FINSCH'S WHEATEAR

Not often I get a LIFE bird these days. So the opportunity to see a "new" bird just couldn't be missed. David had mentioned to me yesterday that Birdlife Cyprus were having a field trip and "The Wheatear" would be one of the target birds. I asked him if it would be OK if we tagged along and he said it would be fine, especially as I'd made a contribution to Birdlife Cyprus!

We met at Asprokremnos Dam car park at 9.30. After a short walk up to the Radio mast (where little was seen) we moved on for a brief stop on the dam itself. The view was spectacular...

The only birds seen here were Grey Heron, Cormorant, Yellow-legged Gulls and this Sardinian Warbler which showed itself briefly...

We then mad our way north along the road to Troodos. We made a stop at a nice cafe and used the facilities. We struck lucky when a group of 9 Griffon Vultures were spotted soaring over the distant hills. This species is quite scarce in Cyprus and David told me that the resident population has recently been supplemented with birds from Crete. They appear to have integrated well.

Onwards now to the FW site at Kadasi. We took the track up into the hills from the main road. As we turned the first corner a FINSCH'S WHEATEAR was spotted on a rock close to the track. I got a conclusive view but the bird was distant...

We saw three birds altogether, all distant.

After lunch the group moved on. After saying goodbye and thanking David again for his help, I decided to hang around a while to see if I could get better views. The group were a very friendly bunch and we both thoroughly enjoyed our morning with them.

Over the next couple of hours I waited patiently for a bird to appear. No luck. Eventually I managed to track one down. I managed a few decent shots but I'm only posting one as the Wi-Fi signal has slowed.

So here it is...another cracking bird...and a LIFER to boot...