Newsletter 13

Notes on the Tilos Flora

[This article was written and very generously submitted by Wilfried Kaufmann, a specialist in the botanical sciences, in concert with Dr. Mario Broggi, a specialist in fauna, from the Principality of Lichtenstein.]

From April 18 through April 27, 2005, I had the opportunity to visit Tilos together with five friends. It was our annual expedition mostly to the Aegean, this being the 32rd expedition which date back to 1972. While preparing this expedition, we were delighted to contact Konstantinos Mentzelopoulos, Director of the Tilos Park Association and Coordinator of the Tilos Life-Nature Project. He proved to be an important assistant to us during our field work on Tilos flora and fauna.

Our expedition consisted of Dr. Mario Broggi, Dr. Peter Goop (fauna group), Dr. Christian Burri, Mag. Günther Stadler, Edith Waldburger and me (botanical group). We noted nearly 350 plant species, a great deal of which are of remarkable importance. The Flora List is now in the hands of Konstantinos, and I understand he will publish it on his Tilos Park Websites. This list is yet to be checked and should be confirmed by future botanists working on Tilos.

The Flora List demonstrates that the projected Tilos Park is a great opportunity to initiate the protection of the Flora in the Aegean region. We have been visiting many Islands in this region before, with mostly the same result:

·Destruction of nature in ancient and classic times already.

·This was followed by hundreds of years of overgrazing by sheep and goats.

·This leads to an impoverishment of flora and fauna.

·On the Aegean Islands we regretfully met manmade agricultural deserts in a landscape that normally might delight generations of nature and cultural tourism.

·In modern times, the destruction of vegetation was capped by the European authorities’ subsidizing the number of goats and sheep within their support program. This, however, has now been abandoned. Now there are subsidies for the reduction of the herds, and the flora can slowly recover from a very low level.

In judging the Tilos flora after our visit, I strongly recommend to pay utmost attention to the reduction of goats and sheep. This, in my view, is the crucial point if the Flora of Tilos shall be regenerated. Wherever there is a reasonable number of goats and sheep or even where grazing has been abandoned, nature returns in an astonishing manner within a short time in the Aegean region due to the fact that climatic conditions are nearly ideal. In order to determine the carrying capacity of goats and sheep, I understand a study has been initiated which will secure the ecological balance on the Island. As a matter-of-fact, a certain number of sheep or goats are necessary in order to avoid a total reforestation.

Tilos provides a floral potential that lets it rank among the most beautiful Aegean Islands. The number of inhabitants is still low, perhaps too low to create a long lasting community, and the destruction of the landscape due to building has not yet begun - with the exception of a few projects.

The following species found on Tilos seem to me remarkable:

·Asteriscus maritimus is represented in a way I never met before in the Aegean.

·Cyperus capitatus at the beach of Eristos: Very strong plants.

·Eryngium maritimum at the beach of Eristos. The same goes for this species.

·Inula verbascifolia ssp heterolepis is a botanical rock jewel on Tilos. Maybe on further investigation there might also grow I. candida or even both interlinked.

·Knautia integrifolia ssp. mimica is widespread as never seen before in the Aegean.

·Ophrys: We had difficulties in determining species belonging to the Ophrys blitopertha group. We had to contact European experts in order to examine this genus. We shall deliver the results in due course. All in all we found 8 species of Ophrys which is far more than hitherto known and published in the literature.

·We found quite a number of new Orchid species which we shall publish later after thorough examination.

·Phlomis floccosa: This very special plant has its roots in Africa and was known from Karpathos. We found P. floccosa on Tilos, too.

·Pistacia terebinthus ssp. palaestina: This tree which produces the famous Pistacia nutlets is widespread on Tilos. However, we doubt whether it is really this subspecies as indicated in the literature. We think it is rather ssp. vera since the leaves were glabrous.

·Plantago: We found 7 species which is remarkable on such a small Island.

·Quercus: We found 5 species, one of which is described as Qu. aucheri in the literature as an endemic species. This, however, should be reviewed since the trees we examined had a clear vicinity to Qu. coccifera.

·Rosularia serrata: Only on rare occasions we met R. serrata on the Islands. Yet on Tilos we found this plant in a cave near Gera.

·Securigera securidaca: The specimen we met were quite larger than known from other sites. Maybe after examination this could be a variation. The habitus seemed to be a bit different.

·Serapias: We found S. bergonii, S. orientalis and S. parviflora, of which S. orientalis is remarkable.

·Sideritis: One of the cosiest looking “pet” plants was Sideritis lanata with its tomentose, fine indumentum of very, very fine hairs. Sideritis curvidens, too, is a remarkable species.

·Silene conica: This species undergoes conspicuous changes from anthesis to the fruit. We found some outstanding species at the beach of Eristos.

·Trifolium: Out of the 7 species we found, T. speciosum was very impressive.

·Valerianella vesicara: This plant inflates its calyx after anthesis and shows its fruit like a ball. We never before found such abundance.

Actually it goes without saying that our stay of a bit more than a week cannot result in a scientifically based Flora of Tilos. Yet we have listed what we met on our excursions. I figure that many more species can be found on Tilos if one day botanists will undertake field studies all year round.

In general, I think that the Flora of Tilos represents a remarkable variety. The Flora of Tilos is such a natural treasure that the activities to create a Tilos Park are well founded. I congratulate the Park Organisation on their difficult, but fruitful work, especially our friend Konstantinos Mentzelopoulos.

[We would like to welcome Wilfried Kaufmann, Dr. Mario Broggi and Dr. Peter Goop from the Principality of Lichtenstein as new and valued members of the Tilos Park Association.]

Greece and Turkey must work together to protect the Aegean Sea!

[The following article is based upon facts and text presented in a recent newsletter published by ARION-Cetacean Rescue & Rehabilitation Research Center and submitted to us by Dr. Aimilia Drougas, a marine biologist who is a founding member of the Tilos Park Association and serves on its Board of Directors.]

On May 18th, 2005, a regrettable scene depicting a mass stranding of small sea mammals on the Greek island of Samothrace in the Northern Aegean was reported to the ARION-Cetacean Rescue & Rehabilitation Research Center. [A cetacean is defined as an order of fish-like water mammals with paddle-like forelimbs, including whales, porpoises and dolphins.]

Like Tilos, the island of Samothrace is surrounded by deep sea with steep slopes and valleys. It is a natural passage for many small cetaceans or porpoises like bottlenose dolphins, striped dolphins, common dolphins, harbor porpoises, Risso’s dolphins as well as larger whales like Cuvier’s beaked whales, sperm whales and fin whales. ARION’s field cetacean monitoring has documented a local population of a few hundred common dolphins feeding around the island on tuna and small fry and interacting with humans on a very playful, curious and non-aggressive basis.

Following the report of this stranding incident, a representative from the Fisheries Research Institute and a team of scientists collaborating with ARION sailed to Samothrace Island to conduct autopsies and perform biopsies on the dead cetaceans to obtain laboratory tissue samples. The scientific findings concluded that twelve young striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba), one Risso’s dolphin (Grampus griseus), a shark, and 19 tunas together with smaller fry died as a result of being entangled in a 1-kilometer-long drift net.

The facts in association with this incident as reported by the authorities raise our continuing concern about the urgent need for Greece and Turkey to work together for the protection of our common natural heritage and to control the destructive fishing methods by which many dolphins, porpoises and whales die prematurely every year in the Aegean Sea. The European Union has banned drift nets which have been dubbed “walls of death” by the international environmental community. Although fishing with drift nets is forbidden in Greece and heavy penalties may be imposed on those who violate the law, there are regularly reports of illegal fishing using “longer than the usual mesh”, explosives, dynamite, gas and noise which some fishermen irresponsibly use and it is already documented that cetaceans face increasing threats from pollution, oil spills, guns, harpoons and poisoning. It is estimated that approximately thirty per cent (30%) of the cases of stranded cetaceans in Greece between the years 1983-2000 died as a direct result of illegal fishing according to ARION’s findings. From these cases, the bottlenose dolphins were the most threatened species (50%) followed by the striped (25%) and the common dolphins (10%).

Samothrace, which lies only a few kilometers off the Turkish coast, has a small fishing fleet and its Coastguard alleges that these Greek fishermen do not use driftnets. In this stranding incident, the investigating authorities reported that the net was found to have floaters containing Turkish batteries that are not sold in Greece. However, it should be noted that without conclusive evidence of the identity of the fisherman who bought and used these batteries, it is not possible to ascertain with certainty the nationality of the fishermen who used these fishing nets and, whether the use was lawful or unlawful depending upon the location of usage.

The report went on to state that the fishnets had been abandoned and thereafter drifted in international waters between Turkey and Greece for ten days before they were carried away by strong currents that brought them to a location off the coast of Samothrace. Based upon the certainty of time during which these nets were reported to have drifted in international waters between the two countries, one might ask whether the Greek or the Turkish Coastguards were even aware of these drifting nets and, if they were, whether the observers felt the responsibility or had the authority to collect the nets. Due to the large number of written reports concerning illegal and dangerous fishing methods in the Aegean as documented by NGO’s and in consideration of reports such as the one contained in this story, the sufficiency of coast guard staff and/or the efficiency of the Aegean patrols appear to be a subject for debate and resolution that should address current needs. A question comes to mind: Are the Turkish and Greek Coastguards cooperating in mapping and defining patrol areas, professional responsibilities as well as internationally recognized maritime law upon which both countries agree? Defining and implementing mutually approved Aegean patrol policies for the purpose of preserving the ethos and professional integrity of the global Coastguard establishment irrespective of politics is something that the citizens of Aegean countries and Mediterranean countries deserve. Anything less than the foregoing standard would reflect inefficiency and irresponsibility on the part of those professionally paid Greek and Turkish government representatives to whom our maritime safety and natural heritage have been entrusted. If scores of sea mammals are at risk and die from unlawful dangers (such as fishermen using explosives) as reported by scientists on an all too frequent basis as mentioned above without any corresponding official reports or implementation of maritime law, how can the maritime authorities in both countries reassure us with proof that our human safety interests in the Aegean are not neglected as well?

ARION is a non-profit research center located in Thessalonica, Greece, devoted to the rescue, rehabilitation and re-introduction of cetaceans stranded along the coast. The Arion Research Center can be contacted at: [email protected]

A Very, Very Rare Sighting Excites Bird Watchers on Tilos

It was two o’clock in the afternoon of April 19, 2005, when one of our Founding Members and long time Tilos resident, Dr. Enrico Cavina, a retired surgeon, sat down for a light lunch on his beautiful bougainvillea covered veranda overlooking Livadia Bay. What he did not know at the time was that he would soon be treated to a very, very rare historical sight.

At first glance, he could see the richly colorful European Bee-eaters (Merops apiaster) painting the sky above Livadia with their fleeting brushstrokes of blue, yellow, red and gray. This sight by itself is not at all unusual because these birds appear every year by the dozens as they hunt for insects to give them strength to continue their migration that takes them from Sub-Sahara Africa to northern Europe for the summer.

Bee-eaters have held a very special place in Dr. Cavina’s heart since he conducted a long term study of this species in the Pisa area of Italy some years ago. He has studied every aspect of their life including breeding, feeding, migration and socialization. He also has a rare collection of photographs taken while he was “undercover” for longer periods than his back and legs would have comfortably preferred. As a result, it is relatively easy for him to observe and recognize the European Bee-eaters’ behavioral and physical characteristics such as hunting high up with straight-winged glides and brief periods of fast wing beats, or flying in long shallow undulations. The adult European Bee-eater is approximately 25 – 29 cm in length and has a bright yellow throat, yellowish-white shoulder patches and a reddish-brown crown and back.

While enjoying this colorful scene of art in motion, his attention was diverted to ten green Bee-eaters who were hunting bees directly above his veranda. As he looked more carefully, he was surprised and delighted to discover that they were the rare Blue-cheeked Bee-eaters (Merops persicus). He immediately brought his camera to photograph and thus document this rare sighting of a species identified as “Vagrants” in The Complete Guide to the Birds of Europe by Mullarney, Svensson, Zetterstrom and Grant (published 2000). Vagrants are defined as “Those species which have been recorded only a few times within the region treated, which largely corresponds to the Western Palearctic. … As a rule, this means 3-9 records in total during the twentieth century.” As further described in the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds: Complete Birds of Britain and Europe by Rob Hume, vagrants “occur only very rarely in Europe”. The Western Palearctic region includes Europe, part of the Middle East and part of northern Africa.

Blue-cheeked Bee-eaters are almost entirely green and approximately 28 -32 cm in length which is almost same size as the European Bee-eater but with longer and narrower tail projections. They have rusty red under wings like the European bee-eater so identifying the bird from below while the bird is in flight is extremely difficult, unless the tail projection is clearly visible. They have a red-brown throat patch with a little yellow on the chin. They live in Africa, the Sinai and Arabian Peninsulas and the Caspian Sea.

Dr. Cavina carefully obtained his photographs, immediately wrote a letter explaining in detail and number what he had observed with the corresponding date and time, sent that letter along with the photographs to the Director of the Tilos Park Association who promptly forwarded that communication to the Hellenic Ornithological Society and Bird Life International for verification and confirmation of the accuracy of the discovery. Dr. Cavina may have missed lunch, but he definitely made history. Our congratulations to you, sir.

[This Blue-cheeked Bee-eater sighting on Tilos is significant and may be one of the largest ever observed in Europe.]

Ambassador of Sweden Scales New Heights!

The Ambassador of Sweden to Greece, the Honorable Marten Grunditz and his lovely wife, Maine, sailed into Livadia this last month to tour the island, do some hiking, swimming, bird watching and meet with Mayor Aliferis about their mutual Swedish-Greek business interests. The Ambassador and his wife were accompanied on Tilos by Andreas Andreadis, Consul General of Sweden in Rhodes, whose multi-lingual skills, European professional business expertise and enthusiasm for athletics complemented the visit by the Honorable and Mrs.Grunditz wherever they went on the island.

Ambassador Grunditz and Mayor Aliferis also combined business with pleasure during their adventurous climb to the top of one of the island’s mountains to see the newly constructed vacation hideaway for physically fit holiday makers. The guest suite was built on the site of a former tower which served as an observatory equipped with large industrial size mirrors used to communicate with people on the neighboring island of Nissyros during periods when defense of territory was unfortunately made a municipal priority. The romantic tale that accompanies the reason for building this stone tower is that the wife of the Italian Commander stationed on Tilos at the time was so beautiful that her husband needed an isolated place to protect her from “unwarranted attentions” from the men on the island who found her beauty to be unparalleled. Today, those who follow the path to the top of this mountain will be rewarded with breathtaking panoramic views of the island and the crystal blue Aegean sea.

Ambassador Grunditz is an avid sailor and keen sportsman as well as a worthy and extremely knowledgeable advocate of the finest goods and services that Sweden has to offer the international marketplace. We look forward to having the pleasure of the couple’s intended visit again this fall when the avian migration season through Tilos to Africa is quite a sight worth seeing.

Island Youth Celebrates Life

The Greeks have been represented throughout recent history as a culture that truly knows how to celebrate life. There is one island resident who has demonstrated an enthusiasm, a passion, and an undeterred determination to learn about the island’s natural treasures and save those that are in trouble.

His name is Aristotle Hadzifoudas, or Tellis as his friends call him. He is the manager of the Nitsa Apartments, En Plo Café and Mini Market in Eristos Beach. His credits include the sighting and reporting of endangered or rare migratory birds on Tilos, and he has even enthusiastically transported some of us on the island to the birds’ locations so that we could share in the rare or special sightings. He is also a dancer and entertainer for the Tilos Cultural Association in his spare time.

His sightings during which he has invited islanders to share the viewings include: One adult Purple Heron (Ardea purpurea) on March 24, 2005 and three juvenile Purple Heron on May 3, 2005 [status: vulnerable]; Four adult and one juvenile Gray Heron (Ardea cinerea) on March 24, 2005; one Western Reef Egret (Egretta gularis) on April 10, 2005, that traditionally resides in such areas as the South Sinai, Red Sea coastal area, Eilat and Suez as well as Senegal; Two Red-billed Choughs (Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax) [status: vulnerable] on April 10, 2005; One Hoopoe (Upupa epops) on April 10, 2005; and One Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis) on April 19, 2005.

His latest rescue with a ladder that he carried on his motor scooter was a weakened baby Scops Owl (Otus scops) whose mother had disappeared three days earlier and whose sibling had fallen out of the abandoned nest on the morning of the rescue. In accordance with the Tilos Park Association guidelines, the conditions of the baby owls were immediately reported to Dr. Anastasia Komninou of the Veterinary School of the Thessalonica University and Filippos Dragoumis, Director of the Wildlife Hospital in Aegina, who offered instructions on the care and feeding of these infants. Immediately after the rescue, Tellis volunteered to bring fresh raw chicken from the En Plo Café in Eristos Beach to the TPA Rescue Center for the baby owls in accordance with the dietary instructions and thereafter he returned to work. We are pleased to report that the little ones appear to be in good condition despite the absence of food and the corresponding stress imposed as a result of the mother’s unfortunate disappearance.

Tellis has shown a genuine enthusiasm for sighting, reading about and preserving the natural heritage that surrounds us every day here in the Aegean. His wealth of experience with eco-tourists who frequent the café, mini-market and hostelry that he manages has provided first hand knowledge about what Tilos tourists are interested in seeing. He is an example of what responsible and responsive entrepreneurial management truly means. In simple marketing terms, he provides tourists with information and tourist destinations that are the subject of their visit. Perhaps his contributions to Tilos will serve as a humble reminder to those serving in government offices throughout Greece that the current young generation of professionally employed citizens of the Dodecanese already understand the dynamics of ecotourism and have acted in furtherance of the prosperity to be gained by everyone.

We Need Your Support

Please, consider becoming a Member of the Tilos Park Association. For just €30 per year, your membership will add strength to our voice in the preservation of the natural heritage of Tilos. To receive a membership application package, please send an e-mail to [email protected]