Sue has started one for wild flowers and we have one for Birds etc Please join us
" WILD FLOWERS OF CRETE "
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"CRETE-BIRDING"
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Some bad weather for the end of the month with sandstorm and rain which came with southern winds , which also brought a few migrants our way.
In the west a Great spotted Cuckoo, near Ireptera 28th
Booted Eagle continue to show up at various locations
Little Gulls at Giorgopouli and Mediterranean Gulls at Kolymbari
The first spring Northern Wheatear at Kaliviani 27th
Subalpine Warbler at Giorgopouli 27th
Small groups of common buzzard starting to move north, 16 on 26th. local birds seen getting territorial and mating.
Species list West Crete, 36 species..... Sparrowhawk...Northern Wheatear...Chaffinch....Song Thrush....Blackbird....Hooded Crow.... Yellow-legged Gull.... Raven....Common Buzzard....Blackcap....Cetti's Warbler....Sardinian Warbler....Crag Martin....Stonechat.... Woodlark....Cormorant ....Linnet.... Black Redstart....Robin....Great Tit.... Kestrel....Chiffchaff.... Goldfinch....White Wagtail....Griffon Vulture....Blue Tit....Corn Bunting...Meadow Pipit....Crested Lark....Serin.... Common Sandpiper....Italian Sparrow....Rock Dove.... Greenfinch....Marsh Harrier....Collared Dove....
Very changeable weather again with cold north winds bringing more snow even on the lower hills, by midweek the depth at Omalos is 1.5-3 metres. Late in the week as winds changed we spotted our first spring House Martin on the 17th with two later on the 22nd. The first Barn Swallow sighting was on the 21st, a single bird.
Highlight of the week and probably the year was 2 Egyptian Vultures on their spring migration north, circling over the house , we had fantastic views before they headed out onto the peninsula, we managed some great pics too and they can be found on Facebook. This is the first time we have seen this species on Crete in the spring.
Lots of Common Buzzard about this week, ten spotted as we drove along the 40km stretch of road to Chania and several seen heading north over Gramvousa.
21st and 22nd Golden Plover near Giorgopouli. Also Little Gulls still present. Snipe on the 18th, Booted Eagle 18th and a Water Pipit.
best bird count of the week from the balcony again !!!!! 32 species
Our weeks species list 43 species....Crag Martin....Common Buzzard....Greenfinch....Raven....Blackbird.... Chaffinch.... Yellow-legged Gull....House Martin....Caspian Gull....Shag....Chiffchaff....Stonechat.... Robin.... Sardinian Warbler.... Common Sandpiper....White Wagtail....Goldfinch....Linnet....Serin....Green Sandpiper 2.... Hooded Crow.... Peregrine Falcon....Kestrel....Italian Sparrow....Griffon Vulture....Blue Rock Thrush.... Black Redstart.... Crested Lark....Cormorant....Meadow Pipit.....Barn Swallow....Egyptian Vulture 2.... Sparrowhawk.... Woodlark.... Cetti's Warbler.... Blackcap.... Song Thrush....Rock Dove....Great Tit....Blue Tit.... Collared Dove....Grey Heron.... Kentish Plover....
Still with the storms causing havoc this week had very high winds lots of snow on the mountains. With little birding apart from sea watching which produced a good few species of gull and some Sandwich Tern along the battered north coast.
At Agyia, Little Gulls and little else !
In the Dikti area the usual Bearded Vulture, a dark morph Booted Eagle, 3 Golden Eagle on the 13th,Chough on the 15th , an Eastern Imperial Eagle on the 11th flying with a Bearded Vulture.
Species for the week....Cormorant, Yellow-legged Gull, Caspian Gull, Heuglin's Gull, Sandwich Tern, Chaffinch, Hooded Crow, Great Tit, Goldfinch, Griffon Vulture, Kentish Plover 2, Audouin's Gull, Corn Bunting, Woodlark, Common Buzzard 8 migrating plus locals, Song Thrush, Cetti's Warbler, Raven, Crag Martin, Kestrel, Crested Lark, Linnet, Blackbird, Goldfinch, Stonechat, Black Redstart, Blackcap, White Wagtail, Common Sandpiper, Shag, Rock Dove, Serin, Chiffchaff, Sparrowhawk, Sardinian Warbler