Cyprus 24 - Day 7

I popped down to the "Ruppell's bush" at 7 while Louise got ready...

He hasn't arrived yet! As I was waiting hopefully, I caught sight of a large Bird extremely high in the sky, drifting West. First thought was Raptor BUT it WAS early and it was out over the Sea? I rattled a few pics off and when I looked at them I thought Gull...a VERY large one. It had to be a PALLAS'S (79) for me...

Extreme pointed wing tips

Happy to be proved wrong? There has been a passage the last few days. A Cyprus Tick?

We left for Akrotiri at 7.45. First stop was a new location for me...the M1 pools...

The Bittern Pool

As we arrived a couple of mini-buses turned up which could only mean one thing...a Bird Group. It turned out to be Colin Richardson with some Austrian Birders. It was good to see him again! The Bittern seen yesterday by Matt Smith wasn't located but it was worth the visit to familiarize myself with this location. I saw 3 Cretzschmar's Buntings and added Black-crowned Night Heron (80) to the Trip List.

After a coffee at the Mall I left Louise to have a look round and headed the short distance to Lady's Mile. The Zakaki Hide...

...area vegetation was extremely dense, making viewing difficult...

I did add Reed Warbler (81). I decided to Bird the surrounding area and this paid if with a couple of typically brief views of a Bluethroat (82). I also got closer to a Feldegg Wagtail...

Most Yellow Wagtails seem to be this race at the moment. I'm not complaining!

I then checked out the pools at the start of Lady's Mile. There was a Gull on the Platform...

Armenian (83)

I drove the first mile or so and fond some Kentish Plovers (84)...

....and Little Stint (85).

After picking Louise up at the Mall we headed for Akrotiri Marsh for a 3 hour session that would hopefully culminate in my WHITE-THROATED KINGFISHER moment? I visited 4 spots along the Marsh adding Spoonbill (86) on the way...

2 of 3

We arrived at the Western Pool at 4 and waited till 6. It was a no show. If you remember I visited last Thursday after Twitching the Lesser Short-toed Lark. A Birder told me it had been on this pole the night before at 5...

This Bird had been present since October. It seems I may have missed it by 24 hours!!!

Late news of another Asian Desert Warbler, this time at Cape Greco. Mixed feelings on this one...

Trip List - 86 Species