At the Cava View Point for a few hours this morning counting raptors. Despite the fact that there were a lot of people around there were more passerines today than on last visit. It was especially good to see and hear a male Blue Rock Thrush. Not many raptors around – Black Kite 2 maybe 3, Marsh Harrier 2, Red-footed Falcon 5, Hobby 2, Honey Buzzard 2 and the ever present local Common Kestrel population of a least six birds. Other birds seen:

Cyprus Wheatear 2, Northern Wheatear 2, Black-eared Wheatear 1m, Lesser Whitethroat 3, Blue Rock Thrush 1 calling, White Wagtail 2, European Bee-eater 220+ many only heard as passing too high to be seen, Grey Heron 1, Little Egret 5

Day’s highlight though was finally managing to catch up with a Red-breasted Flycatcher! One and maybe two had been spotted earlier by a visiting birder in the gardens near the track to Larnaca Sewage Works. I was pleased to get a brief view of one as if flew onto a fence sat for a few seconds then flew back into the thick undergrowth. Subsequent searching didn’t produce anything more than movement and brief glimpses of a small bird.