First birds of the year were a European Robin and Blackcap both singing in the garden. Headed for Athalassa this morning where as well as the expected heron species, ducks etc there were  a couple of Black-winged Stilt (not a bird you’d expect to be on your day list for January 1^st), a juvenile Black-crowned Night Heron and at least three Black Francolin. The numbers of Common Teal and Northern Shoveler have increased slightly but strangely I saw no Mallards. There were over sixty Great Cormorant and flocks totalling at least 100 Common Woodpigeon flew over.

A visit to Agios Sozomenos in the afternoon produced two male Finsch’s Wheatear, two Blue Rock Thrush and a male and a female Hen Harrier. A flock of at least sixty Northern Lapwing were flying over the fields and as well as two male Sardinian Warbler I also saw two male and a female Cyprus Warbler.

Species seen:

Athalassa Park – Little Grebe 5, Great Cormorant 63, Black-crowned Night Heron 1 juvenile, Cattle Egret 1, Little Egret 9, Great Egret 2, Grey Heron 8, Common Teal c10, Northern Shoveler 8+, Common Kestrel 1, Moorhen 20+, Coot c50, Black-winged Stilt 2, Common Woodpigeon 100+, Crested Lark 1, Woodlark 3, Grey Wagtail 1, White Wagtail 5, European Robin 3, Common Stonechat 1, Blackbird 3, Cetti’s Warbler 4+, Sardinian Warbler 2, Chiffchaff 6, Great Tit 5, Magpie 4, Hooded Crow c50, Western Jackdaw 3, House Sparrow 4, Chaffinch 8+

Agios Sozomenos – Cattle Egret 1, Hen Harrier 1m and 1f, Northern Lapwing 60, Meadow Pipit c20, European Robin 2, Western Black Redstart 2, Common Stonechat 8+, Finsch’s Wheatear 2m, Blue Rock Thrush 2, Song Thrush 1, Spectacled Warbler 1, Sardinian Warbler 2m, Cyprus Warbler 2m and 1f, Chiffchaff 2, Magpie 3, Chaffinch 2, Corn Bunting 3