Sunday 19 March 2017

Cyprus 17 - Long day with a BIG finish

Early start at 5 this morning. Drove over to Akrotiri (45 mins) and sat in the hide at Zakaki for 4 hours!

No show on the Baillon's Crake but the Little showed well. I also saw a Penduline Tit again and even managed a horrendous pic. Other highlights included 2 pairs of Ferruginous Ducks and a pair of Garganey (my first). I also heard a strange "lapwing like" call. I couldn't pin it down so I got in the car and drove across to a patch of wasteland. Eventually I saw the source...a singing Black Francolin..very smart!

After a short break I drove down the first part of Lady's Mile. I added Med' Gull and Kentish Plover to my trip list. I also had extremely close views of Ruff (c40). Some of the Flamingos were very close also.

After lunch back at the hotel we headed for Kidasi. This site is good for Finsch's Wheatear and I'd seen them well there the previous Winter, you may recall?

We arrived around 2.30 and walked up the excellent track. It's a beautiful spot.

Cyprus Wheatear was soon seen, then very close views of a female Isabelline. Further up the track I saw my first male Northern but no sign of a FW.

We returned to the car then drove back up to the top of the valley. It was now 5pm but the sun was still shining on the eastern slope. I saw another black and white Wheatear high up the slope? I needed a better view so I made my way up as inconspicuously as I get these days!

I managed a few more pics before it departed. I was reasonably confident it was a Finsch's (confirmed Anyway, as I descended in my stealth-like manner something caught my eye. Oh no...I hear you cry...not another of his lucky connections!

I'm afraid so.

There not 30yds to my right...one of my most wanted...

MALE ROCK THRUSH!!!!

Oh YES.

Again if you're into this game, you'll appreciate the satisfaction of finding a top bird unexpectedly. It's a scarce passage migrant in Cyprus, no big deal to locals But a massive deal to yours truly having searched extensively over the years in Europe for this species.

Off for a beer now... Marvelous




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