thanks. Northern Teacher
Yes, I hope that you enjoy all your trips and find them rewarding, Zo.
Zo, this may seem absurd but I’ve just discovered that the father of a friend of mine is descended from people on the island of Chios (which I must admit, I’d not heard of, or if I had, I’d forgotten). Apart from being the birthplace of Homer, it seems to be pretty good for wildlife.
See Chios Nature - Chios Travel Guide
Anyway, I thought that there might be perhaps a ‘sign’ in the way I discovered this place.
thanks. sorry i didnt comment sooner I went away. Iv just come vack today so I have not long come back from Wales but I took lots of photos I also went to Reading to meet up with some family 2 days after and saw some Red kites on the way there and in there garden but thats not surpriseing cause I found out from my county recorder who not only does surveying for the breeding bird survey but also the leader of a bird of prey group last year who i sent photos of a red kite near reading to that there is a population of red kites in Reading
I have looked into Chios and the nearby islands and its a possibilityI would have to take a plane to one of the nearby islands to Chios and then take a ferry one of the islands takes the long route and takes 2 hours but Oinousess takes 30 minutes to 45 minutes to get there. it might be a case of staying on a nearby island to Chios and visiting Chios on my holiday if it might not work but if it mighy then I could stay on the island
I dont know weather it will be there or not or which of the islands until we have looked into weather I can ferry to an island after I have flown to a nearby island by plane but if I cant stay on Chios hopefuly I will be able to do one if the other islands and then go to Chios for a day trip if I cant go to Chios by ferry after landing on one of the islands so I have got some back up islands nearby aswell just in case I cant stay on Chios
in case its of inerest I have found out about all the different types of Greek Islands and I cant belive there is so many of them. although the predominant climate is Hot temperate meditateranian certain islands have lots of vegetation but others are more barren some island groups are influenced by a certain type of wind that moderates the climate so prevents it from going abouve 30 degrees celcius the islands away from this wind tend to have higher tempratures like 40 degrees celceus the islands also have species specific to an island aswell as species only found on one or a few islands of Greece and no where else in the world amd they are very rich in reptiles Endemic plants are well studyed and aswell as that although they dont get much large mamels and mainly small ones some of the islands have bears, wolfs, Jackels etc. for the Aegean islands most tend to be barren but the Aegean islands have high levels of endemism which is one of the reasons iv chosen them and the North east part of the Agean islands are less well known than the other more popular destinations
I have chosen where I want to go I jist need to give the support workers who are going to book it the Details
interestingly I have got an email from ebird that says scientists have used some of my observations which is good
the rock pigeon on ebird is also listed as feral pigeon and a option with only Rock pigeon as a seperate species just Rock pigeon as a seperate option so there is an option was Rock pigeon/ Feral pigeon so for me I have Rock pigeon/ feral pigeon for feral pigeon and not Rock pigeon and western house martin as european house martin. but hopefuly they know that causw of the option I chose but apart from that it is good they used them
That’s interesting. I got the first part of the message from eBird but not all the stuff about the eBird science team using my lists. My version of eBird gives Common House-Martin for the common UK species.
maybe they only send that part to the people with observations that scientists have decided to use just so they know and know it is helping - dont tell people unless there observations have been used I dont know but that might be one of the reasons
it could be that there not useing everyones if they do use someones with the ones they have chosen they let the observers know if theres have been used
for when I researched the Greek islands and the greek island of Chios when it comes to beaches exspecialy it over uses words almost like its trying to make you want to go there but on alot of the islands exspecialy ones less visited it uses exactly the same words like (crystal clear water) un discovered island, warm water, or they take the hillareous route and say this beach is a nice off the beaten track turquoise blue tranqual beach where you can bath in the lovely cold water- although waters are cold in June in Chios the waters are alot warmer in July and exspecialy August so depending on when they go will determine how warm or cold it will be. the ones who hope it to be cold who are visiting at that time might fimd it to be an unacurate description.
my issue with the word undiscovered however is that an island isnt un discovered if its been discovered particularly if people go on holiday and go to different places there snd take pictures. if it was used in a wildlife context I would probably say yes maybe depending on how many people wildlife watch and record there though. alot of things about the Greek islands say you can find dolphins and sea turtles and while you can do not all islands are nesacerily a hot spot for them. some only nest on certaim islands I found out recently Jackals can be found on Chios but that Golden Jackals are only found in Samos
in the uk the hottest month of the year on average is July but when it comes to Chios in the North Aegean sea The tempratures on the greek islands are highest in August unlike the UK it rains in Autumn winter and Spring but barely get much in the Summer months and its a temperate hot dry climate. the sea on average is 21 so not very warm but reaches warm tempratures in August
I have had an enormas amount of diffuculty fimding out about what species can be found in Chios amd where but plants are so well recorded there that it is the easyesr thing I come across. birds are easy aswell but to find out what species amd where you can find birds can be very diffucult. mammels and reptiles insects and invertebretes can be found but theres barely anything that tells you what species you can find and where so obviously there not as well publiced or known as the fora and birds
I suspect that birds and flora tend to be studied by more people than the other taxa.
You’ve probably found these sites, Zo but just in case you haven’t, there may be something of interest:
Thanks. I havnt seen the top site but I have seen the bottom. the top one is very interesting since it goes through all the Wildlife not just flowers it is also interesting only a few mammels have recorded and that dragonflys may not all have been recorded yet and that its less popular for birds than lesvos even though you can find lots of birds there like Lesvos
im afraid that im not goimg to Chios anymore and my luck for the islands have decreased I found out there wasnt any direct non stop flights to Chios and they couldnt find 2 bedroom acomodation for Lesvos or other islands I sugested. there looking for other islands apart from the ones i mentioned and the spanish islands will be the last resort if they cant find any they wont take me on holiday to a different country
Iv decided what island im going to and my support workers are going to book it today but its not going to be one of the Greek Islands. Iv picked it cause its close 2 two islands I could visit for the day but also cause it has lots of endemic species