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6th
June. At Neo Chorio.
We saw a woodpigeon, a rare sighting on Crete.
But the 6th also brought with it the excitement of the ostrich saga! –
see notes at end.
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| 5th
June. Kamisiana.
2+ short toed larks were displaying, presumably they were between
broods and had some time for each other with the nestlings gone!
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11th
June.
On the coast. We at last found a fan tailed warbler, showing
that they are clinging on to the last fragments of suitable habitat.
Two kilometers further on we found another - calling and dashing around
as if demented. Fan tailed warblers tend to do that! Right on the
coast were a single little ringed plover; and a male whinchat.
On one of the peninsulas. We
had called in to pick up some friends to take them out and trip started well as there was a hoopoe singing just
outside their garden, while overhead a short toed eagle was screaming
about being harried by buzzards. We had a good trip, finding two
adult bonellis eagles; 9+ griffon vultures (seen down to only 20
meters away!); a lanner falcon; a male kestrel; 4 ravens; plenty of
wheatears; black eared wheatears; crested larks; a flock of 20+ rock
doves; and then the cream on the pudding, great views of the bearded
vulture we have been observing for five years now. It is just
changing into full adult plumage with a lovely red front. A shame it
is destined to remain single, there seems no hope of it ever finding a
mate now there are so few left - and spread out too far to find each
other.
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13th
June. At Neo Chorio. 2
eleonoras falcon fed over our valley at dusk.
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15th
June. At Neo Chorio. Turtle
doves filled the air with their lovely purring song.
Back to Chania hospital. Where this time a short toed eagle
screamed that I was back again! On the way home we stopped for a well
earned beer at a taverna and watched a flock of 4 corys shearwaters
quartering the sea. A cormorant was lazily fishing and overhead there
was another short toed eagle keeping a beady eye on me.
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16th
June. At Neo Chorio.
A swallow joined us in our lounge, circling around and twittering
about the décor.
On the coast. We saw a white wagtail, an eleonoras
falcon and a female marsh harrier.
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22nd
June. At Tavronitis.
Again sitting at our favourite taverna we really enjoyed seeing a
dolphin just out to sea. (goes to show how few birds are about in
June).
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23rd
June.
At Neo Chorio. The
turtle doves sing all day every day now, it is lovely to hear them
and know that shooting has diminished so much they can breed
again. Dare I entertain such hopes for hoopoes and bee-eaters in
the near future? The swallows must approve of our décor as they
have come into our lounge several more times.
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24th
June. At Neo Chorio. A
single short toed eagle circled over our valley.
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28th
June. At Neo Chorio.
Poor birdwatching today – I was reduced to looking at a captive toucan
and a huge brightly coloured parrot in a taverna, there were no other
birds about. On the way home a flock of 28+ wood sandpipers
indicated the start of autumn movement, these presumably being non
breeders that left the breeding grounds early. A red rumped swallow
cheered us up as we got home in awful heat – it has been around 44
degrees for two weeks now, too hot!
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