Sunday 18 February 2018

We're not with the 'In Crowd'



A warm February morning with white fluffy clouds floating across the Reedbeds ,the water of the  Salt lake gently laps the shingle sand banks with no more than a murmur. No sound of summer cicadas or quadbikes whizzing along the wide flat pathway. The clouds role by as if someone has puffed them out of Bubble pipe and let them go.


The few Flamingos that remain are far out in the centre of the lake still only knee high as they sift for food. Occasionally you hear them chattering to each other. A large caterpillar crawls in front of us as butterflies flutter across the wild yellow flowers. The flower heads all face the sun and follow its path as the day progresses. A few solitary bees take nectar from small delicate flowers that nestle on the bank. Behind us smaller  ponds are home   to ducks and ahead brightly coloured geese fly off as they see us coming.







Two awkward young Flamingos strut around on the path, occasionally wading out into the water long enough for us to pass and then walking back out behind us. These juveniles don’t appear to have their pink plumage, just pale grey underwings rather like baby seagulls. The grey rooks seem interested in them and close by an Eagle sits on the fence a large bird of prey that I wish I’d photographed. They don’t seem to be part of the ‘In Crowd’, but I’m not an expert in bird behaviour.


It’s such a tranquil place, not a soul in sight but clear in the distance the Greek Flag merges into the blues and soft ochres of the landscape, gently asserting this is our space, our Greek heritage.