ΔΕΚΕΜΒΡΙΟΣ - DECEMBER 2006
 
2nd: Church stream area: Common Bluetail Damselfly, Migrant Hawker and Common Darter Dragonflies. Speckled Wood and Red Admiral Butterflies. Note this is the 2nd December.
On the river Grey Wagtail.
 
4th: Kalives Bay c.500 Yellow-legged Gulls and a first winter Mediterranean Gull

Above the first winter Mediterranean Gull
 
6th: Trip with A&M first to Potamida to see some interesting landscape caused by erosion, Black Redstarts seemed to like the area. Across to Trialonia, good views of several Griffon Vultures and male and female Sparrowhawks also seen. We had a picnic with spectacular views befitting Eagles, but none appeared, however more Griffon Vultures and Ravens.
 
8th: Into the foothills beyond Melidoni, a very still day. Was this why there were no Griffons to be seen? The few Buzzards we sighted were mainly sitting around. However around 2.15pm a female Hen Harrier seemed to effortlessly float across our field of view crossing a wide expanse of territory in no time. This illustrates the fact that the harrier is less dependent on wind and thermals than the previously mentioned species.
 
9th: Kalives Bay, Mediterranean Gull still present and a Cormorant sighted.
 
15th: A trip to see the authors of our new monthly report from the Kissamos Bay, Kaliviani area at the north western corner of Crete. We were welcomed by Colin and Sue who informed us they had seen a couple of Booted Eagles about an hour previously one a pale and the other a dark morph individual. Colin was especially pleased as he had managed to photograph them together.

The dark morph bird appeared and spent some time over the area, and performed a few aborted hunting dives. A Sparrowhawk and Kestrel put in appearances and a couple of Griffon Vultures drifted north. After lunch Colin offered to take us to a valley in the centre of the Gramvousa peninsular. This turned out to be a very unspoilt area, and I thought a likely place to attract migrants. It was however fairly bird free at the time of our visit except for a few larks in a sheep feeding enclosure. However these turned out to be a flock of c.20 Woodlarks not the more common Crested Lark. These were the first I had seen on Crete a great end to a very enjoyable birding day.

Above one of the Woodlarks, photo by and © C&S

16th: Trip with A&M to the Rodopos Peninsular, highlights of the day were provided by Griffon Vultures with a maximum of 16 together and some birds overhead at times. Two female Sparrowhawks circled together for awhile and a Peregrine put in an appearance. Small vineyards surrounded by bushy areas were full of smaller birds such as Serin, Chaffinch, Greenfinch and Goldfinch. Black Redstarts and Crested Larks were also in the area, north of the village of Rodopos.

21st: Visited Lake Kournas. c220 Black-necked Grebes.

A few of the Black-necked Grebes
 
27th: Report from A&M  very late record of Night Heron, Georgeopolis area.

29th: C&S found and photographed a Jack Snipe at Gerani, one of the photos is displayed below, other at birds/list/jack Snipe.


30th: Kalives Bay good number of Yellow-legged Gulls on sea, joined by a feeding adult Mediterranean Gull. Near the river mouth a Grey Wagtail, see photo below.


31st: Photo of the day Eastern Hedgehog, below

 
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