Crete Birding

                                                     Blog November 2015

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          On the Facebook pages you will find daily additions on this autumns migration                    from regular contributors, Jef, Nikos, Fotis and Alan as well as contributions                        from visiting birders and botanists. If you are holidaying feel free to add                      your sightings on those pages....Thank you

30th November

Lots better today construction workers having a day off by look of it ! All quiet again, bringing lots of bird calls.

In all a nice count of 29 species for the day...

Kaliviani list.....Blackbird, Black Redstart, Kestrel (4 hawking insects ) Stonechat, Cetti's Warbler, Hooded Crow, Common Buzzard 4, Griffon Vulture 6, Robin , Blackcap, Blue Rock Thrush 2, Goldfinch, Corn Bunting,                White Wagtail, Linnet, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Italian Sparrow, Collared Dove, Sardinian Warbler, Song Thrush, Cormorant, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Crested Lark,Yellow-legged Gull c60, Peregrine Falcon, Raven, Booted Eagle.

                                     

                      Summary for this month...... 47 species and we have not visited any lakes or coast yet

                                                                                    Species list November

 Starling   Hen Harrier f Hen Harrier m+f....Black Redstart....Kestrel....Hooded Crow....Robin....Chukar....   Common Buzzard....Italian Sparrow  Blackbird.... Goldfinch....Sardinian Warbler....Yellow-legged Gull....       Great Tit....Raven....Crag Martin....Sparrowhawk....Willow Warbler....    Stonechat....Blue Rock Thrush....    Crested Lark....White Wagtail....Chaffinch...Short-toed Eagle....Booted Eagle....Cetti's Warbler....Rock Dove   Barn Owl........Linnet....Peregrine Falcon + ssp Peregrine Falcon “callidus”....Chiffchaff....Griffon Vulture....  Cormorant....Greenfinch....    Bearded Vulture....Blue Tit....Little Grebe....Shag....Meadow Pipit....Kentish Plover  Golden Eagle....Marsh Harrier....Red-footed Falcon....      Long-legged Buzzard....Collared Dove....Song Thrush....Corn Bunting....Blackcap

 

 

 

 

29th November

A little better today although road works are still ongoing.

Species for Kaliviani.... Blackbird, Kestrel, Black Redstart , Stonechat , Chaffinch, Great Tit, Yellow-legged Gull, Hooded Crow, Sardinian Warbler, Blue Rock Thrush, Crested Lark, Rock Dove, Corn Bunting, Linnet, White Wagtail, Kingfisher, Chiffchaff, Common Buzzard, Robin, Goldfinch, Italian Sparrow, Barn Owl

 

 

 

 

28th November

Not too much to report for today , lots of heavy machinery nearby pushing in a new farm track, and trashing the land behind the house, more nice habitat destroyed !!

Species today....Raven, Common Buzzard, Hooded Crow, White Wagtail, Robin and Sparrowhawk.

 

 

 

 

27th November

More heavy rain , thunderstorms through the night and occasional heavy showers throughout the day meant another poor day. 

We had a Sparrowhawk fly in low through our open gate about a metre off the ground on early morning hunt and later a lovely adult Peregrine Falcon flew close by , within 20 metres ....other than those  only nine other different species !!!

Chiffchaff, Hooded crow, Yellow-legged Gull 1, Sardinian Warbler, Crested Lark, Rock Dove, Griffon Vulture 1, White Wagtail , Stonechat.

 

Hummingbird Hawkmoth  

 

 

 

 

26th November

Heavy rain last night meant it started very quiet , not much bird song anywhere it continued like this through the day and more heavy rain later saw few birds !!!

Black Redstart , Hooded Crow, Stonechat, Griffon Vulture 3, Goldfinch, Common Buzzard, Collared Dove, Italian Sparrow, White Wagtail, Crested Lark.

 

 

 

 

25th November

Crag Martin, Griffon Vulture 17, Sparrowhawk, Robin, Common Buzzard, Kestrel, Raven, Stonechat, Shag 1, White Wagtail, Linnet, Kentish Plover 1, Crested Lark, Meadow Pipit, Chaffinch, Barn Owl

 

 

 

 

24th November

Blue Tit, Goldfinch, Hooded Crow, Black Redstart, Raven c20, Sardinian Warbler, Kestrel, Peregrine Falcon, Common Buzzard 5, Blue Rock Thrush, Chiffchaff, Yellow-legged Gull, Griffon Vulture 2, Stonechat, Linnet, White Wagtail, Collared Dove, Robin, Cetti's Warbler, Greenfinch, Black Redstart.

Hedgehog 

 

 

 

 

23rd November

It turned out to be quite a day for late in the season raptor migrants, in the afternoon we had a very bedraggled Marsh Harrier , a juvenile Red-footed Falcon and late evening just as darkness fell a Long-legged Buzzard. The "callidus" Peregrine Falcon continues to hunt in the area too and 24 species seen in the day

Species list for Kaliviani.....Griffon Vulture 7, Goldfinch, Peregrine Falcon, Black Redstart, Sardinian Warbler, Stonechat, Rock Dove, Blue Tit, Hooded Crow , Linnet, Raven, Greenfinch, Kestrel 4, Yellow-legged Gull, Robin, Common Buzzard, Sparrowhawk, Blue Rock Thrush, Cetti's Warbler, White Wagtail, Collared Dove, Marsh Harrier, Red-footed Falcon, Long-legged Buzzard.

 

 

 

 

22nd November

Several rain showers today in between the warm sunshine, 22 °C.

We did not think the day would be up to much as the wind increased from the west but late afternoon we had distant but great views of several griffon Vultures , landing and taking off , some too gorged from feeding they could not fly far. The highlight came later at around 3pm when a Golden Eagle was first spotted flying along the ridge, shortly after a Bearded Vulture did the same and was set upon by the Golden Eagle. A few distant pics were possible and they can be seen on our Facebook page. The two chased about for some minutes before the vulture headed out onto the peninsula and the golden eagle started to play with what looked like a long string of entrails, flying high up and dropping them and going down to recover them and resuming the game. A great after lunch bit of birding  !!!  

Species for the day....Hooded crow, Yellow-legged Gull, Stonechat, Goldfinch, Common Buzzard, Raven, Griffon Vulture 12, Sardinian Warbler, Peregrine Falcon, Kestrel, Crested lark, Black Redstart, Italian Sparrow, Collared Dove, Shag 1, Golden Eagle 1 juv, Bearded Vulture 1 adult.

 

 

 

 

21st November

Little birding today, apart from jobs to do, locals working in the adjacent olive groves and the wind came in from the NW meant there was not much to be seen...

Species for the day Stonechat , Hooded Crow, Kestrel 2, Common Buzzard  1, Griffon Vulture 1, Linnet, Crested Lark, Yellow-legged Gull, Black Redstart

A small falcon shot through the olive trees to quick to properly ID but may have been a Merlin not counted as did not get enough of a view. 

 

Oleander Hawkmoth....Daphnis nerii  caterpillar

Two new images added on the last page in Butterflies and Moths gallery.

Two new images added to the Raptors of Crete gallery.

 

 

 

 

 

20th November

28 species today with the highlight being a fantastic flyby from a beautiful male Hen Harrier that came in from the sea mid afternoon. Photos on Facebook page !

Species for the day....Blackbird, Greenfinch, Hooded Crow, Crested Lark, Blue Rock Thrush, Sardinian Warbler, Little Grebe 3 on the sea, Shag 1, Meadow Pipit 1, Goldfinch, Yellow-legged Gull, Stonechat, Chaffinch,             Black Redstart, Common Buzzard, Crag Martin, White Wagtail, Peregrine Falcon ? "Callidus " , Kentish Plover 1,     Great Tit, Raven, Kestrel, Linnet, Chiffchaff, Blue Tit, Sparrowhawk, Griffon Vulture 5, Hen Harrier.

 

 

 

 

19th November

From Kaliviani.....Crested Lark, Black Redstart, Hooded Crow 20, Common Buzzard 4, Stonechat, Blue Rock Thrush 2, Robin, Sardinian Warbler, Kestrel, White Wagtail, Goldfinch, Griffon Vulture 9, Sparrowhawk 1, Peregrine Falcon 1, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Bearded Vulture 1 adult, Blue Tit, Cetti's Warlber, Linnet, Raven,       Barn Owl

Silver-striped Hawkmoth 

 

 

 

 

18th November

Cormorant 2, Hooded Crow, Blue Rock Thrush 2, Griffon Vulture 6, Stonechat, Black Redstart, Yellow-legged Gull c30, Sardinian warbler, Crested Lark, Robin, Kestrel, Common Buzzard, Cetti's Warbler, Chiffchaff, Sparrowhawk and Raven

 

 

 

 

17th November

Blue Rock Thrush, Chiffchaff 4, Griffon Vulture 3, Hooded Crow, Kestrel 5, hunting together... Sparrowhawk 2, Common Buzzard 2, Crested Lark , White wagtail, Yellow-legged Gull, Raven , Cetti's Warbler, Goldfinch, Sardinian Warbler, Stonechat.

Scorpion

 

 

 

 

 

16th November

White Wagtail, Common Buzzard, Sardinian Warbler, Hooded Crow, Cetti's Warbler

 

 

 

 

15th November

Again Barn Owl heard in the night, other species  Hooded Crow, Chaffinch, Robin, Goldfinch, Black Redstart, Cett's Warbler, Linnet, Blackbird, Sardinian Warbler, Raven, Peregrine Falcon , Sparrowhawk.

 

 

 

 

14th November

Hooded Crow, Black Redstart, Sparrowhawk 2, Sardinian Warbler, White Wagtail, Common Buzzard 4, Crested Lark, Chaffinch, Kestrel, Short-toed Eagle 1, Booted Eagle (pale), Raven, Cetti's Warbler, Stonechat, Yellow-legged Gull, Goldfinch, Blue Rock Thrush, Rock Dove.

 

 

 

 

13th November

In the night a Barn Owl was heard as it hunted nearby a Weasel hunted in our courtyard not worried by us doing a touch of gardening ! Birds seen Sardinian Warbler, Blue Rock Thrush, Black Redstart, Hooded Crow, Kestrel, Goldfinch, Robin, Common Buzzard 8, soaring together, Crag Martin, Sparrowhawk, Crested Lark, Raven, Stonechat, White Wagtail

 

 

 

 

12 November

We are still very busy after our time away and birding takes second place and our totals are low.

Black Redstart, Sardinian Warbler, Hooded Crow, Yellow-legged Gull, Great Tit, Raven, Crag Martin, Kestrel, Sparrowhawk, Willow Warbler, Robin, Stonechat, and again Chukar heard... 

 

 

 

 

11th November

Well we arrived back on the island at 0630 at the port of Heraklion the first birds seen were a large flock perhaps 2-3000 strong whirling over the port , a beautiful sight. 

From Kaliviani later in the day sightings were........Hen Harrier, Kestrel, Black Redstart, Hooded Crow, Robin, Chukar (heard), Common Buzzard Italian Sparrow, Blackbird, Goldfinch and Sardinian Warbler.

We are looking forward to the rest of the year here and will endeavour to post daily , at the moment there are lots of jobs to keep us occupied and for the first couple of weeks we will be part time birding !