Kassiopi pt3 Avlaki peninsula

This morning i am going back to Avlaki to hopefully get some drone flying done , the weather forecast is for thundery showers but it is dry for now .

i phone 7 + panorama image ,  fabulous storm clouds as i arrive at the beach, luckily they are moving away out to sea fast!

Time to set up the Phantom ....

Straight up to 400 ft ,  looking behind me to the lake i was hunting butterflies around yesterday . From this first view i can tell that Topdown , ie  shooting straight downwards will be best today with the cloudy conditions, the blue sea is looking really good.  so i think i will concentrate on doing those type of images after i shoot some video.

After about 20 minutes of shooting video, including loosing signal completely way out over the sea and having the drone come back home automatically , i have landed to change the battery.

 Here is the first video.........

Here is a selection of Topdown images ........

My furthest distance out , this is a multi frame panorama , Albania in the distance has some serious storms going on , and there has been thunder behind me also.

I have now started walking through to the other side of the peninsula . heading towards the other side of the forest in this image.

              The good stony path has turned rocky on the final steep section down the the beach.

                                                             Deserted except for a seat :)

                 Its looking very threatening now,  don't think it will be long before the rain comes.

                     It raining now, I'm sheltering under a tree which also has a seat under it .  Perfect!

       The rain didn't last long so I'm up flying quickly before the next downpour comes along.

This is going to be a short flight,    straight up giving me a view down the coastline to the right , heavy rain in the distance by the looks of it.

The headland over to my left , there is a small island with a lighthouse way out from here but think its too far to risk flying out too.

                                                                  Topdown of the above image.

                                    The rain has returned so now time to hike back to the hotel.

Kassiopi pt2 Butterfly Heaven

Today we are going to the beach at Avlaki, which is about 20 mins walk in the opposite direction to the Village and it is hot already , i have my macro gear with me so while Jan goes swimming i can go on a butterfly hunt around the surrounding pond area.

Walking down the narrow roads the sides of the road are full of crickets and other insects , butterflies mainly meadow browns are everywhere.

 Our first view of Avlaki ...................  say no more :)

The grass is alive with grasshoppers and Crickets  , and i have just spotted beautifully coloured lizard.

              Newly emerged teneral Dragonfly , quite small , similar to the uks Black Darter in size.

                                  Best shot i could get of this Lizard , they are so fast   lol

 Yay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   my first Scarce Swallowtail image , i spotted one on the walk down here and a couple flying past but this one settled right in front of me .

                 The large pond is just behind the beach , i am walking around the scrub behind it.

                           There must be thousands of hoppers around here , they are perched on leaves and fern fronds everywhere i walk.   this one perched nicely for me .

 There are a couple of white butterflies just near the beach feeding ,   i have id them as Eastern Dappled Whites , but could be a similar species as they all look very similar.

       Its boiling hot here now ,   i can hear Cicadas chirping in the trees but cannot find or see one!

Another Dragonfly that actually perched in this hot bright sunshine ,  but since its raining back home i cant complain :)

            This Scarce Swallowtail flew past me fast , but eventually settled to briefly feed .

 I have been chasing Clouded Yellows all over the place, but they are just not resting   but this Painted Lady stopped for long enough to shoot this single frame .

                           There are quite a few Fritillaries , later id as Spotted Fritillaries

                                                                          Stunning colour!

There ai a wide variety of plants and flowers around this area , plenty of daisys but are not being visited by any butterflies.

                                                     A Small Copper perches in the sun

                          Not a clue on what this one is , very nice though .

At last i have managed to shoot one of the many Clouded Yellows ,  this one is quite pale.   there are also some much smaller ones again very pale in colour but i have not managed a picture yet.

Tiny Beeflies are buzzing loudly while feeding on these yellow flowers , a fast shutterspeed froze the action here .

             Another Clouded Yellow ,  this one was fairly slow and feeding constantly for ages .

                        Its too hot , i need a rest and go back to the beach to find Jan swimming

I have taken a walk around to the next beach down a track through the trees  , another stunning bay .

On the way back to the hotel  , i pause to shoot one of the many wild cats that seem to be all over the place .

Time to head down to the Harbour to find somewhere for dinner , the setting sun is lighting up Albania in the distance as we sit eating dinner

                             The castle is illuminated on the hill in front of the harbour.

          The resturant we have just left , its very quiet here as the season has bairly started and we got Free deserts :)

                                   The crowded main street on our way back to the hotel.

We have just seen our first Fireflies  YAY      i have tried to shoot a video , and can hear the Scopps Owl in the background,  bloody noisy things which kept us awake at night for hours!!

                 Phone pic of a firefly  about 1 cm in length , but the intensity of the light is amazing!

                                                     The end of another busy day in Corfu.

Kassiopi Corfu pt1

We have flown to Corfu for a week in the sun, hopefully! Leaving the rain behind., we are staying at Kassiopi, a small quiet village about an hour and half from the airport.   upon arriving in Corfu a coach connection was supposed to be waiting for us , and a few other people . But no one was there!!!   the small "office" in the airport was un attended!      Eventually 40 minutes later we where on a small mini bus heading to our apartment , fortunately the driver was dropping a family off on the way to Kassiopi which meant we were 2 nd stop , the others were heading to the opposite side of the island so they would be hours away from their destination.

                               The view from our veranda  , olive and Oleander trees

 A quick look around the garden and i have spotted loads of butterflies  ,  macro lens on and lets get some pics .

                                                                     Common blue i think .

  A Copper ,  bright orange upper wings while flying but didn't get a close enough look at it .

The beach is just at the bottom of the garden , 3 minutes walk.      just look at the water clarity   wow!

                                                      Albania looks so close from here.

Think i will take the drone for a quick fly , Yes i brought it .

                                                   straight up above the garden .

 Down onto the beach ,   i have been flying for less than 5 minutes and someone has just fired a shotgun at it!!!!!!!  WTF!!       Mad Greek woman is now running down the beach towards me shouting her head off!      shouting if i see that drone again you will not see it again and you will be in big trouble with the police!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!         i have been flying out over the sea 200 mts from any property , totally legally ,   stupid bloody bitch!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 I have just taken this last image before landing and having a shouting match with the bitch!      i will look for police tomorrow as i and my property have been threatened!

  I'm really bummed now, cant even risk flying again here. Jan even heard the shotgun back in the apartment.

Time to walk down to Kassipoi village and the harbour to take a look around.  pics taken with my new  i phone 7 plus  except first one .

                                                             What a beautiful harbour.

                               Walking around the headland on the right side of the harbour.

                                                                       a beautiful beetle :)

On the way back through the main street this is on a low wall ,    looks like it has 2 wounds on its body and isn't moving , a quick pic is taken .

                           The end of an eventful day in Corfu.   what will tomorrow bring?