Category Archives: Wildlife

Greece: Nisyros spring

Posted on May 13, 2018 by BarryH

As intended, after my earlier-than-planned visit to Symi I returned home to resume sorting out my vegetable and fruit garden ready to leave for the summer, a task helped by four days of unusually warm and sunny weather. Having planted … Continue reading →

Posted in Greece, Hiking, Landscape, Mountains, Nature, Photography, Spring, Wildlife | Tagged fauna, Flora, flowering plants, Greece, Nisyros | 3 Comments

Greece: Symi spring

Posted on April 27, 2018 by BarryH

Having made the most of the snow in the unusually prolonged winter (the last blog post) my intended trip to Greece and Spring was brought forward by a few weeks. The sudden and unexpected death of a very good friend … Continue reading →

Posted in Greece, Grey Britain, Hiking, Landscape, Mountains, Nature, Photography, Spring, Weather, Wildlife | Tagged air fares, Dragon Arum, Flora, flowers, Greece, lizards, Painted Dragon, spring, Symi, tortoises | Leave a comment

Banff, Canada: walking on water

Posted on February 28, 2018 by BarryH

I’m back home now but still reminiscing about the trip to Banff. It was comparatively mild compared to previous winters when we have been there, afternoon temperatures getting up to a toasty -50C though much colder overnight and most days … Continue reading →

Posted in Canada, Hiking, Landscape, Mountains, Nature, Photography, Wildlife, Winter | Tagged 40 Mile Creek, Banff, Banff National Park, Bow River, Canada, canadian rockies, Cave and Basin, cougar, frozen river, hot springs, Lynx, river ice, snow, snow tracks | Leave a comment

Banff, Canada: The Hoodoos Trail

Posted on January 21, 2018 by BarryH

Though skiing has been the main focus of my visits to the Canadian Rockies since I first came for Christmas 2010 they have always been about more than that. Especially so since I invested in a pair of ice cleats … Continue reading →

Posted in Canada, Hiking, Landscape, Mountains, Nature, Photography, Weather, Wildlife, Winter | Tagged Banff, Banff National Park, Bow Falls, Bow Falls-Hoodoos Trail, Bow River, Canada, cougar, Hoodoos, Mount Rundle, Winter trekking | 1 Comment

Nisyros: scratching the surface

Posted on August 3, 2017 by BarryH

Sandwiched between spending time on Symi I hopped a little further north in the Dodecanese to spend a couple of weeks on Nisyros. Google it and you will see lots of photos of ‘The Volcano’ and the Paleocastro, both very … Continue reading →

Posted in Greece, Hiking, History, Landscape, Mountains, Nature, Photography, Reflections, Wildlife | Tagged caldera, earthquake, Emborios, fumaroles, Grass snake, Greece, lava, lava stacks, Nikia, Nisyros, Nyfios, Scarce Swallowtail, seismic fissures, sulphur, Symi, Volcano | 2 Comments

Symi: it’s good to be back

Posted on May 7, 2017 by BarryH

I didn’t manage to get the issues sorted out which prevented me coming back to Symi in April as planned but I bit the bullet, cut the Gordion knot, took the bull by the horns, and came back on 3 … Continue reading →

Posted in Greece, Hiking, Landscape, Mountains, Nature, Photography, Spring, Wildlife | Tagged Butterflies, Dragon Arum, flora and fauna, Greece, poppies, Symi, thistles, tortoise, views | 1 Comment

Symi, Greece: Looking back and looking forward

Posted on March 26, 2017 by BarryH

In early April in recent years I have headed to Greece for the summer. Not possible this year because of various ongoing issues. There is still a degree of uncertainty about when I’ll get back to the islands but, trying … Continue reading →

Posted in Greece, Landscape, Mountains, Nature, Photography, Spring, Wildlife | Tagged fortifications, Greece, Holy Orchid, limestone landscape, mantis, Oertzeni lizard, Orchis sancta, Scarce Swallowtail, Symi, water sources, wild flowers | 2 Comments

Symi: focus ….. and losing it

Posted on November 30, 2016 by BarryH

I don’t consider myself an adrenalin junkie, though I know some who disagree. But one thing which I have learned from ‘adrenalin sports’ (white water kayaking, paragliding, climbing ….) is the importance of maintaining focus. Lose it and there are … Continue reading →

Posted in Greece, Hiking, Landscape, Mountains, Nature, Photography, Wildlife | Tagged adrenalin sports, Agia Paraskevi, ancient olive press, bees, Caetopelma Aegyptiacum, dehydration, eucalyptus trees, Greece, honey, kalderimi, photography, Symi, Symi Spider, trekking | Leave a comment

Nisyros: All in a day’s trek

Posted on September 3, 2016 by BarryH

I have been back to the UK planning to continue the blog about treks on Symi but mundane stuff got in the way. Now I’m on Nisyros and as always blown away by this place. Been out in the mountains … Continue reading →

Posted in Greece, Hiking, Landscape, Nature, Photography, Wildlife | Tagged ancient houses, archaeology, bats, caldera, craters, drought, fumaroles, Greece, horseshoe bats, mountains, Nisyros, seismic fissure, snakes, snakeskin, sulphur, Symi, Volcano | 5 Comments

Wales and Greece: life on the wild side

Posted on April 7, 2016 by BarryH

I first became fascinated by birds of prey when I was a research student and lived with friends in a tiny former lead-mining village in the mountains inland of Aberystwyth. The closest house was about half a mile away. The … Continue reading →

Posted in Greece, Hiking, Mountains, Nature, Photography, Wildlife | Tagged Aegina, bird calls, Bonelli's eagles, brecon beacons national park, Buzzard, Eleonora's Falcon, Golden Eagle, Greece, Imperial Eagle, kestrel, Little Owl, Mid Wales, Nisyros, ornithology, paragliding, photography, Red Kite, Sparrowhawk, Symi, The Mani, Tilos, trekking, Wales | 1 Comment