Cyprus - Day 4

Back to the headland in Paphos at dawn this morning. Nice view...

A Crested Lark was enjoying the first rays of sunshine on the path...

On arrival at the point I began scanning for the target bird. The Golden Plovers were very difficult to see even with the bins as they blended in perfectly with the rocks. I couldn't see anything "different". As the light grew stronger I was hoping for something to appear...it didn't.


I then noticed a gull approaching. It circled a few times and then it landed near one of the concrete blocks. I was hoping for something "good". It was...very GOOD!

A SLENDER-BILLED GULL!

7.15am

It continued to preen and as the light got stronger I manged a few more pics of this special Gull...

Note the long neck

Finally the sun was strong and I managed this photo which really illustrates well the head profile of this species...

Rested and preened...it was gone...

not great but it does show the diagnostic wing and tail pattern

More scanning! Bingo...at least I'd found another species of Plover, but which one? Time for an identification challenge. I don't see many Kentish/Greater Sand Plovers in Britain!!! My first thought s I'll admit were GS. Simply because of the location...which of course is poor. The more I looked at it the more I became unsure...happens a lot with me! The bill didn't look thick/long enough, the legs too short plus it appeared hunched not elongated. Has to be Kentish...but there's no neck collar? Then again the smudging on the chest suggests GS. I contacted David Walker again for another opinion. He confirmed Greater Sand so that's good enough for me. Here it is...

Comments welcome.

After breakfast we headed for Evertou Reservoir north of Paphos in search of Raptors. We arrived around Noon and I set up my 'scope. Nothing for 45 minutes so we decided to have our lunch. You guessed it, as soon as I sat went to get it out of the car I noticed 2 "shapes" above me. Raptors silently drifting south. After fumbling for the camera I managed to regain my balance and fire off a few shots as they drifted away. This was my best pic of an adult Bonelli's Eagle...

Nothing else was seen in 4 hours but it didn't matter, it was worth the trip for this sighting alone.