Col du Soulor

A bonus post as I'm trapped on the 6.50 from Kings Cross to Hull. Quite busy! I've been given the all clear and discharged by my Surgeon. It only took 4 years and 5 months to sort out!! Won't mention it again...you'll be pleased to hear.

My final site is the Col du Soulor. I visited this site on my first and last days, to be honest I should have paid it more attention but I stuck to my plan to visit as many sites as possible in the area. Anyway, I've already covered my first visit so this post is about the 21st...with a few extras.

The weather wasn't as kind this time but at least it wasn't raining. We arrived around 11 to low cloud...

The ever present Griffons tried to liven things up...

I set my stall out while Louise wisely read in the car. By 1pm we still had thick cloud. I wasn't going anywhere, I'd done enough reccies. Then out of the gloom high above the Col...

3 guesses... Black Kites! Hundreds of them. That lifted the spirits somewhat.

Zoom...

Definitely the best raptor spectacle of the holiday...it didn't have much to beat to be honest!

Lunchtime.

Back to it at 2pm. Nothing! Then at 2.45, in from the NE...

More guesses...pin head...Honey Buzzard! There were 3 but they were only in view for a few seconds. Then another, this time lower...albeit still dull...

Note: Just got home and received a text from Tim Isherwood informing me I'd downloaded the wrong picture...it's been a long day! The above bird is of course a pale phase Booted Eagle. I'll leave it as it is for variety1 Thanks Tim, glad someone's reading this stuff!

 

...and that was that. We left the distant raptor study group around 4.30...

So that's about it.

Treated Louise to a day in Carcassonne on the way back to Bordeaux. It was 42C in the afternoon! So we gave up on the sightseeing, found a bar in the shade and stayed there until dusk. The view of the fortified City on the way back to our Hotel was simply stunning...