| 3rd
Jan. Along the Coast.
Daily trips along our local coastal strip
between 3rd and 6th revealed a
lot of small flocks of meadow pipits; several resident marsh harriers;
white wagtails; stonechats; whinchats; kestrels; and even a lone
cormorant.
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| 7th
Jan. At Neo
Chorio.
A flock of 10+ ‘leaf’ warblers defied closer identification despite
long and careful looking – showing that with warblers sightings alone
are often not enough to be certain of identification. Song or in hand
examination are essential to avoid hopeful guesses that so many visiting
twitchers come up with. A single and beautifully plumaged orphean
warbler presented no such problems as it foraged for insects in an
orange tree right outside our lounge window.
At Vlacheronitsa. We saw a
rough legged buzzard, then,
On the coast. Another flock of chiffchaffs,
this time 30+.
At Kamisiana. A feeding flock of 14+ calandra
larks; plus the usual whinchats; stonechats; white wagtails; meadow
pipits; a kestrel; and a moorhen.
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| 8th
Jan. A trip up to a new mountain site.
Was worthwhile as we found ravens; a
rough legged buzzard; a red kite that could only have been wintering on
the island; a golden eagle; a colony of 15+ rock doves; an immature
imperial eagle (3or 4 CY for the specialists); lots of song thrushes; blue
tits; great tits; an adult bonellis eagle; and along a small mountain
stream 4 grey wagtails were foraging.
At Neo Chorio. At dusk, the first calling
scops owl of the year was heard.
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| 9th
Jan.
A trip to a gorge not visited before.
Revealed 2 honey buzzards; a flock of
16+ jackdaws: a male goshawk; a pair of displaying kestrels; 9+ crag
martins; a booted eagle; and lots of singing blackbirds. Chaffinches;
goldfinches; sardinian warblers; and a single blue rock thrush; and a raven
added their calls as well.
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10th
Jan. At Neo
Chorio. A male goshawk jolted the
local sparrows out of their lethargy and had them
diving for cover.
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| 11th
Jan. On the Coast.
Along the coast were 3 honey buzzards; 5+ corn buntings; a flock of 28
linnets; a flock of 34_starlings; a pair of marsh harriers; a female
goshawk; a flock of 60+ meadow pipits; a flock of 40+ red throated pipits;
another female goshawk; a stonechat; an early calling cettis warbler; and a
flock of chiffchaffs, again with one from the eastern race present and
very obvious with its pale and very grey plumage.
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| 14th
Jan. On the Coast. Was a swallow
- and the usual whinchats, stonechats,
blackbirds, meadow pipits, some greenfinches, two black redstarts and a
marsh harrier.
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| 16th
Jan. On the coast.
Were the usual birds, but this time plus a flock of 30+ red
throated pipits.
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17th
Jan. At Chania.
Visiting Chania hospital
for a check-up, we managed also to see 3 honey
buzzards; and a short toed eagle. On the way home we saw 2 booted eagles
and then,
On the coast. Two
flocks of 20+ and 50+ red throated pipits plus black redstartsl; stone and
whin chats; meadow pipits; robins; a marsh harrier; 8+ greenfinches; a
corn bunting; and a flock of
15 linnets.
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19th Jan. At Neo
Chorio. A flock of 30 hooded crows gathered at
dusk. We have not seen
this for a long time.
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21st Jan. On the Coast.
Our regular run along the coastal strip was rewarded with all the expected
birds, plus a male sparrow hawk - and out to sea a dolphin reminded us that
there are other living things as well as birds in the world to spot and record.
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22nd
Jan.
At Neo
Chorio.
3 honey buzzards flew by.
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25th
Jan. At Neo
Chorio. A lively pair of kestrels were screaming and displaying for ages
over the garden and in one of the walnut trees. A male goshawk again came
by and frightened all the small birds into diving for cover again.
At
Sirili. A rough legged buzzard was hunting in tight, low circles over an
olive grove.
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26th Jan.
At Chania.
On yet another visit to Chania we
saw a dead barn owl on the motorway and then, at the hospital, were a lovely
pair of long legged buzzards circling close to a pair of local common
buzzards. Then a pair of short toed eagles; a white wagtail; and a pair of
crested larks.
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29th
Jan. At Neo
Chorio.
In brilliant spring sunshine a lanner falcon displayed over our garden for
some time, though no mate was seen.
On the coast. In addition to the usual
birds were three large flocks of Spanish sparrows that totaled over 1,000
individuals.
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