Luckily the dust cleared at Cape Greco early on this morning and although again there was little evidence of the raptor migration I was looking for there was a noticeable movement of gulls offshore as well as a good collection of spring migrants and evidence that the breeding season is now underway.

A Peregrine Falcon was in the area and a female Marsh Harrier was resting on the ground near the Sea Caves in the afternoon. Nearly two hundred Yellow-legged Gull passed round the Cape during a four hour watch in the morning and there were five Lesser Black-backed Gull in with them – three Heuglin’s or Siberian Gull and two Baltic Gull. For five minutes a Common Cuckoo was calling across the area and two Cyprus Wheatear were singing on their territories as were three Cyprus Warbler and several Spectacled Warbler. I saw a male Spectacled Warbler taking food into a bush – presumably feeding young. House Sparrows were mating, flying around with nesting material and also carrying food.

I came across seventeen Northern Wheatear, fourteen Isabelline Wheatear and twelve Eurasian Hoopoe (six were together on a track). Also seen were four Cretzschmar’s Bunting, a Common Whitethroat, six Lesser Whitethroat, a Great Spotted Cuckoo, three male Blue Rock Thrush and a female Finsch’s Wheatear.

At Oroklini on my way home there were two Baltic Gull on the water and twelve Greater Flamingo. Three Black-tailed Godwit are still present and two male Red-crested Pochard were out in the open looking very smart. At least twenty Black-winged Stilt are now in the area and both Sedge Warbler and Reed Warbler were singing around the new observation platform. A surprise was a Glossy Ibis that flew in just as I was about to leave.