Cyprus 23 - Day 12

I'm sure you can appreciate that balancing Birding and Blogging can be a fine line at times but I'm happy with how its gone so far. Also looking through pics can only be fleeting...I don't have any fancy editing software. My plan of longer stays at fewer Sites is also working well. Very relaxing...except when chasing Rare Birds...which is also fun I may add!

I had a couple of hours first thing down at Agia Varvara, Crake hunting. I'm a glutten for punishment. It was a fresh 10C on arrival but fortunately my coat was in the car to help offset the shorts! I scanned all three pools intermittemtly but nothing showed for 30  minutes. Then, a Reed Warbler followed shortly after by a Sedge. Something moved in the reeds...a brief sighting of a Baillon's Crake. 20 minutes later I'd also added Spotted. At last I'd connected with all three.

A few Swifts hawked low over the pools some taking a drink. One was rather larger...

Really chuffed to finally grab an image of this lightening quick Species.

Today we headed West for the first time as our destination was the Baths of Aphrodite, a major tourist attraction but also a Migrant hot spot. Fortunately in March (like a lot of places)...it's dead. The roads are empty, the car parks quiet and the Campsite is a peaceful retreat. Bliss. Just need to find some Birds now.

I'd cut and pasted an item some time ago giving me some information on a minor road from Kato Arodes to Neo Chorio. The Birder had seen Bonelli's and Booted Eagles, Peregrine, Hen Harrier, Goshawk, Long-legged Buzzard and Common Buzzard! Definitely worth a detour on the way. The problem was, no specific watchpoint was mentioned and as I'd never passed this way before it was going to be pot luck.

If you're not familiar with Cyprus...it's Mountainous! The road West to Polis reaches up to around 2,000 feet. We reached Kato Arodes OK with the help of Google Maps, which worked amazingly well. It then took us through tiny Villages and along the minor roads with ease. Once past Androlikou we came across a Goat Farm where a flock in excess of 200 Jackdaws was present feeding around the Goats!

We continued. I then saw a distant large Raptor ahead of us. A quick look (the road was rather remote) gave enough detail to confirm Bonelli's. I pulled over, got out and scanned. It had disappeared. Louise also got out for a stretch. She gets embarrassed sometimes when she shouts..."What's that"?.. and I gently tell her it's something common. I've always encouraged her to keep calling. As I continued looking for the Eagle..."What's that"?...rang out...A sinister bulky Raptor glided low, straight and fast just above the tree line...a tell tale pale area glistening in the sunshine...

Goshawk

Definitely one of the Birds of the Trip and a Cyprus Tick to boot. The surprise sightings are the Best.A calling Quail finished off the break well.

In case you're passing sometime...

It's more than a 3 minute walk to Paphos!!!?

We arrived at "the Baths" at 1 and spent a relaxed 4 hours on the deserted Campsite...

It was fairly "Birdy" with around half-a-dozen Common Restarts showing really well supplemented by similar numbers of Black.

Taking some shade

It was also nice to see Serin...my first sighting...

Eastern Bonelli's was also in evidence again... flycatching! I like to think I'm cautious with my ID...and sometimes inaccurate! I've seen plenty of Swifts in bright sunshine by now. One passed over this afternoon and did a couple of circuits before moving on. It looked different? A sandier bird with contrasting primaries and an obvious pale throat with dark eye.. I'm happy it was a Pallid. 25 species were seen. Some excellent habitat here...and a definite Migrant trap...

A truly beautiful spot...we'll be back...

Phil's last day tomorrow so we're heading East to Cape Greco then the Larnaca sites. All 3 Flycatchers were seen at the former today. Pity they weren't at the West end!

Trip Total 116