Crete, Greece June 2023

Date: 

8th - 18th June 2023

Location:

Crete, Greece

Species Highlights: 

Griffon Vulture, Eleonora's Falcon, Black Kite, Turtle Dove

(See the end of the blog for a full list of species)

Summer holiday to Crete, sunbathing for my family but birding for me and I knew it was gonna be a hard island as it’s massive! I was based around 10 miles from Rethymno, I’d done my research and had a loads points to visit. I hired a car from Arkadi car hire, a lovely new Toyota Yaris Hybrid, my first morning I headed up the road to Arkadi monastery.

What3words : ///foal.clubhouses.hurricane

Woodchat Shrike was my first spot followed by a lovely Honey Buzzard as I drove the into the small village no pic.

Italian Sparrow were everywhere Hoopoe were heard but only saw a couple in flight.

A pair of Crag Martin were clinging to a roadside cliff edge, I managed a few pictures.

At the Monastery I looked around a Picnic site for Butterflies and heard Wryneck calling Butterflies pics

Clouded Yellow - Colias croceus (A little tatty)

Eastern Bath White - Pontia edusa

Brown Argus - Aricia agestis

While photographing butterflies I heard a familiar call a Common Buzzard was incoming and in hot pursuit a pair of Eleonora's Falcon.

I left and explored the next right turn it all seemed very quiet, until I came across a sheep drinking pond. The sheep soon filtered off and disappeared.

What3words ///parking.petitioning.tiles

Small birds were visiting mainly Greenfinch, Linnet, Jay and Stonechat.

Turtle Dove were sat around forest edges. Giving there distinctive call.

I returned back to the main road and headed towards the rubbish tip, a Black Kite was sat on the perimeter fence.

What3words ///parking.petitioning.tiles

100’s of Yellow Legged Gull were circling overhead, I scanned through them but it seems it was only YLG and Raven.

Got my first endemic butterfly the Cretan Grayling.

After a while I drove past tip and down to a viewpoint stopping for a scan, Griffon Vultures were cruising overhead around 20 birds a spectacular site. 

A few perched on the hillside. I took a few shots but local farmers in pickup trucks queued behind me so I had to move on.

I stopped at the next lay-by and still they circled above.

After the first day I was up to 21 species and one Endemic Butterfly.
I returned to the hotel for a sunbathe.

The following day I headed further past Rethymno to Kourna Lake, very busy with pedal boats, I know it doesn't look like it but trust me it was.

What3words ///jugglers.uncaring.overbite

I saw a Squacco Heron. Although I was around 20ft from the Heron the heat haze was hard work.

Little Grebes

Barn Swallow feeding young and a brief glimpse of a Eastern Olivaceous Warbler.

Red-Veined Dragonfly

Next another Lake where the Pygmy Cormorant had been, I searched for at least a hour with no sign.

I decided to head back, following sat nav it diverted me off the A90 and through Rethymno for some reason, it was then it all went wrong, roadworks and turn left turn left turn left and bang!!!! I can only assume a parked car jumped out on me 😌

I was only going 15mph but ended up going on 2 wheels and then surrounded by 10 people all talking Greek, very scary!

Other parked cars were involved. After talking to cars owners and making phone calls to police, insurance.

It was sorted. My lovely Yaris was no more and the excellent owner of the hire car sorted me out another car. If you hire a car in Crete check out Arkadi Car Hire, the best in Crete.

Car hire for 10 days was €360 with full insurance, I had to pay excess which was €360 but considering, I was happy. My first accident in 30 years but got off lightly. 

Anyway back to birding.

Next day I drove to Aposelemis Dam

What3words ///gourmet.domino.chug

1 & 3/4 hours it was a long drive, I drove around a gravel track, lakeside.

A few distant birds were present but I was promised a butterfly paradise. Which it wasn’t Cleopatra's and a few fly past swallowtails.

There were Eleonora's Falcons around 5 hunting

After a few hours not much else to see so headed back

This Jumping Spider was in my hotel room, I was happy to share our room with him.

Lauren came birding today and we headed up towards Arkadi as I was getting to know the area.

Again another or same Black Kite was there.

Then Lauren (Top Spotter) found the star, a Cretan Small Heath, very pretty and great to add to my list!

Eastern Black-Eared Wheatear

At the Sheep Pond, Linnet, Greenfinch and Turtle Dove. Griffon Vultures today were much more distant, unfortunately. 

With eagle eyed Lauren, we managed 29 species today.

Next day and we ventured further afield to Chania and Lake Agia

What3words ///parachutes.sternest.grouped

At some 52 miles away from hotel, once we found the lake which you had to enter through a nice cafe, we strolled along a wooden boardwalk. I also wanted the Cretan Blue Damselfly so I was on the lookout, the Lake was surrounded mostly by high Reeds, Yellow Legged Gull and Coot were the only birds on the Lake but we managed a count of 21 species, a few Muscovy Ducks and a single Tree Sparrow landed for 5 seconds and then disappeared.

Blue-tailed Damselfly were the only Damselfly

A very fresh Speckled Wood - Pararge aegeria

We drove back checking for that Pygmy Cormorant and then onto Lake Kournas. Lauren enjoyed the Turtles and Terrapins but very few birds

Balkan Pond Turtle (possibly)

False Map Turtle (possibly)

Another day exploring the Arkadi area this was the view down to the coast, today I parked for longer and scanned more.

Cirl Bunting, Tawny Pipit and very distant Golden Eagle were added to my list

Sardinian Warbler

The normal Black Kite perched on his wire

Hooded Crow and Ravens where very common 

Merlin app picked up Tawny Pipit, took ages to find amongst the scrub.

Corn Bunting with Bush Cricket

I went birding everyday but my list was only increasing by singles each day, I’d imagine the right time of year and places it would be fantastic. Around the hotel the Italian Sparrow were very photogenic.

Barn Swallow, Pallid Swift, Alpine Swift and Red Rumped Swallow were most days along coastline.

At a small bay next to hotel Muscovy Duck, Yellow Legged Gulls were present with Kestrel nesting in cliff tops. I explored this area still looking for Damselflies came across .

What3words: ///renames.ballet.intentional

Keeled Skimmer

More Blue-tailed but missed the endemic

On my return across the small beach to hotel I heard a Little Ringed Plover just feet from the sun loungers I sat down and took some shots.

.

I took my moth trap, the hotel ground were very bright but did manage a few moth's 26 species and a Moorish Gecko & this Egyptian Grasshopper

Mediterranean Brocade - Spodoptera littoralis

Diamond-back Moth - Plutella xylostella

Purple Marbled - Eublemma ostrina

Mullein Wave Scopula marginepunctata

Moorish Gecko - Tarentola mauritanica

Lifers in Bold

60 bird species seen:

White Wagtail Little Ringed Plover Tawny Pipit Common House Martin Chukar Eurasian Tree Sparrow Spotted Flycatcher Great Tit European Shag Pallid Swift Common Swift Cirl Bunting Golden Eagle Little Egret Grey Heron Common Linnet Eastern Black-eared Wheatear Red-rumped Swallow Crested Lark Eurasian Blue Tit Eurasian Jackdaw Eurasian Jay Eurasian Hoopoe Long-legged Buzzard Black Kite Western Marsh Harrier Collared Dove European Goldfinch Common Moorhen Italian Sparrow Eastern Olivaceous Warbler Squacco Heron Eurasian Coot Little Grebe Eurasian Blackcap Cetti's Warbler Rock Dove Mute Swan Corn Bunting European Greenfinch Common Chaffinch European Stonechat Eurasian Blackbird Sardinian Warbler Barn Swallow Eurasian Crag Martin Common Raven Hooded Crow Woodchat Shrike Eleonora's Falcon Common Kestrel Eurasian Wryneck Common Buzzard Griffon Vulture European Honey-buzzard Yellow-legged Gull Alpine Swift European Turtle Dove Common Woodpigeon Muscovy Duck

Butterflies

Brown Argus Geranium Bronze Mallow Skipper Two-tailed Pasha (no picture so no life tick ) Cretan Small Heath Clouded Yellow Eastern Dappled White Pigmy Skipper Cleopatra Cretan Grayling Scarce Swallowtail Long-tailed/Blue, Pea Blue Wall Brown Small Copper Meadow Brown Swallowtail Speckled Wood Large White Small White Common Blue Red Admiral Painted Lady

Moth species available on request but 26 species.

To sum up, a large island with a massive mountain range in the interior, birds hard to find in June but i'd imagine spring much easier, butterflies abundant but as most hot countries hard to get shots because of heat. Would I return....maybe one day, a lovely Island a nice friendly people but massive!

Thanks For Looking! 

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