On a two week holiday based in Sissi from 15th to 29th September. I got out most mornings early before the heat of the day and usually found something of interest. I usually walked out of the village into the country areas consisting of scrubland, rocky hillside and olive groves. I also had one visit to the Lasithi Plateau looking for Lammergeyer but with no luck, though I was told they were there but were not always seen. 47 species seen in total with 4 possible. Very enjoyable bird watching and a great holiday.
Grey Heron Sardinian Warbler (these were in about every bush and always mobile and vocal) Italian Sparrow (in large numbers everywhere) Blackbird Red Backed Shrike (a number of adults and juveniles around the outskirts of the village) Stonechat Hooded Crow Crested Lark (large numbers of these all calling and still holding territory) Collared Dove Kestrel Tawny Pipit (saw this on a rocky hillside above the village) Spotted Flycatcher (reasonable numbers of these throughout) Blue Rock Thrush (a number dotted around the village) Little Egret Feral Pigeon (in the village but also what looked very like Rock Dove in the mountains above toward a village called Verhasi) Barn Swallow 2 Honey Buzzard (moving through at low level early morning) Whinchat (a large influx on migration) Goldfinch Great Tit Wheatear Yellow Legged Gull Raven Kingfisher Chaffinch Greenfinch Tree Sparrow Red Rumped Swallow (a few adults with more juveniles which left by the second week) Griffon Vulture (a maximum count of 16 at one time but they were all over the mountains above village toward Verhasi) Sand Martin Audouin's Gulls (only seen once moving through) Common Sandpiper House Sparrow (small numbers of these) Black Eared Wheatear (moving along coast on passage with other Wheatear) Blue Tit Swift Linnet Elenora's Falcon (seen twice once handily in comparison to a kestrel and again hawking passerines over the sea) 5 Golden Oriole (on passage after a storm) Turtle Dove 20+ Night Heron (roosted down by the harbour seen and heard a couple of times) 10+ Booted Eagle (came off sea after storm) Long Legged Buzzard (adults and one juvenile seen hunting out of village a few times) Black Kite (again on passage after storm) Hoopoe (on passage after storm) Caspian Gull (juvenile seen on coast through second week) White Wagtail
Possible unsure sightings 50+ Raptors arrived after storm were what seemed to be a possible combination of Common Buzzards and Steppe Buzzards, but I could not rule out other raptors amongst them. They were circling over the coast to gain height after coming off the sea and then headed off into the hills. 28 Possible Purple Heron moving east off coast but as they were in silhouette it was difficult to confirm. 1 Lesser Whitethroat seen but not confirmed absolutely Possible Scops Owl hunting by harbour but not seen for long enough.
Friday 5th to Saturday 19th this was not a birdwatching holiday but i couldn't leave the binoculars at home and only took a fieldguide at the last minute ( the wrong one ?)
Walking to Sissi buzzard nightjar little bittern dead stone chat raven kingfishers night herons marsh harrier