November 2007

LOG-BOOK:

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

November 1^st:  the Hobby was 228 (-7) gram; Honey Buzzard I was 812 (-4) and Honey Buzzard II was 1036 (-8) gram, The yesterday-evening rescued Green Toad is set free on the safe spot at 7.55 a.m.  We received a phone-call that the Thrush will leave Mytiléne with the coach of 11 o’clock. We had quite a lot of visitors this morning: 50 students from the Secondary School in Kallónis !! At 11.47 a.m. we picked-up from the coach the announced injured Thrush > see at SONG THRUSH. At 4.20 p.m. a Tom-cat was brought-in, which was discovered in the midst of te streets > see at TOM CAT.

November 2^nd:  all patients were still alive this morning. The Tom-Cat of last night had quite a quiet night, but is still unconscious. The Song Thrush is vivid. The Hobby, which had hardly eaten yesterday, was 228 (=) gram; Honey Buzzard I was 823 (+11) and the other was 1050 (+14) gram. The Tom-cat was still quiet at 7.15 a.m. but was discovered very stiff (still warm due to the given blanket ) and very dead. And again one window was (almost completely) plastered.

November 3^rd:  the Hobby was 226 (-2) gram and Honey Buzzard I had remained the same (823). Honey Buzzard II was 1059 (+9) gram. Around half past seven a, stiffened by the weather, female Rhinoceros-beetle was rescued from being flattened, taken from the street and for warming-up placed in the terrarium. Because this is the first time for this species, officially taken-in & registered. The window, we couldn’t finish yesterday, was finished today. At 9 a.m. the board had arrived and at the end of the morning there was done already so much, that it’s (almost) impossible for cats to enter the carpenter’s work-shop.

Weather alert

The National Meteorological Service (EMY) warned yesterday of deteriorating weather conditions over the weekend with rainfall, storms and windy conditions expected in most parts of the country. A slight dip in temperatures is expected today and tomorrow with a further drop expected on Monday, according to EMY.

After the Pekinese “Máo” had removed himself the agrafe from his face, we have removed the 4 agrafes from his belly (castrations-injury) as well. Due to the rainfall from the past days, there were a lot of fat maggots in the crow-aviary > we’re breeding and using them for feeding a.o. the Song Thrush > loves them !! At 9.13 p.m. a big fat Green Toad was stored safely for the night.

November 4^th:  the Hobby was 227 (+1) gram. Honey Buzzard I had diminished quite a lot: 808 (-15) gram and number II was 1063 (+4) gram. The yesterday discovered Green Toad was released at 7.40 a.m. at the safe spot. Hereafter we had to close again the right eye from “Stevie” (07-204; October 20^th). The stitches from the left eye are removed and this has closed well. In the House-next-door the carpenter’s work-shop is cat-tight now and we have started with the opposite wall. At 2.15 p.m. we were roughly wakened-up from our siesta by 2 people from Mólivos with a knocked-down dog in front of our door (Sunday, so no Vet available !!) > see at DOG. At 6.22 p.m. Ineke could place in a safe spot again a Green Toad.

November 5^th:  at 4.55 a.m. the Doggy from yesterday-evening was still alive and he even had eaten something !! We had been able to reach the owner late yesterday-evening; was hardly interested and will pass-by today (??). The Hobby was 231 (+4) gram, Honey Buzzard I was 825 (+17) and the other was 1072 (+9) gram. At 6.35 a.m. we discovered the Booted Eagle (07-202; October 17^th) completely spoiled by the rain on the bottom of the buzzard-aviary > had diminished immense and had lost 220 gram since October 25^th. Was now 488 gram. Was re-taken-in. “Stevie” had himself removed the yesterday placed agrafes and was walking around with an immense injury > under a light anesthetic stitched with 2 U-stitches. The yesterday-evening placed on a safe spot Green Toad was released at 8.45 a.m. on the same safe spot as the others. It seems that the European Rhinoceros-beetle is not any longer amongst the quick . . . .  Today again the weekly “meat-cutting-day” and with the extra help of Melanie there was processed 14,58 kilo (for 96,78 Euro). Total this year now 516,899 kilo for 3337,70 Euro. Because the owner of the yesterday knocked-down Doggie was “typical Greek” and due to that wasn’t “running his legs out of his arse” to pick-up his “beloved one”, we have brought-back the little one. Scarcely a “thank you” could be given . . . . !! And after from early this morning we couldn’t connect to our e-mail-provider, we heard around midday that there “was something wrong with the OTE” (Greek Telephone C^y), so everyone with the same provider is mail-less !! What a country !! At 4.30 p.m. we still were without e-mail. At 7.15 p.m. there were 2 Greek women at our doorstep with a, ± 12 days old (thrown-away) puppy, they were trying already for a week to suckle. The little one was very cold. Feeding- and keeping-warm-advices were given and as well some materials from here. Further not in the statistics.

November 6^th:  at 4.50 a.m. still no e-mail !! All animals were still alive, but the Booted Eagle was very cold, had diminished 22 gram (466 gram now) and even fell of his roost !! So prognosis ?? Trying to keep him warm now under our clothes on the naked body. The Hobby was 237 (+6) gram. Honey Buzzard I was 818 (-7) and number II was 1075 (+3) gram. By keeping the Booted Eagle warm under our clothes, we brought him back so far, that he was able standing on his legs. Hereafter he was transferred to the Intensive Care where he is placed under an infra-red lamp and is fed every 2 hours a little bit. Doing so we discovered he is missing the thumb-part of the right wing . . . . !! If he survives, he’ll be a “lasting one” !! In between the feedings we started with the plastering (inside) of the last window, till we had to stop due to a lack of stuccoing putty. And while new putty was bought by Ineke, our Secretary María Karapolíti phoned that she had a young Peacock which was “simmering” a lot. See further at BLUE PEACOCK. The Booted Eagle is, in spite of all our efforts, slipping away and is vomiting all the given food. Was discovered dead at 1.38 p.m. under the infra-red lamp. At 4.50 p.m. the two Greek ladies from yesterday-evening came and brought back all the borrowed materials: in spite of their care the puppy had died.

November 7^th:  the little Peacock is still “simmering” first class, but isn’t so lethargic anymore like yesterday. The Hobby was 243 (+6) gram, Honey Buzzard I had remained the same (818 gram) and the other was 1080 (+5) gram. During the early morning-hours there was a combined action in between our outdoor-cat “Foúrno” and undersigned: the first had spotted a fat rat and was fixing him till the gun could be taken. With one well-aimed shot through the head we have secured again some natural food for the Barn Owls for tonight. We could finish the indoors-plastering of the new placed windows & door. Because the problems with the other computer remained, we have brought that machine to the repairman > it showed to be that there were 65 viruses present (in spite of the expensive virus scanner !!) and the whole content (under which also all our addresses) has disappeared. We apologize to everyone we have harmed by those viruses !!

November 8^th:  Liberation of Mytiléne (1912) from the Turkish occupation > all island-shops are closed, but the Governmental Services are working normally. The little Peacock isn’t “simmering” anymore !! The Hobby was 245 (+2), Honey Buzzard I was 815 (-3) and Honey Buzzard II was 1087 (+7) gram. We were phoned from Kallonís about 5 puppies, born last night and which weren’t “wanted” > see at PUPPY. In the House-next-door we started with the boarding of the “Apothíki” over there.

November 9^th:  we must feed the Hobby early in the morning first by hand a bit, otherwise he is eating not so well: so 2 gram diminished (243 gram). Honey Buzzard I was 830 (+15) and number II was 1104 (+17) gram. We have continued with the boarding in the “apothíki” of the House-next-door > doing so, we had to break-away quite a huge piece of rock (15 x 20 cm) which was reaching out ± 8 cm into this room (just above the floor-baseboard). But the first wall is finished now.

We have heard from several persons that we were “visited” last night at 4 o’clock by an earth-quake measuring 5,5 Richter; in the house-next-door they had woken-up by this phenomenon and we had (practiced as we are) noticed nothing.

November 10^th:  the Hobby had remained the same (243 gram) and both Honey Buzzards had diminished: I was 816 (-14) and II was 1096 (-8) gram. This morning we have bought the first copper pipes for the extension of our Central-heating-system. Thereafter we went in the pouring rain to Kallonís to buy balks for the boarding in the “apothíki” in the House-next-door. Those had to be planed (each one 4 meter long) and so we have done (in spite of some power-cuts due to the heavy weather) 160 meter and stored them temporarily. The story about the earth-quake from yesterday was confirmed by the newspaper “Kathimerini” > see hereunder.

Aegean quake

Strong 5.6-magnitude tremor shakes area of Chios; no injuries

A strong undersea quake measuring 5.6 on the Richter scale was recorded yesterday morning in the northeast Aegean, off the isle of Psára and close to Chios, but there were no injuries or damage reported. The quake, whose epicenter was about 20 kilometers from both Chios and Psára, was felt as far away as Athens. It occurred shortly before 4 a.m. yesterday and was followed by two aftershocks, measuring 5 and 5.3 Richter respectively, just after 9 a.m. Seismologists said they were monitoring the area.

Hunting ban

The Council of State, the country’s highest administrative court, in a ruling yesterday banned hunting in parts of Greece affected by the devastating summer fires until the end of February. The court made the decision after an application was filed by an environmental group on the grounds that the fire had created imbalances in the country’s ecosystem and problems for wildlife. The temporary hunting ban applies to only parts of the burnt areas, according to the ruling.

It’s such a heavy weather that it’s “raining” power cuts and even our new-placed windows weren’t water-tight. In the House-next-door (with all old windows) the water-nuisance was significant more . . . . !!

November 11^th:  the Hobby was 245 (+2) gram; Honey Buzzard I was 818 (+2) and number II was 1098 (+2) gram. In the “apothíki” of the House-next-door we were able boarding one wall and a half till 1,22 meter high > till the rafters it’s (still) impossible, because we still must replace three of them. Someone passed-by with a female Mandarin (Aix galericulata) with evidently digestions-problems > the droppings were venom-green, but she was as well unable to walk. However: there was force in the legs. Symptoms had appeared after the heavy rain-fall from the past days. Maybe some poison was flushed downwards from the mountains ?? Not in the statistics as a patient.

November 12^th:  the Hobby was 242 (=2) gram and Honey Buzzard I was 819 (+1). Honey Buzzard II was 1108 (+10) gram. Today again the weekly “meat-cutting-day” and the two “ladies” have processed 10,325 kilo (for 76,57 Euro). Total this year now 527,224 kilo for 3405,27 Euro. In the “apothíki” of the House-next-door again half a wall is boarded > we had to work around a window, which caused lots of measuring and sawing. However, this wall is done till the rafter. In the evening a powercut (due to heavy weather) from 8.20 till 9.25 p.m.

November 13^th:  the Hobby was 243 (+1), Honey Buzzard I was 832 (+13) and Honey Buzzard II was 1127 (+19) gram. In the “apothíki” of the House-next-door all is boarded what could be done before we’re going to replace the rafters. The juvenile Peacock went back to the owner in a 100% condition at 12.35 p.m. We have yesterday received an e-mail from both school-children who had handed-over July 9^th a 300-Euro-cheque, with the picture of the handing-over. The request was to place this picture on the site. Because in this Log-book at this moment  this isn’t fitting well, we have decided to do so in the Annual Report 2007 and we have mailed them about this.

November 14^th:  the Hobby was 244 (+1), Honey Buzzard I was 814 (-18 !!) and the other 1121 (-6) gram. We have removed the stitches from the right eye of “Stevie” (see as well November 5^th). The whole “apothíki” in the House-next-door was emptied this morning and prepared for the replacement of the rafters. Rubble and surplus materials filled the whole car > was dumped at the municipal land-fill. With a delay of more than 2 hours arrived our beyond praise builder from Holland Aad, who will try to replace the rafters (amongst other things) in the “apothíki”.

November 15^th:  the Hobby was 245 (+1), Honey Buzzard I was 817 (+3) and Honey Buzzard II was 1125 (+4) gram. At 11.34 arrived from Mólivos 5 just-born puppies (1-4) for euthanasia. We had advised to leave one male puppy with the mother. See further at PUPPY. Hereafter one came from a company close to the Shell-station with a knocked-down puppy > they had visited already a Vet in Kalloní, but he had given . . . . antibiotics and something sedating !! Had a pelvis-injury (since when are antibiotics helping against pelvis-fractures ??) and maybe internal bleedings. See as well at PUPPY. At 12 o’clock the first rafter war replaced and at 1 p.m. the 2^nd. After the siesta the 3^rd one was removed and at 4.30 p.m. the lodging of generations of Long-horned Beetles and other wood-destructing insects was burned.

November 16^th:  the yesterday knocked-down puppy was still alive at 4.50 a.m. and was quite vivid. Has even walked some steps !! The Hobby was 245 (=), Honey Buzzard I was 810 (-7) and Honey Buzzard II was 1120 (-5) gram. It showed to be that we had to replace another rafter > at 11.30 a.m. number 3 and 4 were on their places. We received a school from Náousa (Peleponnesos) > 30 children and 5 adults, who were (what an exception !!) quite interested. The yesterday-evening taken in puppy has weed outside already some clear urine > so no kidney- or bladder-bleedings. In the old fire-place in the “apothíki” of the House-next-door layers of old plaster and loam are removed now and the cleaned brick walls will become the winter-lodging for the tortoises. Because our builder Aad already several times had an “almost brain-concussion” due to the much to low entrance of this room, we could “organize” this morning while we were buying wood a safety-helmet for him.

November 17^th:  the little puppy is walking better and better and is going out together with the other dogs for a sanitary stop. The Hobby was 246 (+1), Honey Buzzard I was 819 (+9) and number II was 1123 (+3) gram. The whole morning busy with boarding of the “apothíki” in the House-next-door and (after shopping in Mytiléne) with the cleaning of the fire-place. There is a new lighting now and as well a power-point was made in the hall.

Weather woes

The National Meteorological Service (EMY) yesterday warned that much of the country would be hit by thunderstorms and strong winds over the weekend. Regions of the Peloponnese and Evia that were ravaged by forest fires in August were bracing for the worst as anti-flood works are still under way. Meanwhile, a Super Puma rescue helicopter was dispatched to the small island of Gavdos, off Crete, which has been isolated for the past week due to bad weather. The helicopter was to bring food and first aid to residents and to transport an elderly islander to a hospital on Crete.

After the siesta we continued with the boarding and the measuring where the cupboards should be constructed. In the evening it showed to be there was rot in the reinforced concrete of the sealing of the kitchen in the House-next-door and the pieces concrete had fallen down on the cooking-place. So now cooking needs a safety-helmet . . . . . till we have the time (and the weather) to do something. In the evening we had to stitch the upper-lip of grandson Axel, who had had a meeting with a sharp object. Not in the statistics.

November 18^th:  indeed it’s the announced bad weather: thunder, flashes, rain and power-cuts !! The Hobby was 250 (+4), Honey Buzzard I was 827 (+8) and the other 1133 (+10) gram. Two young rats were discovered without a swimming-license in the water deposit of the pump in the Aviary > so an extra for the barn Owls.

Weather woes continued 1

ATHENS - In huge parts of Greece there was on Saturday water-nuisance after heavy rain-fall. In the border-area with Turkey several villages had to be evacuated after inundations.

The Greek radio reported that in those villages the water at some houses had almost reached the roofs. At least 300 houses are heavily damaged. 

At 11.30 a.m. the whole “apothíki” in the House next door was boarded, the whole chimney was stripped of loam and plaster and there was made (inside; not visible) a sealing, so rubbish from the flue can’t fall down anymore.

November 19^th:  the Hobby was 246 (-4), Honey Buzzard I was 817 (-10) and number II was 1124 (-9) gram. This morning it showed to be that the knocked-down puppy was stitched, before he arrived here, by a Vet on the right rear-leg and that the stitches had disappeared, leaving an immense pussing injury. A piece of died-off skin could be removed without problems with the naked hands. Has now a bandage with Dermisol-cream. The morning was spend with the processing of meat (13,620 kilo for 88,52 Euro; till now on this year 540,844 kilo for 3493,79 Euro), with constructing of shelves in the “apothíki” in the House-next-door and with the seeking out of a leak in the big buzzard-aviary, through which we had a severe leakage in our bathroom. When the leak was at last discovered, it was too late to buy materials to fill the hole, because the shops aren’t open anymore on Monday after 2 p.m. The Buzzards are temporarily lodged in “The Keep”.

Air pollution rises in Greece

Greece is one of the few countries in Europe where atmospheric pollution is on the rise, rather than declining, according to a study by the European Environment Agency (EEA).

The study shows a general drop in air pollution particles in Europe over the past years but Greece is bucking the trend, with an 11 percent increase. Spain fares even worse, with a 13 percent increase in air pollution, while Portugal has presented an 8 percent increase.

Europe’s most densely polluted air is in Silesia – a region covering Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic – Italy’s Po Valley and Belgium. In these areas, air pollution is shortening life expectancy by up to three years, the study said.

In Greece, life expectancy is being curtailed by air pollution by up to nine months, according to the EEA. But more worrying is that there is no concerted drive to curb air pollution sources: Some 30 percent from industry, 27 percent from energy production and 22 percent from transport.

Storms cause flooding

One killed, hundreds of homes wrecked after torrential rain

A pickup truck is pictured on Saturday, submerged on a flooded highway in Komotini, northern Greece, following hours of torrential rainfall. Floods also hit Evros and parts of the Peloponnese ravaged in the summer’s catastrophic fires. One person was killed after being swept away by floodwater in Megara. Hundreds of homes were badly damaged and countless farm animals are believed to have drowned.

Hours of heavy rain over the weekend caused serious flooding in many parts of the country, killing one person and damaging hundreds of homes, farms and roads.

The hardest hit region was that of Rhodope, in northeastern Greece, where prefectural authorities declared a state of emergency. In Komotini, Rhodope’s capital, dozens of residents abandoned their homes after heavy rain turned the roads into rivers. Cars and agricultural vehicles in nearby farms disappeared under water.

The region of Evros, near the Turkish border, was badly hit after the Ardas River burst its banks.

Flooding also hit parts of the Peloponnese that had been ravaged by catastrophic fires in August. One bridge collapsed and several more were damaged by torrents of floodwater after the Alfeios River overflowed. Anti-flood barriers, hastily erected in the area after the fires, minimized damage but local authorities feared they would break if the rain continued.

Roads and crops were also damaged, while there were reports of landslides in some areas.

A small tornado caused havoc in the village of Loutoufi in Viotia prefecture, central Greece, uprooting trees and wrecking the roofs of houses.

The fire service was stretched to the limit, receiving hundreds of calls over the weekend from residents trapped in cars or homes. Two men trapped in a car swept away by floodwater near Trikala were eventually rescued after the vehicle struck a large rock by the roadside.

Rescue workers reported one death, that of a 30-year-old Indian man who was swept away by floodwater after a stream broke its bank in the area of Megara. His body was found in a field.

The army was mobilized to provide assistance at the weekend, sending military trucks to evacuate citizens from dozens of isolated villages, chiefly in northeastern Greece.

Macedonia-Thrace Minister Margaritis Tzimas, who met with regional and local authority leaders in Komotini yesterday, described the rescue effort as “an admirable model of cooperation between the state and local government,” adding that he believed “we have got over the worst.”

At 3.40 p.m. we received a phone-call from Mytiléne about a Pigeon, which should be bitten by a cat > it was already too late to send the bird by coach, so this will happen tomorrow (??).

November 20^th:  the Hobby was 249 (+3), Honey Buzzard I was 807 (-10) and the female was 1137 (+13) gram. The Buzzards have spend the night in “The Keep” without problems. Hopefully their aviary will be finished today, because they haven’t eaten since the transferring from yesterday. And this hope showed to be an idle one, because our “constructor” Aad was the whole day ill in his bed . . . . !! It showed to be that the little knocked-down puppy had a hernia in his belly > under a total anesthetic we performed a surgery, but it showed to be a malignant growth in the fat-tissue, due to the accident. As good as possible removed. We could continue with the shelves in the “apothíki” in the House-next-door. At 11.50 a.m. we picked-up the announced pigeon from the coach > see further at PIGEON.

FLOOD ALERT

Authorities remain on standby as another death is confirmed

Authorities in northern and northeastern Greece remained on high alert last night after flooding in the region had affected up to 800 families in the prefecture of Rhodope alone. The death toll from the flooding on Sunday rose to two: a 42-year-old man who drowned in Serres when his car fell into a ditch and a 30-year-old Indian migrant who was swept away by floodwater in Megara, west of Athens. Both died on Sunday. Authorities were also on alert in Arcadia, in the Peloponnese, after rain normal for one month fell in just 36 hours.

Woman missing

Rescue teams were searching yesterday for a 72-year- old woman who had gone missing in Kalambaka, northern Greece, on Friday. The woman is believed to have disappeared after heading on foot for her farm at Mikanis, an area hit by flooding due to torrential rainfall.

November 21^st:  the Pigeon from yesterday was still alive this morning. The Hobby was 249 (=) gram. Honey Buzzard I was 812 (+5), but number II was 1115 (-22!!) gram. Our disabled Long-eared Owl (07-032; March 14^th) has started to eat on his own for the first time after all these months !! At 7.25 a.m. we discovered the Pigeon from yesterday dead in the cage > no P.M. was done, but only he/she was plucked for the little feathers. At 11 a.m. the leakage in between the buzzard-aviary and our bathroom was fixed by a still uncertain on his legs “Aad”; this afternoon the birds can be transferred back. At 11.45 most of the shelves in the “apothíki” in the House-next-door were ready: all together 28 meter with a depth of 26 cm!

Greek eco record slammed

               CO2 emissions ‘among highest in developed world,’ environmentalists say

Greece is seriously neglecting its commitments to curb global warming, with carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions up by 25 percent – one of the worst records among developed countries, the WWF Hellas environmental protection group said yesterday.

Turkey, Spain, Portugal, Ireland and Australia are the only countries in the developed world to have recorded a greater rise in CO2 emissions than Greece since 1990, WWF said.

The group attributes Greece’s dismal record to its reliance on fossil fuels (such as lignite and oil), its poor record in promoting the use of renewable energy sources and the lack of a comprehensive energy saving plan.

WWF’s “climate change speedometer” shows Greece to be well inside the dangerous “red zone” as compared to “model” countries like Britain, France and Germany.

WWF called on the government to “respond to the growing social concern about the repercussions of climate change.” A good start would be for a government delegation to attend a United Nations summit on climate change in Bali on December 3 to 14, the group said.

In a related development yesterday, President Karolos Papoulias reiterated his concern about environmental protection during a visit to Kalamata in the Peloponnese. Referring to the destruction of vast tracts of forestland in August’s fatal fires, Papoulias said, “There are no excuses for postponing the assumption of our responsibilities – we have a serious duty to protect the land that we have inherited and will pass on to future generations.”

Environmental concerns were also high on the agenda of European Union officials who discussed waste management reforms with Athens Mayor Nikitas Kaklamanis. According to sources, the EU officials broadly supported the mayor’s proposal to create two new landfills and three recycling centers but stressed that hundreds of illegal dumps across the country must be closed down. “Local authorities must accelerate efforts to make up for lost time,” Kaklamanis said, proposing closer cooperation between Athens and Brussels.

At 12.45 p.m. the first part of the stock of the House-next-door was transferred to the new shelves in the “apothíki” over there. And at 1 p.m. the Buzzards were back in their own aviary. At 5.05 p.m. a phone-call from Eftaloú about a kitten with a leg-injury > one will pass-by. At 5.35 the hibernation-place for the tortoises was ready > so tomorrow transferring. The little cat was here at 5.58 p.m. > see further at KITTEN.

November 22^nd: the kitten was still alive this morning. Today we’ll have a further examination. The Hobby was 145 (-4) gram. Honey Buzzard I was 804 (-8) and number II was 1125 (+10) gram. The rear-leg from the yesterday-evening taken-in kitten was treated with Dermisol-solvens, and so as well the foot of the knocked-down puppy. Both they didn’t enjoy it so much . . . . !! The morning was spend with the pointing of the porch of the House-next-door and the constructing of a gutter on the Aviary in our court-yard. The tortoises were gathered: we have discovered 22 ones. Of those are 7 Spurr-tighed Tortoises (Testudo graeca ibera) placed back again, because we can release them next Monday. Hereunder are three “home-bred” from the L.W.H. To the hibernation-place we have transferred 3 Marginated Tortoises (Testudo marginata), under which one “home-bred”, 1 Mediterranean Tortoise (Testudo hermanni) and 11 Spurr-tighed Tortoises (Testudo graeca ibera), under which as well some “home-bred”. In the “apothíki” of the House-next-door we have continued with the creation of more storage: today for boxes with Lori-food and boxes with dried insects.

Heat waves, floods are here to stay

Gov’t must prepare, experts say

Extreme weather phenomena such as the blistering temperatures of last summer and recent torrential rain will recur ever more frequently as global warming continues to adversely affect our environment, scientists told a conference in Athens yesterday.

Authorities must step up measures aimed at curbing the damage wreaked by climate change but must also prepare to tackle the social and economic fallout of extreme weather conditions, experts told the summit, organized by the National Center for Public Administration and Local Government (NCPALG) and Athens’s National Observatory.

“We are experiencing a significant period of drought which will continue for the next 50 years,” the observatory’s president, Christos Zerefos, told Kathimerini. He added that it was snow rather than rain that restored the water table, as rainwater runs back into the sea, but noted that snowfall is fast dwindling.

Rising temperatures are one of the main problems we face in Greece, experts agreed, with exceptionally hot summers like the one we experienced this year likely to recur. Last January was the second warmest since 1936 while the top temperature this summer – 44.8 Celsius – is the highest ever recorded in Greece. In addition, temperatures rose above 37C on 26 days – another record. Unfortunately these records are likely to be broken soon, according to experts.

Interior Minister Prokopis Pavlopoulos said the government was doing all it could to tackle the problems: upgrading the General Secretariat for Civil Protection, producing digital charts to improve its response to natural disasters and making use of satellite images from the European Space Agency.

At 4.50 p.m. the last shelve in the “apothíki” in the House-next-door was finished. During the taking-back of the Honey Buzzards from their aviary-for-the-day in “The Keep” we made a fall and destroyed a glass window in the door with the shoulder > should be repaired tomorrow and we hope there will be no problems with the Barn Owls during the night.

November 23^rd:  the Hobby was 245 (=) gram, while Honey Buzzard I was 810 (+6) gram. Honey Buzzard II was 1142 (+17) gram. The knocked-down kitten from Eftaloú has weed and produced droppings > in both cases no blood was discovered. There was eaten badly in the Barn Owl-aviary, because three of the four were discovered in the aviary-for-the-day for the Honey Buzzards . . . !! The door in between the aviary for Barn Owls/Honey Buzzards is cleaned from pieces and splinters of glass and fixed with aviary-netting. Thanks to a more than generous extra donation from the “Foundation for Animal-Help in Venezuela” (specially for those cases) we could phone the central-heating-installer and told him that the whole House-next-door could have central heating in stead of only the living. Aad continued in the bath-room fixing the ventilation over there. The ugly spot above the new front-door of the House-next-door is as well made more “fitting” with the rest of the wood by a wonderful, exactly fitting piece of plywood. The new windows in our house will receive, if necessary, the same treatment. The “apothíki” of the House-next-door is starting to be more and more clean and organized. Meanwhile in the hibernation-place for the tortoises same have digged themselves in.

Evros rising

River level dangerously high, payouts approved for flood victims

Authorities in northern Greece last night remained on standby after the water level of the Evros River rose a meter above the emergency level to 6.70 meters. A dam in Orestiada burst in the morning, flooding about 3,000 hectares of land. Following talks between regional officials and Cabinet ministers, the government issued a decision enabling flood-stricken farmers and other citizens to receive immediate compensation for their losses. A total of 12,000 hectares of land in Evros have been submerged by floods, caused by recent heavy rainfall.

November 24^th:  the Hobby was 146 (+1), Honey Buzzard I was 910 (=) and number II was 1129 (-13) gram. And while Aad continued with giving the finishing touch to windows and doors, we continued with the boarding of the hall in the ground floor of the House-next-door; something we had to stop earlier because of the replacement of the rafters. 

Climate a threat to Med

Agriculture and tourism will be hard hit unless action taken, experts warn

The Mediterranean will be one of the regions of the world that will suffer most from climate change as rising temperatures and water shortages cripple agriculture and tourism, a seminar in Athens heard yesterday.

If warnings about the environmental and health repercussions of global warming have failed to convince governments to take action, threats of a serious blow to key industries may be taken more seriously, experts told a seminar on the economic impact of climate change organized by the British Embassy in association with Kathimerini and Skai.

“The cost of failing to act is much higher than the cost of action,” according to Dimitris Zenghelis, one of the authors of last year’s Stern Review on the economics of climate change. Investing 1 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) by 2050 could avert destruction worth up to 20 percent of GDP, he added.

Agriculture is one of the most vulnerable economic sectors. According to Ana Iglesias of the University of Madrid: “Mediterranean agriculture will be hard hit due to desertification, a reduction in rainfall and longer periods of drought.” Iglesias, who predicted protracted disputes among authorities regarding how dwindling water resources should be used, called for an assessment of the “region’s capabilities for managing resources.”

Tourism in the Mediterranean will also be affected by rising temperatures and water shortages. “Major tourist destinations are under increasing pressure which is exhausting natural resources,” said Allen Perry of the University of Swansea. Perry forecast that environmental changes will alter tourism trends, with northern European destinations attracting more summer tourists and Mediterranean countries drawing more visitors in cooler months.

As for Greece’s efforts to curb global warming, Zenghelis said it “always seems to wait for other states to act before taking any measures.” But he said it was encouraging that Greek scientists were united on curbing carbon dioxide emissions, which is not the case in all European countries.

Expert quakes at tremor safety

Less than 6 percent of public buildings in Greece have been properly inspected to ascertain whether they can withstand earthquakes, it was revealed yesterday, as experts warned that authorities have become too lax in their monitoring duties in recent years.

Speaking at a conference in Athens, the head of the Earthquake Planning and Protection Organization (OASP), Costas Markopoulos, said that engineers have conducted seismic tests on just 5.6 percent of Greece’s 80,000 public buildings.

Thousands of people are working in and using buildings that might not be safe if there is an earthquake, Markopoulos suggested.

He also underlined that in some areas which are particularly prone to quakes, such as the Ionian island of Zakynthos, authorities are not being stringent enough.

Markopoulos said that prefectures have not been doing their jobs properly.

“We are trying to put pressure on prefectures but we are not seeing any results,” said Markopoulos. “We were recently invited to the island of Chios after an earthquake but found that the prefecture had not inspected a single building for the last seven years, not even its own headquarters.

“We encountered a similar situation in Lefkada, one of the most seismically active islands in the country.”

The OASP president added that he was shocked to see buildings, including hotels, being built on steep slopes on Zakynthos.

Four earthquakes struck the island in 1953, including one which measured 7.3 Richter. The tremors caused widespread damage. “Unfortunately, some people have a short memory,” said Markopoulos.

At 4.55 p.m. a phone-call from Skála Kallonís, that people in Hotel Kallonis II had an injured “geráki”  > so we went for a ride and picked it up. See further at SPARROW HAWK.

November 25^th”:  all was still alive this morning. The New Sparrow Hawk was 140 gram (is strictly speaking 10 gram too light) and is still not able to stand on its legs. The Hobby was 245 (-1), Honey Buzzard I was 805 (-5) and Honey Buzzard II was 1138 (+9) gram. Again a young rat without swimming-license was discovered in the water-deposit in the Aviary. We could finish the boarding in the apothíki in the House-next-door. At 11.17 a.m. we could release 7 Spurr-tighed Tortoises (under which 07-069; May 20^th at Mandamádos) in the midst of almost virgin-like fields. At 4.41 p.m. a phone-call from the Vet Myrsíni Tourvalí that she was with a poisoned dog “somewhere above and behind the Cave-church of Ágia Paraskeví”. If we could come with antidote to them. So we went for a ride till the car couldn’t go further. Happily they waited for us and walking, gliding and slithering over a cross-breed between a former pebble-path and a blocked-up little stream, where even a donkey should have had problems, we reached the dog. Showed to be an old acquaintance of us: a “Max” we had treated for poisoning already in 2005 (05-055; April 17^th). Luckily the dog could be rescued and hereafter we needed 12 minutes turning the car . . . . !! Not in the statistics; but we registered the kilometers.

November 26^th:  although the Sparrow Hawk is constantly laying on his back, there is a little improvement. Body-weight was 143 (+3) gram. The Hobby was 244 (-1), Honey Buzzard I was 802 (-3) and Honey Buzzard II was 1136 (-2) gram. The Sparrow Hawk, a male we know in the meantime from Holland, is trying to sit more straight. And while Aad continued with finishing touches on the outside of the last renewed “gothic” window, there was a meat-cutting session in the kitchen below him: together with Douglas and Janice from Parákoila 11,715 kilo (74,24 Euro) was processed. Total this year now 552,559 kilo for 3568,03 Euro.

November 27^th:  the Sparrow Hawk was 142 (-1), the Hobby 241 (-30, Honey Buzzard I was 812 (+10) and the other was 1108 (-28 !!). The latest doesn’t want to eat so much any more and what was too much, she is vomiting again. Aad started his last working-day here with making the Barn Owl-nest in our old chimney water-tight; via this flue lots of rain was coming-in during bad weather and was dripping on the fridges. Hereafter he made the water-pipe for drinking-water on the outside wall more frost-durable. The injury of the leg of the knocked-down puppy is closing, and as well the injury on the belly.

See for the Internet-message here below as well May 30^th & 31^st: 

Body of last hiker found

The body of the eighth and last victim from a group of hikers that had drowned in the Lousios River, western Peloponnese, was found yesterday, six months after the tragedy occurred.

The eight victims, aged 23 to 36, were part of a group of 18 hikers that had been swept away while attempting to cross a river during flash floods at the end of May.

Authorities said the body, which had largely decomposed, was found jammed between rocks. It was not clear how close the corpse was to where the accident took place.

Rescue teams, including firefighters, had been searching for the body for about a month before giving up.

Authorities said that a DNA test would be needed to confirm the victim’s identity because of the advanced state of decomposition.

Today Honey Buzzard II has vomited all the given food; has as well quite a wet nose > antibiotics, and small food was fed. At 5.15 p.m. a phone-call from Lársos (close to Mytiléne) about a bird of prey (??) with a huge white bill, long legs, twice the seize of a pigeon and black/grey colored. One will come and bring the bird. And we had the bird at 8.17 p.m. > see at COOT.

November 28^th:  we woke up quite early, because Aad had to leave at 5.20 a.m. to get the plane for Holland. At 4.30 a.m. all was still alive. The Sparrow Hawk was 149 (+7), the Hobby was 244 (+3), Honey Buzzard I was 795 (-17) and Honey Buzzard II was 1063 (-45 !!) gram. She is feeling quite cold !! And the droppings as well aren’t normal: a clear fluid without the “white”. All given food of today is vomited again till now on. In the House-next-door we have almost finished the wall between the work-shop and the hall from the inside. And that was finished after the siesta. Honey Buzzard II hasn’t vomited anymore after midday . . . . ?? At 3 p.m. some children were at our door with a chicken with leg-problems > told that they had to give the hen some rest for the injured leg. Not in the statistics. At the evening-feeding-round our disabled Sparrow Hawk (06-224; October 23^rd ’06), which we had taken back January 20^th with a severe bumble-foot and what had improved quite a lot, was discovered dead in the aviary. Had still a full crop.

November 29^th:  last night we had no victims !! The Sparrowhawk is moving more and more and was 152 (+3) gram. The Hobby had remained the same (244 gram). Honey Buzzard I was 804 (+9) and we have been able to reduce the diminishing of number II (??): was 1057 (-6) gram. The Coot is hardly “simmering” anymore. Now we have the first flat wall in the work-shop, we could start with the construction of shelves, on which we can store tools in good order and conveniently arranged. We received a phone-call from a teacher in Kallonís, who wanted to make acquaintance . . . ?? And it showed to be 4 teachers and 5 students from the Secondary School over there > were showed around. By three o’clock was discovered in the midst of the Agorá by grandson Axel a “lost & displaced” tiny little chicken > was taken by him.

November 30^th: all patients were still alive this morning. The baby-chicken was 25 gram, the Sparrowhawk 150 (-2) and the Hobby 245 (+1) gram. Honey Buzzard I was 769 (-8) and the female was 1034 (-23) gram. In spite of the diminishing no food is vomited anymore > she is fed now with only tinned cat-food (little bits every time). At the morning-feeding-round was discovered in the pigeon-cage in “The Keep” a, hatched some weeks ago over here, Pigeon, gasping for breath > taken-in. This morning we had to remove for the first time this winter ice from the windscreen of the car !! The Coot, of which we heard this morning that it’s a female, was released at 10 a.m. in the Salines. First she refused to go into the water and was hiding herself in the bushes, but at our departure we have seen her swimming.

Bear mutilation, bat shootings spur outrage

Wildlife protection groups were up in arms yesterday following the discovery of the mutilated remains of a brown bear in a forest in Elassona, central Greece.

The bear, a protected animal according to Greek and European law, had been shot and three of its paws, along with its lower jaw, had been removed. The bear died early this month, a veterinarian said. Forestry officials are seeking the perpetrators.

Meanwhile in Cyprus conservationists demanded action following the virtual annihilation by unidentified gunmen of a local colony of Egyptian fruit bats (Rousettus aegyptiacus > note L.W.H.), another protected mammal. Dozens of bats were found dead in a fenced-off cave near Paphos, western Cyprus. The perpetrators may have shot the bats «for fun» or due to a misconception of them as pests, experts said. There are some 3,500 Egyptian fruit bats left on Cyprus.

At 1 p.m. the little kitten from Eftaloú was taken-back; one of the “catchers” (from Holland) was shown around. At 1.28 p.m. a phone-call from Skála Polichnítos, that one had over there a small “Búfos” (literally: Eagle Owl, but this name is used by mistake as well for the Long-eared-, Short-eared- and Barn Owl) > so we picked-up this giant. Showed to be a LITTLE OWL > see over there. 

Total amount of visitors this month:  095                     (total this year: 537)

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 147 (total this year 2593 kilometers)

Total amount of intakes this month: 21 [wild ones: 06; others 15], (total this year 253: wild ones 152, others 101; total since the start of registration in 1996: 3796) of which:

SONG THRUSH (Turdus philomelus): 1 adult from/via Mytiléne. Is injured on both wings. Because of the possibility of a cat-bite, prophylactic Lincospectin was injected.

TOM CAT (Felis catus): 1 from our village. First had some symptoms of being poisoned, but at a further examination a confrontation with a car was more likely (back smelled after exhausting-pipe of a car). Because he is unconscious, observation cerebral accident as well. (see as well November 2^nd).

European Rhinoceros-beetle (Oryctus nasicornis): 1 female, plucked from the street in front of the L.W.H. Was stiffened by the cold weather. Placed in the terrarium waiting for better weather. (see as well November 5^th).

DOG (Canis familiaris): 1, (probably) from our village > discovered knocked-down at the cross-roads at the Shell-station. Is probably from one of the shops over there; he seems to be quite well-known to us. Was bleeding severe in the face > 2 huge injuries above both eyes. Above the right eye there was an impression-fracture of the skull as well. Injuries stitched under complete anesthetics, and wait and see if the doggie will make it and if we will be able finding the owner. We later went for a ride if the little one was indeed from there, but no little white doggie was present anymore over there and there were 2 huge openings in the fence, through which it was easy to escape. (see as well November 5^th).

BLUE PEACOCK (Pavo cristatus): 1 juvenile cock from our village; severe Rhinotracheitis. After cleaning of the nostrils he received his first injection with antibiotics (see as well November 13^th).

PUPPY (Canis familiaris): 9; the first 3 were just born females (the two males will remain with the mother) > we had to put them down. The next five (1-4) came from Mólivos and were as well just-born. The same as the first three. Number 9 was some weeks old and was knocked-down by a car which was driving in its reverse. This close to the Shell-station. Taken-in for observation, because the owner himself hadn’t the possibility and the place to keep him warm.

(see as well November 19^th & 20^th).

PIGEON (Columba livia dom.):  2; the first came from Mytiléne; was announced as “bitten by a cat”. Indeed, there was a huge (dirty) hole in the crop, but at a further examination there was we discovered a small round hole close by > shot and thereafter caught by a cat ?? The right leg is remaining somewhat “behind”. Crop-injury closed with 2 agrafes and antibiotics were injected. Later in the afternoon it showed to be that the bird absolutely was unable standing on his legs (see as well November 21^st). The 2^nd was quite a young bird from the pigeon-cage in “The Keep”. Was discovered gasping for breath > observation.

KITTEN (Felis catus): 1 female from Eftaloú > so to see knocked-down by a car and thereafter caught by a dog !! Left rear leg seems to be crushed, left front leg a little bit. Bite-injury right side of the neck and blood was coming from the vulva. Konakion was injected (to stop an eventually internal bleeding) and antibiotics were given. Further observation. (see as well November 23^rd & 30^th).

SPARROW HAWK (Accipiter nisus): 1 juvenile male (not yet full colored), discovered around Skála Kallonís. Had at intake bloody slime in the mouth; this had disappeared at arrival at the L.W.H. No fractures or something like that could be discovered. So observation.

COOT (Fulica atra): 1 adult, discovered in Lársos. Is “simmering” quite a lot during the breathing and was coughing blood during the aggressive pecking. Observation lung-bleeding and/or a lung-shot. Antibiotics were injected (see as well November 30^th).

CHICKEN (Gallus gallus dom.): 1, only some days old little one, discovered in the Agorá of our village. Is temporarily lodged in the Terrarium with heating.  ( N 4)

LITTLE OWL (Athene noctua indigena): 1 adult from Skála Polichnítos; was announced as a “Búfos”. Was an oil-victim (kind of oil unknown). First half a tablet of NORIT mixed with food was given. Cleaning the feathers can be done when he/she will make it. ( N 5)