1^st Aug.  On the coast.  We found a barn owl run over on the road. Then we saw 2 turtle doves; 3 little ringed plovers; 3 juvenile ringed plovers; and a weasel ran across the road in front of us. Highlight of this trip, of the year and probably of my lifetime were fantastic close up and long views of a superb slender billed curlew!!! A mega twitch for those so inclined - but this was all to myself – my right hand man was cavorting in the sea so missed all the action. One of the true mystery birds of the Palearctic region whose breeding grounds are subject to intense debate, whose population size is totally unknown and whose migratory patterns are so variable as to confuse everyone. The plumage was pristine so identification was straightforward as I watched it trying to feed in a field only 30 metres away for ten minutes before it flew up calling loudly with a non curlew like alarm call before circling six times just overhead, before flying strongly away towards the south east. That really did call for a long cold beer in the nearby cantina to celebrate!
                At Neo Chorio. Two eleonoras falcons in the evening failed to elicit much exuberance after the earlier excitement!

2^nd Aug.  At a nearly dried up estuary. Were 2 adult and a juvenile ringed plovers, while a light phase eleonoras falcon hunted overhead.

3^rd Aug.  At Neo Chorio. We heard a flock of bee-eaters, but as is usual with autumn migration they were too high up to see. We just heard them.
 

4^th Aug.  At Loukomeheliana. We managed to see 23 bee-eaters and then 5 golden orioles. Further along at Pontikiana were another 4+ bee-eaters.

5^th Aug.  At Neo Chorio. Our famous cat (called toffee) managed to get into these pages again when he tried to ambush a scops owl in one of our mulberry trees, but all he succeeded in doing was to annoy it and fall out of the tree along with lots of dead leaves and a mass of spiders webs!

6^th Aug.  At Neo Chorio. Sitting on our patio enjoying a delicious wild boar sausage, a present from the daughter in law, a buzzard swooped down so low I was convinced it wanted to grab a share. I hung on tight and it sheared off in search of easier prey thank goodness.

8^th Aug.  At Neo Chorio. A short toed eagle circled.

9^th Aug.  At Neo Chorio. Another, or perhaps the same short toed eagle and later a male sparrow hawk.
              On the coast we found some high bee-eaters, 2 temmincks stints, a squacco heron, 3 wood sandpipers and a marsh harrier.

11^th Aug. At the coast. We were able to watch small flocks of swallows on migration coming in from the sea and immediately setting about foraging for insects. There were also 2 little stints and out to sea a raft of 50+ garganey were waiting for darkness before coming in to feed.

13^th Aug. At Neo Chorio. A short toed eagle is still about.

14^th Aug. At Neo Chorio. The short toed eagle is still here while:-
                 On the coast. Were 1 squacco heron; 2 little ringed plovers; and more migrating swallows coming in off the sea.

15^th Aug. Again on the coast. 2 little ringed plovers; 1 wood sandpiper; 1 temmincks stint; a flock of 7 ruff; flocks of 49 and 11 glossy ibis; 1 hoopoe; and yet more swallows coming in from the sea on their migration.

16^th Aug. At a river estuary. Were 2 little ringed plovers; 1 squacco heron; a flock of 56 ruff; and a flock of 12 purple herons.

17^th Aug. At Neo Chorio. Were a pair of long legged buzzards circling with a common buzzard while:-
                 Over Sirili. A group of 3 honey buzzards drifted south.
                 At the coast. We saw our first kingfisher of the autumn.

20^th Aug. At Sirili. A roller - much less frequently seen in autumn than spring.

21^st Aug. On the coast. We saw the first of the returning yellow wagtails.

23^rd Aug. On the coast. There was a flock of 83 glossy ibis; a flock of 19 little egrets; and then we had amazing views of a juvenile great spotted eagle that flew in from the sea and immediately started hunting along one of the estuaries. While difficult to identify at the usual great distances that eagles are observed from, at 30 metres there could be no mistaking this one.

27^th Aug. At Polymarchi. Was a long legged buzzard and later a rough legged buzzard while:-
                 At the coast. A booted eagle and a flock of 30+ teal.

28^th Aug. At Kastelli. Was an extraordinary sight – a cow standing in a field! A very rare sight indeed on Crete , we know people to have driven miles to show their children one!
                 On one of the peninsulas. We found very few birds - a wheatear; a few woodlarks; a blue rock thrush; a single lanner falcon; and 1 griffon vulture. On the way back home we saw a nightjar and then another rough legged buzzard.

30^th Aug. On the coast. Were flock of 34 glossy ibis; 3 pintail; a pair of marsh harriers; 2 bar tailed godwits; and later a single glossy ibis.
                 At Sirili. Were a golden oriole and 2 crag martins.

31^st Aug. At Neo Chorio. Were 3 honey buzzards.
                 At the coast. Was a lovely male marsh harrier; a flock of 25 little egrets; 1 wood sandpiper; and probably the same 2 bar tailed godwits as yesterday.