Pbirdarc0804

MY BIRDWATCHING HIGHLIGHTS FOR AUGUST 2004

	2^nd August. At Neo Chorio. A single short toed eagle lazily circling over the valley.
	6^thAugust. On the National Road. Yet another dead barn owl. At Maleme. A flock of 35 garganey were flying out over the sea. My right hand man swam.
	7^thAugust. Out on one of the peninsulas. We saw 3 griffon vultures; a single wheatear; a lanner falcon; several crested larks; a lovely male blue rock thrush; several woodlarks; 2 bonellis eagles; a female kestrel; and a single stonechat. The stonechat was very brightly coloured, but I am not into sub- species so make no claim for the eastern form. At Afrata. There was a flock of 4 eleonoras falcons hawking for insects.
	10^thAugust. At Neo Chorio. We saw 2 eleonoras falcons and a barn owl at dusk.
	13^th August. On the National Road. Still yet another dead barn owl. They are having a hard time this year with numbers being thinned out by collisions with vehicles. On the coast. We found a single glossy ibis, 2 yellow wagtails and a pair of wood sandpipers.
	14^th August. On the coast. A single grey heron and out to sea a flock of 60 garganey.
	18^th August. Over a nearby beach. A single black stork circled for ages, unable to land because of the tourists frying under the sun.
	22^nd August. Near the coast. We found 3 marsh harriers. Residents or migrants? Impossible to tell at this time of year.
	23^rd August. Along the coast. 2 little egrets; a moorhen; 3 wood sandpipers; 2 little ringed plovers; a little stint; and 3 black tailed godwits.
	24^th August. Lovely views of a flock of 31 black tailed godwits
	25^th August. Along the coast. Things are certainly picking up, as we saw a flock of 6 juvenile and 2 adult purple herons; then another flock of 62. Then another single black stork; a flock of 8 black tailed godwits; a flock of 90+ little egrets; a sand martin; 2 green sandpipers; 24 wood sandpipers; 2 curlew sandpipers; 21 squacco herons perching in a clump of giant reed; and then an early wintering kingfisher.
	29^th August. Along the coast. Were a little egret; a kingfisher; a flock of 50 ruff; a flock of 10 juvenile purple herons; a male lesser kestrel; and 3 red throated pipits. While out to sea a flock of 9 garganey flew by.
	30^th August. Purple herons in abundance – flocks of 106, 17, 98, 22, 20, 19, 19, 183, 78 and 124! Also 5 little egrets; a female red backed shrike; 5 squacco herons; 15 red throated pipits; a flock of 6 black winged stilts; 20+ yellow wagtails; 1 wood sandpiper; 2 little stints; a kingfisher; and 2 spotted flycatchers.
	31^st August. Along the coast. We found 2 common sandpipers; 47 wood sandpipers; 27 yellow wagtails; a juvenile marsh harrier; 2 sand martins; a ruff flying with a flock of 47 wood sandpipers; 3+ red throated pipits; a little egret; 4 spotted flycatchers; a kingfisher; and a flock of 79 purple herons that had three great white egrets flying with them.