We hired a car for a day and set off to try and find some of the sites around Chania and up in to the mountains. The first stop was a reservoir to the south of Chania, Lake Agia. It wasn't easy to find how to access it but we eventually found a way in. However there was little to see. The lake is surrounded by reeds with a board walk on the fourth side.
Canada and Greylag Geese were on the boardwalk and in the water plenty of Coot. The only birds of interest were the arrival of seven Audouin's Gulls.
We left Lake Agia and headed south climbing up gradually into the mountains. Our destination was the Botanical Garden, a collection of many different plants and trees from a round the world. The gardens are set on the side of the mountain and wind there way around the rocks and gorges.
As I got out of the car a Common Buzzard was soaring above us.
We set off around the gardens. It was warm, but not hot and uncomfortable. This lizard showed well. It is a Baltic Lizard, found throughout Greece and the Balkans.
An Eastern Speckled Wood.
As we walked around the gardens we could hear the howling calls of Indian Peacocks. We eventually found then around the small lake at the furthest point of the 2.5 kilometre trail. I wouldn't normally take time to photograph a captive bird, but it was wonderful to get close to focus on the beauty of the plumage.
The beautiful greens of the tail feathers and the roundal feathers.
Bougainvillea by the lake side.
We made our way back towards the visitor centre. Through the trees the view looking down towards the roads that brought us here.
Bird life was sparse with the most numerous aside from the Peacocks being the Italian Sparrows. There were though Sardinian Warblers singing from some of the trees, there scratchy song resembling that of a Whitethroat.
Butterflies, despite the plants were also scarce, but this Scarce Swallowtail was nice, although it was imbibing on th emanure spread on the soil.
From the Botanical Gardens we headed west in an attempt o find the village of Vamos, but failed miserably and ended up heading back to the hotel. It was nice to see some of the island and to get out.
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