| A&M Report No 9, August 2008 |
| Just a quickie. Margaret and I passed the huge dam near the
Amari valley recently and were surprised the road now takes you
across the dam, with parking and viewing spots enroute. Even more
surprising was the fact that there is some water there now! See
photo below. This area promises to be another "Bramiana" and we
shall monitor the rise in water levels over the coming year. There
has never been much traffic in this area and hopefully this will
attract some species before long. |
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| A short visit to Agia on 7th resulted in sighting of single
green sandpiper. (see photo below). Nothing else of note there. |
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20th Aug: Another hot day, so
we decided to stay air-conditioned and drive to the Psiloritis
refuge called Toubotos Prinos. This is about 1,500 metres up the
southern slopes of Psiloritis , off the east side of the Amari
valley - a road that you started to attempt with us in your hire car
last May. Prior to reaching that road, I heard, and then Margaret
saw, a couple of bee-eaters. At the same spot a juvenile woodchat
was lunching on a cicada which it had impailed on a spike, and we
believe we glimpsed a redstart in the same area. Enroute to the
refuge we encountered dozens of northern wheatears. At the top -
what a disappointment! The refuge was shuttered up, nobody there
and the area was vast and open. No birds other than the usual
ravens and griffons gliding along the high ridges. We picnicked and
then started our descent. Things improved when we started seeing
several young spotted flycatchers in a wooded area. Then, an eagle,
which appeared to be a lesser spotted, but it didn't hang around
long enough. Back in the lightly wooded area, Margaret and I
separated, only to return having both seen two short-toed
treecreepers. However, the unlikely sightings that, again, we both
reported back to each other, was a first sighting of a nuthatch,
presumably rock nuthatch. There must be many more treecreepers in
this area and possibly nuthatches too. It is worth mentioning that
this wooded area was at about 1,200 metres. Time was getting on
and, frustratingly, photo opportunities just did not present
themselves. Driving home via Arkadi Monastery, we stopped at a
newly excavated area and watched 50+ ravens swirling around. Then,
amongst them a female marsh harrier, and then a black kite
(surprisingly similar to the female harrier). I have pics of the
harrier, but you already have much better ones on the website. |
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Refuge -
Photo by and © A&M |
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24th Aug. A drive south of Rethymno towards the gorges,
using little known roads, some of which are now being prepared for
tarmaccing. No photos today, but a list of sightings that included,
one solitary eleonora's falcon, six hoopoes in various areas, but
all in and around sizeable trees. Two juvenile spotted flycatchers,
a single woodchat, a single whinchat and then our first red-backed
shrikes of the autumn - two with fresh adult plumage. 26th Aug. Bee-eaters heard above the house. Drapanos area - blue rock thrush, woodchat, red-backed shrike and whinchat (see photo of latter). One interesting sighting today at the house you rented this year - a raven flew between the houses. Haven't seen one this low before! |
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Whinchat -
Photo by and © A&M |
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27th Aug. Our monthly trip to the bank in Chania was
extended to include Agia. The water was the lowest we've seen (see
pic) - another week or two and there will be none at all! We will
go again soon. Today there were four eleonoras, three common
buzzards, three grey herons, one purple heron, one little egret, one
wood sandpiper, four kingfishers, one white wagtail and a few yellow
ones. A complete family of little grebes, including three chicks. Finally we are just starting to see large flocks congregating over Almyros Bay. From the house we can't yet identify them, especially as the weather has been very hazy lately. All best Alan |
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Agia - Photo by and © A&M |
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