Cyprus Spring

OK. I admit it...my thoughts are turning almost entirely now to my Cyprus trip. A combination of work, family activities and horrendous weather leave me little alternative...that's my excuse anyway and I'm sticking to it!

Just for the record I've listed below (I like a list!) "typical" arrival dates and "special" species I hope to see.

March arrival dates

2nd – Cuckoo, Swallow, Woodlark

3rd – Sanderling, Scops Owl

6th - Crane, Armenian Gull, Great Spotted Cuckoo,

8th – Glossy Ibis, SEO, WHITE-THROATED KINGFISHER,

10th – Avocet, Citrine Wagtail,
11TH – Montagu’s Harrier, Arctic Skua, Heuglin’s Gull, Hoopoe,
12th - Crag Martin, ISABELLINE WHEATEAR,
13th – Cream-coloured Courser, Alpine Swift, Wheatear, Cyprus Wheatear,
15th – PALLID HARRIER, Garganey, Lesser Kestrel, Temminck’s Stint, Marsh Sandpiper, Caspian Gull, Baltic Gull, Wagtails, Bluethroat,
16th – Quail, Swift, Red-rumped Swallow, Tawny Pipit, Sand Martin, Tawny and Red-throated Pipit,
17th – Shearwaters, LESSER SHORT-TOED LARK, BIMACULATED LARK,
18th – BLUE-CHEECKED BEE-EATER, Purple Heron, Steppe Buzzard, Pallid Swift,
20th – Tree Pipit
21st – Dotterel, Roller,
25th – Bee-eater, Nightingale,
26th – Turnstone
27th – Spoonbill
28th – Great Snipe
29th – Caspian Tern
30th – Collared Pratincole
31st – Squacco Heron, Common Tern, Honey Buzzard

Specials already seen

Squacco Heron

Purple Heron

Red-Crested Pochard

Ferruginous Duck
White-headed Duck
Griffon Vulture
Pallid Harrier
Goshawk
Steppe Buzzard
Bonelli’s Eagle
Black Francolin
Little Crake
Baillon’s Crake
Stone Curlew
Collared Pratincole
Kentish Plover
Greater Sand Plover
Spur-winged Plover
Marsh Sandpiper
Slender-billed Gull
Auduoin’s Gull
Armenian Gull
Gull-billed Tern
Great-spotted Cuckoo
Alpine Swift
Bee-Eater
Roller
Hoopoe
Calandra Lark
Crag Martin
Red-Rumped Swallow
Tawny Pipit
Red-throated Pipit
Black-headed Wagtail
Cyprus Wheatear
Eastern Black-eared Wheatear
Finsch’s Wheatear
Rock Thrush
Blue Rock Thrush
Moustached Warbler
Eastern Olivaceous Warbler
Spectacled Warbler
Cyprus Warbler
Ruppell’s Warbler
Collared Flycatcher
WALLCREEPER
Golden Oriole
Masked Shrike
Spanish Sparrow
Ortolan Buntng
Cretzschmar’s Bunting
 
 
 
   No doubt there'll be the odd error (including the usual cut and paste issues!) but you get the gist. Plenty to go at...and plenty of time to see them. I have a couple of excellent contacts and I hope to acquire a local SIM card which will enable me to contact (and be contacted).

BRING IT ON!!!