Another Bird Blog: Skiathos

Thursday, June 25, 2026

Καλές μέρες. Part Two

Wow, it’s hot up here in the North West England, 24 degrees it seems.

Not as hot as London and the South East but the folk down there have a lot more to enjoy and celebrate than us barbarians.

As promised, here’s more news, views and photos from Skiathos May 2026. There’s lots of photos to pic and click for the full experience.

The hired Suzuki Jimny took us to places mere cars cannot reach although even in a 4x4, and following a winter of rain, mudslides and essential traffic, the island’s many unmade tracks to the north of the island were not pleasant to ride.

Skiathos

A visit to Evangelistria Monastery for breakfast is an easier option. A fast uphill drive in first gear taking care to avoid oncoming local traffic more familiar with the gradient and endless twists & turns. There’s a good view down to JSI Airport and places in between with always a very high Buzzard, a passing Hobby or two and the inevitable shrike.

Evangelistria

Evangelistria Monastery of Greek Orthodoxy is an active working monastery and the only fully operational one on the island of Skiathos.

A small community of monks still lives, worships and maintain the grounds. Alongside their religious duties the monks manage various traditional operation including wine production of their famous Alypiakos wine, olive pressing and looking after the on site museum.

There is also a fine cafe to serve the many tourists in the summer months and locals throughout the off season. We once made the mistake of going there on a Sunday morning but found it impossible to park in the large car park or leading up to it such were the huge numbers of people arriving to worship.

Red-backed Shrike

Hobby

Evangelistria Monastery

Church at the Monastery

Monastery Garden

Our newly made friends, two discerning monastery doggies, were interested in our omelette containing Gouda & bacon but not the accompanying bread which both chose to leave. We said goodbye to them, promising to return another day with Greek sausage. That might be to their liking.

Evangelistria

The drive down to Skiathos Town passes Aghia Zoni, a tiny and immaculately kept chapel with fabulous views and the ever-present blue & white flags of Greece, a common sight throughout the entire country. Would that we Brits were encouraged to show pride in our nation and culture by displaying The Union Flag, a reminder of a remarkable success story of enterprise, endeavour, creativity and history that stretches back thousands of years.

Aghia Zoni

From Aghia Zoni a chapel on the hillside

A left turn at the bottom of the never ending downhill slalom took us towards the International Airport JSI, the traditional boatyard and the paralia (coastline) that leads into Skiathos Town. We stopped for a look towards the town from a favourite view point where some times there are egrets, shags and occasionally a Kingfisher.

Viewpoint

The Boatyard - Skiathos

European Shag

Grey Heron

We stopped as instructed at Skiathos’ only set of traffic lights even though not many vehicles do so but where a photo of Mylos Taverna proved irresistible.

Stop!

The SAS

Jet2

Mylos Taverna

Super Star Two is the latest and magnificent giant super-ferry to travel between the islands, the main stopping points being Skopelos, Skiathos, Alonissos and the Greek mainland at Volos, Thessaloniki. We set off to get closer views of the monster ship and watch the activity of the arrivals, departure and inevitable drama of this daily occurrence. Remarkably, the entire turnaround of hundreds of people and dozens of vehicles large & and small is so well organised, practised and choreographed that within 15 minutes the ship pulls away from the quayside and off through the outlying islands to the next timetabled stop.

Walking along the sunny jetty, camera in hand is a photographer’s dream.

Skiathos 2026

Another Jimny

I heard that real cameras are making a comeback now that many people have realised the limitations of mobile phone pictures. In a couple of weeks I saw a tiny handful of people using a real camera, a mobile phone the default for 99.9% of would be photographers. A shame really because it is impossible to better pictures from a SLR or mirrorless device with a couple of lenses.

A smart phone is convenient for instant editing, and is useful for everyday use and social media. However, a dedicated quality camera provides superior images from larger sensors, natural depth of field and complete manual control for all users, amateur or professional.

The hot weather made me stay indoors and revert to blogging for a change. Whether that means there will be Happy Days Part 3 is anyone's guess. Stay tuned to find out.

Saturday, June 29, 2024

Back To The Future

Yes, it’s true. Following public demand Another Bird Blog is back. Click the Pics. You know the drill.

Four months later and following a number of stuttering, lethargic attempts I hit the keyboard to bring an update on the trials and tribulations of an ageing ringer, birder and photographer.

It all began in December last with arthritis of a dodgy ankle that kicked in during a brutal morning at Oakenclough, unsavoury conditions that continued into 2024 with the wild and windy weather of January to May inclusive. Weather “experts” paid to promote dodgy data told us that May was “dry and very warm” but high energy bills and nearby flooded fields advised otherwise.

Seeing again our Greek friends and experiencing Philoxenia in early May became Priority Number One. The pain, hurt and sheer torment of TUI and Terminal Two of Manchester Airport is not something to recommend but the thought of two weeks of Greek hospitality, Greek food and Ouzo saw us through the anguish as we finally landed at JSI, Greece some seven hours after leaving FY6.

TUI

Our Jimny awaited whereby a detour from the airport to Slaventis Supermarket provided the essentials for the first afternoon and evening in Skiathos - orange juice, 6-pack water, ouzo and Metaxa, not necessarily in that order.

Slaventis, Skiathos

Slaventis' Ouzos

Room Number 4 at Dream House was ready as our hosts the charming Efie and dad Kostas poured us a glass of ice-cold Fix, a brew that tasted like beer, not gnat piss. We swapped hugs and kisses then unpacked for tomorrow.

Efie and Kostas

Fix

Dream House (Spiti Oneiro)

It was early May, when many migrant birds have already passed though Greece on their way to Northernmost Europe. March and April is the peak but as in Britain some linger while waifs, strays and residents entertain the few birders in evidence - one whole and a partly reluctant sun-loving Sue in our case.

The list is not huge but included a number of mouth watering possibilities for birders struggling back in wet and windy UK – Bee Eaters, Hobby, Marsh Warbler, Red-rumped and Common Swallows, Nightingale, Scops Owl, Little Owl, Little Bittern, Night Heron, Tawny Pipit, Red-backed Shrike, Yellow Wagtails, Wheatears and Spot Flys etc, etc.

Bee Eater

Black-crowned Night Heron

The travelling laptop tells a mixed tale of sunny, lazy days and recalcitrant birds. Not in any particular order but a taste, a feel of Skiathos.

Skiathos Town

The Greek flag together with symbols of Greece its culture and history are widespread. To mock Greece is to invite public opprobrium and worse. "Philoxenia" - φῐλοξενῐ́ᾱ meaning "friend to a stranger” is about much more than a warm welcome; it is a complex moral code with deep roots in Greek culture and Greek daily life.

Meanwhile in Western Europe and seemingly also in the US, there is an epidemic of cultural dementia coupled with a desire to obliterate our history and values. The Greek people don’t fall for such communist inspired claptrap.

Mylos Taverna

A quiet coffee morning in Papadiamantis Street

Early May at The Bourtzi

Feeding ducks

The Bourtzi

From The Boatyard

The Boatyard

Mylos Taverna

From Mylos

Sleeping in Skiathos

European Shag

Grey Heron

Yellow-legged Gulls

Out and About

Red-backed Shrike

Red-rumped Swallow

Whinchat

Night Heron and Little Bittern

Night Heron

It was three weeks later when deleting rubbish photos that I found the two herons just yards apart. I caught up with secretive Little Bitterns at other locations.