The following listed birds were seen daily throughout October and are not listed in the daily reports.

Hooded Crow, Italian Sparrow, Buzzard, Collared Dove, Rock Dove, Crested Lark, Blackbird, Goldfinch, Sardinian Warbler, Raven, Yellow-legged Gull, Great Tit.

Sue minded the fort until Colin came back on the 13^th from the raptor migration count on Antikithera [see separate trip report]  Lots of Sparrowhawks this month, Lammergeier kept up its form and appeared on six days. Towards the end of the month more Robins than we have seen or heard before, just about everywhere we stopped you could hear and see several together there must be thousands  present. The first Cetti’s Warbler were heard, Sylvia and Leaf Warblers return as do Linnet & Corn Bunting later in the month.

Still very poor with a noticeable absence of waders with most of their previous sites drained or developed  along the coast. A single Dunlin was all that was seen for the whole of the month

Disappointing as well, not to have seen Booted and Short-toed Eagle towards the end of the month as is usual, especially as they were seen daily in Antikithera.

1^st

Raven, Kestrel, Woodlark, Red-backed Shrike, Eleonora’s Falcon.

2^nd

Griffon Vultures 15, Willow Warbler, Whitethroat, Eleonora’s Falcon, Lammergeier 1, Kestrel.

3^rd

Griffon Vulture 3+5, Willow Warbler, Kestrel.

4^th

Griffon Vulture 9, Black Redstart, Eleonora’s Falcon, Chaffinch, Kestrel, Swallow, Barn Owl.

5^th

Kestrel 2, Cetti’s Warbler [heard] Chaffinch, Griffon Vulture 4, Willow Warbler. One Eastern Hedgehog . Wall Brown Butterfly.

Photo above by and © Colin & Sue Turvey: Wall Brown Butterfly Lassiommata megera

6^th

Cetti’s Warbler [heard], Chaffinch, Woodlark, Griffon Vulture 3, Kestrel, Barn Owl.

7^th

Kestrel 2, Cetti’s Warbler, Chaffinch.

8^th

Cetti’sWarbler [heard], Woodlark, Chaffinch, Stonechat, Lammergeier 2, Griffon Vulture 4, Black Redstart, Swallow 10, Redstart, Bats

9^th

Cetti’s Warbler [heard], Stonechat, Woodlark, Chaffinch, Grey Heron 7 flying in the bay, Black Redstart, Kestrel.

10^th

Cetti’s  Warbler[ heard] Stonechat, Woodlark, Kestrel, Chaffinch , Barn Owl.

11^th

Cetti’s Warbler [ heard] Stonechat, Woodlark, Kestrel, White Wagtail, Isabelline Wheatear 1, Bats 3.

12^th

Raven 4, Stonechat, Cetti’s Warbler, Woodlark.

13^th

Stonechat, Kestrel, Lammergeier 2, Cetti’s Warbler [heard ]

14^th

Woodlark, Griffon Vulture 4, Raven, Weasel, Bat.

15^th

Sparrowhawk, White Wagtail, Stonechat,  Grey Heron 4, Kestrel, Raven, Greenfinch, Chaffinch, Swallow, Barn Owl, Bat.

16^th

Raven, Kestrel. Amongst the rocks near Kissamos Harbour a single Dunlin, White Wagtail, Stonechat, Chaffinch . In Chania Harbour two Kingfisher. On the rough track to our house a Brown Hare and a Bat.

17^th

Also a trip onto Gramvousa .

At home , Stonechat, Griffon Vulture 2, Raven 2, Sparrowhawk 1, Kestrel 1, Woodlark, Brown Hare and Bat on the track again .

Gramvousa

Robin + + +, Stonechat, Great Tit 4+, Meadow Pipit 1, Crested Lark, Woodlark, Raven 3, Griffon Vulture 4, Northern Wheatear 1, Spotted Flycatcher 1, Garden Warbler 1, Willow Warbler 4+, White Wagtail, Sardinian Warbler + , Eastern Headgehog, Bat.

18^th

 

Robin + + +, Willow Warbler, Kingfisher, Raven , Blue Tit, Swallow, Sparrowhawk, Woodlark, Raven, Scops Owl [heard] , at Kissamos harbour a number of, about 30cm diameter Jellyfish, Cotolorhiza tuberculata

Photo above by and © Colin & Sue Turvey: Jellyfish. Cotolorhiza tuberculata

Photo above by and © Colin & Sue Turvey: Robin. Erithacus Rubecula

19^th

Woodlark, Stonechat, Raven, Robin + + +, a single Lammergeier at 0950 & 1210 for 5 minutes, Cormorant , Griffon Vulture 16, Bonelli’s Eagle 1, Raven 8, Kestrel, Scops Owl  2 heard and a Barn Owl sat on our new hide  and let us approach whilst walking the dog to within ten metres .

20^th

Griffon Vulture 7, Raven 4, Eleonora’s Falcon 3, Robin + + +.

21^st

Stonechat, Woodlark, Chaffinch, Cormorant, Robin + + + , Peregrine Falcon 1, Eleonora’s Falcon 4 @ 1725hrs, Griffon Vultures 9 .

22^nd

Griffon Vulture 6, Raven 2, Woodlark, Hobby 1.

23^rd

Blue Tit, Robin + + + , Woodlark, Cormorant, Sparrowhawk 1, Peregrine Falcon 2, Griffon Vulture 1, Raven 2.

Photo above by and © Colin & Sue Turvey: Hooded Crow. Corvus corone cornix

Photo above by and © Colin & Sue Turvey:
Crete bad weather as the rain drives over the ridges where the vultures fly.

24^th

Robin + + + , Blue Tit, Eleonora’s Falcon 2, Chaffinch , Stonechat, Linnet, Griffon Vulture 7, Kestrel, Sparrowhawk 2, Peregrine Falcon 1, Greenfinch, , Scops Owl [ heard] Balkan Green Lizard

Photo above by and © Colin & Sue Turvey: Sparrowhawk.         Accipter nisus

Photo above by and © Colin & Sue Turvey: Eleonora’s Falcon   Falco eleonorae

25^th

Also a trip onto Gramvousa

At home , Robin + + +. Cetti’s Warbler, Woodlark, Kestrel, Blue Tit, Chaffinch, Stonechat, Black Redstart, Eleonora’s Falcon 1, Griffon Vulture 2.

Photo above by and © Colin & Sue Turvey: Black Redstart. Phoenicurus ochrurus

On Gramvousa

Song Thrush 4, Robin + + , Blackbird, Griffon Vulture 3, Buzzard 3, Great Tit + + , Chaffinch, Sardinian Warbler, Hooded Crow 10, Raven 2, Goldfinch + + , Stonechat, Woodlark, Kestrel, Crested Lark, Spanish Sparrow, Eleonora’s Falcon 4+9, Bonelli’s Eagle 2.

26^th

Robin + + + ,Woodlark, Sparrowhawk 2+1+1+1+2, Kestrel, Griffon Vulture 14, Stonechat, Blue Tit + +, Lammergeier 1125-1200hrs we watched as two birds made 6 landings on the crags north of the house, then again the same two at 1506-1512hrs & 1500. Bonelli’s Eagle 2 @ 1145hrs  again at 1506-1522hrs. Raven 40+, pale morh Booted Eagle 1, Eleonora’s Falcon 1, White Wagtail, Scops Owl , Nightjar [heard], Bats.

27^th

Also a trip to a beach just east of Kissmaos.

At home, Robin + + + , Woodlark, Cetti’s Warbler, Blue Tit, Bonelli’s Eagle 2 birds landed on the same rocks the Lammergeier used the day before at 1021hrs.

Sparrowhawk 1, Stonechat, Kestrel, Griffon Vulture 1, Raven 2, dark morph Booted Eagle 1 @ 1109hrs .

At the beach

Robin  + +. Greenfinch , Kestrel, Buzzard 2, Sparrowhawk, Linnet, Kingfisher, Goldfinch, Blue Rock Thrush, Crested Lark ,Great Tit, ? Pipits in the distance, Moorhen 2, White Wagtail 2, Willow Warbler 2.

28^th

Robin + +  +, Willow Warbler , Blue Tit , Sparrowhawk, Woodlark, Kestrel, Black Redstart, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Eleonora’s Falcon 1, Linnet 50+ flock flew by, 3 Bats flew from our small kitchen pergola .

29^th

Robin + + + , Stonechat, Woodlark, Black Redstart 2, Greenfinch, Kestrel 1 [heard], Whitethroat, a group of 18 ? Pochard swam in a tight group out in the bay. At 1315hrs Buzzard 8+ 1 Steppe Buzzard [Vulpinus] arrived from the north, circled above the house before moving away in a south westerly direction. Griffon Vulture 6, pale morph Booted Eagle 1, Eleonora’s Falcon 9 @ 1608hrs hunting on the high ridge north of the house, Raven 1, Swallow 3.

30^th

Robin + + + , Chaffinch, Woodlark, Griffon Vulture5 @0920 then 4 landed and sat in view preening until 1030hrs. Sparrowhawk 0920, Stonechat, Kestrel, Raven , Black Redstart. Along the coast road near Kolybari , White Wagtail, Kingfisher, Moorhen, Blue Rock Thrush, Meadow Pipit, Collared Dove, Peregrine Falcon.. We again watched as out three resident bats emerged as night fell.

31^st

Robin + + + , Lammergeier 1 between 1042-1102hrs. Woodlark, Sparrowhawk 1, Stonechat + +, on the coast road below the house ……Corn Bunting 1, Isabelline Wheatear 1, White Wagtail 2, Grey Heron 31, Little Egret 2, Yellow-legged Gull 1, Blue Rock Thrush 1. Goldfinch + +, back at home Griffon Vulture 1, Raven 10, 9 UID Pipits flew over heading east. Black Redstart. Today was the first day we had not seen or heard a Crested Lark !