Saoulas diaries - day one

Bev and I arrived, safely, at "Studios Saoulas" in the small village of Lourdas on the island of Kefalonia. Here, once again, to enjoy the tranquil ambience of this quiet backwater on the southern coast of the island. A small group of familiar faces, already in the bar, were on hand to help us settle into the groove and we slept soundly. The new day dawned, but not as we would have hoped - it was raining, so we started our holiday sheltering in the bar having a light breakfast.

Should have stayed in Ramsgate?

The rain stopped, yet the skies remained threatening, as I went off on my first adventure of this latest Mediterranean sojourn. It was just a loosen-er for my efforts later in the fortnight - this terrain certainly has the ability to test the unfit, and I well qualify for that label. I was away for three and a half hours, walking a familiar route that I'd discovered last year. As no two years are ever the same, so my experience proved. There were fences in places where there were none previously and the lack of water meant a noticeable lack of nectar sources for butterflies and blackberries for the birds. However, my efforts were not in vain, I recorded a nice selection of birds and insects along my route and even managed a few images which made the grade.

They used to be called Sub-alpine Warblers when I thought such things were important

A good passage of Alpine Swifts in these cloudy conditions

A smart little male Common Redstart in a track-side bush

A butterfly I know as African Tiger - photographed previously on Menorca and Corfu.

By mid-day the temperatures soared and the clouds abated, it was bloody hot and I was glad to make it back to the bar for "beer o'clock". A juv Red-backed Shrike appeared on the wires right next to the pool as Bev and I were thinking about lunch - it was a nice start to the trip.