CYPRUS 2016 - Day 4

Gremlins last night, so here's the next instalment.

Better weather...and better Birding today. Don't get me wrong we've had no rain and mainly blue skies but the wind has been a bit fresh. Today 17c blue sky and light westerlies...lovely.

Early breakfast and off to the Akrotiri Peninsular. Plenty to look for. We found our way eventually to Zakaki Pool at 8.30. There's a large Mall just up the road, so that's were I dropped Louise off for a good 3 hours of retail therapy. There was even a Costa!

Back to the Marsh and adjacent canal. I use the word canal in the loosest possible terms as construction has decimated it. It now consists of a small series of short channels. However I still managed to find a Bittern, Penduline Tit, Green Sandpiper, Black Kite and a couple of Snipe. No luck with the PIED KINGFISHER though.

ext it was time for a trip down Ladies Mile.

The Avocet was still present.

I managed to decide on one Armenian Gull and 10 Little Stints...

Also 5 Kentish Plovers...

and 12 Dunlin.

Down the bottom end I had a token attempt to access Bishop's Pool but gave up due to the lack of time and target species. I did see 5 Robins and a couple of Chukars on the approach road.

On the way back to pick Louise up at 12.30 I stopped off again at Zakaki Pool for 30 minutes. Still no PK but I had great views of a Moustached Warbler. It was time to leave. As I walked back to my car I saw a small bird flit to the ditch by the side of the path. Another Stonechat. Nope...

Bluethroat

Extremely pleased to find this elusive species albeit without a Bluethroat!

We moved onto to Episkopi, which is west of the Akrotiri peninsular. Curium to be precise. Nice spot and very birdy. Lots of Sylvia Warblers disappearing into bushes! I sneaked a Sardinian...

Plus a Zitting Cisticola or Fan-tailed Warbler to me...

No sign of the hoped for LL Buzzard though. An excellent bonus though came in the form of a group of Woodlarks (c10)...

We finished off at Kensington Cliffs. Another site for L.L.Buzzard... I keep trying! Again no luck but I had a very pleasant hour down by the cliff edge. Only one Griffon Vulture was noted but it was kept company by a Peregrine...

Can you see them?

A bit closer...

Then one of each...