Well the old saying is that good things come to those that wait and eventually my patience paid off. Out at first light
I was first to arrive at the headland where I'd also cross paths with joggers and hikers but on this particular morning a car arrived. You could get a vehicle over a very narrow bridge if you came from a different direction but the track was very rough too and I wasn't going to risk damaging my hire car. This particular car had a couple in it and they gave me a look over with my big lens as they continued on to the beach less than 100 yards away. I paid little attention to what they were doing and continued staring at a bush where I hoped a warbler would appear.
Then I spied a raptor heading my way so I quickly moved down the track a little to get a clear view in preparation for it flying past.
What I saw almost distracted me from getting the shot. The young lady , a vision of beauty too, was stripped off completely naked and posing for shots on the beach. I was mesmerised for a second or was it a minute..time flies but I regained my composure and like a true pro got the shot of the Sparrowhawk !
Armed with my 500mm with a 1.4TC attached the young lady would appear pretty large in the frame. Did I take a photo as a keepsake? I will leave you to think about what you would have done in such circumstances and I'm not telling what I decided to do. It's not often you see a sight of such beauty though and she was obviously a professional model. As a couple of hikers appeared she put some clothes on and to be honest looked even more alluring!
That young lady might have got the vote for best bird of the stay had it not been for this one!
I had spotted a small flock of House Sparrows feeding on the ground as I drove past but the minute I stopped the car the birds all flew.
All flew bar one!
The way it moved on the ground it was instantly recognisable as being a Lark of some description.
A view from the front helps narrow down the ID from Lesser to Greater Short-toed Lark
They are actually the same size so where the name came from is a mystery to me.
The only other candidate is Calandra Lark but that is a bigger chunkier bird compared to this one.
So, Greater Short-toed it is! Definitely the best photography subject I had all week as I have never photographed one before.
In terms of new birds altogether, the only "lifer" for me was a Shearwater.
I was lucky to spot it really as I don't usually carry binoculars with me because of the extra weight but on this day I did and I was actually watching a yacht passing through the straits when I spotted the bird. Again, skimming over the waves in Shearwater style I couldn't claim a specific species but to my delight when I put the shot on computer I can enlarge it sufficiently to clearly see it's a Scopoli's Shearwater.
and with that addition I fulfilled my estimate of 5 new birds for the year from the trip!
This was never a trip about birding, it was hopefully about some sunshine and good food.
It delivered in bucketfulls.
The birding was secondary and for me a distraction as I find lying on a sunbed boring. In fact this is the first "family" holiday I can remember in years when I have never so much as sat on one!
I did manage the pool though and during the course of the stay built up my fitness quite considerably, my record breaking attempt at non stop lengths was only interrupted when I rescued a Preying Mantis from drowning!
Having a car was a great bonus and one I would recommend if you have ambitions to get about.
Corfu is a stunning island but it's not without it's problems.
It appears they have a huge ongoing refuse problem as they have no more landfill sites and so the rubbish isn't being collected. The only alternative is that islanders now take the rubbish and dump it away from where they live( for the most parts). It didn't impact on me as a tourist but for some it's very off putting.
The length of fly tipping outside a neighbouring resort was over 100yards long but the volume was largest outside Roda where we were staying.
Any attempts to re-cycle have been abandoned and in the rubbish you also have used toilet paper as it can't be flushed down the pan in Greece.
All in all it's not good for anyone and I felt particularly sorry for local residents who found themselves in a situation where fly tipping was very close to their homes, The stench was not pleasant and ultimately it's becoming a big health risk.
Will the solution be found? Who knows but right now it doesn't seem to be damaging tourist numbers but it can't be allowed to continue.
So, would I recommend Corfu?
As a holiday destination?
Yes. Ticked all the boxes.
As a birding destination?
The jury is out! I think spring would be better than autumn but there are better Meditteranean islands to visit if birding is the objective.
As a 10 day break out of season you need to get lucky with the weather and we certainly did.
Would I return?
We'll see! If that price came up again I'd certainly snap it up!
For now though, just good memories.
So, until next time.....
cheers
Dave
I was first to arrive at the headland where I'd also cross paths with joggers and hikers but on this particular morning a car arrived. You could get a vehicle over a very narrow bridge if you came from a different direction but the track was very rough too and I wasn't going to risk damaging my hire car. This particular car had a couple in it and they gave me a look over with my big lens as they continued on to the beach less than 100 yards away. I paid little attention to what they were doing and continued staring at a bush where I hoped a warbler would appear.
Then I spied a raptor heading my way so I quickly moved down the track a little to get a clear view in preparation for it flying past.
What I saw almost distracted me from getting the shot. The young lady , a vision of beauty too, was stripped off completely naked and posing for shots on the beach. I was mesmerised for a second or was it a minute..time flies but I regained my composure and like a true pro got the shot of the Sparrowhawk !
Armed with my 500mm with a 1.4TC attached the young lady would appear pretty large in the frame. Did I take a photo as a keepsake? I will leave you to think about what you would have done in such circumstances and I'm not telling what I decided to do. It's not often you see a sight of such beauty though and she was obviously a professional model. As a couple of hikers appeared she put some clothes on and to be honest looked even more alluring!
That young lady might have got the vote for best bird of the stay had it not been for this one!
I had spotted a small flock of House Sparrows feeding on the ground as I drove past but the minute I stopped the car the birds all flew.
All flew bar one!
The way it moved on the ground it was instantly recognisable as being a Lark of some description.
A view from the front helps narrow down the ID from Lesser to Greater Short-toed Lark
They are actually the same size so where the name came from is a mystery to me.
The only other candidate is Calandra Lark but that is a bigger chunkier bird compared to this one.
So, Greater Short-toed it is! Definitely the best photography subject I had all week as I have never photographed one before.
In terms of new birds altogether, the only "lifer" for me was a Shearwater.
I was lucky to spot it really as I don't usually carry binoculars with me because of the extra weight but on this day I did and I was actually watching a yacht passing through the straits when I spotted the bird. Again, skimming over the waves in Shearwater style I couldn't claim a specific species but to my delight when I put the shot on computer I can enlarge it sufficiently to clearly see it's a Scopoli's Shearwater.
and with that addition I fulfilled my estimate of 5 new birds for the year from the trip!
This was never a trip about birding, it was hopefully about some sunshine and good food.
It delivered in bucketfulls.
The birding was secondary and for me a distraction as I find lying on a sunbed boring. In fact this is the first "family" holiday I can remember in years when I have never so much as sat on one!
I did manage the pool though and during the course of the stay built up my fitness quite considerably, my record breaking attempt at non stop lengths was only interrupted when I rescued a Preying Mantis from drowning!
Having a car was a great bonus and one I would recommend if you have ambitions to get about.
Corfu is a stunning island but it's not without it's problems.
It appears they have a huge ongoing refuse problem as they have no more landfill sites and so the rubbish isn't being collected. The only alternative is that islanders now take the rubbish and dump it away from where they live( for the most parts). It didn't impact on me as a tourist but for some it's very off putting.
The length of fly tipping outside a neighbouring resort was over 100yards long but the volume was largest outside Roda where we were staying.
Any attempts to re-cycle have been abandoned and in the rubbish you also have used toilet paper as it can't be flushed down the pan in Greece.
All in all it's not good for anyone and I felt particularly sorry for local residents who found themselves in a situation where fly tipping was very close to their homes, The stench was not pleasant and ultimately it's becoming a big health risk.
Will the solution be found? Who knows but right now it doesn't seem to be damaging tourist numbers but it can't be allowed to continue.
So, would I recommend Corfu?
As a holiday destination?
Yes. Ticked all the boxes.
As a birding destination?
The jury is out! I think spring would be better than autumn but there are better Meditteranean islands to visit if birding is the objective.
As a 10 day break out of season you need to get lucky with the weather and we certainly did.
Would I return?
We'll see! If that price came up again I'd certainly snap it up!
For now though, just good memories.
So, until next time.....
cheers
Dave
A good read, as always, Dave. The birding certainly wasn't exceptional, but you did get some good species and as a sun break before your operation it appeared to be a good choice. Especially with the incredible deal you found. I hope you'll be up and about and planning next year's birding trips in no time.
ReplyDeleteHi David,another interesting read of your escapades, you tell it as it really is.Its not all about birds and close ups, but the different circumstances that you encounter.Very enjoyable and entertaining!!
ReplyDelete