David Maitland - Lake Prespa, Macedonia III

18th – 24th June, 2009
The mountains of Galičica National Park dominate the west side of Macro Prespa Lake. Clouds hang ominously over the ridge feeding the oak-cloaked east slope with rain. Mountain pastures are at their best as we drive through the clouds. A cold front followed us to Stenje bringing with it rain and storms. Snow still clings to steep crevices along the mountain pass.

Days are spent on the mountain above Stenje, a small rural village hugging the north west corner of macro Prespa Lake, taking pictures of butterflies including Checkered skippers, beautiful Fritillaries, Marbled whites and Blues, all amongst the wildflowers – purple carnations, yellow and white yarrows,  and with each step the scent of herbs – heaven! An unusual neuropteran – an owl-fly, Ascalaphus libelluloides, with spectacular black and yellow markings, hawks for flies above my head. Later I manage a shot when it comes down to rest on grass - weird, primitive and a close relative of mayflies. Moths and giant crickets, reveal themselves later, all to the chorus of cuckoos.

Macro Prespa Lake is well known for its rich bird life. We saw a yellow oriole flying above trees along the shoreline, and watched amazed as a brown eagle swooped headlong down the slope of the mountain in front of us. We enjoyed coffee in the evening to the sounds of a little owl screeching from its nest above our heads in the roof of our hotel in Stenje. Afternoons were epitomized by the jingle of 6 cows and their bells as they munched on the lakeside meadow  – the natural grass cutters.
The shore of Macro Prespa Lake was overrun with toadlets and froglets. So many, we had to watch where we walked; emerging from the lake to march up the sand away from their parents who have a tendency towards cannibalism. White pelicans soared the thermals and bullied cormorants for their fish, and egrets grunted as they flew parallel to the shore line to stand in the water, spearheaded, well adapted for catching frogs and fish.

The Macro Prespa Lake frogs were green - I photographed their gorgeous patterned skin along with their frowning faces. One night, at about 3 am, I woke up to claps of thunder and lightening so bright that the room stayed illuminated for what seemed like seconds, whilst images of lightening bolts burned on my retina, sheet lightening shone above. I went outside to take pictures and stumbled over a European green toad on the doorstep. The most remarkable thing about this gorgeous green-patched toad was its chirpy sing-song as I moved it out of harm’s way - the first “talking toad” that I have come across – delightful.
The trip has been note worthy for the lack of snakes, perhaps because of the cold ambient temperature, high altitude, and rain! We did find a beautiful intact shed skin from a large whip snake threaded through the holes a hand made clay brick.  Lizards, however, were a little more obliging as they dozed off while basking in brief flashes of afternoon sun on the sandy lakeshore.
The trip has not been without its moments of adrenaline. A very large wasp - a good 5 cm long with a massive orange head and tiger-striped abdomen buzzed around my head scaring the living day lights out of me! This Mammoth wasp was as large and impressive as any fearsome wasp I have seen in tropical Jungles around the world.
The persistent rains brought out large edible snails. I spent some time lying on my belly trying to capture the snail’s tiny pinhole-camera eye and its “bunny-rabbit” face.

Macedonia has been remarkable for its rich diversity of wild flowers and insect life. Farming practices appeared traditional and “low-tech” - overgrown areas were scythed rather than being treated with deadly herbicides or mowers. I made a series of pictures (plants were collected from roadside scythe cuttings, and butterflies were picked off the road having been killed by passing traffic) to highlight the apparent contempt we tend to have for common things - here they are the “weeds” persecuted and excluded from our countryside for the sake of “agriculture” and flower beds for the sake of “gardening”. Yet by doing this, we endanger and remove all the other organisms that depend on them for their existence. It is no wonder that bees are in serious trouble throughout Europe. It seemed to me that the countryside in Macedonia is a mirror into the past and a reminder of how much biodiversity we have lost in the UK and other parts of Europe as a result of damaging “modern” farming practices.

David Maitland / Wild Wonders of Europe

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