Thanks, guys!

Closing Notes Dips, highlights, and comments on the season There were a number of species I hoped to see but didn’t: I was too late, too early, or lacking more detailed info. These included Apollo, Balkan Fritillary, White-letter Hairstreak, other Graylings, Alcon Blue. The majority of species I sa...

Trip Summaries: Final Butterfly total: 88 species, of which roughly 49 cannot be regularly seen in the UK. Butterflies by area: Prespa lakes stops: about 60 species Mt. Varnous/Peristeri: 43 Mt. Vitsi (Oxia): (2 visits): 21 Mt. Kaimaktsalan: (1 visit): 20 Birds, 75 (4 lifers): a smallish but rather ...

Gratuitous abstract iphone shot posted there (see my flickr pages for more landscape/abstract photography)! Day 10, 5th July My last full day, so a rush around all the best local sites I found to see what if anything new I might turn up. First stop at the Pisoderi meadow Pisoderi Meadow 1440m plus, ...

Apologies for lack of updates: work intruding on my time… Last few days to follow shortly. Day 9, 4th July Today I decided to revist the locations around the lakes, visiting the Pyli areas again. The day started really well with a Lesser Purple Emperor on the ground by the car in the middle of Agios...

Day 8, 3rd July Today I revisited the Oxia ski centre on Mt Vitsi, this time journeying via Kastoria to avoid the dodgy road section mentioned previously. I took the opportunity to do a little more research on the location with my maps to find a few more plausible areas. A very quick stop at the Pe...

Day 7, 2nd July Today I took another trip further afield, to explore the higher altitudes of Mt. Kaimaktsalan, about 2 hours north-east of Florina, with a ski centre at the top, and treeline at just above 1800m. This was a location that I might have returned to, but in fact I didn’t – the higher al...

Great report Dave, I particularly like your lattice brown and Melaeger's blue ! I also enjoy reading your bird reports, North West Greece is an excellent area for wildlife. Some nice species that you've found there so far. Any dragonflies? Sylvie Many thanks for that! Dragonflies - yes, but I'm far...

Day 6, 1st July With rain again forecast from mid-afternoon, I decided to stay local and get in as much as I could before the weather turned (it didn’t, so I was in luck). I revisited the Pyli-Vrodero road, making some new stops. The weather started out overcast and damp. After a very brief visit t...

Day 5, 30th June The day’s plan was to visit the Latsista inlet from Oxya and revisit the first meadow/quarry area at Pyli. The weather, though, was overcast, and rain was forecast. I took the 4x4 up the track from Oxya through various meadows and woodland down to Latsista by Mikri Prespa. This was...

petesmith wrote:Great stuff Dave! Can't wait to hear what else you found during your trip.

Thanks for that. Next update...

Interlude:

A map (grab from Google Earth, showing Anavasi GPS maps and location pins), and some location images.
Worth also noting that streetview on Google Earth often comes up trumps for locations.

Day 4, 29th June Today I stayed relatively local to do more exploring. After overnight rain, the weather was sunny with clouds. My first stop was at a lower altitude, driving down the Kastoria turn and stopping along the Ladopotamos valley a little north of Korestia. Korestia track, 816m, 10am for ...

Day 3, Sunday 28th June Trip down to Oxia Ski Centre, Mt. Vitsi. I set out at 8.45 with the aim of arriving in the area at about 10am. Mt Vitsi is a promising mountain area just north of Kastoria, with beech forest opening out onto open pastureland at the top. I arrived on schedule, though the topmo...

Day 2, 27th June After breakfast I headed up towards Vigla ski centre on Peristeri past Pisoderi. En route I stopped at the Perivoli viewing area, which provides a nice view down over the lakes in the distance. This was an area I had scouted out on Google Earth. Perivoli Stop, 1128m, 09.25–about 10a...

Day-by-day diary, with day-lists and photos (butterfly lifers in bold/capitals) Day 1, 26th June I flew out of Heathrow in the early morning to arrive in Thessaloniki around lunchtime. I picked up my car, having paid extra for a full tank of fuel and Super Collision Damage Waiver. After a pretty lon...

North-West Greece Butterflies, 26th June to 6th July 2015 With many apologies for the delay in getting this set up, allow me to present the trip report for my recent visit to the North West Greece in search of butterflies. As previously with my postings relating to my 2012 trip ( here ), it will beg...

With apologies for the delay - much sorting of materials and photos and too much work - but hopefully over the next couple of weeks I'd be able to start posting a detailed report.
All best,
Dave

A quick heads-up that I'm currently in the Prespa Lakes area of North-West Greece, exploring the region for its beautiful butterflies. Once I'm back home I'll do a proper write-up of the trip - along the lines of my report for my trip to Southern Greece in July 2012 - , but I've started to post imag...

Many thanks for the advice. I'm now booked, so the trip should be going ahead, at the very end of June/first week in July. I'll be staying in Agios Germanos, by the Prespa Lakes, in the extreme north west of Greek Macedonia. I'm planning on day trips up Mt. Varnous (Peristeri) (basically just behind...