1960 RICHARD VAUGHAN : MIGRATION I N GREECE A N D CRETE 87

NOTES ON AUTUMN MIGRATION IN GREECE AND CRETE

RICHARD VAUCHAN Received on 10 November 1958

My wife and I were in Greece from 15 August to 13 September 1958. Our time, apart from occasional days on mainland Greece, was divided between three islands: Paros (17-20 AJgust), Kythera (23-27 August), and Crete (28 August-8 September). Although the purpose of our travels was not the study of migration, we made a number of incidental observations which, owing to the paucity of published information about migration in this area, it seems worthwhile to put on record. Discussion of some of the problems involved has been avoided because useful theorizing about migration in the Eastern Mediterranean seems scarcely possible until more facts are available.

I am much indebted to Mr. R. E. Moreau for help in the writing of this paper.

PAROS

This island is extremely bare and reduced to something approaching a desert towards the end of the long and virtually rainless Cycladean summer. Little migration was seen, though wc visited several small islets off the coast which the local fishermen told us swarmed with small birds at dawn. Apart from Erhard’s list (1858), the only published records of autumn migrants in the Cyclades seem to be those of Bird (1935).

KYIHERA

Kythera supports extensive olive-groves, fruit trees, and some well-developed ever- green scrub. I t forms a stepping stone between the most southeasterly point of the Peloponnesus (8 miles) and the northeasterly tip of Crete, so that it might be expected to afford excellent opportunities for watching migration. All our observations were made at or near Capsali, on the south end of the island, whence, from a height, the mountains of Crete could be distinguished some sixty miles to the southeast. Our first two days at Capsali, 24 a i d 25 August, were hot and calm, and only a few passerine migrants were seen. Both Common and Alpine Swifts Apus apus and A. melba were passing through in some numbers, the former in the early morning, the latter at dusk. On the morning of 26 August a strong wind was blowing from the W.S.W., and there were large numbers of small birds in the olives and scrub on the slopes behind Capsali, mainly Spotted Fly- catchers Muska,Da strkta, Icterine Warblers Hippolais icterina, Wrynecks Jynx torquilla, Red-backed Shrikes Lanius collurio and Wheatears Oenanthe omanthe. .Many warblers remained unidentified, for they were loth to leave cover till the last moment, and in- variably dived into it again at once. The numbers were hard to determine. We saw about ten Wrynecks in two small olive-groves, and frequently three or four small birds would fly out of a single tree. Spotted Flycatchers and Red-backed Shrikes were the most rumerous. In the early afternoon very few birds were about, but in the evening the same species were seen again in lesser numbers, along with two Whinchats Saxicola rubetru and a Black-eared Whcatcar Oenanthe hispanica. On the following morning, with a breeze from the northwest, there were fewer small birds, but we saw a party of six probable Common Herons Ardea cinerea and fourteen buzzard-like birds flying south ovcr the coast. At Capsali we were told that the main passage began in the first week 01’ September, but it was clear from the constant noise of firing that there were already enough birds about, before the end of August, to tempt the local sportsmen into action. There seem to be no published records of autumn migrants in Kythera apart from Jameson’s incomplete list (1837).

RICHARD VAUCHAN : MIGRATION IN GREECE A N D CRETE IBIS 102

CRETE

b'e landed at Kastelli, in the west of Crete, on 27 August, and travelled by bus the next morning to Canea, which remained our basc during the ensuing week. Here, on the north coast of the western end of the island with the White Mountains rising to 8000 feet to the south, many migrating birds were seen. The weather was fine with a northerly breeze until 3 September. On 28 August we saw a flock of about fifty probable Little Egrets Egretta garzeita flying west along the coast near Canea, and two large flocks of unidentified duck flying about near the shore. The duck were present again on 29 August and 1 September, but otherwise the only migratory species seen during these calm hot days were a Little Egret, occasional small parties of Common Herons, usually resting on rocks off the coast, and a few passerines. About a hundred Swifts appeared over Canea on 28 August, and small numbers of Alpine Swifts passed at dusk over the island of Theodoro near Canea on 31 August and 1 September. On 3 September a dramatic change in the weather took place. We awoke to find a cloudy sky and a strong southwest wind which, by 11.0 a.m., was blowing at gale force. For the next two hours a series of violent squalls drove spirals of white spray across the sea, while the town of Canea and the surrounding villages were from time to time hidden by clouds of thick yellowish dust. The squalls were accompanied by driving rain and very strong winds: so strong that, in sheltered Suda Bay, a rowing-boat was overturned by them, and, on Theodoro island, where we spent the day, a Common Heron was dashed against the rocks and suffered a broken wing. By midday about 20 Common Herons and 40 Little Egrets were resting on Theodoro island and, when the weather cleared in the evening, two flocks of Common Herons, one of Little Egrets, and several flocks of duck were seen along the coast. On 4 September, with the weather still very unsettled, a flock of about 50 Little Egrets was resting on rocks off the coast near Canea, in company with about the same number of Squacco Herons Ardeola ralloides; and other flocks, one of Squaccos, the others probably of Little Egrets, were seen along the coast later in the day. On the coastal plain we saw scattered Swallows Hirundo rustica, Common Wheatears, two Great Grey Shrikes Lanius excubitor, and a Black-eared Wheatear, a Woodchat Lanius senator and a Wryneck. On 5 September we travelled to Herakleion. 'The weather gradually improved during the following days, though the wind still blew strongly from the northwest and the sky was often overcast, with occasional squalls of rain. Several species of wader were present on small pools behind the sand dunes, and on two evenings Common Swifts appeared over Herakleion. At Knossos on 5 September 15-20 Phyllos- copi, presumably Willow Warblers P. trochilus, were feeding in the shelter of the excava- tions and surrounding bushes; and on 6 September 20-25 Yellow Wagtails Motacilla flava were seen on the coast. Hoopoes Upupa epops, Golden Orioles Oriolus oriolus, Common and Black-eared Wheatears, Red-backed Shrikes and Great Grey Shrikes were all in evidence on the dunes or near the town, and on 7 September a mile or so west of it we found twenty or more kestrels, of which one was certainly a 1,esser Kestrel Falco nciumanni. There was some evidence that the migrating herons and cgrcts occurred also here: we discovered the remains of a recently killed Little Egret on the beach near Herakleion, and saw three Common Herons flying along the coast to the east of the town.

The most important, if not the only, published records of autumn migration in Crete are those of Kelham (1922), White (1939), and Sielmann & Stresemann (1943, 1956).

.MAINLAND GREECE

We spent 10 and 11 September in fine weather at Delphi, where we found the beautiful scrub-grown site of the ancient oracle and its attendant temples, nestling under the crags of Parnassus, alive with passerine migrants. This was a little surprising, in view

1960 RICHARD VAUCHAN : MIGRATION I N GREECE AND CRETE 89

of the considerable mountain barrier to the north. The species most in evidence were Spotted Flycatchers, Common and Black-eared Wheatears (the former perching freely on trees and shrubs), Common Redstarts Phoeninrrusphoenicurus and Red-backed Shrikes. Many warblers were also present. Red-rumped Swallows Hirundo duurica and Crag Martins Ptyonoprogne rupestris were seen in some numbers but may have been local residents, and at dusk on 10 September there was a small passage of Common and Alpine Swifts.

At Corinth on 12 September Swallows were passing south during the morning and early afternoon and Bee-eaters Merops sp. were heard calling above us more or less continuously between midday and 2.30 pm., but, in spite of many attempts with binocu- lars, were not seen. Some 70 Swifts crossed the isthmus diagonally, flying south, at 3.30 p.m. in rain (a thunderstorm was passing near us at the time). Otherwise we only saw a party of Sand Martins Ripariu riparia, Wheatears, a Spotted Flycatcher and a Great Grey Shrike.

SEA PASSAGES

We made five short journeys by sea, namely: Piraeus to Paros, 16 August, 2.0 p.m. till dusk; Paros to Piraeus, 20 August, 6.0 p.m. till 4.0 am. ; Piraeus to Capsali, Kythera, 22 August, 11.0 a.m. till 2.0 am.; Capsali to Kastelli, Crete, 27 August, 11.0 a.m. till dusk; Herakleion, Crete, to Piraeus, via Suda Bay, Crete, 8 September, midday till 8.0 a.m. No land-birds were seen except on 27 August-a probable harrier flying south and one Commorl Heron perched on an isolated rock, both near Antikythera.

SPECIFIC NOTES Herons.

Our records of migrating herons and egrets are as follows:- ARDEA CINEREA. Common Heron. 27 August: six, probably this species, flying

south from Capsali, Kythera; one, rock near Antikythera. 30 August: three flying west near Canea. 1 and 2 September, four and five respectively resting near Canea. 3 September: up to c.20 on Theodoro island, 20+16+30 over the sea near Canea. 4 September: two near Canea.

28 August: c.25’ (+==seen from a distance and possibly Ardeolu d o i d e s ) on coast near Kastelli, Crete; c.50+ flying west along coast near Canea; five, Thcodoro island. 29 August: one resting, Theodoro. 3 September: 2+40+20+20+ on or near Theodoro. 4 September: 50+6++30+-) 30+ near Canea. 7 September: remains of one on beach near Herakleion.

ARDEOLA RALLOIDES. Squacco Heron. 3 September: one, Theodoro island. 4 Sep- tember: c.50 resting on rocks near Canea; c.20 resting on beach six miles west of Canea.

Although there are isolated spring and autumn records from Crete of small numbers of these three species, the only one similar to ours is Stresemann’s (1943) of 30 Little Egrets over Theocioro island on 18 August 1942. Those flocks which we watched for any length of time wcre seen to be making west along the coast. Although some of the Common Herons may have been winter visitors to Crete, it seems certain that the bulk of these Ardeidae were on their way to North Africa. I t would be interesting to know whence they camt:: the Kythera and Antikythera records suggest the north rather than the east. In any case these Cretan records are of interest simply because of the lack o f available information about Ardeidae migration in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Duck. It is unfortunate that the flocks of duck seen were not identified specifically. The

only comparable record in the literature is one of flocks of Ferruginous Ducks Aythya nyroca seen over the sea in late August 1942 (Stresemann 1943), and our birds may well have been this species. Flocks were seen near the coast, often flying in wide circles,

6 September: three near Herakleion. EGRETTA GARZITTA. Little Egret.

0 0 RICH.4RD VALTGHAN : MIGRATION I N GREECE A N D CRETE I B I S 102

on 28 and 29 August and 1 and 3 September, all near Canea. O n 3 September, after a day of very bad weather, three separate flocks were seen, one of c.100-200 birds, and two of about 500 birds. One of the larger flocks appeared to have come in fairly low over the sea from the north. I t circled widely off the coast gaining height and eventually flew west along it.

Ruptors. A probable harrier was seen over the sea flying south near .4ntikythera on 27 August,

and another near Canca on 3 September. O n the latter date a Montagu's Harrier Circus pygarps flew south over 'I'heodoro island, Crete. 'I'hesc records fall into the pattern of existing knowledge of raptor migration over the Mediterranean (Moreau 1953); not so, however, our record cf 14 buzzard-like birds seen at 8.0 a.m. on 27 August on the south coast of Kythera. 'I'hese birds circled u p over the coast and then soared out to sea, going due south. As w e were in a rowing boat in 3 choppy sea, they were not seen very well, but they were ccrtainly either Honey-Buzzards Pernis apizlorus o r Buteo sp. 'I'here seem to be no published records of either of these migrating south from Greece in autumn.

T h e other two flocks disappeared to the east.

( 'rn kcs. I'OKZANA PAHVA. I A t k Crake. Remains of one, killed by Falco eleonorae, Paros,

20 August.

Ii b d t r s . 'I'here are apparently no records of either Ringed Plover Cliuradrius hzaticula or

Kentish Plover C. alexandririus in Crete in autumn, and only occasional ones in winter and spring. Lambert records the former as a rare passage migrant in South Greece, and the latter as a winter visitor. We saw a Ringed Plover and two Kentish Plovers near Herakleion on 7 September. T h e Sanderling Crocethia alha, of which we saw three east of Herakleion on 6 September and seven west of Herakleion on 7 September, is a new hird for Crete and is not recorded by Lambert from South Greece.

Sici/rs ntiti Hirutidinvs, Ii'rjneck. APLIS APUS. Common Swift. Seen very frequently. Conspicuous passages as

follows: 5.30-7.30 a.m., 25 August, Capsali, Kythera: c.50 hirds an hour in small parties, flying northeast to southwest along coast. 2.0 p.m., 28 August, Canea, Crete: c.100 over harbour, circling. 5.30 p.m., 7 September, Herakleion, Crete: 50-100 circling over town.

Large numbers seen once only: c . 6.0 p.m., 24 August, c. 100 circling and calling high over island of .4vgo (itself S40 feet a.s.1.) south of Kythern. 1 hc hirds \vcrc apparently arriving in parties from the northeast and gathcring over

the island. First seen moving south in numbers at C'orinth o n

12 Scptembcr. None \\ere seen on Kythera o r from Theodoro island, otf the north coast of Crete, between 24 :lugust and 3 September, so that the main passage may not begin until after then. I can find nothing in thc litcraturc on passage dates in the Eastern Mcditcrrancan.

DELICHON CRBI('A. Housc l la r t in . S o t seen until 9 Scptembcr, when there \\ere a t e n o v e r Athens.

R I P A R I A H I P A R I A . Apart from one in Crcte on 7 September, nonc scen till 12 September, when a party passed d o n n the Corinth isthmus.

J Y K X TOHQUILLA. Wryncck. 1,ambcrt (1957) calls it " scarce ". As noted. \vc saw a number on Kythera, 26 August; and one at Canca, Crete, 4 Scptembcr.

0 p.m., 12 September, in rain: c.70 flying south over the isthmus o f Corinth. :\PL.S MELBA. Alpine Swift.

,. They were inaudible and invisible from the sea.

~ - ~ I R ~ ~ K D O RIJSTIC.4. S\vallow.

Sand Martin.

1960 RICHARD VAUGHAN : MIGRATION I N GREECE AND CRETE 91

Small passerine.;. SAXICOLA RIJBETRA. Whinchat. Two, Kythera, 26 August; one, near Canea, Crete,

U'hite (1939) found them common in Crete, 3 September on. Lambert

PHYLLOSCONJS SIBILATRIX. Wood Warbler. One, Athens, 9 September. Lambert

ANTHUS CUHPESTRIS. Tawny Pipit. None, Crete, till 1 September; several on Sielmann & Stresemann (1956) record it in 1944 from 17 September

29 August. (1957) notes it as a passage migrant in October.

(1957) records it from mid-September.

2 and 3 September. on.

Grey shrikes. All that were seen

well enough to identify specifically were Lanius excubitor:--one, Kythera, 26 August; two near Canea, 4 September; two (with six or eight grey shrikes not identified speci- fically) near Herakleion, 7 September; one near Corinth, 12 September. According to Keiser (1905) and to Lambert (1957), the Great Grey Shrike is only a winter visitor to Greece, and that in small numbers. The Lesser Grey Shrike L. minor, on the other hand, is a well-known autumn passage migrant in Greece, the Cyclades and Crete. I do not think that our identifications are mistaken, since I have seen both excubitor and minor before, and special care was taken to see the front of the head of every perching bird we could approach; none seen thus had black above the bill. It should be added that these birds were all approached to within about twenty yards, some much nearer, and examined with 10 x 50 glasses.

Our records. are in fact supported by others, though some of these are perhaps of dubious value. Jameson (1837) included both excubitor and minor in his list of spring migrants in Kythera, and the fact that he lists both species seems to show that he knew them apart. Reiser, however, believed that he was mistaken in including excubitor. Another record is that of Von der Muehle (1844), who found excubitor "on every bush" from mid-September in Greece, and who records minor as common; but Reiser attributes this statement 1.0 confusion with young minor, and he treats Erhard's (1858) inclusion of excubitor among the autumn migrants of the Cyclades in the same way. Reiser was sceptical because Kriiper had never seen excubitor in Greece in autumn. I have been able to discover only one other reference to excubitor in Greece in autumn, but this is a definite record, instead of an assertion. Kelham (1922), says under L. excuhiior: " On 1 September I shot, what 1 put down as this species, on Omalos plain. It had no black patch on its forhead as is the case in the Eastern Shrike."* I have been unable to find this specimen i n the British Museum, but on the basis of the rather scanty evidence given above, coupled with our own observations, I would submit that there is an autumn passage of L. ercubitor through Greece and Crete. The problem remains: where do thcse birds winter? It secms possible that some of the grey shrikes seen in eastern North Africa in winter, and assumed to be resident I,. excubitor elegans, are in fact wintering birds from Europe, either I.. c. excubitor, or perhaps L . e. homqeri. (Lynes (1909) recorded Great Grcy Shrikes as numcrous on autumn passage at Port %id, but in ' Ibis ' 1912 corrected this to refer to L. minor.)

N o comment is called for on the following species seen or heard by us, all of which have been recorded in autumn in Greece, the Cyclades or Crete, by the observers already quoted and, or by Lambert (1957):-Falco naumanni, Tringa glareola, 7'. hypoleucos, Streptopelia turtur, Merops sp., Upupa epops, Hirundo daurica, Ptyonoprogne rupestris,

'1.. 1.. Powys (afterwards Lord Iilford) records shooting a specimen of * ' I.. meridionah ' * (i.e. the race of Great Grey Shrike that nests in Iberia and Southern France) in Corfu on 29 April 1857 (Ibis 1860 : 135). T h e Corfu bird-stuffer assured me that my bird "as the only one he had ever seen."-ED.

Grey shrikes were seen on Kythera, on Crete, and at Corinth.

'' I t is far from common in these parts.

92 RICHARD VAUGHAN : MIGRATION I N GREECE A N D C R W E IBIS 102

O r i o h oriolus, Oenanthe oenanthe, 0. haipanua, Phoenicurus phoenuurus, Luscinia megar- hynchos, Hippolais icterina, H . olivetorum, Sylvia hortensik, Phylloscopus trochilus (?), Muscicapa striata, Motacilla Java, Lanius senator and L. collurio.

SUMMARY

Records are given of migrants seen in Greece and Crete 15 August-13 September 1958. The most important notes are on Ardeidae, buzzards and shrikes.

REFERENCES

BIRD, C. G. 1935. ERHARD, D. It. 1858. Fauna der Cykladen. Leipzig. JAMFSON, R. 1837.

KELHAM, H. R. 1922. LAMBERT, A. 1957. I.YNES, H. 1909-10. Observations on the migration of birds in the Mediterranean. British

LYKES, 11. 1912. Field notes on a collection of birds from the hlediterranean. Ibis (9) 6 :

MEINERTZHAGEN, R. 1930. Sicoll’s Birds of Egypt. London. MOREAV, R. E. 1953. ML‘EHLE, H. von der. 1844. Beitrage m e Ornithologie Griechenlands. Leipzig. KEISER, 0. 1905. SIELMANS, 11. & STRESEMANK, E. 1956.

97 : 44-72. STRESEMAKN, E. 1943.

.4 visit to the Cyclades.

Notes on the natural history and statistics of the island of C‘erigo and its

Ibis (13) 5 : 336-355.

dependencies. Edinburgh New Philos. J. 22 : 6 2 4 9 . Some Cretan birds. Ibis (11) 4 : 675-687.

A specific check list of the birds of Greece. Ibis 99 : 43-68.

Birds 3 : 36-51, 69-77, 99-104, 133-150.

121-1 87.

Migration in the Mediterranean area. Ibis 95 : 329-364.

Materialen zu einer Ornis Balcanica, 3 : Griechenland. Wien. Hausteine zu einer Omithologie von Kreta. J. Om.

J . Ueberblick uber die I’ijgeI Kretas und der Vogelzug in der Aegais. - . Om. 91 : 448-514.

WHITE, C. Xf. N. 1939. A contribution to the ornithology of Crete. Ibis (14) 3 : 106-136.