| 2nd
Sept. On the
coast. A little
egret; a spotted flycatcher; and a flock of 80+ purple herons
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2nd
Aug. At a nearly dried up estuary. Were 2 adult and a juvenile
ringed plovers; while a light phase eleonoras falcon hunted overhead.
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3rd
Sept. On the Coast. Just out
to sea a lovely flock of 30 little egrets looked beautifully snowy against
the deep blue colour of the sea.
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4th
Sept. On the
coast. Another
flock of purple herons, this time 17.
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6th
Sept. On the Coast. Things
are warming up with 2 red backed shrikes; a male whinchat; a flock of 27
purple herons; a juvenile little ringed plover; a marsh harrier; and a
spotted flycatcher. Then,
At Neo Chorio. A big flock of bee-eaters was heard going
over late at night.
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7th
Sept. At Neo Chorio. A male
kestrel sought a tasty lunch while high overhead a big flock of alpine
swifts moved south; then a flock of 100+ bee-eaters; and a female
sparrowhawk.
On the coast. Were 2 juvenile red backed shrikes and a lovely
flock of 10 great white egrets.
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8th
Sept. On the Coast. 2 juvenile red backed
shrikes; a little egret; and 3 juvenile and
3 adult little ringed plovers. It was pleasant to be able to compare
their plumages at only a few meters range. Also, the resident weasel popped
up to have a look at us - but may have been more interested in the 6 yellow
wagtails that flopped down exhausted - presumably after a flight from mainland
Greece.
At Neo Chorio. We heard flocks of high bee-eaters both early and late in the
day.
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9th
Sept. At Neo Chorio. A female
sparrowhawk again, probably the same one as on the 7th; plus a
flock of 50+ bee-eaters. At night two more big flocks were heard going
over. It looks like bee-eaters had a good breeding season as there are
lots and lots about.
Along the coast. We found a juvenile lesser spotted eagle; a pair of booted
eagles; a juvenile white winged black tern; a
juvenile black tern; 3 griffon vultures; a pair of adult bonellis eagles
with this years young flying with them. A flock of 67+ purple
herons; a
steppe buzzard circling with a pair of local common buzzards - and about 50
meters out to sea a dolphin frolicked.
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10th
Sept. On the coast. Were a male
stonechat in fine new plumage after a full moult; the first of the winters
kingfishers; a spotted flycatcher; a flock of 17 purple herons; a flock of
27 bee-eaters; a turtle dove; and a steppe buzzard.
At Neo Chorio.
Bee-eaters came
down to try and feed and rest on telegraph wires and three times the local
scum blasted away with their shotguns. In all we saw flocks of 100+, 37+
66, 44, 40+ and a very big flock very noisily, but very wisely chose
midnight to over fly our dangerous valley.
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11th
Sept. At Neo Chorio.
The bee-eaters seem to be learning. 3 big flocks flew over very high up.
On the coast. Was a flock of 60+ yellow wagtails.
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12th
Sept. At
Platanias.
A cuckoo sat on the electricity wires.
At Chania airport. A male hen harrier
was no match for those big noisy aluminium tubes full of tourists
that kept thundering down the runways.
At Aloni. Was another hen harrier.
At Gerani. Just 1 bee-eater.
At Maleme. A booted eagle. and,
At Tavronitis. Were a spotted flycatcher; 2 juvenile red backed
shrikes; 3 wheatears; 4 whinchat; an unexpected lesser grey shrike; and 5 yellow wagtails.
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13th
Sept. At Neo Chorio. More
bee-eaters: the female sparrowhawk again; and a skulking spotted
flycatcher.
On the coast. Were more spotted flycatchers; a flock of 40+
purple herons; a wheatear; and a marsh harrier.
At Vlacheronitsa. We saw our
first of this winters rough legged buzzards.
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15th
Sept. At
Drapanias. Were a pair
of booted eagles and 2+ honey buzzards circling with a common buzzard.
At
Topolia. Were 3 ravens; and then,
At the vulture feeding station. High up in the mountains, we saw no vultures
or eagles at all, just a pair of kestrels; a lanner falcon; a few spotted
flycatchers; a male whinchat; 100+ alpine swifts; dozens of common swifts;
4 ortolan buntings; a female wheatear (and a southern white admiral
butterfly). My brother and his wife were very disappointed that having
dragged them up to altitudes where oxygen masks would have been useful,
the air was too still for the large raptors to fly.
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17th
Sept. At Neo Chorio. A flock of
4 honey buzzards; 2 linnets; and a very difficult to identify juvenile red
breasted flycatcher. The flock of 50+ bee-eaters was much easier!
On the
coast. Were spotted flycatchers; stonechats; crested larks; a pair of marsh
harriers; 2 dark phase booted eagles; and a steppe buzzard.
Near Kolymbari. Were the 2 adult and 1 juvenile bonellis eagles and
a raven - while just
inland was a dark phase booted eagle.
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18th
Sept.
At Neo
Chorio. An out of
place cettis warbler muttered its sub song - whilst a dark phase booted eagle
drifted south.
At the base of one of the peninsulas were a wheatear,
a kestrel, 2 blue rock thrushes, 1 lanner falcon, a lovely pair of long
legged buzzards, a red backed shrike, several crested larks and just over
the sea a juvenile great black backed gull.
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19th
Sept. At Neo Chorio. 1 dark
phase booted eagles and a flock of 7 honey buzzards.
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20th
Sept. At Neo Chorio. Another very high flock of bee-eaters; and,
On the coast. A sub alpine warbler
obligingly sat on a fence while a marsh harrier flew over; a fan tailed
warbler was calling.
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22nd
Sept. At Neo Chorio. The first
of the wintering blackcaps was calling in the garden
On the coast a flock of 14 adult and 6 juvenile purple herons flew
by with a single white stork tagging along for company.
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23rd
Sept. At Neo Chorio. A black
kite; a steppe buzzard; and later a single long legged buzzard circled with
one of our local buzzards before drifting south.
At Sirili. We saw another
black kite; and on the coast an adult lesser spotted eagle.
Near Kolymbari. Were the 3 bonellis again; a flock of 25 little egrets; and dozens of
swallows came in from their long journey across the Mediterranean - to
gratefully hawk for insects before heading for the giant reed beds to
roost and rest.
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24th
Sept. At Neo Chorio. The first
of the wintering black redstarts took up residence in the garden, while
overhead some 10,000 swallows streamed by, dragging several hundred house
martins with them.
At Maleme. A flock of 68 purple herons flew up and down
along the coast with a single glossy ibis in tow that presumably got
separated from its flock.
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25th
Sept. At
Astrikas. Were
hundreds of swallows and house martins in mixed flocks. We saw the
first of the wintering song thrushes; a swift; 3 juvenile griffon
vultures; a pair of bonellis eagles; a woodlark; and a blue rock thrush.
At
Deliana. We saw a red rumped swallow; and a golden oriole.
At Sassolos. Were
an adult golden eagle; 2 griffon vultures; an unusual autumn woodchat
shrike; a blue rock thrush; a raven; and a flock of 30+ wheatears.
Towards the coast. We found a juvenile golden eagle; 2 griffon
vultures; 2
honey buzzards; a booted eagle; and to really impress my brother we at last
found a pair of bearded vultures, the new pair! It is hoped that they will breed this
winter for the first time. En-route home we saw dozens more swallows;
and 2 barn owls.
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26th
Sept. At Gerani.
Was a hen
harrier; and,
At Galatas. An adult greater spotted eagle; and then
On the coast. We
saw a pair of hen harriers; a juvenile lesser spotted eagle; a flock of 12
purple herons; a flock of 21 little egrets; 3 crested larks; and a red
rumped swallow.
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27th
Sept. At Neo
Chorio.
Hundreds of swallows; and the first eleonoras falcon for some time. Later,
while my right hand man had a well deserved swim in the sea, a flock of 14 little
egrets flew by.
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28th
Sept. At Neo
Chorio.
Thousands of house martins and hundreds of swallows streamed by.
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30th
Sept. On the coast. Were spotted flycatchers; a singing
cettis warbler; a female marsh harrier; a flock of 8 white storks; a flock
of 43 little egrets; and a flock of 13 purple herons.
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