The usual routine when we are planning our holidays, is that we all agree a country, and then my wife starts to scour the internet for suitable hotels that meet her requirements. When she's found one I have a quick look and give my opinion. That opinion is usually based on whether I can see anywhere nearby to go birding! It doesn't have to be a nature reserve, or be particularly big. Just somewhere I can go for a walk in a morning and enjoy a bit of birding while everyone else is having a lie in. So, this year when she presented me with the Aquis Sandy Beach Resort in Agios Georgios in Corfu I did the usual and had a quick look on Google Maps. I was quite excited. The hotel is right at the side of the Lake Korission Nature Reserve . And when I say right at the side, I mean my balcony overlooked its south eastern boundary.
The lake itself was approximately 1.5km west from our hotel, but was easily accessible down a couple of dirt tracks. These tracks cut through the edge of the reserve area and the habitat along these tracks, between the hotel and the lake, provided some of the best birding of the whole holiday.
South Eastern end of Lake Korission |
Typical habitat around the hotel |
Cedar and Juniper in the dune system |
Sand dune habitat
The habitat within the main reserve was sand dunes with cedar and juniper bushes, plus some small damp areas, almost like the dune slacks we see in UK dune systems. Away from the main reserve area, the habitat along the local roads consisted of small scale agriculture, with olive groves, lime and lemon groves plus other small holdings. These areas were also productive. All my birding was done in this area as I don't hire cars when abroad, and on this holiday it didn't matter.
European Bee Eater
On my first trip out I had 5 European Bee Eaters flying over near the small hide at the end of the lake. also had up to 5 Hoopoes, Woodchat Shrike, Red-rumped Swallow and plenty Collared Doves and House Sparrows. That was on a quick walk out mid morning to familiarise myself with the area! The next morning I was out by 06:15 and headed straight to the lake. I added Nightingale and Great Reed Warbler before I arrived at the hide where I met Chris, another British birder who was staying at the same hotel. Chris let me have a look through his scope at the waders on the lake - Kentish Plover, Common Sandpiper and Black-winged Stilt. We birded the dunes together for an hour or so seeing plenty Woodchat Shrikes and Hoopoes and getting great views of Zitting Cisticola in one of the damp areas. On my way back to the hotel I picked up 10 European Bee Eaters plus a distant Lesser Grey Shrike and Common Buzzard.
This pattern was repeated six times in the 10 days I was there, although unfortunately I didn't see Chris again whilst out birding. However we often bumped into each other in the hotel and updated each other on our sightings. Some days I included a walk along local roads which had plenty of birds in the adjacent habitats but I didn't add any new species here.
Woodchat Shrike
Woodchat Shrike
Woodchat Shrike (juvenile)
Lesser Grey Shrike
Lesser Grey Shrike
Juvenile Woodchat Shrike still being fed by adults - photo taken immediately outside our hotel
Other species seen in and around the area included Great White Egret, Grey Heron, Barn Swallow, House Martin, Common Swift, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Red-backed Shrike, Subalpine Warbler, Eastern Olivaceous Warbler, Sardinian Warbler, Pied Wagtail, Jay, Carrion Crow.
Inside the hotel, up to three Scops Owls could be heard and there were some great insects with a species of Swallowtail butterfly which I think was Scarce Swallowtail, Hummingbird Hawk Moth and 1000's of Painted Lady Butterflies in the first few days as well as some different dragonflies that I couldn't identify.
Swallowtail Spp
Painted Lady
We ventured out of Agios Georgics just the once to visit Corfu Town. I was counting on seeing Alpine Swift here and I wasn't disappointed . Throughout the day I had seen small groups of Alpine Swifts screaming above the narrow streets, their chattering call was really distinctive and reminded me a bit of the call of Little Grebe. However my biggest surprise, and arguably best birding moment of the entire holiday happened as we came out of the town onto the square near the new harbour to get our coach back to the hotel. The trees around the square were full of House Sparrows, hundreds of them, but the sky was full of Alpine Swifts. Thousands of them! I was transfixed. The photos below might give a bit of an impression of the numbers, but I had to zoom in to maximum zoom to pick out the birds as they were so high up.
Alpine Swifts over Corfu Town
It was a magical sight and I could have stayed for hours watching them wheeling and screaming through the sky.
Whilst the birding on this holiday was very enjoyable, it was also challenging as the birds tend to keep well hidden, or make themselves scarce as soon as they see you. I'm guessing its to do with the fact that the Corfiots still enjoy their hunting. The track from the hotel to the lake was littered with shotgun cartridges, although most looked quite old. As a result you really had to work to identify some birds as all you saw was brief glimpses as they crept through the vegetation, or a rear end view as they flew away from you as quickly as they could. But, that didn't detract from the experience and it was a thoroughly enjoyable holiday.
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