TWM
Well-known member
Just back from a good trip. We stayed at Agios Nikolais ( c50km east of the airport). The accomodation was brilliant (self catering but with good,cheap restaurant nearby).
The weather was pleasantly hot (mid 20s).
The island is very long but not very wide and we pretty well kept to an area to the east of Heraklion.
One of the recommended sights was the 'Creta Sun' Lagoon but it has been very dry so it was just a slightly damp patch---we did see Red throated Pipit,Honey Buzzard,Temminck's Stint,Yellow Wagtail, Purple Heron, Little Ringed Plover and Little Bittern there, so what it's like on a good day must be great!
Malia (about 15km east of the airport) was very productive with Little Bittern,Tawny Pipit, Red throated Pipit,Woodchat Shrike, Stone Curlew, Bee Eater,Great Reed Warbler and Red rumped Swallow.
Easily seen species were Blue Rock Thrush, Eleanora's Falcons,Crested Larks, Short-toed Larks, Griffon Vultures and Black-eared Wheatears.
Turtle Dove,Red rumped Swallow, Golden Eagle, Chough and Crag Martin were more locally dispersed in small numbers (Crag Martins and Red rumped seemed to be still arriving)
To see Lammergeier we went to the Kourtiliotiko Gorge and got a good but brief view of an adult as it glided over our heads obviously on a mission. There are a pair of Bonelli's Eagles breeding in the Gorge and they showed very well.
Our total list for the week was about 90 but there were very few passerine migrants to be found. I was told that compared to Lesvos it is no good and if you don't want Lammergeier then there is not much special to be found (although they are probably in there somewhere).
Highlights for me were Lammergeier, Bonelli's and RtP plus great views of Eleanora's Falcons.
The weather was pleasantly hot (mid 20s).
The island is very long but not very wide and we pretty well kept to an area to the east of Heraklion.
One of the recommended sights was the 'Creta Sun' Lagoon but it has been very dry so it was just a slightly damp patch---we did see Red throated Pipit,Honey Buzzard,Temminck's Stint,Yellow Wagtail, Purple Heron, Little Ringed Plover and Little Bittern there, so what it's like on a good day must be great!
Malia (about 15km east of the airport) was very productive with Little Bittern,Tawny Pipit, Red throated Pipit,Woodchat Shrike, Stone Curlew, Bee Eater,Great Reed Warbler and Red rumped Swallow.
Easily seen species were Blue Rock Thrush, Eleanora's Falcons,Crested Larks, Short-toed Larks, Griffon Vultures and Black-eared Wheatears.
Turtle Dove,Red rumped Swallow, Golden Eagle, Chough and Crag Martin were more locally dispersed in small numbers (Crag Martins and Red rumped seemed to be still arriving)
To see Lammergeier we went to the Kourtiliotiko Gorge and got a good but brief view of an adult as it glided over our heads obviously on a mission. There are a pair of Bonelli's Eagles breeding in the Gorge and they showed very well.
Our total list for the week was about 90 but there were very few passerine migrants to be found. I was told that compared to Lesvos it is no good and if you don't want Lammergeier then there is not much special to be found (although they are probably in there somewhere).
Highlights for me were Lammergeier, Bonelli's and RtP plus great views of Eleanora's Falcons.
