Day six - crazy!

We awoke to a scene of dampness. Overnight thunderstorms had abated, yet there was thick grey cloud cover and accompanying rainfall. It wasn't until well after 10.30 hrs that Bev and I were able to take the decision to get across to the poolside, as it had ceased raining and the sun was attempting to break through the grey skies. Because of this, it wasn't until well after 11.15 hrs, that I set off on a walk into the higher ground. I'd decided that the Pentati road would be as far as I needed to walk, given the conditions yet it proved to be a pretty good option.

Corfu in September - moody I guess?

The sun tried it's best to push through the thick cloud cover but, sadly, didn't have much of a chance as the thunder clouds began to build again. Initially, my walk was like a venture into a desert, there was absolutely nothing to be seen! Apart from the odd Spotted Flycatcher,, it was the "ticking" of unseen Robins which indicated that there were a few birds about. Once at the Pentati road, very little changed as I wandered southwards in search of something to point the camera at. It was just after mid-day when things kicked off. Firstly a pair of Ravens decided to spiral up into the sky, calling loudly as they did so. Then it was like someone had turned on a switch, hirundines began to pass in huge numbers. Not quite on the scale of yesterday, yet because I was at a much lower level, I'll never really know. I guessed that 2,500 birds had passed in little more than forty-five minutes. The majority being Swallows and House Martins, however, it wasn't until 12.30 hrs that the real show got started. The cloud had thickened and thunder could be heard away to the west when the raptors began to appear. In just over thirty minutes I had spotted two Black Kites, fifty-three Honey Buzzards and a single Marsh Harrier.

Two Black Kites and a Honey Buzzard

Honey Buzzards in the gloom

Back down at poolside, with Bev, it was apparent that there were good numbers of Blackcaps around  and still there were a few hirundines, high overhead, moving in a southerly direction. It would seem that when the urge to migrtae is foremost then the weather doesn't come into the equation?

Marsh Harrier - trip tick number thirty-six!