It was good to get out in the field again with a day’s guiding with Harry and Jacky. Driving to Cape Drepanum we saw three Great Spotted Cuckoo flying over. There were plenty of Yellow-legged Gull on Yeronisos Island opposite and a group of Black-headed Gull and two Little Egret flew north offshore.  The Cape itself was alive with Isabelline and Northern Wheatear and Black-headed Wagtail. We must have seen double figures of these three birds as well as a couple of Greater Short-toed Lark, two Blue-headed Wagtail and a pale throated form of Eastern Black-eared Wheatear. There were plenty of Barn Swallow around and two Red-rumped Swallow flew over.  A Common Nightingale could be heard. There were many Jackdaw there as there were also at our next stop at Meletis. In that area we found a male Cyprus Wheatear, a Hoopoe and a pair of Chukars put up by something – possibly a Peregine Falcon which Harry saw briefly.

We had a short walk around Paphos Headland where again the most common species were Isabelline and Northern Wheatear. There was a dark throated form of the Eastern Black-eared Wheatear. We also found at least three Hoopoe, many Barn Swallow, a few Common Swift, some more Black-headed Wagtail, two male Sardinian Warbler and a couple of Meadow Pipit.

The weather had changed by the time we reached Mandria and we needed coats on to sit and have our lunch. Three Shags were offshore and more Black-headed Gull passed by. A small raft of 24 Garganey were floating offshore. Around twenty Little Ringed Plover were feeding on the shore together with a lone Kentish Plover. On the ploughed fields we found a female Sparrowhawk hunting and in amongst the Yellow Wagtail races we picked out at least one of the dombrowski race although again Black-headed Wagtail were the most common. A Common Starling flew over and a Quail also flew past us seeming to have come off the sea.

Our last stop was at Anarita Park. Turning into the area we found a Great Spotted Cuckoo sitting on a thistle. We watched four Lesser Kestrel hunting in the distance. There were many singing Corn Bunting, a lone female Stonechat, a male Sardinian Warbler and male Cyprus Wheatear. We watched a male Hen Harrier hunting and a falcon flew over too fast for positive id.

Driving back to Polis we saw a Long-legged Buzzard flying near Evretou Dam. A good day’s birding in good company with 55 different birds and a lot of wheatears!!

Day’s total – 55 species

Birds seen – European Shag, Little Egret, Garganey, Hen Harrier, Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Long-legged Buzzard, Common Kestrel, Lesser Kestrel, Peregrine Falcon, Chukar, Black Francolin (h), Common Quail, Little Ringed Plover, Kentish Plover, Yellow-legged Gull, Black-headed Gull, Common Woodpigeon, Collared Dove, Great Spotted Cuckoo, Common Swift, Alpine Swift, Eurasian Hoopoe, Greater Short-toed Lark, Crested Lark, Eurasian Skylark, Barn Swallow, Red-rumped Swallow, Tawny Pipit, Meadow Pipit, Blue-headed Wagtail, Black-headed Wagtail, Grey-headed Wagtail, dombrowski race of Yellow Wagtail, White Wagtail, Common Nightingale (h), Common Stonechat, Isabelline Wheatear, Northern Wheatear, Black-eared Wheatear, Cyprus Wheatear, Cetti’s Warbler (h), Zitting Cisticola, Sardinian Warbler, Common Chiffchaff, Great Tit, Eurasian Magpie, Western Jackdaw, Hooded Crow, Common Starling, House Sparrow, Spanish Sparrow, European Greenfinch, European Goldfinch, Common Linnet, Corn Bunting.