Olöf and Gun had three priorities for our day out –Cyprus Warbler, Cyprus Wheatear and Great Spotted Cuckoo. We headed out to Anarita Park where Great Spotted Cuckoo had been seen regularly recently. Our first scan of the area produced several Ortolan Bunting and a Tawny Pipit but the cold wind and the threat of rain made us worry we wouldn’t find our target. As we returned to the car to search other areas, one flew into a hawthorn bush just 30metres from us and meant we got great views – in fact we moved off before the Great Spotted Cuckoo did. We then found two maybe three others and one even sat on a fence close to us while we were watching a male Cyprus Wheatear singing on his territory. We also found a Wrneck, several Eurasian Blackcap, a European Roller, a couple of Lesser and Common Whitethroat, at least five Whinchat, two Woodchat Shrike and two female Eastern Black-eared Wheatear. We found the Little Owl on its usual rock and to the watched a small group of Lesser Kestrel to the north of the area. A male Western Marsh Harrier migrated over being harassed by a Hooded Crow.

Two of the targets found and we headed to the area behind Asprokremmos Dam for the third. The wind meant that sylvia warblers were not keen to come out and sing but finally we found a male and then a female and heard at least one other singing well inside a bush. In the area we heard another Great Spotted Cuckoo, found a female Eurasian Pied Flycatcher in a carob grove, a male Eastern Black-eared Wheatear, several Tawny Pipit, two male Spectacled Warbler, a couple of Chukar and several Whinchat. While eating our lunch in the pines of the utility area we watched a couple of Wood Warbler, a Eurasian Hoopoe and heard a Willow Warbler. Several Alpine Swift and Red-rumped Swallow were flying over the area.

It was very windy down at Mandria where we found a single Black-winged Stilt on the beach and several Isabelline and Northern Wheatear in the fields. Towards the church we got good views of a male Black Francolin and at least three Eurasian Turtle Dove flew over. At Paphos Sewage Works we watched a couple of Spur-winged Lapwing in a field which were joined by a Collared Pratincole and a group of herons flew in off the sea and headed inland – it contained Grey and Purple Heron, a single Cattle Egret and at least eleven Black-crowned Night Heron. We then watched a flock of around a hundred of Yellow Wagtail – mainly feldegg with some flava – and at least ten Red-throated Pipit feeding on a recently mown field. Two Grey-headed Wagtail, thunbergi, were on a pool at the mouth of the Ezousas river together with a Little Egret. As we left the area we were greeted by the beautiful sight of five Blue-cheeked Bee-eater. A great end to a good day’s birding with our targets met and we avoided the rain as well!

Sixty four different birds seen:

Black-crowned Night Heron, Cattle Egret, Little Egret, Grey Heron, Purple Heron, Western Marsh Harrier, Lesser Kestrel, Common Kestrel, Chukar, Black Francolin, Black-winged Stilt, Collared Pratincole, Spur-winged Lapwing, Yellow-legged Gull, Common Woodpigeon, Eurasian Collared Dove, Eurasian Turtle Dove, Great Spotted Cuckoo, Little Owl, Common Swift, Alpine Swift, Blue-cheeked Bee-eater, European Roller, Eurasian Hoopoe, Eurasian Wryneck, Crested Lark, Sand Martin, Barn Swallow, Red-rumped Swallow, Common House Martin, Tawny Pipit, Tree Pipit, Red-throated Pipit, Blue-headed Wagtail, Grey-headed Wagtail, Black-headed Wagtail, White Wagtail, Whinchat, Isabelline Wheatear, Northern Wheatear, Cyprus Wheatear, Eastern Black-eared Wheatear, Cetti’s Warbler, Zitting Cisticola, Spectacled Warbler, Sardinian Warbler, Cyprus Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat, Common Whitethroat, Eurasian Blackcap, Wood Warbler, Willow Warbler, Eurasian Pied Flycatcher, Great Tit, Woodchat Shrike, Eurasian Magpie, Western Jackdaw, Hooded Crow, House Sparrow, Spanish Sparrow, European Greenfinch, European Goldfinch, Ortolan Bunting, Corn Bunting.