Corfu taster and a surprise

We arrived back home just before 01.45 hrs, this morning, pleasantly surprised by the amazing efficiency of the Stanstead Airport system. I think we landed around 23.00 hrs and were back at APH to pick up our car within 30 minutes - absolutely incredible. I've downloaded just over one thousand images from the EOS 70D and they will certainly require some major effort to sort through. So, just because the blog has been devoid of any pictorial content for this past fortnight, I felt it only right to provide those who have been kind enough to keep logging on, a sample of what will be appearing over the next few days.

Honey Buzzard migration was close to the end, so I was delighted to obtain a fantastic sequence
of images, over the first eight days of our holiday. This is a typical view of a bird
passing along the high ground. There were occasions when they were so close that I couldn't
fit the whole bird in the view-finder.

These small lizard sp. were common enough almost everywhere I went. This individual
was sunning itself by the pool of The Irene Apartment complex where we were staying.

A typical scene whilst out walking. Clouded Yellows
were regularly encountered but were nowhere close to
the most numerous butterflies to be seen.

I've already mentioned how difficult the birding was out on this magical island, purely because of the harsh contrast in light levels between the sunshine and the shaded habitat caused by the dense vegetation. However, as birds were such a problem, I quickly adapted the philosophy of getting images of whatever was prepared to cross my path. Happily an incredible array of invertebrates, plus a few lizards, were encountered during my wanderings and provided plenty of subject matter for me to point the lenses at.

Swallowtail Butterfly - seen daily, but not in any numbers.

A Striped Grasshopper - I think?

Praying Mantis - always good value and regularly encountered around the apartment
complex. Once I got my eye in, they were easy enough to spot as they waited, 
in exposed positions, for some unsuspecting victim to provide a snack.

The final couple of images are of a small/medium sized falcon which was upon me before I managed to grab the camera. My best guess is Barbary Falcon, although I am perfectly happy to be corrected by anyone with a better understanding of such id conundrums. Certainly not the best images ever taken, yet they seem to show all the features required?

The best I could do under the circumstances.