Cyprus Days Five and Six

Saturday was another write-off with a family day at Limmasol marina, delicious grilled fish lunch and then the afternoon at the pool but we did have a flock of 50 Purple Heron fly over the marina. This morning (Sunday our last day) I got up at dawn and headed over to St.Goerge's Chapel for a bit of migrant hunting. Ebird list HERE, highlights included a Wryneck, 6 Turtle Dove, 1 Cuckoo, 4 Woodchat Shrike, 3 Nightingale, 10 Whinchat, 2 Pied Fly, 1 Spot Fly, 2 Redstart, Lesser and Greater Whitethroats, Willow and Sardinian Warblers and fly over young Night Heron.

Was nice to get a bit of migrant hunting in. There's been Green Warbler found today on the island and a White-eyed Gull in the week too (both Cyprus megas) with plenty of other quality birds around like Baillon's and Little Crake, Greater Sand Plover, Masked Shrike, Citrine Wagtail and Sibe Stonechat. It would have been nice to just get out birding but fortunately I've got another proper birding trip to Kuwait planned soon and another week in Bulgaria too so will back out here on the Eastern Flyway to get some proper birding in. Just relieved to have got the targets for the WP list. Picked up 92 species in the week so best to keep quiet about that- there's probably a good 150+ to get out here. 

Back to the Selsey Peninsula tomorrow for a few weeks of local birding before out to Kuwait in mid-May- looking forward to peak Spring migration at the new local patch. 

Roller going over 

Male (above) and female (below) Pied Flycatcher

Male Woodchat Shrike 

Female (above) and male (below) Common Redstart 

Male Whinchat

Wryneck

First-summer Night Heron going over 

Little Stints and Kentish Plover 

I presumed this distant dark falcon was an Eleanora's- no silvery wing markings like Red-footed Falcon and dark underparts too so not a first-summer male Red-foot. 

St.Goerge's Chapel- a lovely little migrant trap