Last week I was fortunate enough to pop off to Crete for 34 hrs... some work colleagues were going out to the island and said I could have free board and lodgings if I picked them up from the Airport.. a quick sleazy jet booking later and I was up at 03:00 heading for Gatwick airport... after a delay of one hour, whilst our plane was changed for a shiny new one, and a " robust" landing, I stepped out into the 30 degree heat and sunshine of Heraklion airport.. I picked up a hire car, fired up the sat nav and drove the 105 k to a well known site for both my wanted ticks, the endemic wall lizard,Podarcis cretensis and frog, pelophylax cretensis..
The site is the largest fresh water lake on the island, lake Kournas..by now it was 15:00 and I had to be back at the airport by 22:00 to collect my chums, so taking out the time for the return journey, I had five and a half hours to tick both species..
I walked the perimeter of the Lake, no easy task as half the time you have to walk in the water... the temperature was extremely hot and after two hours I had not seen either species, herps where very thin on the ground.. Balkan terrapins were the only species in any numbers, and a solitary green lizard was seen.. huge numbers of dragonflies and damsel flies were present, with lessor emperors being the most common.. I did not let these distract me from my goal.. Jurgen would have been proud.. and worryingly the density of fish in the water was staggering, huge Koi, goldfish and natural carp. Another hour passed,every now and then I left the cooling waters of the lake and searched the cliff faces and walls along the lake edge.. not a sausage to be seen, bugger all..
I though what what the glitterati of Euro field herping do? I tried taking my top off and flexing my abs, like Gert Jan.. still nothing, I tried to smoke and drink coffee, wearing Jaunty head gear like Bobby.. still nothing..I tried drinking uber strong Belgian beer and using eye shine like Jeroen.. nothing, I smoked and scowled at people like Jurgen, nada.. I even tried bonding with herps like a germanic Dr Doolitle as Peter...still nothing and although good, my figure or photographic ability could not match Laura... so I thought of the other Dutch guys.. Ronald, Sjuul and Sjeord .. What would they do? I went and sat in a beach side bar.
At the bar, some Greek workman were taking down a dry stone wall, here I finally saw the Cretean wall lizard, flushed by the builders..I could not get pictures as the area was cordoned off , and despite my protestations, the builders keep flushing the lizard from one pile of rocks to another. Eventually it dispersed, but at least I had a new tick.
I had a pleasant meal in a lakeside restaurant as I waited for darkness, It got dark at around 19:30, leaving me a couple of hours to search for frogs.. two hours of wading waist deep provided nothing other than large fresh water crabs.. and so wet, tired and bitten I got changed and drove back to the airport to collect my two drunken chums..
At the villa, I put out a desperate plea on the net for any suggestions.. I would have around eight hours the next day to try and find the frogs ..although with the heat I did not hold out much hope..I got to bed at 02:30 after beer and giggles..I left the ladies sleeping.. strangely a swim up bar seemed more interesting to them than a nice early start for field herping? I will never understand women.
Fortunately a fellow Brit herper, despite being northern, saved the day. A quarried area was suggested.. I drove the 50 k , it should have been closer, but one of the main roads was shut..and found a large man made area of various shallow pools..after a discrete bit of breaking and entering..Im sure trespass does not count if you are a field herper, I scrambled down a steep bank to the main water ways.
The dragonfly density here was incredible,skimmers, darters, hawkers, dropwinds, emeralds.. I counted at least nine species in a pool 2 meters 5 m but no bloody frogs.. if anything it was hotter than the day before.. no activity in the water at all . I moved to a shaded area with lots of rocks in the water and finally saw frogs..loads of frogs..
So job done.. the two endemics ticked ..
Anybody able to identify this damselfly? I think it is Coenagrion scitulum but that is not supposed to be on Crete?
I retraced my steps and drove back to the villa, beers, sea swimming and good food followed before I said goodbye to my chums and headed back to the airport, I arrived home in dear old Blighty at 03:00.. nice cup of tea and bed..
In conclusion Crete was a lot harder to herp in than I expected..the temps were extremely hot, there is little standing fresh water and on the mainland wall lizard densities appear to be low... but the beer is cheap and the locals are friendly.. Off to Madrid in a few days shite tea but cool herps
Cheers Paul