It Made A Change From Birdwatching!

 I've just returned from a week in Corfu where I enjoyed a relaxing break with my wife Sandra. As a holiday it was great - nice food, mostly good weather and I even managed to track down some decent beer. From a wildlife watching point of view however it was a bit of a duffer, birds were few in number while most of the butterflies were species that I've seen in the UK.

Alpine Swift, Hooded Crow and Spotted Flycatcher

There were plenty of Robins calling and singing but they stayed in cover for the most part in common with many of the other birds. I wonder if the Greek fondness for shooting is responsible for the furtive nature of most species? Lots of Blackcaps were moving through the countryside in loose flocks but again glimpses were fleeting. Other species seen regularly included White and Grey Wagtails and Spotted Flycatchers. Bucking the trend slightly were corvids with five species being seen, Magpies, Jays and Hooded Crows were noted on a daily basis while Jackdaw and Raven were both seen twice. Yellow-legged Gulls were present though scarce while five Scopoli's Shearwaters were seen on a boat trip to the mainland. Vying with the shearwaters for bird of the trip were a flock of around twenty Alpine Swifts which passed through midway through my holiday. Three species of raptor were also observed, Kestrel, Buzzard and Sparrowhawk.

Geranium Bronze, Wood White and Small Copper

Of the selection of butterflies on offer there were only two that I haven't seen in the UK but one of them was new. This was a Plain Tiger that I saw from the boat on my way to the mainland, it's a shame that I couldn't grab a shot of what is a rather flashy species. My second non UK species was a Geranium Bronze which did hang around for pics though it doesn't quite match the Tiger for looks! Other species included Long-tailed Blue and Clouded Yellow and also Silver-washed Fritillaries. It was strange to see the latter nectaring on Ivy blooms as their season has normally passed at least a month before Ivy flowers. I only saw one species of dragonfly on the island and that was Common Darter. Overall then slightly disappointing but still a nice change of scenery and a chance to recharge the batteries. Next April's holiday to Lesvos will hopefully supply a bit more of interest, it shouldn't  be too difficult.

Long-tailed Blue, Silver-washed Fritillary and Common Darter