Crete Birding

                                                 APRIL 2015

Bramiana Reservoir 30th.... Eleonora's Falcon, Squacco Heron, Glossy Ibis,  Night Heron, Grey Heron, Ruff, Wood Sandpiper.

29/30th Great Snipe, Chania

29th Agyia Little Stint, Little Crake, Marsh Harrier 2

30th Elafonisi Night Heron 3

30th Paleochora Common and Wood Sandpiper

Giorgopouli water, Wood sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, Little Ringed Plover, Pygmy Cormorant present again after 29th. All week on Akrotiri, Montagu's Harrier, Pallid Harrier, Woodchat Shrike, Red-footed Falcon c50, Cuckoo, Greenshank

All week , good numbers of Bee-eater groups of c20, Golden Oriole, in tens. Yellow Wagtail, scores, feldegg, flava, dombrowskii,? cinereocapilla ? Turtle Dove numbers good too a small group of five one day near house. Flycatchers, Collared and Pied in good numbers Spotted not many  !

Great Tit  and Sardinian Warbler first broods now fledged .

Our blackbird nest, two weeks after sitting all that time the nest was predated , I found the culprit curled  up asleep under the olive tree, a large snake, I assume a Balkan Whipsnake  !!!!

27th Around Kaliviani

Crested Lark....Woodlark....Chaffinch....Cetti's Warbler....Blackbird.... Barn Swallow....Sardinian Warbler.... Hooded Crow.... Yellow-legged Gull... Alpine Swift....Swift....House Martin....Cuckoo....

28th

Peregrine Falcon (ringed)....Chaffinch.... Blackbird....Cetti's Warbler....Hooded Crow.... Great Tit.... Eleonora's Falcon 7....Kestrel 2.... Griffon Vulture 1....Alpine Swift ....Common Buzzard... Red-footed Falcon 1... Night Heron 2....Northern Wheatear....Little Ringed Plover 2.... Turtle Dove 2....

29th

Chaffinch....Italian Sparrow....Blackbird....Cetti's Warbler....Great Tit....Goldfinch....Yellow Wagtail....               Barn Swallow.... Crested Lark....Bee-eater....Golden Oriole 1....Yellow-legged Gull....Red-rumped Swallow.... Common Buzzard....Red-rumped Swallow....Turnstone 2....Little stint 2...Little Ringed Plover

30th

Barn Swallow....Swift....Alpine Swift....House Martin....Blackbird....Chaffinch....Yellow-legged Gull....Marsh Harrier Tree Pipit....Yellow Wagtail....Cetti's Warbler.... Sardinian Warbler....Common Buzzard.... Woodchat Shrike.... Griffon Vulture ....Hooded Crow.... Italian Sparrow....Goldfinch....Corn Bunting.... Pallid Harrier f.... Great Tit.... Pied Flycatcher.... Shag....Turtle Dove 5.

All week good numbers of Red-footed Falcon at Akrotiri,Chania. with smaller numbers observed west along the coast,this year minimal numbers at Kaliviani !!

Montagu's and Pallid Harrier seem to be favouring  Akrotiri also this year with very few seen at Gramvousa.

Again observations all week of Glossy Ibis but now singles.

Waders and herons can be found at most lingering pools and rivermouths although with tourists now arriving there is disturbance.

Flycatchers, Pied, Collared, Spotted mostly with a few Semi-collared about.

Golden Oriole, birds nearly daily at Gramvousa 

First Eleonora's Falcon spotted at Kaliviani on 21st

Bee-eaters heard and seen in small numbers almost daily

21st.... Kaliviani....

House Martin....Sand Martin....Great Tit....Barn Swallow.... Hooded Crow...Yellow=legged Gull....Collared Dove.... Linnet....Tree Pipit....Crested Lark....Woodchat Shrike....Sardinian Warbler....Goldfinch....Alpine Swift....   Common Buzzard .... Raven....Sparrowhawk 2.... Golden Oriole.... Italian Sparrow....Bee-eater.... Nightingale.... Cetti's Warbler.... Montagu's Harrier...Red-rumped Swallow...Griffon Vulture....Swift....Blackbird.. Marsh Harrier... Eleonora's Falcon....Siskin....Chaffinch....Bonelli's Eagle 2cy....Pallid Harrier....   Eastern Imperial Eagle.... Cormorant.

22nd .......I took a couple of visitors, Alan and linda from the UK out along the north coast from Gerani near Platanias to Gramvousa peninsula east coast and centre. Including a Marsh harrier seen as I set off we had 53 species for the day.

Chukar(h)....Cormorant 1....Night Heron 1.... Squacco Heron 2....Little Egret 7.... Griffon Vulture 7....Imperial Eagle 1...Booted Eagle 1.... Bonelli's Eagle 2.... Montagu's Harrier 1m.... Pallid Harrier 3.... Common Buzzard 6.... Kestrel 2.... Red-footed Falcon 8.... Little Ringed Plover 5. Wood Sandpiper 4....Common Sandpiper 3....Black-headed Gull 3.... Yellow-legged Gull c20.... Collared Dove.... Turtle Dove (h)....Alpine Swift. Swift.... Bee-eater c20.... Wryneck 2.... Crested Lark....Woodlark (h).... Barn Swallow.... Black-eared Wheatear....Whinchat.... Stonechat.... Blackbird....  Whitethroat....Sardinian Warbler....Cetti's warbler....Great Reed Warbler 1.... Willow Warbler.... Wood Warbler... Spotted Flycatcher....  Pied Flycatcher.... Semi-collared Flycatcher....Collared Flycatcher.... Great Tit....Woodchat Shrike c10.... Hooded Crow....Raven Italian Sparrow....Chaffinch....Goldfinch....Greenfinch....Siskin.... Corn Bunting.

23rd..... Around Kaliviani, not really birding but observed

Bee-eater.... Chaffinch....Merlin....Blackbird....Wood Sandpiper 2....Common Sandpiper 1....Little Ringed Plover 2 Turnstone 1.... Red-footed Falcon 1m.... Golden Oriole 1

24th ......Again took another couple birders out, Sue and Tom from USA We started at Kolymbari and then covered the same route as the 22nd 50 species seen includes two from home Hoopoe and Scops Owl

Yellow-legged Gull....Bee-eater 7....Hooded Crow.... Chaffinch.... Great Tit.... Ruff 1.... Wood Sandpiper....         Little Ringed Plover....Collared Dove....Italian Sparrow....Woodchat Shrike....Barn Swallow.... Sardinian Warbler. Shag....Blue Tit.... Common Buzzard....Cetti's Warbler....Spotted Flycatcher....Common Sandpiper.... Little Bittern Red-footed Falcon....Greenfinch....Moorhen....Tree Pipit....Water Pipit....Temminck's Stint.... Little stint.... Raven   Corn Bunting....Kestrel....Blackbird....Wood Warbler....Blackcap....Pied Flycatcher.... Collared Flycatcher.... Crested Lark....Honey Buzzard 1.... Griffon Vulture....Chukar (h)...Northern Wheatear....Glossy Ibis.... Little Egret Pallid Harrier.... Goldfinch .... Stonechat....Whinchat....Black-eared Wheatear....Greenfinch.

25th .......Some light rain early morning this brought a few flycatchers to the olive grove but nothing special ! Sardinian Warbler....Pied Flycatcher.... Wood Warbler....Hooded Crow... Greenfinch....Golden Oriole.... Shag.... Red-footed Falcon.... Kestrel.... Greenfinch....Crested Lark.... Common Buzzard....Hoopoe....Chaffinch ..      Yellow-legged Gull....Alpine Swift....Blackbird....Scops Owl...

26th Distressing to see the Marsh Harrier still around trailing the string from one leg !!!  Birding for a short while only today from Kaliviani .

Chaffinch....Blackbird.... Cetti's Warbler....Barn Swallow.... Swift....Alpine Swift.... Common Buzzard....Ruff.... Marsh Harrier.... Wood Sandpiper.... Little Stint....Goldfinch.....Sardinian Warbler....Golden Oriole....Hooded Crow. Greenfinch....Crested Lark.

A Curlew Sandpiper at Kaliviani 13th, another new species from home patch.

Plenty of Scops Owl around all week and barn Owl heard nearby on 14th

14th The Black Vulture is still around in the Dikti range.

On the North coast, Collared flycatcher, Semi-collared Flycatcher, Pied Flycatcher around in good numbers. Also Cuckoo, Squacco Heron and Glossy Ibis A single Black-tailed Godwit 15th

The Pygmy Cormorant has made a return to Giorgopouli lake  15th

Ruppell's Warbler again show well at Drapanos Head 

Turnstone at Tavronitis  15th

Merlin Kaliviani 15th  

Kamisiana has good numbers of Little Egret 20, Squacco heron 5, a Purple Heron, Greenshank and Little Stint, to present although the flooded meadows are now drying quickly

The first Eleonora's Falcon sighting a 2cy spotted on the 16th

Hobby sighted in various locations

Redshank, Black-winged Stilt still at Moronis  16th

Osprey at Kissamos Bay  17th

Stone Curlew, Snipe, Akrotiri 18th

Montagu's Harrier Kaliviani 18th 

Two large flocks of Spanish Sparrow at Kaliviani c200 

Red-footed Falcon 7 at Gramvousa Peninsula 19th 

Bee-eaters now occurring in many areas.  

The number of birds around Kaliviani seemed to drop with the warmer weather and south winds, from the 16th !!

Species List Kaliviani 44 species .... Chaffinch....Italian Sparrow ... Nightingale...Whitethroat....Pied Flycatcher....   Barn Swallow....Kestrel.... Blackbird.... Cormorant....Sardinian Warbler.... Tree Pipit.... Whinchat....  Swift....     Stonechat.... Marsh Harrier.... Great Tit.... Scops Owl....Barn Owl....Crested Lark.... Woodlark.... Hoopoe....    Common Buzzard.... Subalpine Warbler.... Greenshank.... Curlew Sandpiper.... Northern Wheatear.... Kestrel.... Hooded Crow....Collared Dove....Little Egret....Merlin...Bee-eater....Cetti's Warbler....Alpine Swift.... Shag.....           Yellow-legged Gull....Little Ringed Plover... Wood Warbler....Squacco Heron....Goldfinch.... Spanish Sparrow.... Montagu's Harrier.... Woodchat Shrike....Red-footed Falcon

A nice start to the week with 30 Glossy ibis showing well in a flooded field between two roads. They split into groups before the last 10 left on the

11th. 7th 2 Crane in the Chania area.

9th The first Golden Oriole 2 came through 

11th Caspian Tern at Souda

11th 3 Gull-billed near Kolymbari 

11th upwards of 20 Little Egret spread along the north coast between d Platanias

12th a nice rarity for us a new species Masked Shrike at Kaliviani  our Crete list is now 244 and house list 157

12th 20+ Lesser Kestrel at Gramvousa Peninsula 

11/12th Pied flycatcher are starting to appear

12th Spotted Flycatcher arrive

12th Jackdaw 2. Unusual for this area, annually we get a few.

All week Pallid , Marsh , Hen and Montagu's Harrier reported from various locations  

A disappointing visit to Agyia Lake on the 6th with only 17 species counted and very few of those species too !!!!...

Common Buzzard 2.... Black-winged Stilt 1.... Squacco Heron 1....Coot 20.... Moorhen2....Yellow-legged Gull c30.... Little Grebe 5.... Alpine Swift.... Barn Swallow....House Martin....House Sparrow.... Blackcap....Common Sandpiper 1....Stonechat....Greenfinch....Chiffchaff.... Cetti's Warbler. 

Our list for this week .....70 species

Marsh Harrier.... Chaffinch....Barn Swallow....Glossy Ibis 30....Sardinian Warbler....Blackbird....Cetti's Warbler.... Italian Sparrow.... Common Buzzard.... Yellow-legged Gull....Greenfinch....Crested Lark.... Hooded Crow.... Kestrel....Cormorant....Little Ringed Plover.... Whinchat.... Northern Wheatear....Bee-eater several groups c70 total...House Martin....Nightingale....Cuckoo....Alpine Swift....Meadow Pipit....Sparrowhawk... Hobby 2....         Grey Heron....Griffon Vulture....Lesser Kestrel 23.... Hen Harrier....Golden Oriole 3....Whitethroat.... Woodlark...    Subalpine Warbler.... Pied Flycatcher.... Tree Pipit....Woodchat Shrike....Swift....Peregrine Falcon....Little Egret.... Yellow Wagtail....Green Sandpiper....Common Sandpiper.... Goldfinch....Crested Lark....House Sparrow ....     Spanish Sparrow....Wood Warbler....Purple Heron 2.... Red-footed Falcon 1f.... Moorhen ....Coot....  Stonechat....    Black-winged Stilt.... Greenshank....Gull-billed Tern 3....Collared Dove....Blue Rock Thrush....Blackcap.... Blackbird....Great Tit... Reed Bunting 2....Masked Shrike 1.... Spotted Flycatcher.... Hoopoe....Little Grebe.... Chiffchaff....Raven....Jackdaw.... Scops Owl.

A good start to April Spring migration is looking better than last autumns !

Stone Curlew 6 on the 2nd....  4 near Tavronitis , 1 at Kaliviani , 1 at Souda

Glossy Ibis,  2 on 2nd near Tavronitis , a group of 30 on 4th/5th near Kissamos 

Black-winged Stilt 2 Tavronitis area 2nd a small group at Agyia on 3rd 

Little Crake 3 at Agyia on 3rd/4th 1 at Kaliviani   

Squacco Heron 1 Tavronitis area 2nd

Good sightings of Isabelline Wheatear from several locations  all week

Bee-eaters arrived,  seen and heard 3 on 3rd 8 on 4th at Kaliviani, 20 at Plakias and small groups elsewhere.

Lesser Spotted Eagle, 2 Booted Eagle, Eastern Imperial Eagle 1, Black Kite 1, ? Honey Buzzard 1, Sparrowhawk 5. Common Buzzard still moving through 30+ on 3rd at Kaliviani 

Possible Pallid swift on the 2nd 

The Little Crake and Stone Curlew  seen at Kaliviani were also spotted from the balcony which now takes the house sighting list up to 156

On the 5th at 0512 was woken by the sound of Ruddy Shelduck calling, not too sure of numbers its was still dark.

Species list for Kissamos and north coast area....62 species  

Yellow-legged Gull c 150....Glossy Ibis 30 + 2....Hooded Crow.... Meadow Pipit.... Greenfinch....Blackbird.... Cetti's Warbler.... Griffon Vulture .. Barn Swallow....Alpine Swift....Common Buzzard 40+....Great Tit.... Chaffinch....Nightingale....Little Crake.... Raven.... Marsh Harrier 8.... Coot...Bee-eater 3+8.... Little Egret 4+1 Little ringed Plover....Yellow wagtail....White Wagtail....Crested Lark....Cormorant....Kestrel....Sardinian Warbler Sparrowhawk 5+2.... Blue Tit.... Swift.... ? Pallid Swift....House martin.... Chukar....Italian Sparrow....Black Kite    Lesser Spotted Eagle... Booted Eagle dark and pale morphs ....Eastern Imperial Eagle....  ? Honey Buzzard 1.... Subalpine Warbler....Montagu's Harrier.... Northern Wheatear....Willow Warbler....Bonelli's Eagle.... Woodlark.... Isabelline Wheatear....Stone Curlew 4+1.... Black-winged Stilt.... Squacco Heron.... Common Sandpiper.... Stonechat....Collared Dove.... Grey Heron....  Wood Sandpiper....Pallid Harrier.... Green sandpiper.... Quail (heard) Greenshank.... Redshank.... Moorhen....Pallid Harrier.... Hen Harrier