Cyprus 18 - Day 11

No luck with the CASPIAN STONECHAT. I was happy I found the right area (which is half the battle) but didn't see it or much else to be honest. However, on leaving I made it onto the beach to check for the raft of Garganey that had been reported by Tony Reeves. The sea was rough due to the strong wind, which obviously didn't help viewing. Unsurprisingly I didn't see any BUT I did see a distant large Shearwater! It seems Yelkouan is favourite, although Scopoli's also occurs in March...apparently. Anyway, I've seen a Shearwater in Cyprus lol!

Lunch at Costa...for a change. They do a mean apple pie and Latte. Time to check the news...

 

A Blue-cheeked Bee-eater was seen by visiting birders at Paphos Headland this morning.

Scramble!!!

My history with this species goes back to 1989...yes I AM that old! New to birding and with a young family I was in Spain when one turned up at Cowden, Yorks (to make it worse!). Every year I (and many others) say...maybe THIS year?

When compiling my wish list for this trip...this was my number one.

We arrived back in Paphos at 2.40. Louse hit the shops and I entered the headland. Without word of a lie I looked up to see a Bee-eater sp floating high above the lighthouse!!!!!!! "Never presume" as the saying goes. BCBE is favourite in March especially when you have an earlier report! Of course it disappeared. Rather frustrating!

I walked around 200 yds scanning every so often. Any dead trees? There's one...

...and there's something GREEN in it!

Obviously a GREAT moment...and one to be savoured. My gamble had paid off...in spades. A LIFER!

The next couple of hours were a bit surreal as I let as many people know as I could. I also managed a few snaps. This one I particularly like, hope you do...

Trip Total 103