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NOVEMBER 2009 REPORT FROM KISSAMOS BAY AREA Goshawk on the 2nd Agia lake Turnstone on the 4th Kissamos 2 Ortolan or Cretzschmars Bunting on the 9th Jack Snipe on the 10th at Omalos plateau Juvenile Night Heron 12th Tavronitis Mallard, Tufted Duck, Wigeon and Gadwall at Agia on the 15th Only 2 Griffon Vultures seen over Gramvousa since the 12th Two pale morph Booted Eagles over Agia lake on the 16th Kentish Plover from 23rd Viglia An obliging Scops Owl provided some nice close up views at home Pied Kingfisher on the 26th Kalamaki, Chania 4 Reed Bunting on the 26th Tavronitis Wryneck on the 27th at home Hen Harrier on the 29th Deliana Gorge The Blue Rock Thrush is a regular visitor, roosting every night on the outside light for over a month. Accompanied nearby by Black Redstarts that roost on the pergola and in the garden. See 2008 November report …is this the same bird ? Good views of both Peregrine Falcon and Sparrowhawk as they hunt locally Booted Eagle on the 2nd 16th and 21st at home and at Agia lake Visits to locations …. 10th Omalos and Agia lake 16th Maronis and Agia lake 20th Omalos and Agia lake 29th Deliana Gorge 30th Maronis and Souda Bay 82 species for the month A few November images
Highlights …include a couple of rarities this month. The Pied Kingfisher takes priority this month a few seconds viewing but what a sighting, no pictures possible though as we were driving at the time, pulling over we raced between kafenions and found the bird had gone, several scans over the coastline over three days failed to turn up the bird ! hopefully someone else will sight it somewhere on the island. We are not sure of previous sightings on Crete but we believe this may be only the second. Another Jack Snipe…. this time on Omalos plateau. The fourth recorded sighting on the island was by Sue was on 29 December 2006 and now the fifth also by Sue on the 10th November 2009. Although Wrynecks overwinter here this is the first we have seen at this time of the year and as it perched on a nearby fence it gave good views for 15 seconds. Our arranged trip to Deliana with Nikos after a hunt along the coast for the elusive pied kingfisher, turned up another overwintering bird …. A Hen Harrier, for thirty minutes we watched as it soared with griffon vultures, cruised behind and worried a pair of kestrels and hunted high above us along the edges of the gorge. The Scops Owl has visited and been seen in the same tree for several nights allowing us close up views and some pictures. On the 23rd scanning the coastline through the telescope we spotted a small wader on the rocks where we had previously observed the greater sand plover. Charging down in the car and putting breakfast on hold, we hoped that it was here overwintering for its third consecutive year, instead we found a couple of kentish plover feeding with a common sandpiper. By the 30th only one Kentish was still present. Now is a good time to find Black Redstart and Meadow Pipits, numbers have increased considerably over the last week. The seemingly now resident Great White Egret is still present at the western end of Souda Bay. We wish everyone a very Happy Christmas
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