All quiet but a major milestone passed

My time, thus far, out on Kefalonia has been spent scanning empty skies in the vain hope of encountering a migrant, or two. For whatever reasons, this year has been very different from any of my previous visits to this beautiful island. Thankfully, with Leon and Pauline for company, the holiday is proving to be just what I needed and we’re having a great time, despite the lack of bird life.

On the afternoon of the 24th Sept, my visitor stats passed the one million mark and I was absolutely blown away by this event. I will write more about the crazy events of September on my return to home. Finally, I am extremely flattered to have been approached by Richard Naylor who has asked me to write an article for his Angling publication. What will become of this request? Only time will tell.

Kefalonian intro

 We landed at Argostolli airport, just after 11.00hrs (local time), on Thursday and were at the Aridas apartments, within an hour, picking up the hire car less than two hours later! Things went like clockwork and we, Leon, Pauline & I, were then free to spend the remainder of the day taking it very easy. Temperatures are in the mid-thirties Celsius during the middle part of the day and only drop to the mid-twenties after midnight. This has caused me a few issues with sleep and appetite although, thankfully, this seems to be abating now as I acclimatise to these wonderful surroundings.

My wildlife encounters have been very hit and miss, thus far into the holiday, although I have started to accrue a few decent images on the EOS 90d memory card. Sadly I will not be able to share them until returning to Blighty, at the start of October. It is Pauline & Leon’s 28th wedding anniversary today so, in time honoured fashion, it was a taxi ride up to the castle where we enjoyed a fabulous meal in The Olive Lounge, as we have done on many previous occasions. I have to admit that I’m struggling with some things we have done, purely because my memories of time out here with Bev are so very vivid, yet Leon and Pauline are there when I need them and help me through the moments.

Not, overly, sure that my blogging will be that regular, yet I will try to keep you in the picture so that you’ll have some idea what to expect when I get back home to the familiar technology of my trusty laptop.

Confiding Wheatear

 Bruno and I had a very leisurely stroll across the flatlands, this morning. We didn't leave the bungalow until 09.30 hrs and were parked up by the stables just before 10.00 hrs. The weather already on the turn with thick grey clouds bubbling up from the south - west blown along by an increasingly brisk breeze. We walked the track across to Hacklinge pumping station before following the path, besides the North Stream, over to Worth Marshes RSPB Res. Being in no great hurry, we were able to meander our way around the area without a need to keep an eye on the time. Quite a few birds to look at, the most obvious being the steady passage of Swallows and Sand Martins passing overhead, in a southerly direction. Good numbers of Chiffchaffs were encountered wherever suitable habitat was present, yet it wasn't until we actually arrived at the RSPB Res. that things got a little bit special. As we crossed the wooden bridge, from the Pinnock Wall, we were greeted by a Hobby hunting low over tha adjacent pool. Looking across to the main flood, I quickly picked out a Great White Egret and a White Stork, plus large numbers of roosting Lapwings. Two Ruff, a Green Sandpiper and a, flyover, Ringed Plover were also added to the list as we started our return walk. Several imm. Common Buzzards seemed to indicate a successful breeding season for the local birds. The bird of the session, however, was a very approachable Wheatear, which we saw on both legs of the walk. Although I managed some nice images on the outward stroll, the light was so much better as we returned and I am rather pleased with my results from the second encounter.

No fieldcraft required, this individual was a right poser.

The bungalow looks like a mix of war zone and jumble sale, with various items strewn around the furniture and work tops awaiting placement in the suitcase, or not! Three days and counting......

Holiday prep

With under a week before Leon, Pauline and myself are Kefalonia bound, I am well into my final prep for this holiday. Stuff that I've never previously had to consider has all been carefully worked through in order to ensure that I haven't missed anything important. Basically if, on arrival, I have forgotten something, then I simply go without or purchase, said item(s), in Lourdata? I am really quite proud of myself as the washing process was fairly stress free but, the bloody ironing of the assembled items isn't such a doddle. Thankfully, given the weather forecast for the next few days, I will have ample opportunity to develop my technique. I have been very fortunate to become the owner of a pair of, very expensive, "Tamberlan" hiking boots. No, I haven't won the Lottery, they were a gift from Benno; who acquired them via some dodgy business deal somewhere in the past. All I have to say is that they are on a different level, entirely, to those Regatta, Mountain Warehouse, etc, walking boots that I've discovered to be woefully inadequate as I wandered the Greek (& Turkish) countryside previously. All being well, I'll have something positive to say about them once I've given them an outing, or two, over the coming fortnight. 

I certainly don't encounter this type of terrain
when I'm out with Bruno!

I am hopeful that I'll be able to continue to update the blog whilst we're on Kefalonia as I am taking Bev's I-pad with me. Absolutely no idea how to transfer photos from the EOS to this contraption, so it will only be written content, but with an insight into what to expect to see when I return to the comfort of my laptop. The bungalow is now further protected by a rather fancy CCTV system that my neighbour Paul and I have had installed, plus my brother Sye (& Yve) is coming down to stay for a few days as they are looking to move to Sandwich, hence are on the look out for properties which fit their requirements (and budget!)  With all this in place, I am confident that things will be OK when I get home and normality resumes. 

A Chiffchaff at the bird bath

Not much else to report, as weather and events have conspired to keep me house bound for much of the time. Not bothered to run the moth trap recently, purely because conditions aren't conducive to the effort involved in a 06.00 hrs wake up call, in order to switch it off, then the subsequent checking of the egg trays for very little reward. The nocturnal feeding station remains very busy, with at least three different Foxes regularly visiting the garden. Hedgehogs, although still regular, are less reliable in their feeding patterns. I'll end with an image of an adult Fox who wasn't best pleased that there was a youngster at the feeding bowl when it arrived. There was no noise, so I'm guessing this is a threat gesture towards an underling?

Not three metres from my back door - an absolute privilege to witness such behaviour.

Getting there - slowly

With every passing day my energy levels are on the rise and that bloody cough, finally, seems to be going away. Although I am still struggling to find the enthusiasm to get my act together in an angling  sense, I am enjoying the simple pleasures of looking at whatever there is to be seen whilst on my daily wanderings with Bruno. Worth Marshes RSPB Res. and West Stourmouth have been the focus of my efforts and there is generally something to look at, even if not photographed, at both of these sites. 

The two most numerous dragonfly species I'm seeing out on Worth Marshes.
Migrant Hawker (top) and Common Darter (bottom)

The weather is still very unpredictable and, because of strong winds, there have been a couple of nights when I've not bothered to run the moth trap. Late on Friday afternoon there was a hatch of flying ants and the skies above Dumpton became alive with hundreds of gulls taking advantage of this situationn.Although it was Herring and Black-headed Gulls which constituted the bulk of those birds involved, there were also good numbers of Mediterranean Gulls present and I managed to grab a few shots as they passed over the garden.

It was this morning when I finally discovered a Convolvulus Hawk-moth within the confines of my Robinson Trap. Not the first 2025 garden record, as I'd seen one feeding, very briefly, on Nicotiana, right outside my study window on 31st August. However, it was a most welcome visitor and means that I've managed to trap all ten hawk-moth species that are on my garden list during this annual cycle.

A few other back-ups in the form of Olive-tree Pearl, Clancy's Rustic (5), Scarce Bordered Straw (2) plus the regular Rush Veneers and Rusty--dot Pearls. I did manage my third Vestal, of the season, on Saturday and was very impressed by another stunning looking Ichneumon sp. that was on the inside of the perspex dome on the same morning.

Ichneumon sp - probably very common?

Clancy's Rustic - a regular visitor to the MV trap.

With less than a fortnight to go before Kefalonia beckons, I am slowly getting my kit together in preparation for this adventure. There's stuff that I've never previously had to think about, so an A4 writing pad has proven to be an essential piece of the puzzle as I attempt to ensure I've got all bases covered?

EOS technology does the job.

Because of the strong winds, and associated  heavy rainfall, Bruno and I didn't head across to Worth Marshes RSPB Res until well after 10.30 hrs this morning. Even as I parked the van there was still a few drops of rain in the breeze, but we headed off, along the Pinnock Wall, towards the main floods beyond the Great Wood. A Chiffchaff and a Lesser Whitethroat were active in the hedge besides the horse paddocks, as we set off, and I was surprised, yet delighted to spot a lone Swift battling the conditions high over the Great Wood. A September record isn't something I always achieve these days. Crossing the small drain, via the wooden footbridge, it was nice to spot a Greenshank, two Wood Sandpipers and a Little Ringed Plover on the first pool we passed. A Green Sandpiper called loudly as it flushed from a small body of water in the adjacent field, whilst a Little Egret was stalking the margins of the bigger pool as I looked across towards the railway line. A few dragonflies were on the wing in sheltered spots, these being Migrant Hawkers and Common Darters, for the most part, but I did encounter a Willow Emerald Damselfly, which was a unexpected surprise. It wasn't, however, until we'd passed the Great Wood and were headed towards the double gate viewing area that I spotted another couple of Swifts. It quickly became apparent that there were a dozen, or so, hunting low over the surrounding landscape and I grabbed the camera in order to attempt to capture a useable image, or two.

Far superior to anything I've obtained previously. This image clearly shows the pale
 fringing to the coverts, on both wings, indicating that this bird is a juvenile.

They were not the easiest of subjects to keep in the viewfinder, yet I can have no complaints about the ability of the EOS 90d and 100-400 mm USM IS lens combo to capture record shots under the prevailing conditions. With the skies darkening ominously we retraced our tracks and got back to the van, around 12.50 hrs, just before the next belt of heavy rain arrived. It had been a very successful outing all round.

The slow path back

Despite the fact that I tested negative over a week ago, the after effects of "Covid" persist. Basically I feel very lethargic and still have an annoying cough which is very erratic, yet quite severe when it occurs. The kitchen cupboards are home to bottles of Benylin cough syrup, Lemsip sachets and other assorted medicinal potions which seem to be assisting my cause, but certainly not speeding up the recovery process. So it is really nice to have my Kefalonia holiday to look forwards to and use as "light at the end of the tunnel", so to speak. I am not going alone, my two great friends Leon & Pauline (from Devon) are accompanying me. Indeed, it was Pauline who did all the admin and, with my blessing, we fly from Bristol airport, which will be a novelty for me.

Argostoli main drag - plenty to see and lots of opportunities for a cold Mythos

I have absolutely no doubts that I will experience some emotionally challenging moments whilst we are enjoying ourselves out on this superb Greek island. This is my first holiday, since Bev's passing, I'm sure that certain people and places will be catalyst for me to recall vivid memories from those, by-gone, happy days! How will I cope? I won't know until I'm there but, at least I will have the support of two wonderful friends to help me through the process.

Argostoli Harbour is "the place" to see Loggerhead Turtles up close and personal.

To be honest, I am really looking forward to this trip because it will be the first time I've been equipped with my EOS 90d plus all the associated lenses, and bits, which will offer me the chance to acquire images which should be far superior to anything I've managed previously. As is always the case, it will be birds which are my main focus but, now having dallied with macro techniques, I am very much looking forward to playing around with whatever invertebrates are prepared to pose for me as well.

Honey Buzzards are nowhere near as regular on Kefalonia as they have been 
on Corfu. Yet it will be peak migration time, so anything is possible.

We are, as is usual, based in Lourdata, but have hired a car to enable us to visit other sites around the island. Not overly confident that I have the technical nouse to be able to upload posts onto the blog, but will be taking Bev's old i-pad with me, so something should be possible?  With little over a fortnight to go before we travel I find myself in the very strange position of having, not only, to do the washing and ironing but, also, making decisions on what is essential to pack and will it be within the strict weight allocation?  Tough life being alone after twenty-five years of supervision!

Sub-alpine Warbler.
It's knowing that I have the opportunity to find, and spend time looking at, birds
of this calibre (within a UK context) that fires my enthusiasm whilst out in
the Greek countryside.

The weather is all over the shop at present. Hopefully I'll get out with the rods again before the holiday gets underway? If not, it will be Pike season when I return and time to dust down the kit in preparation for another RMC campaign, plus the added quest of a "double" from a new venue.