MY BIRDWATCHING HIGHLIGHTS FOR AUGUST 2007
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A few final
words for August.
The enforced rest I had last month did me no good at all – I feel no better for it so am trying again to provide some information even if it is limited. I cannot drive far now so can only report on what is happening along the coast between Chania and Kolymbari. I always felt that if I could not do a job properly then it was not worth doing but friends and readers of this page have urged me to at least provide what I can so a limited service is now in place. I do value their support and encouragement, thank you. I hope it will be informative, unlike some sites I can guarantee that the birds recorded were really those stated rather than the fanciful imaginative rubbish met elsewhere. Beware the ambitious amateur! My right hand man has been delighted with the number of migrating short toed eagles this autumn, one even turned up on her birthday. Her favourite bird because they eat those dreaded snakes that lurk in her imagination rather than the garden! I wonder just how many different individuals we have seen, as some must linger in a suitable area for some days before drifting south again. Hopefully they will come and nest in our area again next year and make up for missing this breeding season. A word must be said for the dreadful lack of waders and duck this autumn, I have commented before on how the coastal strip has been ruined for migrants, but I still miss the black winged stilts, squacco herons, curlew sandpipers, broad billed sandpipers and many other species that made for wonderful diversity before the cement mixers moved in. C’est la vie! Until
next month, good watching. Paul Smith. |
Paul's Diary highlights commenced at the end of August 2001. The current diary is moved to the diary archive at the end of each month - if you are considering a bird watching trip to NW Crete, the previous highlights may well help you decide the best month for your visit - your link to the diary archive is below. |