Pbirdarc0706

MY BIRDWATCHING HIGHLIGHTS FOR JULY 2006

	4^thJuly. At Neo Chorio. Both our local adult short toed eagles - flying with a juvenile.
	5^th July. At Neo Chorio. A single short toed eagle. At Tavronitis. A flock of 10+ swifts.
	6^th July. At Neo Chorio. A hoopoe and 10+ swifts.

	7^thJuly. At Neo Chorio. Both adult short toed eagles flying with a juvenile; and a flock of 30+ swifts. At Chania hospital. A pair of adult short toed eagles flying with a juvenile. At Gerani and Tavronitis. Were single alpine swifts.
	8^thJuly. At Tavronitis. Were a singing sedge warbler; a little egret; a squacco heron; a little stint and a juvenile kentish plover. Later:- At Neo Chorio. We saw a single short toed eagle; a turtle dove; and then, late at night, 2 bats flew into the lounge and chased insects attracted to the lights.
	9^th July. At Neo Chorio. A trip out with a nice couple who contacted us through the website. It was a pleasure to show them around to a few spots of interest:- At Tavronitis. Were a pair of marsh harriers and a single short toed eagle, while, At Astraticas Were 6+ griffon vultures; a pair of bonellis eagles; a pair of adult and a juvenile kestrel. At Deliana. We saw a single red rumped swallow; then on to Sassolos:- At Sassolos. We saw a golden eagle; a pair of lanner falcons; 2 cuckoos; 3 turtle doves; a flock of 12 rock doves; and a blue rock thrush. Near Agios Dikeus. 4 ravens; another lanner falcon; an alpine accentor; a chukkar partridge; a wheatear; 1 griffon vulture; 1 bonellis eagle; 1 rock thrush; and also a haunting, prolonged for about half an hour of shrieking, from what must have been a trapped golden eagle. It kept calling and despite our best efforts we could not see it – the mountain there would have taken days to search. There were some local wardens from the bearded vulture project at the summit of the mountain (who had heard nothing) and also the local shepherds had heard nothing, so we left dispirited and wondering just what had happened, but heartened that there are at last local people interested in what is happening to “their” birds. At Aligi. Another 4 ravens and, At Kandanos. just raven. Back at home a turtle dove called a soothing tune for ages. Then, late at night, another bat came into the lounge and flew round and round for ages.
	10^th July. At Tavronitis. A little stint. And:- At NeoChorio. Both adults with a juvenile short toed eagle.
	11^thJuly. A trip out onto one of the peninsulas. With a bird watching friend. We saw a juvenile lanner falcon; a kestrel; several crested larks; a linnet; a black eared wheatear; an unusual sardinian warbler; and a blackbird - both birds more associated with human habitation than with what we refer to as the 'topography of the back of the moon'. We also saw a raven; a cuckoo; a buzzard; 8+ golden orioles; both adult and a juvenile bonellis eagles flying together; 2 rock thrushes; a wheatear; and lastly:- At Kolymbari. A single raven.
	13^thJuly. At Neo Chorio. The pair of short toed eagles - but this time with 2 juveniles.
	14^thJuly. At Tavronitis. 2 wood sandpipers; and a squacco heron.
	17^th July. At Tavronitis. 1 squacco heron; 5 little ringed plovers; a pair of turtle doves; 4 swifts - and a new species for us - a lovely female levant sparrow hawk that obligingly perched in a tamarisk tree, only 20 meters away, to have a leisurely preen before setting off to hunt. At Neo Chorio. Were 50+ swifts circling and screaming - and a single adult short toed eagle.
	18^thJuly. Along the coast. A squacco heron; a temmincks stint; 11 swifts; 1 spotted flycatcher; a turtle dove; and we very much enjoyed sitting at a taverna having a cold beer, at dusk, while watching 30+ eleonoras falcons coming down from their nest sites on a peninsula to hunt.
	19^thJuly. At Kolymbari. My right hand man was more than happy when one of the short toed eagles flew over carrying a large snake, hence their other name of 'snake eagle'. Sandra more than hates snakes!
	20^thJuly. At Tavronitis. We found a marsh harrier; 3 little stints; 3 little ringed plovers; 9 alpine swifts; and:- At Neo Chorio. The now daily flock of 50+ screaming swifts circled just before dusk.
	21^stJuly. At Chania hospital. A pair of short toed eagles were circling.
	25^thJuly. On the coast. Were 3 squacco herons; and a wood sandpiper.
	26^thJuly. At Neo Chorio. An eleonoras falcon hunted at dusk.
	29^thJuly. At Neo Chorio. There was 1 eleonoras falcon; a short toed eagle; and then- At Polymarchi. We saw a pair of short toed eagles, probably “our” pair, having a duel with a pair of buzzards - though at the end of their territory - which should be breaking down now the young have fledged.
	31^stJuly. At Neo Chorio. 2 eleonoras falcons hunting at dusk.

A few final words for July.

We have now seen enough short toed eagles from Chania hospital to be able to say that they breed around there - as well as just behind our house. Hopefully more pairs remain to be found in the future. Extremely elusive while actually incubating and feeding young in the nest, they are readily observable as they arrive and set up territory and again, after the young fledge, they cannot be missed as the family roams in search of food.

Migration has certainly started but so far is only a trickle. The herons and sandpipers we have seen may well be non-breeders returning before the main rush follows.

We went out on the 9^th. to show some visiting enthusiasts, the Winstanleys, to some of the spots we know are usually good for birds. They are making a donation to the Website charity of choice, the Great Ormond Street Hospital for Sick Children. They enjoyed seeing some birds that were new to them and certainly were taken to sites that no ordinary tourist would ever find. Their donation will help to fund making some very sick children hopefully have a brighter future. Many very sincere thanks.

I know this page is read by quite a few interested observers now and wish you all well. The readers cover much of Western Europe now, so all of you will be eagerly watching the migration patterns in your areas. Never take your bird watching too, too seriously, always have time to have some fun and enjoy yourselves!

Until next month, good watching. Paul Smith.