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31st March
Weather....0900....20.2oC....Sea, calm....Vis 15 miles....Cloud 100% thin , high....Wind 0.... 1007 mb. Hazy sunshine
12 flower pics from Omalos have been added to the 28th
News from Nikos added to 30th blog , some exciting sightings
Again we were visited by the female Hen Harrier, Wryneck , Hoopoe and Woodchat Shrike all easily spotted from home this morning.
Collared Dove....Chaffinch ....Blackbird....Hooded Crow....Shag....Crested Lark....Kestrel.... Yellow-legged Gull....Wryneck....Sardinian Warbler....Goldfinch....Stonechat....Nightingale.... Pallid Harrier f....Woodchat Shrike....Sparrowhawk 2....Common Buzzard 2+7....Great Tit.... Hoopoe....Bonelli's Eagle 2....Cetti's Warbler A late afternoon walk into the hills behind the house .....Marsh Harrier 1....Pallid Harrier 1.... Common Buzzard 17....Black-eared Wheatear....Northern Wheatear....Crested Lark.... Woodlark.... Chaffinch....Cetti's warbler....Great Tit....Raven 6
Common Buzzard....Buteo buteo
Heliothis peltigera
Alcon Blue....Maculinea alcon
Pyramidal Orchid....Anacamptis pyramidalis
Coronilla parviflora
Medicago orbicularis
Trifollium campestre
Trifolium stellatum
Papaver purpureomarginatum
Malva cretica
That's me up in the hills of Gramvousa
30th March
Weather....23.7oC....Sea, calm...Vis 20 miles....Cloud 100%....Wind S 1m/s...1010mb. cloudy all day
Highlights, Pallid Harrier showed up again and we had brilliant views of Wryneck with three seen in the olive grove .
Species Kaliviani.....Common Buzzard 2....Collared Dove 2....Hooded Crow....Chaffinch.... Blackbird.... Barn Swallow....Saedinian Warbler....Sardinian Warbler.... Swift....House Martin.... Blue Rock Thrush 1....Wryneck 3....Pallid Harrier f....Griffon Vulture 1....Crested Lark.... Nightingale....Shag 1....Willow Warbler.... Great Tit....Stonechat....Woodchat Shrike.... Raven....sSops Owl
Pallid Harrier....Circus macrourus
Wryneck....Jynx torquilla
News from Nikos ............Blue Cheeked Bee-eater at the river Anapodaris !!
Pallid Harriers moving northwards from the west, Blue-cheaked bee-eater from the east, male Ruppell's Warblers already singing in the south and huge flocks in the southern seas (tens of Night-herons, hundreds of Glossy Ibises and perhaps a thousand-strong mixed flocks of Pintails and Garganeys)...
29th March
Today we had the pleasure of the company of Roy from Norway, who always comes to see us when he isin Crete. He arrived at the same time as a Spotted Eagle and many buzzards all heading north. in the afternoon we headed out onto Gramvousa. We parked up and a young family stopped. Their French son aged 9 showed a great interest in what we were doing, very enthusiastic and polite we spent a short while with them in which time he enjoyed, Wryneck, Woodchat Shrike , Hoopoe, Northern and Blacked-eared wheatear. They came back from their trip to Balos telling us of Griffon Vulture and Buzzard seen. I think we have a new birder !!!! A nice tonic to see the enthusiasm. I used to run a Young Ornithologist Group in UK many years ago, it was really nice to see the enthusiasm again in a youngster !!!!
Today's species from Kaliviani and Gramvousa....Chaffinch....Yell
A new species for us to add to the Crete list, Lesser Whitethroat. Thanks to Roy for spotting that one. I missed it but Sue managed to see it. Our crete list now stands at 231 species
Wryneck....Jynx torquilla
Woodchat Shrike....Lanius senator
Whitethroat.....Sylvia communis
Whinchat..... Saxicola rubetra
Meadow Pipit....Anthus pratensis
Marsh Harrier.....Circus aeruginosus
Linnet....Carduelis cannabina
Common Buzzard....Buteo buteo
28th March
Weather....19.8oC....Sea calm.... Vis 20 miles....Cloud 70%....Wind SE 0-3.6m/s....1010mb cloud cleared in the afternoon, sunny
We took Daniel and Cathy out to Agyia and Omalos. We had a fantastically good day apart from the road to Omalos from Laki is one big construction sites as the road is being widened. The scenic area has now been totally devastated, where once trees and rocks lined the road and kept everything in place now there are concrete walls with gabions to keep the steep bare bulldozed sides in place. Criminal, no thought given at all and a beautiful route to the mountains ruined. We have been told the route will be closed at some point in the next month for at least 10 days with an alternative route onto the westward side of the plateau, approach from the Sougia area. Rant over back to the report !!!! We had a great sighting of Lammergeier as it slowly few past and circled some distance off. Spotted by Daniel, our butterfly man, thanks Daniel, well done with that one !!
Kaliviani list....Chaffinch....Crested Lark.... Goldfinch.... Cetti's Warbler...Collared Dove.... Blue Rock Thrush....Hooded Crow Yellow-legged Gull....Griffon Vulture 9....Great Tit.... Scops Owl
On route to Agyia....Shag 3....Common Buzzard 6....Little Ringed Plover 2....Crested Lark.... Northern Wheatear....Whinchat.... Stonechat.....Yellow Wagtail....Collared Dove
Agyia....Blackcap (lots)....Sedge Warbler....Cetti's Warbler....Coot.... Moorhen... Little Crake.... Mallard....Wigeon.... Pochard.... Gadwall.... Tufted Duck.... Black-winged Stilt.... Yellow-legged Gull.... Little Grebe Hooded Crow....Grey Heron....Great Egret....Yellow Wagtail.... Shoveler....Swift....Alpine Swift....Crag Martin....Barn Swallow... Booted Eagle (in tree south of water)
Omalos area....Woodlark....Cirl Bunting....Northern Wheatear.... Goldfinch....Chaffinch.... Jay....Linnet....Blue Tit....Great Tit... Blackbird....Wood Pigeon.... Raven.... Common Buzzard.... Whinchat.... Stonechat....Water Pipit.... Lammergeier.... Griffon Vulture.... Kestrel....Corn Bunting.... Wren.... Whitethroat....Hoopoe.....Chukar.... Yellow-legged Gull.... Crag Martin.... Rock Dove.... Chough.... Greenfinch....Blue Rock Thrush....Greenfinch....Italian Sparrow.... Serin
Shag....Phalacrocorax aristotelis
Black-winged Stilt.....Himantopus himatopus
Water Pipit.....Anthus spinoletta
Chukar....Alectoris chukar
Blue Tit....Parus caeruleus
Cirl bunting....Emberiza cirlus
Lammergeier....Gypaetus barbatus
Flowers from Omalos..............
Daphne sericea
Anemone hortensis ssp heldreichii
Aubrieta deltoidea
Biscutella didyma
Erodium gruinum ?
Tulipa bakeri and Crown Anemone....Anemone coronaria
Crown Anemone....Anemone coronaria
Tulipa bakeri
Chionodoxa nana
Orchis quadripunctata
Gagea penduncularis
Snakes Head or Widow Iris ....Hermodactylus tuberosus
From Alan................We took a friend to the Late Minoan Cemetery at Armeni (Rethymno) today, looking for orchids. Many species in flower, including giant, yellow bee, sawfly, and spider. Images below of woodcock orchid and close-up detail of monkey orchid. This time last year we found freesia there for the first time. This year they had already "gone over", except for one or two blooms - very sweet smelling. There are two clumps - all pale yellow/white - and I wonder if they were planted rather than wild, as I can't find them in any of our flower books?
At home, a common buzzard drifted by, quite low, and at Kalivaki our first woodchat shrike of the year - a nice female.
Freesia
Monkey Orchid
Woodcock Orchid
Woodchat Shrike....Lanius senator
Common Buzzard ....Buteo buteo
27th March
Weather 0900....20.2oC....Sea, calm....Vis 20 miles...Cloud 30%....Wind WNW 4-7.2 m/s... 1008mb.... mostly sunny
Antikythira spring camp in now underway see their progress here ,,http://blogs.ornithologiki.gr/osa/?m=201303
Good numbers of Common Buzzard flew through , in ten minutes we had 50+ and a pale morph Booted Eagle. A Hoopoe flew past the balcony heading north west onto the peninsula. Our first Red-rumped Swallow this year in a group oof mixed hirundines.
Our sardinian warbler nest has been predated again !!! A chaffinch spent two days building a nest on a very exposed olive tree branch, the high winds have destroyed that !!!!!
Kaliviani List ....Collared Dove....Hooded Crow....Chaffinch....Barn Swallow....Linnet....Swift.... Great Tit.... Blackbird....Goldfinch....Crested Lark....Red-rumped Swallow....Hoopoe.... Common Buzzard 50+....Shag 2,....Yellow-legged Gull....Sardinian Warbler....Booted Eagle pale morph.....Little Ringed Plover....Corn Bunting....Northern Wheatear....Stonechat.... Nightingale.... Kestrel.... Italian Sparrow ....Scops Owl
We took a couple of hours to explor the beach area and Gramvousa , we got lucky and saw our first Wreyneck, Black-eared Wheatear, Whitethroat, thirty four species in all.
Walk along coast Gramvousa.....Linnet....Hooded Crow....Italian Sparrow....Great Tit....Raven Barn Swallow....Little Egret....Black-eared Wheatear....Northern Wheatear....Crested Lark.... Corn Bunting....Chukar....Griffon Vulture 5....Yellow-legged Gull....Shag....Whinchat.... Little Ringed Plover....Yellow Wagtail....Whitethroat....Willow Warbler....Chiffchaff.... Wryneck Subalpine Warbler....Sardinian Warbler....Common Buzzard....Hoopoe.... Tawny Pipit.... Blue Rock Thrush....Blackbird....Chaffinch....Collared Dove....Goldfinch....Greenfinch.... Rock Dove
Black-eared Wheatear.....Ornanthe hipsanica dark throated
Pale throated
Female
Blue Rock Thrush....Monticola solitarius
Chukar..... Alectoris chukar
Corn Bunting....Miliaria calandra
Crested Lark....Galerida cristata
Greenfinch....Chloris chloris
Hoopoe....Upupa epops
Little Ringed Plover....Charadrius dubius
Northern Wheatear....Oenanthe oenanthe female
Male
Shag.... Phalacrocorax aristotelis
Tawny Pipit....Anthus campestris
Whinchat....Saxicola rubetra
Whitethroat....Sylvia communis
Wryneck.....Jynx torquilla
Aegean Wall Lizard....Podarcis erhardii sp cretensis
Pale Clouded Yellow....Colias hyale
From Alan....
A day out today to Aradena, where we saw a male lesser kestrel, and our first red-rumped swallows of this year. On the return we found two Bonellis' eagles at distance high above the eastern side of Imbros Gorge. No photos of these birds possible, but a fly-past by an adult lammergeier gave me some opportunity for photos, and our first view of this species from above. Unfortunately I still had the camera on full zoom, so none of the images are that sharp.
Lammergeier.....Gypaetus barbatus
26th March
Weather....0900....16.8oC....Sea, calm....Vis 10 miles....Cloud 100%.... Wind WSW 5m/s.... 1003mb Mostly cloudy
Five images added to 25th report and four from Harry to the 24th
Kaliviani list....Chaffinch....Crested Lark...Woodchat Shrike...Hooded Crow....Italian Sparrow.. Sardinian Warbler....Turtle Dove2....Great Tit....Greenfinch....Isabelline Wheatear.... Goldfinch. Yellow-legged Gull....Nightingale....Collared Dove....Blue Rock Thrush
Coast Kaliviani .... Corn Bunting....Shag 2....Yellow Wagtail (feldegg and flava )....Stonechat Northern Wheatear....Isabelline Wheatear....Woodchat Shrike....Kestrel....Greenfinch.... Linnet Blue Rock Thrush....Italian Sparrow....Yellow-legged Gull.... Tawny Pipit.... a single Bee-eater heard.
Woodchat Shrike....Lanius senator
Shag....Phalacrocorax aristotelis
Northern Wheatear....Oenanthe oenanthe
25th March
Weather....0900....21.8oC....Sea, rough....Vis 15 miles....Cloud 100%....Wind, S13-15m/s.... 1004mb Cloudy, occasional sunshine, wind increased to full gale, Force 10 bringing a sandstorm in the afternoon reducing visibility to half a km.
Species Kaliviani ....A 2cy male Marsh Harrier rested in the fields below....Barn Swallow.... Hooded Crow.... Collared Dove....Shag 2....Crested Lark.... Blackbird....Sparrowhawk.... Swift House Martin....Nightingale....Goldfinch....Greenfinch....Kestrel
No birding today so some weather images .... We watched a ship which on three attempts dragged its anchor in the end gave up and slowly kept moving in the bay.
Six images added to 23rd blog
The ship in the foreground is going fast astern, dragging its anchor unable to find a firm seabed. They are lying just outside Kissamos harbour
When it was blowing a force 9
Force 10, visibility severely reduced
Phlomis cretica and Bombus lapponicus.... bumble bee
Small Copper.....Lycaena phlaeas
Clover....Trifolium
Pallensis spinosa
Three-lobed Sage....Salvia triloba
Swallowtail....Papilio machaon
ON THE 6TH MARCH WE POSTED A PICTURE OF A MOTH THAT WE FOUND ON FALASARNA RIDGE. AFTER WEEKS OF TRYING TO FIND ITS NAME, TODAY WE HAD A BIT OF LUCK THANKS TO THE HELP OF COSMIN FROM ROMANIA WHO CAME UP WITH A GENUS. A BIT MORE RESEARCH ON THE NET AND WE HAVE FOUND THAT IT IS.....
HELIOTHELA OPHIDERESANA
HE ALSO TOLD US THAT IT MAY JUST BE A FIRST FOR EUROPE, AS THIS MOTH SPECIES IS FROM NORTH-EAST AFRICA , ASIA AND AUSTRALASIA . IF ANYONE KNOWS DIFFERENT PLEASE LET US KNOW............
24th March
Weather....18.7oC....Sea, calm....Vis 20 Miles....Cloud 0....wind 0....1011mb Sunny
A day with some raptors a couple of distant aquila, lesser spotted eagle and a after looking at some images taken, a possible eastern imperial. Pallid and a male hen harrier that flew close to the house. Our first spring nightingale and redstart. We watched Common Buzzard, Chaffinch, Great Tit and Sardinian Warbler , all busy carrying nest materials
Kaliviani species....
Pallid Harrier,....Hen Harrier .... Lesser Spotted Eagle....Eastern Imperial Eagle, latter two distant....Woodlark.... Crested Lark.... Chaffinch.... Great Tit.... Yellow-legged Gull 100+ on sea....Hooded Crow.... Collared Dove.... Swift.... Common Buzzard local 4 and migrating 23, Cetti's Warbler.... Stonechat.... Alpine Swift.... Sardinian Warbler.... Subalpine Warbler.... Barn Swallow.... Serin.... Blackcap.... Blackbird.... Raven... Griffon Vulture1.... Song Thrush Shag 5.... Hoopoe 3.... Greenfinch.... Corn Bunting.... Nightingale.... Stonechat.... Chiffchaff Blue Rock Thrush....Goldfinch....Kestrel....Northern Wheatear.. Sparrowhawk.... Redstart.... Scops Owl
Hen Harrier.... Circus cyaneus
Subalpine Warbler....Sylvia Cantillans
Redstart....Phoenicurus phoenicurus
Common Buzzard ....Buteo buteo with nest material
Turban Buttercup....Ranunculus asiaticus At Falasarna
From Alan..... Northern wheatears, have finally arrived at the Kalivaki meadows.
At Georgioupoli Viewpoint yesterday, we had a very distant view of what must be a grey heron. With beak open and wings in a peculiar position, I took the photo, just for interest.
Northern Wheatear....Oenanthe oenanthe
Grey Heron....Ardea cinerea
From Harry at Agyia....
Black-winged Stilt.....Himantopus himantopus
Marsh Harrier.... Circus aeruginosus
Snipe....Gallinago gallinago
Booted Eagle ....Aquila pennata
23th March
Weather....0900....17.7oC....Sea, swell light chop....Vis 20 miles....Cloud 20%....Wind 0.... 1010mb Sunny
Kaliviani Species....Blackcap....Hen Harrier....Chaffinch....Crested Lark....Common Buzzard 3.. Italian Sparrow.... Barn Swallow....Cetti's Warbler....Yellow-legged Gull....Swift.... Serin.... Sparrowhawk ....Goldfinch....Greenfinch...Woodchat Shrike....Raven....Barn Swallow..... Blackbird.... Scops Owl ....Hoopoe....Hooded Crow.... Sardinian Warbler.
22nd March
Weather....0900....18.6oC....Sea, swell and choppy....Vis 20 miles....Cloud 90%.... Wind W 3m/s gusting12m/s....1005mb .....Mostly sunny
Two sightings of the Hen Harrier today, first bird of the morning as it flew to the rear of the house and later sat in the lower fields for a short while. Later we caught sight of a ringtail just as it landed south of us , we logged it as our first Pallid Harrier of the year. Isabelline wheatear are still present along the beach road also Tawny Pipit. A couple of Hoopoe were busy feeding in our neighbours olive grove. Serin and Blackcap were loud and numerous !!!
Kaliviani Species.... Hen Harrier....Goldfinch....Chaffinch....Serin....Sardinian Warbler.... Greenfinch.... Blue Rock Thrush....Barn Swallow....House Martin....Common Buzzard.... Hooded Crow.... Italian Sparrow.....Raven....Blackbird....Crested Lark....Pallid Harrier.... Hoopoe
Hoopoe....Upupa epops
Serin....Serinus serinus female
male
Pallid Harrier....Circus macrourus
IMG_6711.jpg)
Hen Harrier .... Circus cyaneus
Lotus cytisoides
21st March
Weather....0900....24.5oC....Sea, rough....Vis 20 miles....cloud, 100%....Wind, S 13-16m/s ... 1000mb. Hazy sunshine, gale force winds from the night continued into the day bringing another sandstorm from North Africa !!
Some flower pictures added to yesterdays news, some are not named yet !
We now have over 5000 images on site
Not a good day for birding today with sand and wind, but in the evening we hear our first Nightjar this spring....
Kaliviani list.... Common Buzzard....Kestrel ....Hooded Crow....Chaffinch....Goldfinch.... Yellow-legged Gull....Blackbird....Barn Swallow....Great Tit....Blackbird....Swift....Alpine Swift Cetti's Warbler....Greenfinch....Raven....Serin....Hen Harrier 1m....House Martin....Nightjar.... Scops Owl
Hen Harrier....Circus cyaneus
Swift....Apus apus
Orchis collina .... Hill orchid
20th March
Weather....0900....21.3oC....Sea, mirror calm....Vis 20 miles....cloud, 80%....Wind, 0.... 1010mb sunny. Wind late, at 11pm to gale force !
Our first Willow Warblers arrive as do Woodchat Shrike. We take a drive to the coast (local) Moronis reserve and Agyia reservoir......
Kaliviani......Chaffinch, Swift, Alpine swift, Great Tit, Crested Lark, Blackbird, Greenfinch, Linnet, Yellow-legged Gull 27, Hooded Crow, Hen Harrier 1m, Common Buzzard 9, Italian Sparrow, Serin Cetti’s Warbler, Woodlark, Blackcap, Goldfinch, Blue Rock Thrush, Collared Dove, Robin, Kestrel 1, Meadow Pipit 2, Griffon Vulture 1, Raven, Song Thrush, Kestrel or Lesser Kestrel 5 distant, Woodchat Shrike, Chiffchaff..... Scops Owl
Coast.... Isabelline Wheatear, Northern Wheatear, Tawny Pipit, Crested Lark, Collared Dove.
Moronis.... Coot 4, Moorhen 1, Redshank 1, Greenshank 1, Sparrowhawk 1, Italian Sparrow, Yellow-legged Gull 4, Common Sandpiper 1, Cetti’s Warbler, A single Night Heron seen later by Nikos also another Redshank, Kingfisher, Green Sandpiper and a Little Egret.
Agyia Res.... Coot, Moorhen, Little Grebe, Grey Heron 2, Shoveler , Gadwall, Wigeon, Mallard, Tufted Duck, Little Crake 3, Pochard, Sedge Warbler (everywhere), Sardinian Warbler, Chffchaff Cetti’s Warbler, Common Buzzard 4, Marsh Harrier 1m 2f, kestrel 1, Barn Swallow, Alpine Swift, Swift, Grey Wagtail, Common Sandpiper, Blackbird, Blackcap, Great Tit.
Kaliviani and Coastal images......
Woodchat Shrike....Lanius senator
Tawny Pipit....Anthus campestris
Moronis images.....
Greenshank ....Tringa nebularia
With Redshank....Tringa totanus
Sparrowhawk....Accipiter nisus
Agyia images.......
Grey Heron.....Ardea cineria
Sedge Warbler....Acrocephalus acoenobaenus
Marsh Harrier....Circus aeruginosus
Little Crake....Porzana parva
Chiffchaff....Phylloscopus collybita
American Toad....Rana catesbeiana
Probably cultivated found on waste ground at Moronis
Cynoglossum creticum .... Cretan houndstongue, Blue houndstongue .... Agyia.
Equisetum telmateia
19th March
Weather....0900....17.8oC....Sea, mirror flat....Vis 20 miles....Cloud 20%....Wind 0....1010mb Mostly sunny , alight windlater came in from the northwest.
A group of 21 common buzzard gathered just to the northwest of us and circled for some 45 minutes before heading north, 88 yellow-legged gulls rafted just offshore. 31 species seen from the house and we found another10 to add as we took a trip into town. The dawn chorus is really gaining now with blue rock thrush, woodlark, crested lark, blackbird, song thrush , blackcap, great tit, chaffinch and greenfinch all joining in to make a riotous sound to have breakast to, well worth getting up early for !!!
Kaliviani List....Blue Rock Thrush ... Common Buzzard 5+21....Goldfinch....Chaffinch.... Blackbird.... Collared Dove....Serin....Crested Lark....Great Tit....Hooded Crow....Blackcap... Yellow-legged Gull 88....Black Redstart....Chiffchaff....Subalpine Warbler....Tree Pipit.... Sardinian Warbler....Griffon Vulture 4....Shag 2....Cetti's Warbler....Song Thrush.... Greenfinch....Italian Sparrow....Barn Swallow....Raven....Woodlark....Crag Martin.... Kestrel.... Hoopoe....Stonechat....House Martin....Scops Owl
On the coast there seem to be a lot more O isabellina and O oenanthe this year. We had our first tawny pipit along the coast the other day, today we found two !! our previous sightings have only been at Omalos.
Beach and Kissamos....Kentish Plover 1....Isabelline Wheatear 5....Northern Wheatear 10... Shag 2.... Italian Sparrow 20+.... Little Ringed Plover 4....Linnet 5....Yellow Wagtail (flava)1.... Meadow Pipit 20+.... Tawny Pipit 2.... Stonechat 1....Goldfinch 6....Yellow-legged Gull 12.... Collared Dove 2.... Little Egret 1....Starling 1
Shag.... Phalacrocorax aristotelis
Starling ....Sternus vulgaris
Yellow Wagtail....Motacilla flava
Isabelline Wheatear.....Oenanthe isabellina
Northern Wheatear....Oenanthe oenanthe
three from a group of six
Sardinian Warbler....Sylvia melanocephala
Linnet....Carduelis cannabina
Hoopoe....Upupa epops
Common Buzzard ....Buteo buteo
Common Poppy....Papaver rhoeas and Bee !
Goatsbeard....Tragopogon porrifolius
Scrophularia heterophylla
Alan found a group of seven Short-toed Lark in a ploughed field near Kalavaki.....
Short-toed Lark....Calandrella brachydactyla
18th March
Weather....0900....14.7oC....Sea, calm....Vis 20 miles....Cloud 80%....Wind NNW 2..1017mb Mostly cloudy
A good 37 species from the house today with nice sightings of both Marsh and Hen Harrier, the latter a pair, hunted around the house for a time the male nearly catching a crested lark, not quite quick enough though. Pictures are not too good today, light was very poor this afternoon. Good numbers of hirundines and swifts moving through. Common buzzard came through in good numbers this morning. We had our first turtle doves of the year this afternoon when two birds flew past and 4 tree pipits.
From other sources .... Nightjar, Black-winged Stilt, grey herons, Subalpine Warblers, Yellow wagtails , Northern and Isabelline wheatear, Long-legged Buzzard, Ruff all starting to arrive and seen at various locations on the island
Kaliviani Species....Peregrine Falcon 1....Common Buzzard 45 ....Swift....Barn Swallow.... Chaffinch....Crested Lark....Griffon Vulture 1...Blackcap....Blackbird.... Greenfinch.. Goldfinch Sardinian Warbler.... Marsh Harrier.... House Martin.... Shag 1....Alpine Swift.... Serin.... Italian Sparrow....Raven....Great Tit....Hoopoe....Rock Dove....Kestrel....Black Redstart.... Stonechat....Yellow-legged Gull....Collared Dove....Goldfinch....Hen Harrier 2 1m 1f.... Cetti's Warbler.... Tree Pipit 4....Hooded Crow....Turtle Dove 2....Chiffchaff ....Song Thrush 1 Robin....Scops Owl....Barn Owl
Hen Harrier....Circus cyaneus female
Hen Harrier....Circus cyaneus male
Nearly catching a crested lark
The pair on the ground
We found another 5 Grecian Spider Orchid ....Ophrys spruneri in the olive grove
Another plant in the olive grove Muscari speitzenhoferi
Houndstongue....Cynoglossum columnae
From Alan....
We went looking for Kentish plovers today, after our daughter found a group on the 17th. Too much activity with kites [ In Greece, today is "Clean Monday" and a tradition is flying kites, The Beginning of Lent ] meant we had a fruitless trip! Inland, we found a flock of 22 griffons over Petres Gorge, and a small flock of jackdaws. Two pairs settled on a wire either side of a bemused crow.
Jackdaws and Hooded Crow
17th March
Weather....0900....14.6oC....Sea, choppy and a swell....Vis 20 miles....Cloud 10% .... Wind NW 3m/s.... 1016mb.... Mostly sunny
Barn Swallow....Hooded Crow....Common Buzzard....Chaffinch....Hoopoe....Italian Sparrow....Marsh harrier 2 1m 1f.... Serin ....Blackbird....Crested Lark.... Yellow-legged Gull Shag.... Swift....Sardinian Warbler....House Martin....Alpine Swift...Raven....Song Thrush.
Marsh Harrier....Circus aeruginosus male
Marsh Harrier....Circus aeruginosus female
Many thanks to Alan for the following....
Another orchid to add to this year's sightings - believe this is monkey orchid, though not fully out yet - found near south coast at Lefkogia.
? Monkey Orchid
At Georgioupoli Viewpoint, pygmy cormorant not seen for a couple of days now, but great white egret standing where the former was. Our first hoopoe yesterday - in flight and our daughter found a group of 8-10 Kentish Plover
Great Egret....Casmerodius albus
Kentish Plover....Charadrius alexandrinus
16th March
Weather....0900....13.3oC....Sea, calm....Vis 20 miles....Cloud 95%....Wind NW 3m/s.... 1006mb Thunderstorms and high winds during the night.
We wondered if we would have power and internet this morning after a night of thunderstorms. The house got zapped twice by lightning !!
Today our local buteos were seen mating and our sardinian warbler pair have one egg in the nest. We find our first Subalpine Warbler for this spring and a small group of barn swallow that I am not too sure about, whether they are ssp transitiva or ssp savignii, the latter being from Egypt, but then again could just be a straight forward rustica !!
Kaliviani list .... Sparrowhawk....Hooded Crow....Yellow-legged Gull....Chaffinch.... Greenfinch Sardinian Warbler.... Common Buzzard 7....Crag Martin....House Martin....Barn Swallow.... Griffon Vulture 1....Marsh Harrier 1m....Subalpine Warbler....Serin....Blackbird....Hoopoe 4.... Song Thrush....Blackbird....Collared Dove....Italian Sparrow....Great Tit....Peregrine Falcon
Subalpine Warbler....Sylvia cantillans
Barn Swallow....Hirundo rustica
Marsh Harrier ....Circus aeruginosus
House Martin....Delichon urbicum
15th March
Weather....0900....17.2oC....Sea, calm....Vis 20 miles....Cloud 90%....Wind W 3-10m/s.... 1000mb. At 0930 Thunder/lightning/hail and torrential rain. Cleared later then returned late pm.
We went along the beaches around Kissamos in the hunt for small migrants, we were not disappointed Our first yellow wagtails and whinchats of the year. Lots of northern and isabelline wheatear along the coastal fringes, a nice tawny pipit and lots of meadow pipits, which caused us some confusion as many looked nothing like they should in varying spring plumages. Three hoopoe in the olive grove below ours was a nice find, we have been on the lookout for the last few days, its nice to see them back.
Kaliviani list....Hooded Crow....Chaffinch....Crested Lark....Sardinian Warbler.... Woodlark.... Griffon Vulture.... Greenfinch....Sparrowhawk....Cetti's Warbler....Hoopoe 3.... Blackbird.... Common Buzzard....Collared Dove....Italian Sparrow....Scops Owl. 4 Little Ringed Plover on beach
Coast around Kissamos.... Meadow Pipit...Tawny Pipit....Isabelline Wheatear....Kestrel.... Northern Wheatear ....Common Buzzard 3....Greenfinch....Chaffinch....Yellow-legged Gull Goldfinch....Yellow Wagtail (feldegg)....White Wagtail....Crested Lark.... Whinchat.... Starling.... Corn Bunting....Alpine Swift.... Barn Swallow....Collared Dove....Italian Sparrow.... Little Ringed Plover ( a group of 14 )..Shag 2....Black Redstart....Sardinian Warbler...Blackbird
Hoopoe....Upupa epops
Alpine Swift....Apus melba
Common Buzzard....Buteo buteo
Corn Bunting....Miliaria calandra
Yellow Wagtail....Motacilla flava ssp feldegg
Isabelline Wheatear....Oenanthe isabellina
Meadow Pipit....Anthus pratensis
Tawny Pipit....Anthus campestris
Northern Wheatear....Oenanthe oenanthe
Whinchat....Saxicola rubetra
Yellow-legged Gull....Larus michahellis
Calla Lily....Zantedeschia aethiopica
From Alan.....At a large ploughed field just off the beach, near Kavros, there was plenty to look at. Among several northern wheatears, two Isabelline were found. Many crested larks in the same field, and then on the beach itself, two short-toed larks seen. No big birds around today
Short-toed Lark.... Calandrella brachydactyla
Isabelline Wheatear....Oenanthe isabellina
Northern Wheatear....Oenanthe oenanthe
14th March
Weather....0900.....21.0oC....Sea, choppy....Vis 20 miles....Cloud 100%....WindS 3-10m/s .... 1000mb . The weather deteriorated and by 1000 we had S winds 20-23m/s bringing a sandstorm from North Africa and by 1100 the temperature had risen to 24.1oC
First bird of the day... A Marsh harrier that passed close to the house, spotted through the window whilst having my morning cuppa in bed, a nice start to the day !!!.
We were going to check the beaches east of Kissamos but rather than eat sand we stayed at home. Great move as we had our first Swift and Alpine Swift of the year. A small group of ten birds, they did not stop long heading south off Gramvousa at a rate of knots into the wind.
Species were not too many today .... Marsh Harrier....Common Buzzard 3....Chaffinch.... Raven.... Hooded Crow.... Shag 2,,,,Griffon Vulture 1....Blackbird....Swift....Alpine Swift .... Great Tit....
Alpine Swift ....Apus melba
Trip Report from Martin Herbert (17th June-8th July ) added to the "2012 Trip Report" page . Thank you Martin will email you in the next couple of days.
13th March
Weather....0900....19.4oC....Sea, choppy....Vis 20 miles....Cloud 50%....Wind W4-8 m/s 1008mb mostly sunny
Kaliviani list....Yellow-legged Gull....Hooded Crow....Sardinian Warbler....Chaffinch.... Serin.... Corn Bunting....Sparrowhawk....Blackbird....Common Buzzard 2+20>....Blue Rock Thrush.... Crested Lark....Raven....Griffon Vulture 2....House Martin....Barn Swallow....Greenfinch.... Cormorant 1 adult breeding plumage....Song Thrush....Cetti's Warbler...Kestrel
Thanks very much to Alan for the following.........................
Spili (mound) in the high meadows. Tulipa saxatilis was out but not as dense as in previous years. The only orchids blooming were yellow bee, milky and pink butterfly. We continued on to Kokkinos Pirgos lagoon near Timbaki, which didn't turn out to be as productive as I thought. The flamingo is still present, a single black-winged stilt and two common snipe are the only ones worthy of mention. On the return, we stopped off at an area we have seen orchids at before, near Kria Vrisi, and found further species, making a total of nine for the day.
Flamingo....Phoenicopterus ruber
Cretan Bee Orchid
Giant Orchid
Orchis lactea
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Sawfly Orchid
Sombre Orchid
Tulipa saxitilis
12th March
Weather....0900....17.9oC....Sea, calm....Vis 20 miles....Cloud 80%....Wind SW 2m/s.... 1002mb mostly sunny
Kaliviani Species ....Yellow-legged Gull....Hooded Crow....Sparrowhawk....Common Buzzard Chaffinch....Blue rock Thrush 2....House Martin 20+....Collared Dove....Italian Sparrow.... Crested Lark....Blackbird....Greenfinch....Black Redstart...Griffon Vulture 1..Harrier ( ringtail ) Chiffchaff....Isabelline Wheatear....Little Ringed Plover 1....Cetti's Warbler....Serin
11th March
Weather....0900....21.2oC....Sea, calm....Vis 15 miles....Cloud 50%.... Wind W....1001mb
Kaliviani List.... Hen Harrier 1m....Sparrowhawk....Yellow-legged Gull....Common Buzzard.... Hooded Crow....Crested Lark....Chaffinch....Greenfinch....Serin....Song Thrush....Collared Dove Italian Sparrow....Raven....Scops Owl
10th March
Weather....0900....19.5oC....Sea, calm....Vis 20 Miles....Cloud 30%....Wind WNW 2-3m/s....1010mb. Cloud cleared later mostly sunny
We were just about to head off to Gramvousa in search of flowers and Bonelli's Eagles, when we had a visit from Panos. He had set off early in the morning to Elafonisi along the far western coast due to the Topolia tunnel being closed. He told us of a Wimbrel there but not much else. We went for a walk up the track behind the house in the hope there may have been some griffon vultures about.there was nothing and Panos headed for Tavronitis, forty minutes after he left a male hen harrier flew low across the road we had just been along, sorry Panos but you must stop longer to get the visitors around here !!!
Large numbers of Greenfinch joined the many Chaffinch today !!
Kaliviani list....Sardinian Warbler.... Hooded Crow....Yellow-legged Gull....Crested Lark.... Chaffinch....Blackbird....Song Thrush.... Blackcap....Greenfinch.... Collared Dove.... Serin.... Italian Sparrow.... Common Buzzard 12.... Griffon Vulture 1.... Linnet.... Cetti's Warbler.... Sparrowhawk 1....Raven....Hen Harrier 1....Kentish Plover 2.....Scops Owl
Hen harrier....Circus cyaneus
Collared Dove....Streptopelia decaocto
Out on Gramvousa we were pleasantly surprised by the amount of Northern Wheatears and we found the Bonelli's Eagle at the usual spot but flying very high
Gramvousa list....Blue Rock Thrush 2....Northern Wheatear....Raven.... Griffon Vulture 3 Bonelli's Eagle 1....Stonechat....Shag....Crested Lark....Woodlark.... Kestrel....White Wagtail Goldfinch....Serin....Crag Martin....Yellow-legged Gull....Common Buzzard 3.... Isabelline Wheatear
Shag....Phalacrocorax aristotelis ssp desmarestii
Northern Wheatear....Oenanthe oenanthe
Isabelline Wheatear....Oenanthe isabellina
Goldfinch....Carduelis carduelis
Bonelli's Eagle....Aquila fasciata
From Alan....We had a look around some north coast beaches this morning - east of Georgioupoli. We came across a single sandwich tern and a little ringed plover, before finding a small flock of short-toed larks in a field behind one beach - too distant for good pictures. Back home, our daughter, Alison arrived with a bird photo - taken just half a kilometre from where we had been - she had found a single golden plover, which was very obliging.
Golden Plover....Pluvialis apricaria
9th March
Weather....0900....19.0oC....Sea, calm....Vis poor 1km....Cloud 50%....Wind S 1m/s....1010mb Sandstorm , very poor visibility, cleared by noon. mostly sunny
At 1030 a buzzard call close by sent us rushing outside to find a group of ten Steppe buzzards circling overhead. Inside for the camera !!! only to find seconds later they were away and across the bay heading north. A brief glimpse of a harrier through the sand as it rose over a crest and straight back down again, it did not reappear.
Species Kaliviani....Yellow-legged Gull....Blackbird....Song Thrush....Sardinian Warbler.... Chaffinch .... Hen Harrier ? .... Common Buzzard 2+5....Steppe Buzzard 10.... Sparrowhawk Blue Rock Thrush...Collared Dove....Blackcap....Crested Lark....Raven....Goldfinch....Serin.... Greenfinch....Italian Sparrow....Griffon Vulture 1.
Song Thrush ....Turdus philomrlos........
Do not stand around for long here, this one in the olive grove was an exception and I managed a distant photo before it disappeared back into the cover of the gulley.There seem to be many more of this species around locally this year
In the olive grove a Grecian Spider Orchid ....Ophrys spruneri
From Alan.... Early Spider Orchid....Ophrys sphegodes ssp cretensis
8th March
Weather....0900....17.8oC....Sea, calm....Vis, 10 miles....Cloud 100% light...Wind , variable, later W 2m/s....1010mb. Hazy sunshine am mostly cloudy pm
First Bee-eater heard this morning, sounded like a single bird, but we could not find it as it flew north! Early ones we have been told are usually Blue-cheeked and travel singly but we never saw it so unidentified bee-eater.
Species Kaliviani.... Hooded Crow....Chaffinch....Blackbird....Song Thrush....Great Tit....Linnet Bee-eater 1....Black Redstart....Blue Rock Thrush 3....Common Buzzard 2+31....Goldfinch.... Crested Lark....Greenfinch....Italian Sparrow....Stonechat....Blackcap.....
Along the coast.... Little Egret ....Little Ringed Plover 1...Isabelline Wheatear.... Northern Wheatear ....Stonechat Linnet....White Wagtail....Collared Dove....Hooded Crow....Italian Sparrow....Common Buzzard Yellow-legged Gull 50 +
Isabelline Wheatear....Oenanthe isabellina
Stonechat.....Saxicola torquata
White Wagtail....Motacilla alba
7th March
Weather....0900....16.7oC....Sea, calm....Vis,15 miles....Cloud, 100%....Wind S 1m/s 2 1015mb mostly cloudy an afternoon rain shower
Species Kaliviani....Collared Dove....Song Thrush....Chaffinch....Common Buzzard 22.... Sardinian Warbler.... Greenfinch....Crested Lark....Crag Martin....Blackcap.... Cetti's Warbler... Blackbird....Kestrel....Sparrowhawk 1.... Italian Sparrow....Barn Swallow....Black Redstart.... Yellow-legged Gull.... Kentish Plover....Serin....Great Tit....Greenfinch....Shag 1....Scops Owl.
From Alan... At the Georgioupoli Viewpoint today and found the pygmy cormorant still present. In front of the pygmy cormorant, there were four ferruginous ducks.
Pygmy Cormorant.... Phalacrocorax pygmeus & Ferruginous Duck....Aythya nyroca
6th March
Weather....0900....15.1oC....Sea, swell....Vis 20 miles....Wind NE 2m/s....Cloud 5% high.... 1022mb sunny am Cloud increased pm
We stayed at home and watched for migration species in the morning then went to Falasarna to look for plants and birds in the afternoon.
At home 71 migrating Common and Steppe Buzzard, a nice Blue Rock Thrush.
Kaliviani species....Song Thrush....Chaffinch....Raven 7....Common Buzzard 71+3 local.... Hooded Crow.... Crested Lark....Crag Martin....Blue Rock Thrush....Sparrowhawk 2.... Serin Sardinian Warbler....Blackbird....Greenfinch....Griffon Vulture 2.... Robin....Scops Owl
Falasarna....40+ Raven .... 1 unidentified Harrier....Common Buzzard 6....Goldfinch.... Chaffinch.... Kestrel 2....Crested Lark....Stonechat....Barn Swallow 9.... Great Tit....Linnet Sardinian Warbler....Linnet. Five Orchid species and a strange moth that we cannot ID
Viglia beach on the way home .... Black-eared Wheatear 2....Northern Wheatear 1.... Little Ringed Plover 1....Kentish Plover 2.....Greenfinch....Crested Lark
Sparrowhawk....Accipiter nisus
Crested Lark....Galerida cristata
Chaffinch....Fringilla coelebs
Kentish Plover.....Charadrius alexandrinus
Little Ringed Plover....Charadrius dubius
Black-eared Wheatear....Oenanthe melanoleuca
Green Toad....Bufo viridis
Wall Brown....Lasiommata megera
One centimetre from wing tip to wing tip... we cannot ID this very tiny moth
Breasted Ophrys....Ophrys mammosa
Butterfly Orchid.....Orchis papilionacea ssp heroica
Ophrys phryganae
Milky Orchid....Orchis lactea
Bumblebee Ophrys....Ophrys bombyliflora
5th March
Weather....0900....15.8oC....Sea, choppy....Vis 20 miles....Cloud 50%.... Wind NNE 6m/s... 1018mb Cloud cleared and wind increased 8-10m/s NE
After yesterdays thirty species we could only halve that today , but a couple of nice sightings, a male Hen Harrier made several passes by the house and a 2cy Marsh Harrier. Early on ( 0800 ) 22 Common buzzard headed north, very high up though. We find another orchid in flower in the olive grove..Grecian Spider Orchid
Species Kaliviani....Hooded Crow....Chaffinch....Blackbird....Song Thrush....Blackcap.... Yellow-legged Gull....Griffon Vulture 6....Common Buzzard 25....Kestrel 2....Crested Lark.... Hen Harrier 1....Marsh Harrier 1.... Cetti's warbler....Serin....Linnet
Griffon Vulture....Gyps fulvus
Hen Harrier....Circus cyaneus
Grecian Spider Orchid.... Ophrys spruneri
Butterfly Orchid....Orchis papilionacea ssp. heroica
4th March
Weather....0900....13.0oC....Sea, slight swell....Vis 20 miles....Cloud 99%....Wind 1 NNE... 1012mb, Cloud cleared later mostly sunny
Highlights 100+ Common and Steppe Buzzard with one aquila moved through and our first spring Hoopoe was spotted on the crags above the house, but did not hang around for a photo shoot !!! A couple of pairs of Sardinian Warbler are nest building nearby . Several Scops Owl, at least four, could be heard at 10pm, a nice total of thirty species from the house today
Species Kaliviani......Yellow-legged gull 50+....Crested Lark....Linnet....Woodlark.... Great Tit Chaffinch....Hooded Crow.....Common Buzzard 100+, plus 3 local...Blackcap....Blackbird... Song Thrush....Crag Martin....Crag Martin....Hoopoe 1....Sardinian Warbler....Italian Sparrow.. Chiffchaff....Black Redstart.... White Wagtail....Corn Bunting....Blue Tit.... Raven.... Robin.... Booted Eagle 1 dark morph....Serin....Greenfinch....Goldfinch....Rock Dove 2....Stonechat Collared Dove....Scops Owl 4+
Stonechat...Saxicola torquata
Sardinian Warbler....Sylvia melanocephala
Rock Dove....Columba livia
Hooded Crow....Corvus cornix
Greenfinch....Chloris chloris
Chaffinch....Fringilla coelebs
This bird flew from hiding at my feet, obviously injured in some way it flew to a nearby olive tree and and cowered with its head leant against a branch, we have never witnessed anything this behaviour before
Blackbird....Turdus merula
We do not often get to photograph these, they are usually away at the first sight of humans !! 
Spider hole in rock face
Star of Bethlehem....Ornithogalum. exscapum var.collinum (O. collinum) or O.divergens anyone any ideas on this confusing species, a better image is on Sues Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/groups/wildflowersofcrete/
Yellow Pheasant's Eye....Adonis microcarpa
Sea Stock....Matthiola sinuata
Butterfly Orchid....Orchis papilionacea ssp. heroica
Friars Cowl....Arisarum vulgare
Large Blue Alkanet....Anchusa azurea
3rd March
Weather....0900....15.8oC....Sea. calm....Vis 20 miles....Cloud 80%....Wind NW 2m/s.... 1004mb Thunderstorms in the night, intermittent showers in the morning cloud increased 100%
The weather really deteriorated, high winds and rain all afternoon 11.2oC .
This mornings species Kaliviani....Yellow-legged Gull ....Blackbird....Chaffinch....Hooded Crow....Goldfinch Common Buzzard 2....Blackcap....Song Thrush....Greenfinch....Italian Sparrow....Great Tit.... Corn Bunting....Sardinian Warbler....Crested Lark.....Cetti's Warbler.
From Nikos who also got out before the weather changed !!.... A large influx of Chiffchaff and a couple of Booted Eagle at Agyia.
From Alan..... Had a look at Drapanos Head this morning, but weather deteriorated rapidly. My first sighting this year of northern wheatear, a male, which didn't stay around long enough for a photo. Other species seen in this area included a flock of c.20 serins, similar number of linnets, singles of white wagtail, chaffinch, greenfinch, stonechat, blue rock thrush, blackbird, kestrel, common buzzard and yellow-legged gull.
Stopped off briefly (in the rain!) along road that descends to Ombriagialos, near Kefalas, and found two orchid species in abundance.
Milky Orchid.....Orchis lactea
Butterfly Orchid....Otchis papilionacea ssp heroica
2nd March
Weather....0900...14.0oC....Sea, calm....Vis 20 miles....Cloud 100% thin , high...Wind N 2-8 1010mb.... wind later changed to East and clouded over
73 Common and Steppe buzzard headed north early on, early evening we heard two barn owls nearby and found a cat snake. Butterfly Orchids now in flower in the olive grove
Species Kaliviani ....Blackbird....Song Thrush....Crested Lark....Italian Sparrow....Chaffinch... Common Buzzard 73+3....Sardinian Warbler....Serin....House Martin...Hooded Crow.... Goldfinch...Great Tit ....Blackcap....Blue Rock Thrush....Cetti's Warbler....Yellow-legged Gull Greenfinch....Robin Barn Owl 2....Scops Owl.
1st March
Weather....0900....14.7oC....Sea, choppy....Vis 20 Miles....Cloud 80%....Wind E 2m/s. 1016mb Cloud cleared later, mostly sunny
Species Kaliviani....Hooded Crow....Yellow-legged Gull 20....Chaffinch....Raven 2....Blackcap Sparrowhawk 1....Kestrel 1....Griffon Vulture 2....Black Redstart...Collared Dove....Rock Dove Italian Sparrow....Cormorant 1....Stonechat ....Sardinian Warbler....Greenfinch....Common Buzzard 20+.