DRAGON ARUM (Dracunculus vulgaris) Akrotiri Peninsula, Crete, Greece

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The Dragon Arum (Dracunculus vulgaris) is a tuberous perennial
plant in the family Araceae which is in the genus Dracunculus. Alternative names include the Black Arum, Black Dragon, Black Lily, Common Dracunculus, Dragon Arum Lily, Dragonwort, Ragons, Snake Lily, Stink Lily and Voodoo Lily. It is the largest arum found in Europe with a height of up to 1.5m and a spread of 1.0m. It is native to Southeast Europe and occurs in the Balkans, Greece including the island of Crete, Southwest Turkey and the Aegean Islands. It is absent from Cyprus. It has been introduced to other parts of Europe as well as Canada and the USA. It also grown as a ornamental garden plant.
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BLUE ROCK THRUSH [Male] (Monticola solitarius) Kokino Chorio, Crete, Greece

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The Blue Rock Thrush (Monticola solitarius) is in the Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae which is in the genus Monticola. Although superficially thrush-like in appearance, it is a species of chat that was formerly placed in the thrush family Turdidae. It breeds in  northwest Africa, southern Europe and across central Asia in a narrow band to Japan. There are five races or sub species recognised. The western population is sedentary but the eastern population is mainly migratory, wintering in sub Saharan Africa and southern Asia.
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EURASIAN COLLARED DOVE (Streptopelia decaocto) Palaiochora Harbour, Palaiochora, Crete, Greece

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The Eurasian Collared Dove (Streptopelia decaocto) is of the family Columbidae which is in the genus Streptopelia.

Over the last 150 years or so this dispersive species has greatly expanded its original range which stretched from Turkey eastwards to southern China and the Indian sub-continent. The first record for Europe was from Bulgaria in 1838 and by the end of the 20th century it had colonised the rest of Europe with the exception of Iceland but including the Canary Islands as well as the North African countries from Morocco to Egypt and parts of the Middle East. First record for Britain was in 1953 followed by the first for Ireland in 1958.   

To the east of its original range, it has also spread northeast to most of central and northern China as well as Japan. 

In 1974, less than 50 escaped from captivity in the Bahama Islands and from there it spread to Florida. It is now found in nearly every state in the USA, as well as in Mexico. 
 

Patrick J, O'Keeffe / Raw Birds

(EASTERN) BLACK EARED WHEATEAR [Male] (Oenanthe hispanica subspecies O. h. melanoleuca) Cape Kutri, Kisamos district, Crete, Greece

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The Black-eared Wheatear (Oenanthe hispanica) is a migratory passerine in the family Muscicapidae which is in the genus Oenanthe. Two subspecies are recognised, the Western Black-eared Wheatear (Oenanthe hispanica hispanica) breeds in Northwest Africa, the Iberian Peninsula, Southeast France, Italy, Slovenia and Croatia. and the Eastern Black-eared Wheatear (Oenanthe hispanica melanoleuca) occurs in the rest of the Balkans eastwards to the Caspian Sea and south as far as Iran. Some males of both subspecies are of the pale throat-ed form. It winters in sub Saharan Africa.

CRETAN FESTOON BUTTERFLY (Zerynthia (Allancastria) cretica) male at Cape Kutri, Phalasarna, Crete, Greece

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The Cretan Festoon Butterfly (Zerynthia (Allancastria) cretica) is an Old World swallowtail butterfly of the family Papilionidae which is in the genus Allancastria. This endemic species is found only on the Greek island of Crete but some authorities consider it to be a subspecies of the Eastern Festoon (Allancastria cerisyi) and give it the scientific name (Allancastria cerisyi cretica).  

Having overwintered as a chrysalis, the butterfly emerges from mid-March. The flight season can extend into early June. Eggs are layed on Birthworts (Aristolochiae).Two species occur on Crete which are also the larval food plants, Dutchman’s Pipe (Aristolochia sempervirens) and Cretan Dutchman’s Pipe (Aristolochia cretica) which is endemic to Crete as well as Karpathos.

 

Patrick J. O'Keeffe / Raw Birds

POPPY [CROWN] ANEMONE (Anemone coronaria) Samariá Gorge, Mousoures, Crete, Greece

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The Poppy Anomone (Anemone coronaria) is a perennial plant in the family Ranunculaceae which is in the genus Anemone. Alternative names are Crown Anomone or Spanish Marigold. This tuberous herbaceous flowering plant is the commonest anemone that occurs over most parts of the Mediterranean Region. The flowering period is January to April. Height is 35 to 75mm and flower colours include blue, lavender, pink, purple and red. It is widely cultivated as a garden plant.

SAMARIA GORGE Σφακιά, Chora Sfakion 730 11, Crete, Greece

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The Samariá Gorge is a National Park on the Greek island of Crete and  is also a World's Biosphere Reserve. It became a national park in 1962, as a refuge for the rare Kri-Kri, the local name of the wild Cretan Goat (Capra aegagrus cretica) which is largely restricted to the park and an islet off the northwest coast at Agia Marina. The gorge is the best location on Crete to see the Bearded Vulture (Gypaetus barbatus) also known as Lammergeier or Ossifrage,
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samari%C3%A1_Gorge

 Samariá National Park, Western Crete, Greece 

 

COMMON CHAFFINCH (Fringilla coelebs subspecies F. c. schiebeli) male, Agia Marina, Crete, Greece

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The Common Chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs) is a small tree nesting finch in the family Fringillidae which is in the genus Fringilla. It is commonly found throughout Europe (but is absent from Iceland), Western Asia and parts of North Africa. The northern populations are migratory and winters in the southern part of the range. There are many subspecies recognised including Fringilla coelebs schiebeli which occurs on Crete as well as in Southern Greece and Turkey. 

 

Patrick J. O'Keeffe / Raw Birds

WESTERN (ROMANIAN) YELLOW WAGTAIL (Male) (Motacilla flava subspecies M. f. dombrowskii) Palaiochora Harbour, Palaiochora, Crete, Greece

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The Western Yellow Wagtail (Motacilla flava) is of the family Motacillidae, which includes longclaws, pipits and wagtails. It is a summer resident in the temperate regions of Western Asia and Europe which migrates south in early autumn to winter in southern Asia and Africa. Up to 20 subspecies are recognised including the Romanian Yellow Wagtail (Motacilla flava dombrowskii).

WHITE SPOTTED ROSE BEETLE (Oxythyrea funesta) Cape Kutri, Phalasarna, Crete, Greece

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The White Spotted Rose Beetle (Oxythyrea funesta) is plant eating (phytophagous) beetle in the family Cetonidae which is in the genus Oxythyrea. It is also known as The Mediterranean Spotted Chafer. Over wintering larvae, which feed on plant roots, emerge as beetles in late Spring. They feed on the flowers of a wide variety of plants up until early Autumn. 
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Distribution
Albania, Andorra, Austria, Balearic Is., Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canary Is., Channel Is., Corsica, Croatia, Czech Republic, European Turkey, French mainland, Germany, Greek mainland, Hungary, Italian mainland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malta, North Aegean Is., Poland, Portuguese mainland, Romania, Russia Central, Russia East, Russia South, Sardinia, Sicily, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spanish mainland, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Ukraine, Yugoslavia, Near East, North Africa (Fauna Europaea 2013). 
Source: Stefanelli S, Della Rocca F, Bogliani G (2014) Saproxylic beetles of the Po plain woodlands, Italy. Biodiversity Data Journal 2: e1106. doi: 10.3897/BDJ.2.e1106Saproxylic beetles of the Po plain woodlands, Italy