As the temperature slowly creeps up on a daily basis and the water on the coastal sites begins to evaporate, I decided to split the day out with Lynne and Kevin between the Akrotiri sites and two inland areas close to Limassol. We started the day at Germasogeia Dam where we headed for the Finikaria end of the dam, stopping on the way to watch a Cyprus Wheatear  and a flock of Spanish Sparrow. At Finikaria we spotted two Little Owls in a carob tree and then stopped to enjoy a calling Black Francolin by the trackside. We then watched a singing male Sardinian Warbler which was chased off its singing perch by a male Cyprus Warbler which then took over. All around us we could hear Zitting Cisticola and calling Cetti’s Warbler. A Cetti’s called from a fig tree near to where we were standing and for once we were able to watch this elusive species. Near the water we heard Eurasian Reed Warbler and saw two Water Pipit in their pinkish summer plumage. A Squacco Heron was feeding on the water’s edge. We heard calling Great Spotted Cuckoo and were pleased when the pair finally flew close to us.

We then headed to the coast and spent a while in the hide at Zakaki. We checked the reed edges for crakes but no joy so we watched a large flock of hirundine coming down to drink there. They were mainly Common House Martin but they were joined by a few Red-rumped Swallow and Sand Martin as well as the usual Barn Swallow. Six Cattle Egret and six Little Egret were resting there and a lone Ferruginous Duck was present.

Lady’s Mile was even quieter than the day before. We saw Lesser Whitethroat and a lone Northern Wheatear while the Spotted Redshank was still on the water together with five Greater Flamingo, some Black-winged Stilt, Little Stint, Dunlin and Kentish Plover. At the entrance to Bishop’s Pool we found a male and a female Eurasian Pied Flycatcher in the acacias. Around the Gravel Pits we found more Northern Wheatear and two female Eastern Black-eared Wheatear as well as a female Blue Rock Thrush. Four Greater Short-toed Lark flew over as did six migrating Grey Heron.  Lesser Whitethroat, Common Whitethroat and Eurasian Blackcap were feeding in the  tamarisks and we saw a couple of Whinchat and heard two singing Common Nightingale.

We then headed inland again to Prastio Kellakiou. There we finished our day out surrounded by calling Cretzschmar’s Bunting, courting Masked Shrike, singing Cyprus Warbler, Cyprus Wheatear and Eastern Olivaceous Warbler and some fly-by Red-rumped Swallow. There were several European Serin, European Chaffinch and Spanish Sparrow around and we watched an adult Great Tit feeding a couple of young fledglings in a fig tree. I was surprised to hear a couple of calling Coal Tit but our final bird of the day – a calling Eurasian Scops Owl was more expected but very welcome.

Total species – 69

Little Grebe, Squacco Heron, Cattle Egret, Little Egret, Grey Heron, Greater Flamingo, Mallard, Northern Shoveler, Ferruginous Duck, Long-legged Buzzard, Common Kestrel, Chukar, Black Francolin, Water Rail (h), Common Moorhen, Eurasian Coot, Black-winged Stilt, Kentish Plover, Little Stint, Dunlin, Spotted Redshank, Yellow-legged Gull, Common Woodpigeon, Eurasian Collared Dove, Great Spotted Cuckoo, Eurasian Scops Owl, Little Owl, Common Swift, Eurasian Hoopoe, Greater Short-toed Lark, Crested Lark, Sand Martin, Barn Swallow, Red-rumped Swallow, Common House Martin, Tree Pipit, Water Pipit, White Wagtail, Common Nightingale, Whinchat, Northern Wheatear, Cyprus Wheatear, Eastern Black-eared Wheatear, Blue Rock Thrush, Cetti’s Warbler, Zitting Cisticola, Sedge Warbler, Eurasian Reed Warbler, Eastern Olivaceous Warbler, Sardinian Warbler, Cyprus Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat, Common Whitethroat, Eurasian Blackcap, Eurasian Pied Flycatcher, Great Tit, Coal Tit, Masked Shrike, Eurasian Magpie, Western Jackdaw, Hooded Crow, House Sparrow, Spanish Sparrow, Common Chaffinch, European Serin, European Greenfinch, European Goldfinch, Cretzschmar’s Bunting, Corn Bunting