for instance, cost 18 euros in Cyprus, but was bought for 159 euros by Greek hospitals.

A stent, often used in coronary or vascular surgery, cost 620 euros in Cyprus, but 2,143 euros in Greece.

The process of overcharging involved working with companies in Cyprus that invoiced the Greek firms for drugs and medical equipment that they had already bought from abroad.

The inflated invoices meant that the goods cost the public sector in Greece four to six times more than they did in Cyprus.

The scam is thought to be behind the skyrocketing spending on medical supplies for public hospitals in recent years. In 2001, the budget for these products was 1.3 billion euros. By 2007, it had risen to 3.4 billion.

The bill has been footed by taxpayers and social security funds, which cover part or all of the costs of medicines and equipment for those who are insured with them.

The investigation was actually launched in 2004 after New Democracy came to power, but its findings do not appear to have been acted on since 2006.

However, armed with the findings of the report, the bosses of 12 hospitals joined together in 2006 to negotiate discounts with their suppliers and were able to reduce prices from 15 to 50%.

At 4.45 p.m. we have taken again some pictures of the baby-pigeons in our window-frame

Taking-out the doggies at 5 p.m. the first Common House Martins were spotted. The loosened skin-flap on the rear-leg of “Earl Grey” is completely disappeared and he is cleaning the injury well. In the evening it showed that the surgery-injury of “Mítsi” is leaking quite a lot > first only a bandage was given.

March 10^th:  “Mitsi’s” injury is leaking quite a lot > today we’ll start with a treatment with Dermisol-cream and with a kind of corset. The Long-eared Owl was 277 (+5) and the dark Barn Owl 269 (-4) gram. The Goshawk was 822 (-1), the Kestrel 205 (+7) and the red Sparrowhawk 267 (+3) gram. Tortoises: the home-bred was 73 (+2) and the other 94 (+4) gram. The Yellow-legged Gull showed having vomited a bit after the last feeding of yesterday-evening; so we started with only a little bit. We could give “Mítsi” an (only just fitting) corset which is covering some gauzes with Dermisol-cream.  

Emergency landing

An EasyJet flight from Thessaloniki to London had to make an emergency landing at Macedonia Airport just before 1 p.m. after striking a flock of birds on takeoff. The impact caused engine problems and the captain of flight 5093 decided to return immediately to the airport. None of the 139 passengers or the six crew members on board was injured.

March 11^th:  the Long-eared Owl was 274 (-3) and the Dark Barn Owl 273 (-4) gram. The Goshawk 818 (-4), the Kestrel 205 (=) and the red Sparrowhawk 267 (=) gram. Tortoises: the home-bred was 69 (-4) and the other 91 (-3) gram. The Yellow-legged Gull is the dame: is still swallowing difficultly. We’ll have to do “Mitsi’s” belly again today > she is “leaking like a watering-can”. At 7.45 a.m. arrived the first of the announced cats from Parákoila > see further at CAT. And after that one was “done” and a quick cigarette for building-off the stress, “Mítsi” was “flattened” for the 2^nd time. See as well here further at DOG.

The shark...

Fishermen off the coast of Vouliagmeni in southern Athens got a shock yesterday when a 7.5-meter basking shark got caught up in their nets. The shark, which is a filter feeder, was lifted by crane onto a trailer and taken to a fish farm in Keratsini where it was examined by a vet.

(The basking shark, Cetorhinus maximus, is the second largest living fish, after the whale shark. It is a cosmopolitan species — it is found in all the world's temperate oceans. It is a slow moving and generally harmless filter feeder)

We received a message that next Sunday a school from the main-land will come and visit us. The visit of the school for special education for tomorrow is dependent of the weather: is it raining they won’t come.

March 12^th:  and early this morning it was raining, so . . . . ?? The Long-eared Owl was 273 (-1) and refused to eat this morning again. The Dark Barn Owl was 273 (=), the Goshawk 816 (-2), the Kestrel 206 (+1) and the red Sparrowhawk 271 (+4) gram. Tortoises: the home-bred was 75 (+6) and the other 91 (=) gram. The Yellow-legged Gull is swallowing a bit better. “Mítsi” hasn’t eaten yet since yesterday . . . . !! At 8 a.m. “Mítsi” has eaten a bit little-owl-food. The belly-injury was dressed again: is still closed and isn’t leaking so much anymore. Because there is quite a thunderstorm, the school from Kallonís cancelled.

Heavy terms for fugitives

A Piraeus court yesterday handed down a series of heavy jail terms to serial robber Vassilis Palaoikostas and convicted murderer Alket Rizai who have been on the run since escaping from Korydallos Prison.

Palaoikostas and Rizai, who broke out of Korydallos the day before their trial had been due to begin, were sentenced in absentia for the 2006 jailbreak. Palaiokostas got a 34-year term for escaping from jail and hijacking a helicopter. Rizai got 34 years in jail for the same charges and two life sentences for a double murder in Peristeri, western Athens, in September 2006.

The court also handed a 29-year jail term to Vassilis Stefanakos for being an accomplice in the pair’s first helicopter breakout.

There has been no sign of Palaoikostas or Rizai since the February 22^nd escape.

After the owner had called about a Chinchilla, he brought this (for us new) pet over here > see at CHINCHILLA. And the whole day it had been raining . . . . . . . . .

March 13^th:  and for a wonder it was dry this morning !! The Long-eared Owl was 273 (=), the Dark Barn Owl 271 (-2), the Goshawk 817 (+1), the Kestrel 208 (+2) and the red Sparrowhawk 272 (+1) gram. Tortoises: the home-bred was 69 (-6) and the other 94 (+3) gram. The Yellow-legged Gull is swallowing better. Changing “Mitsi’s” bandage the injury showed to be almost dry and all stitches (the internal and the external) were still present !! The Yellow-legged Gull was taken for the first time in the bath outside; was reacting quite well and as well when some of the same kind were flying above his head in the air. But that was the only reaction that was given. It’s more and more difficult for our Dark Barn Owl (08-144; July 31^st ’08) mentioned above, finding and keeping his balance . . . .

Greek luck may be out over slot machine law

Greece could face yet another hefty fine from the European Court of Justice, this time for its law banning slot machines, it emerged yesterday.

The chief prosecutor of the Strasbourg-based court reportedly proposed that Greece be handed a 2-million-euro fine and an additional 32.000-euro daily penalty for legislation that forbids the operation of all kinds of slot machines.

The law against electronic gambling, drafted in 2002 when the previous PASOK government was in power, was originally aimed at the thousands of fruit machines that had sprung up in arcades across the country but was extended to cover all games in public areas, electronic or not, apart from those in licensed casinos. The law, which violates certain basic principles of EU legislation, including the free movement of goods and services, led to Greece being convicted by the European Court in October 2006.

At 1.26 p.m. at last the yellow weather-alert due to expected thunderstorms for our islands was lifted . . . !! At 5.10 p.m. all new pieces of working-clothes (4 coats, 6 shirts long sleeves, 6 shirts short sleeves), were decorated with (stitched by hand) emblems of the L.W.H. Now the whole “crew” can appear under all weather-circumstances decently dressed during excursions and so on. And as well because of the material it’s easy cleaning and dirt & bird-droppings aren’t seen immediately. We were called from Parákoila, that the neutered cat “Charlie” should leak from the injury > one will pass-by tomorrow.

March 14^th:  the Long-eared Owl was 269 (-4), the Dark Barn Owl 266 (-5), the Goshawk 819 (+2), the Kestrel 207 (-1) and the red Sparrowhawk 274 (+2) gram. Tortoises: the home-bred was 75 (+6) and the other 96 (+2) gram. The injury on “Mitsi’s” belly is dry, so we’re going trying without bandages. The cat “Charlie” was here at 8.20 a.m. > had been licking the belly with such an intensity, that the last of the subcutaneous stitches had loosened. Under a light total-anesthetic the whole injury was overstitched with 4 U-stitches.

Releases:

At the Mylopótamos-river were released at 9.47 a.m. the sub-adult male Kestrel (08-184; September 21^st ’08 shot in Eressoú), the red Sparrowhawk (08-207; November 27^th ’08 shot in Pérama) and the green Sparrowhawk (08-209; December 10^th ’08 shot at Kallonís). At 10.22 a.m. we have released at the Kremásti-bridge the Hooded Crow (-7-088; June 12^th ’07 as a nest-misfit). The release of two Jackdaws of last year didn’t succeed; showed hardly or not being capable of flying well.

Asian tiger mosquitoes arrive in the capital

An aggressive breed of mosquito, which can carry potentially deadly viruses, has been spotted in the capital, according to scientists who have pressed the government to take action to curb the spread of the insect.

The Asian tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus) – a native of Asia, Africa and South America that has yellow stripes on a black body – can carry West Nile virus and dengue fever, which can both provoke fatal illnesses. A team of experts from Athens’s Benakio Institute of Phytopathology and the Agricultural University of Athens have called for a “comprehensive approach to solving the mosquito problem in our country to avert serious public health issues.”

Though the Asian tiger mosquito was spotted in Thesprotia and Corfu in 2004, no action has been taken to eradicate it. It is thought the mosquitoes reached Greece via ferries arriving at the busy port of Igoumenitsa.

MILITARY ALERT

Greece keeps close watch on Turkish exercise in Aegean

Greek armed forces were on standby yesterday with the launch of a Turkish military exercise in the Aegean involving the participation of the USA, Britain, the Netherlands and Belgium. According to sources, Greek authorities fear that sections of the exercise constitute an attempt by Ankara to consolidate territorial claims in the Aegean. The fact that the four countries participating in the exercise have reportedly sent vessels, and not aircraft, is encouraging, sources say, as this would not facilitate possible attempts by Ankara to conduct violations of Greek air space. The exercise is scheduled to run until March 29.

March 15^th:  the Long-eared Owl was 269 (=), the Little Owl 215 (+4), the Dark Barn Owl 268 (+2) and the Goshawk 812 (-7) gram. The Black-headed Gull was 320 (+9) gram. Tortoises: the home-bred was 72 (-3) and the other 101 (+5) gram. The Yellow-legged Gull has for the first time since the intake taken an extended bath and thereafter toilet was made in the (still empty) tortoise-pen, while the out-door Tom-cat “Earl grey” was watching all this with interest from the edge of the pen !!

Release:

At 10.26 a.m. we have released from the hills above the Mylopótamos-river the Long-legged Buzzard (08-116; June 30^th from Katsínia [Pérama]), which was flying away majestically.

And returning from this we almost had a crash with the coach with students, who should come and visit us. And there were 30 students and 3 teachers from Alexandría, plus our beyond praise member of the board Micháil Kapiotás. In the morning (due to all hectic situations forgotten how late exactly) we received a phone-call that the cat “Charlie” is absolutely not doing like it should be > will be brought around 5 p.m. for intake. After the siesta we could take again a picture of our baby-pigeons in the window-frame.

“Charlie” was here at 5.03 p.m. > injury was leaking a bit, but during the trying giving her a compress, she reacted so sharp that our team of 4 now only has three good left hands . . . . !! At last we succeeded and she received a corset as well. Hereafter was started injecting her antibiotics.

March 16^th:  without problems from “Charlie’s” side her antibiotics could be injected this morning !! The Long-eared Owl was 269 (=), the Dark Barn Owl 264 (+4) and the Goshawk was 806 (-6) gram. Tortoises: the home-bred was 78 (+6) and the other 100 (-1) gram. We started with feeding “Charlie” a mixture of broth and dextrose to prevent her from becoming dried-up. Today meat had to be processed again: 16,180 kilo (for 103.25 Euro. Total this year now 174,300 kilo for 1095,04 Euro), which was done by Dick & Anne and Tjarda & Ineke. We received the message from the R.S.P.C.A. in England that our association with them is prolonged for another 5 years !!

Illegal dumps disappearing

Some 400 illegal landfills still operating in different parts of the country will have been shut down by summer, Deputy Interior Minister Thanassis Nakos said on Saturday after opening a six-million euro waste processing facility near Trikala, central Greece.

Nakos, who has been entrusted with clearing up makeshift dumps littering the provinces, said the government was ahead of schedule, but stressed that it needed the cooperation of municipal authorities to get the job done. “The local administration here has excelled, unlike in other regions where authorities remain inactive, to the detriment of the environment and the health of locals,” Nakos said. Trikala’s new sanitary landfill has been designed to serve all of Thessaly, the minister said, noting that 88 illegal dumps in the greater area had been shut.

According to figures released by a ministerial committee, 2,108 dumps were operating illegally last summer. Authorities say there are some 400 left, though some environmental groups have expressed doubts about the accuracy of this figure.

Who pays the ferry-man  . . . .

One dead, many hurt in Cretan family feud

Police on Crete yesterday detained eight members of two rival families after a heated dispute led to the fatal shooting of a 25-year-old man and the injury of several other people.

The trouble started on Saturday afternoon when the 25-year-old and a relative were burning branches in a field near Kissamos in the Chania prefecture. Members of the other family objected to the fire, prompting an argument, which culminated in the 25-year-old being shot dead. According to police, a brawl ensued, resulting in one woman receiving serious head injuries and others suffering minor injuries. Later the same day at the hospital, tensions escalated into another brawl, resulting in more injuries as knives were drawn.

Police said the two families have a history of antagonism, noting that a vendetta in the early 1990s resulted in deaths on both sides.

And again a “miss” by the police:

Officer suspended

A senior police officer who shot a 59-year-old cafe owner in Thiseion, Athens, following a dispute while off duty on Friday afternoon has been suspended, police said on Saturday. The cafe owner, who was shot in the lung, is in intensive care after undergoing several hours of surgery. According to sources, the officer had only just been reissued with his service weapon after having undergone therapy for psychological problems.

And so it rakes almost 20 years before . . . . still no decision is made !! So hurray for the civil-initiative:

Plant flowers and shrubs . . .

Residents of all ages took advantage of yesterday’s good weather to plant flowers and shrubs on the site of an old parking lot in their neighborhood in Exarchia, central Athens. The site belongs to the Technical Chamber of Greece (TEE), which in the early 1990s had asked City Hall for the go-ahead to transform the area into a park. Nearly 20 years later, citizens have taken it upon themselves to create a patch of green on the abandoned site. Two weeks ago, some 500 locals got to work, using drills to break up the site’s concrete floor and covering the area with earth. Apart from Strefi Hill, the site is Exarchia’s only green space.

At 3.03 p.m. a phone-call from the shelter in Skála Eressoú that they had an emergency: after a Vet from England hat neutered lots of stray cats, in one of those all the external stitches were “gone” > if they could pass-by. Of course a positive reaction was given. And this poor one was here at 4.35 p.m. > see further at CAT. One of the two bearers never had been here before, so she was showed-around. The cat “Charlie” is reacting fine on the broth/dextrose-mixture and even has swallowed some small pieces of soft food !!

March 17^th:  the Long-eared Owl was 269 (=), the Dark Barn Owl 267 (+3) and the Goshawk 807 (+1) gram. Tortoises: the home-bred was 76 (-2) and the other one 98 (-2) gram. Till now on “Charlie” is doing quite well; today we’ll give it a very careful try checking the injury . . . . ?!?! And so it happened (without the help of other persons) indeed very carefully (the left hand is still not functioning like it should do !!): the cat seems, like in the past with almost all cats from Parákoila, being allergic for the used Vicryl-stitches. So we started now with trying with Dermisol-cream getting the injury more clean to stitch again in a later stadium the skin with Linen-stitches. Thanks to the arrival of both her care-takers (who came to take both trainees for a day-off) “Charlie” has eaten for the first time (and good): bacon & cheese ! As well it showed that she is only eating when other cats are eating on the same moment and place (she is used so !) > was eating together with “Big Boy” from the same bowl !! This morning for the 2^nd time we could see our one-winger Long-eared Owl (08-028) sitting on the roost in the day-aviary, which is a good two meters above ground-level !!

So after all a “thief” and his “mate” . . . . ??

Questions over officer’s past

The police officer who shot and wounded a cafe owner in Athens’s historical district of Plaka on Friday had just returned to duty after extended leave for psychological reasons and was being investigated in connection with financial fraud, it was revealed yesterday. The 48-year-old officer, who has not been named, is due to appear before a magistrate today, as his victim continues to recover from a non-life threatening injury. (by the way: he was shot in the lungs and underwent a surgery which took hours ?? > Note L.W.H.)

Sources said the policeman, who was in charge of the Kypseli police station, had been off duty since October when he asked to take a break because of psychological problems. He returned to the force on March 12, one day before he shot the cafe owner. The officer handed himself in several hours after the shooting. The police’s organized crime squad had also investigated the officer in connection with a case of fraud in Oropos, north of Athens. His victim was also probed as part of the same investigation.

Turkish exercise

Armed forces were on standby yesterday as a Turkish military exercise in the Aegean, involving US, British, Dutch and Belgian forces, got under way. According to sources, the plan of the exercise – code-named Egemon – presents the islands of the eastern Aegean as demilitarized and suggests that Ankara is responsible for search and rescue operations across half of the Aegean.

There came a phone-call from Kallonís (the school for special education), who had cancelled their appointment  a day or so ago due to the rain, that they want to come tomorrow. But the weather-forecast for tomorrow is as well “lousy”, so most probably there will be another cancellation.

March 18^th:  the Long-eared Owl was 268 (-1), the Dark Barn Owl 270 (+3) and the Goshawk 807 (=) gram. Tortoises: the home-bred was 78 (+2) and the other 100 (+2) gram. Last night “Charlie” has removed piece by piece the whole absorbent dressing from under the corset, in spite of it being fastened with a safety-pin to the corset !! Our disabled and blind he-dog “Máo” (07-197; October 2^nd ’07) produced this morning suddenly bloody paste-like droppings > we started at once with antibiotics, because in the past we have lost another (as well a vaccinated one) dog due to Typhus !! Very carefully we have given “Charlie” a bandage with Dermisol-cream; how long it will stay there ?? Both baby-pigeons in the window-frame were photographed again: more and more they are looking like real birds !!

And after all we received the children from the school for special education: 6 quite “heavy cases” and 7 escorts. One of those was evidently the granny of two of the children and one could see what “inbreeding” did !! Except from trying to kick a showed disabled doggie, trying to remove the eyes of a Dark Barn Owl and that skilled was tried  to turn-out the bill of a blind Black-headed Gull, it further went perfect . . . . !!

Kalamata quake

An earthquake measuring 4.2 on the Richter scale shook Kalamata in the Peloponnese just before 10 a.m. yesterday. The tremor did not cause any damage or injuries. The Athens Observatory said that the epicenter of the quake was 175 kilometers southwest of Athens but added that there was no cause for alarm.

Red tape holding up roof over Santorini site

More than three years after the roof over the ancient Akrotiri site on Santorini collapsed, killing a British tourist, the project to build a new structure appears to have completely stalled, prompting local officials to demand a meeting with a government minister to resolve the situation.

Cyclades Prefect Dimitris Bailas yesterday requested a meeting with Culture Minister Antonis Samaras to discuss the latest delay, which has arisen because a presidential decree forbids construction at the archaeological site and this means the new roof cannot be erected.

It appears that the government will have to pass an amendment suspending the effect of the law before the work on building a new roof can begin. The huge steel roof covering the remains of the ancient Minoan settlement collapsed in September 2005 as workers were watering soil laid over it. Six people were also injured in the accident.

Helicopter escape

Pilot, three guards face second trial after prosecutor’s appeal

A Piraeus prosecutor yesterday lodged an appeal against last month’s court ruling to acquit the pilot of a helicopter used in the escape from Korydallos Prison of two dangerous criminals and three guards who had faced charges of complicity. Only Nikos Karagiorgos, who had been in charge of Korydallos’ C Wing, received a suspended six-year sentence for negligence in connection with the escape of Vassilis Palaiokostas and Alket Rizai.

And the following, quite long article, is giving a better view about what’s living in Greece and what hardly is known in Western Europe:

Could mock battles turn ugly?

Greek and Turkish politicians worried by interceptions and simulated dogfights over air and sea borders

A pair of armed Mirage 2000-5s take off at Tanagra Air Force Base in Greece on January 20. Greece and Turkey remain at odds over air and sea boundaries and flight rules in the Aegean.

TANAGRA, Greece – Inside the bunkered briefing room, colored pins mark Greek and Turkish air force bases on a large map of the Aegean Sea. But outside, jets roar into the sky as Greek pilots intercept Turkish fighters in fiercely contested air space.

This air base is at the sharp end of a dispute burdened by wars, piles of international agreements and peace treaties, and unusual geography that has kept prospects of a solution between the two NATO allies remote. Greece and Turkey remain at odds over air-and-sea boundaries and flight rules in the Aegean. So in an area best known for its holiday beach resorts, armed warplanes routinely carry out interceptions and mock dogfights.

“This is what we do every day,” said 332 Squadron Commander Antonis Vassiliou, whose outfit uses French-built Mirage 2000 jets for interception missions out of Tanagra Air Force Base, 65 kilometers north of Athens.

“We intercept aircraft that violate flight rules,” Vassiliou said. “We keep a distance that allows us to physically see the plane, so that our opponent is aware he’s under surveillance. The aim is that he leaves the area as fast as possible.” He adds: “It’s our way of life... we remain prepared to address a situation that has built up over years and is likely to continue for many years.” That worries politicians.

Greek Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis warned recently that Greek-Turkish relations are effectively at a standstill, after a decade of steady improvement. The two countries came to the brink of war three times between 1974 and 1996 over the Aegean and war-divided Cyprus.

Greek officials say the number of violations has held constant at about 1,500 each year, but that Turkish pilots have adopted more aggressive patrolling tactics such as low-altitude flights over tiny populated islands. The increased aggression is troubling, Bakoyannis said in an interview with The Associated Press last month.

In recent years, there was some thaw in the hostile relations between the two countries. In 2002, Greek and Turkish diplomats launched exploratory talks on their disputes. Business deals have steadily increased and include a pipeline link that will be used to carry natural gas from the Caspian Sea to Western Europe.

But the Aegean remains a source of contention.

Greece, whose easternmost islands shave Turkey’s coastline, says there is no issue up for discussion except setting the limits for the continental shelf, allowing each country to mark out where it can exploit seabed oil and mineral deposits.

However, Turkey says Greece is hindering its access to international waters and air space in the Aegean.

Turkey maintains it is not carrying out any air space violations since it defines the area within Greece’s control differently from Greek authorities.

Athens claims an area that is equivalent to 10 nautical miles from land, but Ankara recognizes the area equivalent to only 6 nautical miles, and Turkish jets frequently fly through the remaining area of 4 nautical miles. Turkey also does not submit flight plans to Greek civil aviation authorities when flying over the Aegean.

Turkish officials also maintain that sovereignty has yet to be determined over many small uninhabited islands near its shores – a claim that outrages Greece.

Midair duels

These disagreements are fought out in the sky several times a day – often ending in white-knuckle midair duels, with each pilot trying to gain a position in which he could shoot down his opponent. Trophy dogfight videos have been posted on YouTube and other Internet video-sharing sites.

“Sometimes we just cross their path to see what (weapons) they’re carrying... or we’ll chase them or engage them,” said one veteran Greek pilot who asked not to be identified because members of Greece’s military are not authorized to talk to the media without permission.

Mock dogfights “only last a couple of minutes. There are good days and bad days. Nobody likes to lose in the air,” the pilot said. Neither do their governments, which have maintained high levels of military spending despite the post-Cold War slowdown across NATO.

According to NATO estimates, Greece has outspent its European allies for more than 20 years for its defense in relation to the size of its economy. It currently spends 2.8 % of GDP on defense, while Turkey pays 1.8 %, just above NATO’s European average. The United States spends about 4 % of GDP on defense.

Turkey, with a population of nearly 72 million, is roughly seven times larger and more populous than Greece. Its much larger military remains a source of insecurity for Greece.

But Turkey also wants to join the European Union, and quarrels with Greece could hurt its goal.

Greece is now a strong supporter of Turkish accession to the EU, dropping objections a decade ago in the hope of easing regional tension. But Greek analyst Sotiris Roussos said Greek politicians relied too heavily on expectations that support for Turkey’s bid would help calm disputes.

“Now cracks have appeared in this strategy,” said Roussos, an associate professor of international relations at the University of the Peloponnese, who noted that Turkey faces difficulties in meeting EU criteria. “Greece’s political elite now has nothing else to say. We have returned to the way of thinking that we had previously, matching orders for planes and tanks.” Turkish analyst Yucel Acer argued both governments fear appearing weak domestically over the Aegean, but the pressure is on Turkey to come up with a solution so that EU membership talks can go forward. He noted that in Turkey, public opinion always tends to think that the EU is backing Greece instead.

Acer said Turkish officials had considered the idea of a potential solution involving varied territorial water limits for Greece in the Aegean, possibly 12 miles (19 kilometers) for the mainland and smaller boundaries for eastern Aegean islands. But the suggestion was not well received in Greece.

“At the moment, conditions are not right on both sides for a compromise,” said Acer, an associate professor of international relations at Canakkale Onsekiz Mart University. “The [Turkish] government has to devise new proposals to Greece so that it is not too late to come up with a solution. And there should be more pressure from outside... The European Union has to care.”

At 11.30 a.m. a dog came for his annual vaccination, but the poor soul was soo frightened (and his mistress even more than he) that a towel over the head and a pair of extra hands were necessary to get the job done. Further not in the statistics. After the siesta we were able to remove the stitches from “Mítsi’s” belly > when the medication for stopping the milk-production is finished, it is: case closed.

March 19^th:  the cat “Charlie” has produced droppings last night for the first time, but as well removed the dressing again !! Since she is here, we haven’t seen anymore the out-door Tom-Cat “Big Boy”; he was sleeping in the cage where “Charlie” is staying now. The Long-eared Owl was 267 (-1), the Dark Barn Owl 271 (+1) and the Goshawk 804 (-3) gram. Tortoises: the home-bred was 77 (-1) and the other 102 (+2) gram. We have, under a light total anesthetic, removed the old problem-causing stitches and after some injury-toilet was done, the injury re-stitched with 7 Linen (0/0) stitches. At 10.20 a.m. again a phone-call from the Shelter in Skála Eressoú, that another time they had a neutered cat with problems > they’ll pass by in between 3.30 and 4 p.m.

Arrest points to jailbreak clues

Police are hoping that they may soon have more clues as to the whereabouts of escaped convicts Vassilis Palaiokostas and Alket Rizai after it was revealed yesterday that Dutch police have arrested a man convicted of helping the pair in their first helicopter escape from Korydallos Prison.

Panayiot Papa, a 33-year-old Albanian, was arrested during a random check in Amsterdam after local police saw that a European warrant had been issued for his arrest.

Papa was convicted a few days ago by an appeals court in Piraeus of helping hijack a helicopter in 2006, during which he held a gun to the pilot’s head and forced him to land in Korydallos jail, from where Palaiokostas and Rizai were picked up. The Albanian was linked to the escape after his fingerprints were found in the helicopter. The 33-year-old is not suspected of taking part in the carbon-copy escape last month. Officers showed photos of Papa to the pilot of the helicopter but he said he did not recognize him.

Debt-harried hospital supplier found hanged

A 52-year-old sales representative for a medical supplier in the Cretan port of Irakleion, found hanging in his office in the city center on Tuesday, is believed to have been driven to despair over massive debts owed to his firm by hospitals.

The father-of-one was found on Tuesday afternoon by his wife who became concerned after he had failed to come home and went to his office. She found him hanging from a noose fashioned out of a length of cable. Police found a suicide note but cited sources who claimed that the man’s debts were in excess of six million euros.

A colleague of the 52-year-old said many suppliers were in serious trouble due to the failure of state and private hospitals to pay for deliveries. “Many hospitals delay payments to such an extent that firms are obliged to apply to banks for loans to cover their debts,” he said.

Officer remanded

The police officer who shot and wounded a cafe owner in the busy Athens tourist district of Plaka last Friday was remanded in custody yesterday after testifying before an investigating magistrate. The 48-year-old officer, who has been suspended as head of the Kypseli police station, reportedly denied charges of attempted murder, claiming that he had fired his gun in the air as a warning and that the bullet had ricocheted. The officer had just returned to duty after extended leave for psychological reasons when he fired his gun in the cafe.

We have heard that our car, which had been to Mytiléne vice verse, on it’s way several times had the hail-stones ticking on the windows and that the whole inland is white from the fallen snow !! So quite logic we are cold over here !! We had te treat the beginning of “Bumble-foot” in the left foot of the Goshawk: the slimy content was removed and the injury cauterized.

The announced cat was here at 3.45 p.m. > see further at CAT. Both bearers had never visited the L.W.H. so they were showed around. Due to the cold-wave (some parts of Greece even have an orange weather-alert because it’s soo cold !!), the whole night the central-heating had been working, although not on full force.

March 20^th:  it’s bitter cold outside and the car was covered with thick ice !! The Long-eared Owl was 267 (=), the Dark Barn Owl 268 (-3) and the Goshawk 799 (-5) gram. Tortoises: the home-bred was 82 (+5) and the other 102 (=) gram. The cat “Charlie” is doing well and is eating and drinking good. As well the digestion is normal again. Changing the bandages it showed the injury is hardly leaking. We have discovered the Eleonora’s Falcon is having new tail-feathers as well !! And we were surprised by a wonderful example of the uncontrolled way of thinking by Greek people: at 8.54 a.m. the school from our own village phoned that they intended (suddenly ??) to visit us with a whole “bunch of kids”: if such could be arranged . . . .?? That we maybe have a complete other planning for this morning is something which isn’t appearing at all in their minds > they want, so thus it should be !! And a bit later arrived 27 children and two Misses: the 1^st and the 3^rd class of the primary school. We had lots of fun, could show many birds and animals and answered lots of questions. The most hilarity came when a mummified rat was hooked as an ear-ring at one of the ears of a Miss !! Hereafter we could enjoy our coffee in the sun outside > quite a difference with early this morning. The trainee “Dick” has discovered during a picture-shooting-session that the Yellow-legged Gull is 100% blind in the left eye.

A ministry for the environment

Souflias sees creation of separate portfolio in first half of 2010, merging of public works with transport

Environment and Public Works Minister Giorgos Souflias yesterday heralded the creation of a separate environment ministry during the first six months of next year, and proposed that public works be overseen by a new ministry.

Unveiling the government’s plans for environmental initiatives over the next three years, the minister said that next year would be “the right time” to set up an autonomous environment ministry – an idea first mooted in 2005 and discussed more seriously following the catastrophic forest fires of 2007. Souflias proposed that such a ministry cover forest protection and energy issues. He also suggested the abolition of the Transport Ministry as it exists today and its replacement by an infrastructure and transport ministry. It was unclear whether the idea is one that has the backing of other ministers including current Transport Minister Evripidis Stylianidis who was in the audience addressed by Souflias yesterday.

In his speech, Souflias also took the opportunity to rebuff widespread criticism regarding his environmental sensitivity. He claimed that the Asopos River in central Greece, which tests have shown to contain significant traces of hexavalent chromium, a potentially carcinogenic chemical, is now clean and that any pollution is restricted to underground water sources. Souflias asserted that Greece only has one river left with high levels of pollution, the Pineios in Thessaly, but claimed that this problem would be solved by means of a controversial project to divert the waters of the Acheloos River in western Greece to the heavily farmed plains of Thessaly.

In an unfortunately timed coincidence for Souflias and his attempts to promote his administration’s green credentials, the European Commission yesterday ordered Greece to appear before the European Court over its failure to meet EU standards of waste water management in eastern Attica. According to EU law, Greece should have set in place a basic wastewater management network in this area by the end of 2000.

Old exile island to be green energy model

The island of Ai Stratis (= Agios Evstrátios > part of our “province”) in the northeastern Aegean, best known as a place of exile in the past for thousands of Greece’s political dissidents, is set to become the country’s first island powered exclusively by green energy, Development Minister Kostis Chatzidakis said yesterday.

The island, which has some 250 permanent residents, was chosen for the project because of its “manageable” energy requirements of 1,500 megawatt-hours per year, Chatzidakis said. The 10-million-euro project, which will depend on solar, wind energy and biomass fuel production, and is due to begin next year follows similar initiatives in Australia, Denmark and Norway.

Mayors on the islands of Nisyros and Tílos have reportedly also expressed an interest in implementing similar projects to power their communities.

Killer’ remanded

A 26-year-old Cretan man, charged with shooting dead a 25-year-old member of a rival family in his native village of Kissamos in Chania prefecture on Saturday, was remanded in custody yesterday. The suspect allegedly claimed that the victim had opened fire first, prompting him to respond with the fatal shot. Police said the two families have a history of antagonism, noting that a vendetta in the early 1990s resulted in deaths on both sides.

Nikos Palaiokostas

Nikos Palaiokostas, the brother of serial robber and escaped convict Vassilis, was yesterday given a six-year jail sentence for a bank robbery in Karpenisi in 2001. The defendant, who is already serving time for other armed raids, is believed to have been involved in planning at least one of his brother’s two helicopter breakouts from Attica’s Korydallos Prison, the first in June 2006 and the second last month.

Crete quake

An undersea quake measuring 4.9 on the Richter scale shook the island of Crete shortly after 4 p.m. yesterday but no serious damage or injuries were reported. Seismologists said the epicenter of the quake was located off the island’s coast.

March 21^st:  and since last night our islands have an orange weather-alert as well !! The Long-eared Owl was 266 (-1), the Dark Barn Owl 267 (-1) and the Goshawk 806 (+7) gram. Tortoises: the home-bred was 79 (-3) and the other 105 (+3) gram. “Charlie” is doing quite well and is hardly leaking any more. But when we changed the bandage it showed that all stitches (Linen !!) had snapped; the injury however is clean !! So the further treatment will be the “conservative way” > should granulate on it’s own, assisted by some Dermisol-cream !! At 11.55 a.m. a phone-call from Tónia in Mória that a pigeon had flown into her court-yard, which was limping with one leg. Was now quietly in a big cage she had. She was told to observe, wait and see.

March 22^nd:  it really was heavy weather last night: immense flashes, heavy thunders and lots of rain. At 5.30 a.m. those conditions were even worsened by heaps of hail-stones !! The Long-eared Owl was 259 (-7), the Little Owl 217 (+2) and the Dark Barn Owl 269 (+2) gram. The Goshawk was 807 (+1) and the Black-headed Gull 335 (+15) gram. Tortoises: the home-bred was 78 (-1) and the other 107 (+2) gram. “Charlie” has used the opportunity last night again to remove the gauze with Dermisol-cream from under the corset, in spite of this being fastened with tape around the whole body !! And with a little help of two extra hands we could serve “madame” again with a new one > for how long ?? And while we were busy with the cleaning of all aviaries (every Sunday) we could see coming quickly from the west a huge bunch of ink-black clouds and a bit later the hail-stones were clattering painful around our ears !! At 8.47 a.m. we were phoned by the French “feeder” of cat number 3: the cat now has quite swollen udders, fever and is refusing to eat. She should pass-by with the cat. Let’s hope this won’t be caused by the (razor-sharp) edges of the wrong stitches which probably are now “monkeying” in between the intestines . . . . !! We received a female visitor from the Zoo in Amsterdam (wasn’t escaped from there !!), who supported us financially in a generous way !! At 11.40 the announced cat arrived > it showed indeed being the old stitches, used by the English vet, but as well a sterile infection of the lower two udders (mostly the left side > so the side from where the surgery was performed). Body-temperature was 39,2° Celsius. Antibiotics were prescribed and given. As well tablets to stop the milk-production. Showed and told was how to give fluid per os (and how to prepare this). We will be informed about the situation. Both our trainees had, after taking their food out of the fridge and preparing taking a bath, quite a heated discussion about what was first: the chicken or the egg. They now know: one of our out-door cats . . . . !! Ah, a piece of only bread can taste nice as well !!

March 23^rd:  the last night in any case was more quiet with regard to the weather-conditions. The Long-eared Owl was 262 (+3), the Dark Barn Owl 267 (-2) and the Goshawk 802 (-5) gram. Tortoises: the home-bred was 83 (+5) and the other 108 (+1) gram. “Charlie” has removed last night again the gauze with Dermisol-cream from under the corset !! At 5.20 a.m. we were able taking a photo-graph of both baby-pigeons in our window-frame.

“Charlie’s” injury is meanwhile soo small and soo clean, that she is allowed doing the further treatment herself. Today again “meat-cutting-day” and with (for the time being the last time for Tjarda) eight hands 16,165 kilo (price 109,26 Euro. Total now this year 190,465 kilo for 1204,30 Euro) was processed. And while we were busy diminishing the “personal donation” from one of the trainees till the minimum and stopping the bleeding, we were phoned from Polichnítos about a goatlet, with which a lot should be wrong. Erika will pass-by with it. And she was here at 11.20 a.m. Goatlet was one of a triplet, which was abandoned by the mother due to a lack of milk, and was fed by people. However, was staying in the neighborhood of her mother. Was bitten over there by a . . . . ?? Mother hadn’t intervened because her child was “smelling differently”. Injuries on both sides of the neck and throat had been treated only with anti-biotics-spray, “locking the cat inside the cellar”. Showed all symptoms of a “spotted fever” (cerebro-spinal meningitis). Because she had been treated already by some different vets with different kinds of antibiotics (but all in too low doses because no fitting diagnosis was made . . . . !!), now an (almost) overdose was prescribed and given in the hope this will work. As well exercises for the legs were shown to keep the muscles working. Further not in the statistics. Erika, who had not yet visited us on this location (but indeed on the old one) was showed around as well.

And when it’s not the neighbor who is doing it, one is doing it himself on Crete:

Deadly mistake

A 42-year-old man was killed in the village of Fre, near Chania on Crete, on Saturday when he attempted to use a rotary tool to cut a metal barrel in half. Police said that neighbors heard an explosion soon after the man began work. It appears that the barrel’s lid flew off and struck him on the head, killing him instantly. The lid was found some 100 meters away. The man was not named.

Snowfall over the weekend...

A resident of Livadi, near Thessaloniki, watches a worker clear away snow yesterday. Many parts of northern Greece saw snowfall over the weekend, but most problems for motorists were caused by heavy rainfall. Two men had to be rescued from a car in Thermi, near Thessaloniki, on Saturday after becoming trapped in the vehicle by a sudden torrent of water.

March 24^th:  the Long-eared Owl was 257 (-5), the Dark Barn Owl 270 (+3) and the Goshawk 813 (+11) gram. Tortoises: the home-bred was 80 (-3) and the other 109 (+1) gram. “Charlie’s” injury is almost closed now. Since this month 18^th “Big Boy” hasn’t been seen at all; not even from a far distance. So now we fear for the worst . . . . !! Because according to reports from Dick & Anne both baby-pigeons yesterday were walking up and down in the window-frame, and we have seen the same this morning, we quickly have taken a picture of both before both (literally) are “disappeared into the blue”. We have heard by phone that cat nr 3 is doing a lot better, but as well that the care-taker on her way back home had overrun (and killed) a dog which suddenly ran before her wheels, due to which she was very upset . . . . !! Both our gulls have spent the day outside in the (still empty) tortoise-pen and enjoyed the sunshine. But tomorrow this should happen in another pen, because we have decided then bringing back out of hibernation all tortoises.

March 25^th:  the Long-eared Owl was 257 (=), the Dark Barn Owl 267 (-3) and the Goshawk 804 (-9) gram. Tortoises: the home-bred was 85 (+5) and the other 111 (+2) gram. The belly of “Charlie” is looking great > can return back to Parákoila in a day or so. We have transferred the juvenile Pigeon (09-013; February 11^th ’09) to the pigeon-cage in “The Keep” for flying-practices. All tortoises, which still were in their hibernation-place (1 Mediterranean Tortoise [Testudo hermanni], 2 Marginated Tortoises [Testudo marginata] and 16 Spurr-tighed Tortoises [Testudo graeca ibera]) have survived and were brought in the open air for a radical cleaning, creaming the eyes with Vit-A and marking due to a possible release in a good week’s time. In any case 6 Spurr-tighed Tortoises can be released.

And after cleaning, checking for ticks ( > negative), creaming the eyes and drying we were able to mark 10 Spurr-tighed Tortoises for release. Most of those were “home-bred” from the past. Under the ones which stay behind is the female Spurr-tighed Tortoise (08-124), which was “plucked from the street” July 7^th ’08 in between Lámbou Mýloi and Keramiá and rescued from threatening traffic (see the Log-book at that date). At that time it was already known she was suffering from shell-rot, but we had hoped this should diminish

Today we started the treatment by grinding all “rotten spots” very carefully with dentist’s drills. This will take a day or so before we have a healthy shell again. We started teaching both trainees the “noble art” of stitching. At 4.32 p.m. we had to take back the Pigeon, we had transferred this morning to the pigeon-cage in “The Keep” > was hiding behind the water-basin and was quite severe picked on the head by other pigeons (due to his begging ?? Quite probably !!). In the evening the heavy weather started to be real, with immense flashes, deafening thunders, lots of rain and a power-cut for the street-lightning in the whole village > quite difficult when one has to take the doggies out . . . . !!

March 26^th:  rising in the pitch darkness, because still no working street-lightning !! After “Earl Grey” had been not like he used to be for a couple of days and even didn’t want to eat, he was this morning present again as usual and was eating again. The picked juvenile Pigeon had survived the night > however is hardly eating yet on his own. The Long-Eared Owl was 262 (+5), the Dark Barn Owl 273 (+6) and the Goshawk 803 (-1) gram. Tortoises: the home-bred was 83 (-2) and the other 114 (+3) gram. “Charlie” is doing better and better and is even playing with a ball. We could continue grinding the shell of the Spurr-tighed Tortoise > is ready now for more than half of it. However, she is loosing all her annual growth rings doing so, but the males don’t care for such an inanity. The as well Spurr-tighed Tortoise “Sophie” has survived well the heavy weather of yesterday-evening and last night: she isn’t “dashing” so the cover is weather-tight. It’s the first time she had been with this polyestrene cover in the rain. At 10.30 a.m. the shell of the Spurr-tighed Tortoise was completely free from all blemishes, little “hot-spots” had been covered with Hansaplast-plastic-spray and the whole shell was polished with olive-oil

Meanwhile both trainees continued with stitching: this time they used a dead piglet (08-204; November 11^th ’08).

And while we all were busy doing all those things, there came a phone-call that tomorrow a school from Crete will come and visit us.

Small tornado kills 2 workers

Motorists at Nea Manolada, Ileia prefecture, pass an overturned truck, one of many struck by a small tornado that hit the area yesterday. A Bulgarian farm worker was in hospital with serious injuries after the car he had been traveling in was scooped up by the whirlwind and slammed against a junkyard wall. Two compatriots who had been in the car with him were killed instantly.

Two Bulgarian farm workers were killed and a third seriously injured yesterday when a small tornado struck the car in which they had been traveling near the small town of Nea Manolada, in the Peloponnesian prefecture of Ileia.

The whirlwind swept up the car and hurled it into the wall of a junkyard, according to local police. It also wrecked crops in the area and caused minor damage to the roofs of several buildings as well as electricity pylons. Local residents also reported several trees being uprooted and even paving slabs from village squares being moved by strong winds. Several parked cars were overturned too.

Fire brigade and police units were conducting patrols in the greater area yesterday evening to ensure that no harm comes to other residents. Local authorities are today due to make a start on assessing the extent of the damage wreaked by the whirlwind. The prefecture of Ileia was among the hardest hit by the catastrophic forest fires of summer 2007.

FERRY ACCIDENT

Two injured at Santorini port

Two people were slightly injured on Tuesday night when a high-speed ferry struck a pier in the main port of Santorini amid high winds. A passenger and the first mate of the Aiolos Kenteris 2 sustained minor injuries in the accident. The remaining 19 passengers and 26 crew members were unhurt, according to the Merchant Marine Ministry, which said the ship would remain moored at the pier until high winds fall and a proper inspection can be carried out.

And evidently there are living “Trigger-happy” Greeks on the island of Rhodes as well:

Neighbor's rage

A 60-year-old man from Rhodes was arrested and charged on Tuesday after two Albanian laborers that had been working near his house claimed that he had opened fire on them. The two laborers told police that the 60-year-old, who was not named, went to the neighboring house where they were working, threatened them and then shot at them three times with a hunting rifle. Neither of the men was injured. The gunman was charged with attempted murder and illegal use of a weapon. It was not clear what caused his alleged violent outburst.

March 27^th:  it’s quite cold outside, but in any case not (yet) raining. The Long-eared Owl was 263 (+1), the Dark Barn Owl 274 (+) and the Goshawk 817 (+14) gram. Tortoises: the home-bred was 86 (+3) and the other 113 (-1) gram.

Releases:

In between 8.22 and 8.24 a.m. we have released 6 Collared Doves; only of one of those we couldn’t  tell exactly which one it was, in spite of having colored foot-rings. So should have been already here for a long time !! The other five were: 07-142a-b (July 26^th ’07), 08-157 (August 20^th ’08), 08-172 (September 6^th ’08) and 09-002 (January 13^th ’09). We could (probably for the last time) take a picture of the two baby-pigeons in our window-frame; they are so big now we can expect every moment seeing them on the roof of our house. We received 2 Dutch visitors this morning. And almost one hour after the agreed time arrived the school from Meléson (next to Irakleion, Crete): 24 students plus 6 teachers/escorts and 2 people from the Environmental Center here on the island.

 Artichokes to produce clean fuel in Kozani

Prefectural officials in the northern city of Kozani yesterday heralded the launch of a pilot program to produce biomass fuel from wild artichokes in a bid to reduce dependence on local power production from highly polluting low-grade lignite.

The wild artichoke (Cynara scolymus) is a high-yield perennial crop that can be cultivated without pesticides and would diversify the energy mix of the Public Power Corporation (PPC), which runs lignite-fuelled power plants in the area, officials told a press conference.

PPC would pay producers the market value of the biomass fuel they yield, the officials said, adding that producers would also be entitled to a state subsidy. Local producers are to have priority but the opportunity to join the program, for which cultivation costs will be covered during the first two years, will be extended to other producers.

At 7.25 p.m. a phone-call from Mytiléne about a pigeon which seems to have two broken legs > will be brought tomorrow.

March 28^th:  the Long-eared Owl was 263 (=), the Dark Barn Owl 271 (-3) and the Goshawk 806 (-11) gram. Tortoises: the home-bred was 83 (-3) and the other 114 (+1) gram. At 7.50 a.m. we have transferred to the Aviary in our court-yard the juvenile Pigeon (09-103), which was severe picked in the pigeon-cage in “The Keep”. Where he is now a repeat is in any case impossible. For the announced Pigeon with the two broken legs we have prepared a cage where the fractures can heal while the bird is hanging.

Backwards:

the cat “Charlie” was picked-up at 10.15 a.m. by her grateful caretakers.

The juvenile Pigeon in the Aviary is pecking nicely in the earth, but close to the feeding-bowls we haven’t seen him/her and as soon as people in army-dress are seen the begging is starting !! Should start eating himself, otherwise . . . . ?? The whole afternoon and evening we have tried in vain to reach the man with the Pigeon with the 2 broken legs . . . . !!

March 29^th:  beginning of the summertime, but we’re switching half-way the morning because all animals are reacting on the light and not on one stupid agreement with isn’t working at all and only is costing !! The Long-eared Owl was unchanged 263, the Little Owl 215 (-2), the Dark Barn Owl 270 (-1) and the Goshawk 805 (-1) gram. The black-headed Gull had diminished nicely: 219 (-16) gram. Tortoises: the home-bred was 87 (+4) and the other 117 (+3) gram. It looks like the right eye of the juvenile Pigeon is “staying behind” a bit > as well strange noises are made. At last we came in contact with the man with the injured Pigeon in Mytiléne > it seems one is departing from there at 11.30 a.m. . . . . (we hope). Meanwhile all clocks in the L.W.H. are changed into summertime; now only yet the animals and we !! The announced Pigeon was at last here at 1.02 p.m. > see further at PIGEON. We received a phone-call from Mória about the Pigeon (was called about the 21^st > see over there): they were preparing to deliver the bird at the Shell-Petrol-Station. And that Pigeon we had in our hands at 5.15 p.m. > see as well over here further at PIGEON.

March 30^th:  all patients were still alive at 4.50 a.m. The Long-eared Owl was 266 (+3), the Dark Barn Owl 271 (+1) and the Goshawk 820 (+15) gram. Tortoises: the home-bred was 86 (-1) and the other 116 (-1) gram. We started with the physiotherapies for the wing of the “blue” Pigeon. By the way, it looks very much if there has been a fracture of the humerus, just above the elbow-joint, which has grown together in a wrong way. The juvenile Pigeon, which is lodges now in the Aviary in the court-yard of out house, was at last seen eating !! Today meat had to be processed again (15,520 kilo for 96,88 Euro; total now this year 105,985 kilo for 1301,18 Euro) and with the extra help of “agnates” from trainee “Anne’s” side (who are visiting the island to see how she is doing) all was cut, measured and packed.

African dust

Unseasonably high temperatures and a cloud of dust from the Sahara Desert will burden the atmosphere tomorrow and Wednesday, meteorologists say. The elderly and those with breathing problems are advised to restrict outings.

And Greece is placing herself again nicely on the map when we talk about “progression”

EC rap for labor failings

Staff are untrained and unprepared, official says, blaming OAED monopoly

Greek state employment services are 30 years behind the rest of Europe and leave staff undertrained and unprepared for the future, the European Commission’s official in charge of training programs has told Kathimerini.

“The system has not moved on from the needs of the 1970s,” Georges Kintzele remarked in an interview published in Sunday’s Kathimerini, noting that other European Union countries have integrated regular staff training into the working week.

One of the main problems, Kintzele observed, is the monopoly of the Greek Manpower Employment Organization (OAED). “Most other countries have agreed that the unemployed should have a choice of services... You have a choice of airlines, mobile phone companies and thousands of other services but you do not have proactive labor policies,” he said. He said the fault was not only that of OAED. “There needs to be the political will to enforce a system of transparency.”

Kintzele said “topping the agenda” of the EC’s employment directorate is a proposal to reorganize employees’ working week to include training. “We are not talking about wage cuts. It would be three days work and two days training,” he said. He said such a model is needed in many sectors. In the tourism sector, he said, staff could be trained during the off-peak period of October to March. He also stressed the importance of small businesses training staff, noting that most “have no knowledge of (customer) service.”

Kintzele questioned the activities of the Employment Observatory (PAEP), which is overseen by the Employment Ministry, and whose role it is to monitor the needs of the unemployed and the staff needs of businesses. “What is it doing? And why is no one asking what it is doing?” Kintzele said, noting that the EC has financed and staffed the PAEP. “The government does not know which studies to carry out for promising sectors,” he said. He also questioned Greek reluctance to upgrade technical colleges. “If progress is made in harnessing renewable energy sources, where will we find the experts in Greece to create the infrastructure?”

The Pigeon in the window-frame of the 2^nd floor of our house has, while the kids still are in the window-frame, produced the 1^st egg of the 2^nd brood !! But this time we aren’t being “Big Brooder” again !!

March 31^st:   at 4.50 a.m. the out-door she-cat “Prummel” was suddenly super affectionately and continued asking for attention. At 5.30 a.m., during the preparation of the food of the “day-eaters”, the “water broke” and she refused to move from our slippers she was sitting on. So taken-in > see further at CAT. The Long-eared Owl was 267 (+1), the Dark Barn Owl 275 (+4) and the Goshawk 828 (+8) gram. Tortoises: the home-bred was 90 (+4) and the other 118 (+2) gram. At the midday-feeding-round the Yellow-legged Gull was gasping for breath > taken back from the pen and only some fluid was given. The White Stork in our village is back; we hope for him a new partner will arrive, because last year we had to put down his wife (08-068) due to irreparable damage to the right wing after having “touched” severely electricity-cables !! After the siesta it showed it had been today 21° Centigrade in the shadow > at last !! At 6.35 p.m. the Yellow-legged Gull was discovered not alive anymore > tomorrow a P.M. will be performed. In the pigeon-nest in the window-frame meanwhile the 2^nd egg is produced

Total amount of visitors this month:  123                      (total this year: 334)

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 035 (total this year 0082 kilometers)

Total amount of intakes this month: 14 [wild ones: 03; others 011], (total this year 029: wild ones 013, others 016; total since the start of registration in 1996: 4076) of which:

GREEN TOAD (Bufo viridis): 1; the biggest make we ever have seen and/or discovered. Bodyweight was 80 gram !! Was quite numbed with cold and seeing the skin-remnants, almost finished with casting the skin. Taken-in to release him later on a safer spot, but as well to show him to the new trainees.

Release:

And this happened at 10.10 a.m. the same morning, thanks to Dick’s athletic build, on a safe spot.

TOM-CAT (Felis catus): 1 quite wild, name-less specimen from Polichnítos. We needed two injections to get him sound asleep !! Will have a quite busy evening tonight canceling all his appointments, because we took removed the joy of fatherhood for the future. Left 59 minutes after intake; 5 gram lesser.

DOG (Canis familiaris): 1 from the L.W.H. > “Mítsi”. Showed to have made pregnant ± December 20^th ’08 by the adolescent “Mázzel” and hadn’t been able to deliver. Has had already some days a black greenish secretion out of the vulva. So this showed to have been meconium-containing liquor amnii. There was a full-grown (dead) pup (fem) present, which got “stuck in a too narrow street”. The whole womb was removed. At 11.15 a.m. she had watered for the first time after the surgery out on the street: nicely clear, so no leakages. After she started leaking from the injury (see March 9^th and following days), the 11^th the corset and as well the bandages were removed > the whole belly was open and everything was hanging out !! Had happened with the stitching of the skin, during which the udders had been perforated evidently. Under a light complete anesthetic with lots of troubles the whole situation could be brought back on its place; the peritoneum wasn’t stitched anymore with one continuing stitch, but with lots of separate stitches. Skin was closed with 4 U-stitches and 2 normal ones. As soon as she is capable eating again, we’ll start stopping the milk-secretion. (see as well March 18^th).

YELLOW-LEGGED GULL (Larus michaellis): 1 full-grown adult one, discovered just outside Mandamádos, on the road to Nápi and Ágia Paraskeví. Was discovered laying on its back. Bloody slime in the beak and minor injuries on the left leg/foot. The smell of the breathing wasn’t good and the pupils didn’t react like they normally should do. Bird was too quiet for this kind. So probably eaten something “wrong”. Half an ampoule Apomorfine and half an ampoule of Atropine were injected. Hereafter there were some vomit-tries, but that was all. Left’s have a look if the morning will be reached, because more we can’t do at the moment. Showed the day after intake to have a bill-deformation: because the tip of the upper bill once had been broken, the lower bill showed some “wild-grow”. This was trimmed and cauterized. Very carefully a tiny bit of crow-food plus Ringers was given, after first again bloody slime from the beak was removed. The pupils are reacting a bit more normal meanwhile. (see as well March 20^th & 31^st).

CAT (Felis catus): 7; the 1^st was a quite young semi-stray from Parákoila; “Charlie”. Was indeed “a bit pregnant”. A complete ovariohysterectomy was performed. Departed 1,5 hour after arrival again to the feeding-address. (see as well March 13^th & following days, and March 28^th). The 2^nd was March 14^th in the Shelter in Eressoú neutered by an English Vet via the left flank. And indeed, like was told by the phone, all skin-stitches were gone. Under a light total-anesthetic and with some help of a local anesthetic the whole injury stitched again with 6 U-stitches. Injury sprayed with Negerol (antibiotics) and with Hansaplast-injury-spray and the total covered with a double layer of Sport-tape. Assistance was given by as well Anne as Dick. Number three came as well from the Shelter in Skála Eressoú and was neutered March 12^th in the Shelter by the same vet as her predecessor over here. Almost all skin-stitches had disappeared and the injury wasn’t clean anymore. Old (wrong kind of !!) stitches were removed and with 6 stitches the injury was closed. Injury was sprayed with Hansaplast-dressing-spray and on this wet material Sporttape was glued. Now as well assistance was given by both trainees. (see as well March 22^nd, 23^rd & 24^th). The fourth was out-door cat “Prummel”, who early in the morning during the preparing of the food, started delivering on top of our slippers > a special cage was prepared for her. At 5.53 a.m. the first kitten was born. At 6.35 a.m. three kittens were born, but “Prummel” doesn’t yet understand what to do with them.

At 11.30 a.m. she was complete in her mother-role: the kittens were good dry and were sucking. With both trainees we have changed “as an arrow” the maternity-bed for a clean cover.

 Chinchilla (Chinchilla lanigera): 1 male from Mesótopos. Had received due to the weather-conditions sharp cat-litter in his litter-box. After a spontaneous erection very sharp sand glued to the glans penis, which due to this was quite red, swollen and dirty. Very carefully with Balsamum Arnica montanum this part was cleaned, and after endless “twiddling” we could see a normal “pricky” again. The owner was given other litter for the litter box and him was showed how to repeat the cleaning etc.

PIGEON (Columba livia dom): 2; the first came from Mytiléne. Was discovered already the 27^th and arrived just now the 29^th !! Fracture of both metatarsalia with bloody scabs on the skin. So had evidently flown against a wire. Legs were cleaned and splinted. Bird was hung in the cage, with water and seeds in reach.

The 2^nd had landed in the window-frame of Tonia’s kitchen in Mória in the evening of March 20^th. According to a phone-call the day thereafter the bird should limp with one leg. Receiving the bird May 29^th nothing was wrong with the legs, but there was a thick elbow-joint right side, which was quite stiff as well. Bird was covered with feather-lice > PINEX-spray was used. We’re starting with physiotherapies for this wing. By the way, the bird has had an owner in the past, which could be seen due to a closed (blue) foot-ring around the left leg, given just after hatching. (see as well March 30^th).