We visit Crete most years and its become a firm favourite for photographing birds around migration time, heading West and staying close to Chania during April, then heading East and staying near Agios Nikolaos during September. Crete is the largest of the Greek islands and varies dramatically from one end to the other. Spring is a burst of colour with snow still on the White mountains and the scent of orange blossom in the air, while late Summer there's the familiar smell of herbs on the hills around the Carob tree's and Olives groves. I first came to Crete 35 years ago, and have been returning ever since, here's just a few of my personal favourite spots for birds on this beautiful island. Sardinian warbler
Lake Agia
Located around 8km from Chania, lake Agia is one of the premier birding locations on Crete, with a variety of habitat which attracts more than 200 different species including some rare and endangered birds, migratory visitors and birds which overwinter. Species recorded here include Great bittern, Little bittern, Black-crowned night heron, Squacco heron, Purple heron, Glossy Ibis. Great white egret, Cattle egret, Spotted crake, Little crake Baillon's crake, Ferruginous duck, Northern pintail, Garganey, Turtle dove, Common buzzard, Honey buzzard, Marsh Harrier, Booted eagle and Osprey to list a few.
Baillon's crake, Turtle dove, Honey buzzard, Little crake, Little egret, Common buzzard, Purple heron, Pintails and Garganey, Squacco heron, and Marsh harrier.
Akrotiri and Souda
Akrotiti is a circular peninsula west of Souda bay and just east of Chania which has a few beaches, military installations, monasteries and an airport. Souda bay is a protected biotope and a great wetland area for birds. The whole of this Akrotiri peninsula is worth exploring, in particular the Monasteries before moving onto Souda bay and the Moronis river lagoon. Some of the sightings we've had here have been Bee-eater, Golden Oriole, Spotted flycatcher, Pied flycatcher, Spotted redshank, Common sandpiper, Kingfisher, Purple heron.
Spotted redshank, Bee-eater, Pied flycatcher, Least weasel, Little ringed plover, Wood warbler, Alpine swift, female Black-eared wheatear, Common sandpiper and Green finch.
Kladissos beach
This beach area and surrounding scrub land is located just a few kilometers west of Chania and is a great spot to spend a few hours birding, a small stream which runs into the sea, dry during summer, but in early spring is a hive of activity as swallows collect mud for their nests and wading birds forage in the shallow waters. The surrounding dunes and scrub are good for Linnit, Italian sparrow, Corn bunting, Woodchat Shrike, Goldfinch, and Wheatear while up stream Sedge warbler, Cetti's warbler, Reed warbler and Great reed warbler can be found. In the past we have recorded 4 varieties of Wagtail here along with Redpoll, Pipits and Bearded reedling, Raptors too, Marsh harrier, Kestrel, and Common buzzard.
Swallow, Glossy Ibis, Sedge warbler , White wagtail, Cetti's warbler, Yellow wagtail, Red-throated pipit, Great reed warbler, Wood sandpiper, and Northern wheatear
Elounda salt flats
The area around the salt flats and the shrub areas on the rocky promontory are an ideal habitat for migrating birds along with resident species, if you follow road over the land bridge onto Kalydon and up to the church of St Luke this is another productive area. Birds seen here include Redshank, Greenshank, Green sandpiper, Curlew sandpiper, Kingfisher, Red- backed shike, Spotted flycatcher, Red-breasted flycatcher, Hoopoe, Whinchat, Northern wheatear, Audouins Gull, Common Buzzard, Griffon Vulture, Kestrel, Willow warbler, Sardinian warbler, Yellow wagtail, White wagtail and Chukar.
Red-backed shrike, Curlew sandpiper, Spotted flycatcher, Greenshank, Kingfisher, Chukar, Red-breasted flycatcher, Hoopoe, Dice snake, and Willow warbler.
Mountains and Plateau's
Head for the mountains for Raptors, Raven, and Chough while the plateau's are great for Firecrest and Cirl bunting, places like Omalos , Samaria, Imbros, Lasithi, and The hills and villages behind Plaka are always worth exploring with frequent sightings of Griffon vulture, Raven, Montague harrier, Buzzard and Blue-rock thrush. Around the churches and monasteries you will see Bee-eater, willow warbler, Red-backed shrike, Stonechat, Whinchat, Spotted flycatcher, Linnet, Black eared wheatear, Woodchat shrike and Sardinian warbler while in the village of Plaka you can often see and hear Scops owl.
Blue-rock thrush, Griffon vulture, Red-backed shrike, Montagu's harrier, Woodchat shrike, Red-billed chough, Black-eared wheatear, Northern Wheatear, Whinchat and Cirl bunting. Below Bee-eaters.
Thanks to: https://www.facebook.com/groups/cretebirding/
Reference: Collins bird guide edition II
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