Last autumn I had taken Terry and Sarah out for a morning in the Paphos area. This time they chose a day around Limassol with target species Cyprus Warbler and Greater Flamingo. We were lucky with the first target at Kourio Stadium. At least two and maybe three male Cyprus Warbler were singing there and we were able to see two of them really well. We also caught up with a family party at our last stop at Prastio Kellakiou.

At first it appeared that all the Greater Flamingo had left Akrotiri Salt Lake and the high numbers of over summering birds of the last two years had misled me into thinking we could find the same this summer. We scanned the edges of the lake in the haze and could see some movement in the area behind the Zakaki Marsh although it wasn’t clear which species were involved. So we headed as close to the area as we could by car and then walked. There were a few Greater Flamingo on the shore opposite us but in the haze were only just visible as Flamingos.  On cue however four – an adult and three immature birds – appeared from behind the reeds and paraded in front of us much to Sarah and Terry’s delight and my relief!

Other highlights of the day included hunting Eleonora’s Falcon over Phassouri Reed Beds; a male Spectacled Warbler and a young Kentish Plover together with a female sitting on a nest at Akrotiri Gravel Pits; good views of Black-winged Stilt, Ferruginous Duck, Little Egret, Squacco Heron, Black-headed Wagtail, Eurasian Reed Warbler, Spur-winged Lapwing and an unseasonal White Wagtail at Zakaki Marsh; and Black-headed and Cretzschmar’s Bunting, the Cyprus Warbler family, Eastern Olivaceous Warbler, European Serin and Masked Shrike at Prastio Kellakiou.

Species seen – 55

Little Grebe, Squacco Heron, Little Egret, Cattle Egret, Greater Flamingo, Mallard, Ferruginous Duck, Common Kestrel, Eleonora’s Falcon, Peregrine Falcon, Chukar, Black Francolin (h), Common Moorhen,  Eurasian Coot, Black-winged Stilt, Kentish Plover, Spur-winged Lapwing, Ruff, Wood Sandpiper, Yellow-billed Gull, Little Tern, Common Woodpigeon, Eurasian Collared Dove, Eurasian Turtle Dove (h), Common Swift, Alpine Swift, European Roller, Crested Lark, Barn Swallow, Red-rumped Swallow, Sand Martin, Common House Martin, Black-headed Wagtail, White Wagtail, Cetti’s Warbler, Zitting Cisticola, Eurasian Reed Warbler, Eastern Olivaceous Warbler, Spectacled Warbler, Sardinian Warbler, Cyprus Warbler, Great Tit, Masked Shrike, Eurasian Magpie, Western Jackdaw, Hooded Crow, House Sparrow, Spanish Sparrow, Common Chaffinch, European Serin, European Greenfinch, European Goldfinch, Common Linnet, Cretzschmar’s Bunting, Black-headed Bunting.