PaulBird1

MY BIRDWATCHING HIGHLIGHTS FOR JUNE 2005

This month we start with both bad news and good news. The bad is that since his last page, Paul has had to undergo extensive surgery for a life-threatening condition. He was unable to watch the birds, as the superb staff of the Chania General Hospital had him sedated (unconscious) in intensive care for a considerable time. He is now recovering at home, ably nursed by his wife Sandra (his 'right hand man')...

Never having missed a page since it commenced in 2001, Paul has finally agreed to a short break. His locums for this issue are Han and Inger van der Lelie, from Amersfoort, Netherlands, who have kindly contributed their diary of sightings here on Crete covering what could have been a missing page.

Paul Smith 'Birdwatching Highlights' at Cretanvista, Astratigos, Kolimbari, North West Crete

First, their own introduction, as sent to Paul.

Since 2001 we like to spend our holiday in Western Crete, always in May or June. Usually we walk in the mountains or through the many gorges. This year I became a member of the Dutch Society for the Protection of Birds and went to a beginners course in bird watching. So I decided to try my very inexperienced hand in bird watching in Crete. We stayed the first two weeks of June this year in a hotel in Rapaniana near Kolimbari and every day my wife (who became very interested in bird watching) and I discovered new birds. It opened up a whole new dimension in our holiday activities in a region which we visit since 2001.

After our return home we read on the nice website cretanvista your listings the month of May. So we decided to share our observations with you. Sometimes it was very difficult to determine which raptor we saw flying, especially the different Buzzards. Perhaps you can give us the right answer, since you are an experienced bird watcher and know the habitat better than we.

	30^th May. At Rapaniana. In the reed marshes between hotel and the sea: 3 common buzzards; many yellow-legged gull; swifts; house martins; 1 crested Lark. At Falasarna. 1 steppe buzzard or common buzzard.
	31^st May. At Rapaniana. 1 eleonoras falcon.
	1^st June. South West Coast. 1 stone chat. At Rapaniana: 2 eleonoras falcon: 1 barn owl (hissing); many stone chat; in fact the stone chats woke us up every morning.
	2^nd June. At Deliana Gorge. 5 or 6 griffon vulture, soaring through the Gorge, nesting in 2 nests high on a ledge; 2 chough or red-billed chough (to far away to be sure); 1 rüppels warbler; a few Common Buzzard. At Rapaniana. 1 corn bunting; 1 stone chat.
	3^rd June. At Rapaniana. 1 yellowhammer; 2 crested Lark; 1 mediterranean warbler; many stone chat (heard! not seen). At Chania old harbour. 2 artic tern.
	4^th June. At Omalos Plateau. 2 chough.
	5^th June. At Rodopos Peninsula. 1 marmoras warbler.
	7^th June. At Spilia, John´s Cave. 1 mediterranean warbler. Near Spilia. 1 hoopoe (great surprise!). At Rapaniana. Many yellow-legged gull; 4 mediterranean warbler; 2 corn bunting; 3 lesser kestrel.
	8^th June. At Agia Reservoir (near Chania). 2 juvenile + 2 adult goldeneye; 2 squacco heron; 2 little grebe; 10 + moorhen; 1 eleonoras falcon; 1 little egret; 2 adult + 2 juvenile + 2 sub adult greylag goose.
	9^th June. At Giorgipoli Lake. 1 corn bunting; 1 little grebe; 3 sub adult greylag goose. 2 adult goldfinch. At Rapaniana. 2 hooded crow.
	10^th June. 1 lesser kestrel.
	11^th June. At Rapaniana. 2 lesser kestrel; 1 common buzzard or rough-legged buzzard; 1 crested Lark; 1 marmoras warbler. At Mouri. 2 Goldfinch.
	12^th June. At Rapaniana: 1 reed warbler; 5 mediterranean warbler; 6 lesser kestrel circling together chasing insects.
	13^th June. At Spilia, St. John´s Cave: 1 eleonoras falcon flying directly overhead about 3 meters; 2 Long-legged or Rough-legged Buzzard, soaring and hovering 4-5 seconds with feet dangling, sometimes diving or soaring again.

Plus just a few words for June from Paul.....

Great to hear from 2 people obviously enjoying themselves and now the bird watching they are adding to their holidays. A note re: 8th June entry - the greylag geese are "tame" until you try to sneak by without feeding them!

Well done on what you have seen. Raptors need practice!

Until next time, good watching. Paul Smith.

Editors note: At no time have I heard Paul bemoan his position. However much we would all wish it otherwise, he still has a very long way to go. I know that he greatly appreciates the contribution of Han and Inger - made quite unknowingly and coincidentally at a time when Paul must have been wondering the future. We all, I know, wish him the very, very best. Personally, well, when I see his next page in my mailbox with his "Until next month, good watching" sign-off I will know that we are over the hump. So come on Paul, we are all waiting - I promise to bring your walking stick back in return!.........
W.B.