| 5th Sept. At
Kolymbari. A pair of long legged buzzards circled lazily as
they drifted south. Just east of there a male lesser kestrel was dashing
about in search of food so the whinchats and yellow wagtails sensibly
kept a low profile.
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| 6th Sept. On
the coast. Another lesser kestrel, some yellow wagtails,
spotted flycatchers, a little ringed plover and another long legged
buzzard.
|
| 7th Sept. Along
the coast. Were two lesser kestrels, three fan-tailed warblers, some
more yellow wagtails and spotted flycatchers.
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| 8th
Sept. A
good trip up into the mountains. Was rewarded with some
fantastic views. On the way the first steppe buzzard of this
autumn hinted that some good birds were about. We duly found two
separate golden eagles, both juveniles with one in third year plumage
and the other in fourth year plumage. Interesting to spot the
differences! Could you? We also found a total of 7 griffon
vultures; a lanner falcon; an alpine accentor; and then my beloved
bearded vultures – four of them in all, a pair of adults, a third year
immature and the juvenile that hatched this year. On the top of
the mountain viewing perch we also found a chaffinch and a great
tit. At the summit the wind was so strong that my right hand man
was picked up off her feet
and dashed against a big radar reflector. I admired the way she
kept the blood from her head wound out of our packed lunch that she had
gone to fetch! Luckily she soon recovered before the vultures
realized there was some potential food about... On the way home we
found 6 honey buzzards; and a flock of bee-eaters.
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| 9th
Sept. At Neo Chorio.
Hundreds of house martins flew by in small flocks while high overhead
several flocks of bee-eaters went south, most were too high to see
though their calls carried down to us. On the coast were a roller, a
broad billed sandpiper, a greenshank and a flock of 150+ purple herons.
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|
10th
Sept. At Neo Chorio.
The first wren for ages was spotted and again bee-eaters were moving south
very high up.
|
| 11th
Sept. At Neo Chorio. 13
honey buzzards flew south. Later 2 wheatears and 4 yellow wagtails
were seen.
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|
12th
Sept. On
the coast. Were a black eared wheatear; 2 red backed shrikes; a
bee-eater; some crested larks; some stonechats; then a flock of 200+
yellow wagtails; and another of several hundred sparrows, but these shot
off so quickly that the exact species is uncertain.
At Afrata. Were 3 ravens; 4 blue rock thrushes; a kestrel;
some spotted flycatchers; and a flock of 25 little egrets. Back
along the coast were some whinchats; more yellow wagtails; a common
sandpiper; a lesser grey shrike; and another flock of sparrows, this time
about 100.
At Neo Chorio.
A late flock of bee-eaters went over.
|
| 13th
Sept.
Over Platanias. A single long legged buzzard was
circling, while along the coast were yet more yellow wagtails; a
pair of ravens; a common sandpiper; and 3 purple herons.
|
| 14th Sept. At Neo
Chorio.
A steppe buzzard drifted south and yet more bee-eaters did their
high altitude dash south. An eleonoras falcon hunted for
food for ages over our area.
Along the coast. Were 5 turtle doves; 2 little ringed
plovers; a serin; and a flock of 58 little egrets.
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| 15th Sept. At Neo
Chorio. The
bee-eater exodus continued.
On the coast. Were a single fan-tailed warbler; and
then a flock of 13 grey herons; a flock of 134 purple herons; a
flock of 19 caspian terns; and around and between them all were
thousands of swallows.
|
| 16th Sept. At Neo
Chorio.
The first of the wintering rough legged buzzards showed up while
mixed flocks of swallows and house martins streamed by, probably
tens of thousands in all. A booted eagle even put in a
appearance for a while. The single red backed shrike; single
little egret; single yellow wagtail; and the flock of only 22
purple herons on the coast seemed very tame in comparison to the
mad migration scramble at home.
|
|
17th
Sept. At Neo Chorio. The
hirundines passage continued unchecked, while,
On the coast. There are still red backed shrikes; whinchats;
and spotted flycatchers about.
|
| 18th Sept. At Neo
Chorio.
Another booted eagle and hundreds of house martins.
Along the coast. Were yet another red backed
shrike; a lovely red kite; and a single collared pratincole.
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|
20th
Sept. At Neo Chorio.
A single eleonoras falcon.
On the coast. Were a hoopoe; a flock of 52 little egrets; and
flocks of grey heron totaling 186, 17, 57, 5 - and yet more flocks too
distant to count.
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|
23rd
Sept. At Neo Chorio.
The first of the wintering blackcaps arrived and sang.
Near Stalos. A harrier swept by but was not identified.
On the coast. A fan-tailed warbler showed briefly; and then a
lovely isabelline wheatear turned up.
|
| 24th
Sept. At Neo Chorio.
The first swift for ages circled.
On the coast. Heron migration continued with
flocks of 54 and 38 grey herons.
|
| 25th/26th.
At Neo Chorio.
Single booted eagles were recorded.
|
| 27th Sept. Off
the coast. Near Maleme, was a flock of 27 little
egrets.
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| 29th Sept. At Neo
Chorio.
The first wintering robin showed up at home and kept well
hidden as a lovely greater spotted eagle hunted along our
valley in either second or third year plumage.
Along the coast. Was a flock of 33 purple
herons; 2 blue rock thrushes showed well.
At Afrata. Another blue rock thrush was seen,
along with a kingfisher; a kestrel; some whinchats; and
some crested larks.
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