The first stop of a day out with Peter and Marny was at Petra tou Romiou where we found two Eleonora’s Falcon – one unusually perched on a tree. A male Cyprus Wheatear was singing and we watched a Great Spotted Cuckoo fly over the area.  At least nine Alpine Swift were around and a lone Little Egret flew in off the sea. A couple of male Sardinian Warbler were singing, trying to attract our attention. A Peregrine Falcon speeded past the car as we left the area. The river at the Kouklia Soakaways had a good flow of water and we spent some time watching four Wood Sandpiper feeding there.

We found a male and a female Cyprus Warbler near to the mast behind Asprokremmos Dam where there were also five Tawny Pipit, two Ortolan Bunting, a Whinchat, a Little Owl and a Sardinian Warbler family party. We were having a good day for raptors and here we saw a female Western Marsh Harrier, a male Montagu’s Harrier, an unidentified ring-tail harrier and two Bonelli’s Eagle. On the water were several Yellow-legged Gull and through the ‘scope we spotted one with a darker grey mantle which we identified as the ‘heuglin’ race of the Lesser Black-backed Gull. Mandria was very windy and disappointing bird-wise so we moved onto Paphos Sewage Works where we found eight Spur-winged Lapwing and three Cattle Egret in the fields. It took us some time to locate any Yellow Wagtail but we found several in a bare tree including Blue-headed flava and Black-headed feldegg, several females and a xanthophrys intergrade. Near the Ezousas river we saw a Eurasian Turtle Dove, a Squacco Heron and heard an Eastern Olivaceous Warbler singing.

At Agia Varvara we found a Woodchat Shrike, a Purple Heron and more Wood Sandpiper.  Our last stop was Anarita Park where at least twelve Red-footed Falcon resting on a field was the sight that greeted us. The first of the five European Roller that we saw in the area joined them. Driving through the area we found at least twenty more Red-footed Falcon flying and feeding over the hills sides. Around ten Lesser Kestrel were also present as were several Common Kestrel. A Long-legged Buzzard flew in but two Western Jackdaw soon chased it away. Two male Montagu’s Harrier were also seen. An impressive array of raptors in a small area concluded a good day out.

Number of different birds seen – 57

Squacco Heron, Cattle Egret, Little Egret, Grey Heron, Purple Heron, Western Marsh Harrier, Montagu’s Harrier, Long-legged Buzzard, Bonelli’s Eagle, Lesser Kestrel, Common Kestrel, Red-footed Falcon, Eleonora’s Falcon, Peregrine Falcon, Chukar, Common Moorhen, Spur-winged Lapwing, Wood Sandpiper, Yellow-legged Gull, Heuglin’s Gull, Common Woodpigeon, Eurasian Collared Dove, Eurasian Turtle Dove, Great Spotted Cuckoo, Little Owl, Common Swift, Alpine Swift, European Roller, Crested Lark, Sand Martin, Barn Swallow, Common House Martin, Blue-headed Wagtail, Black-headed Wagtail, xanthophrys Yellow Wagtail, Common Nightingale, Whinchat, Northern Wheatear, Cyprus Wheatear, Cetti’s Warbler, Zitting Cisticola, Eurasian Reed Warbler, Eastern Olivaceous Warbler, Sardinian Warbler, Cyprus Warbler, Great Tit, Woodchat Shrike, Eurasian Magpie, Western Jackdaw, Hooded Crow, House Sparrow, Spanish Sparrow, European Greenfinch, European Goldfinch, Ortolan Bunting, Corn Bunting