A good day out birding with Byron started at Akrotiri Salt Lake where we scanned the area for roosting Demoiselle Cranes. None were present but although we were unlucky with that species we had a successful day  enabling Byron to get many of his target species which included – Chukar, Black Francolin, Cyprus Warbler, Cyprus Wheatear, Spur-winged Lapwing, Kentish Plover, Broad-billed Sandpiper, Long-legged Buzzard, Eleonora’s Falcon, Slender-billed Gull, Spectacled Warbler, Pallid Swift and Masked Shrike.

Highlights per location visited:

Akrotiri Salt Lake – Lesser Grey Shrike, European Bee-eater, Red-backed Shrike

Akrotiri Gravel Pits – Greater Flamingo c20 along coast, European Honey Buzzard 3 gaining height over area 9.30 am, Black Francolin, Common Ringed Plover, Curlew Sandpiper, Little Stint, Broad-billed Sandpiper (thanks to local birder Tony who told us where the bird had moved to when it was absent from Lady’s Mile), Common Kingfisher, Tawny Pipit, Common Whitethroat, Northern Wheatear, Red-backed Shrike, Lesser Grey Shrike, Cretzschmar’s Bunting 2h and seen briefly

Lady’s Mile – Dunlin, Curlew Sandpiper, Common Greenshank, Common Ringed Plover, Kentish Plover, Eleonora’s Falcon (one over high up)

Phasouri Reed-beds – Western Marsh Harrier, Pallid Swift, Alpine Swift, European Roller, Eurasian Roller, Yellow Wagtail inc feldegg and thunbergii, Cattle Egret, Red-backed Shrike, Lesser Grey Shrike, Masked Shrike

Panagia Stazousa – Montagu’s Harrier 2m, Long-legged Buzzard, Peregrine Falcon, Whinchat, Cyprus Wheatear 3, Cyprus Warbler 2m, Lesser Whitethroat, Spotted Flycatcher, Red-backed Shrike, Lesser Grey Shrike, Masked Shrike

Larnaca Airport Pools South – European Bee-eater, Eurasian Stone Curlew

Larnaca Sewage Works – Glossy Ibis, Greater Flamingo, Montagu’s Harrier 1 juv, Ruff, Black-tailed Godwit, Black-winged Stilt, Ruddy Turnstone, Slender-billed Gull, Yellow-legged Gull, Whiskered Tern, White-winged Tern, Spur-winged Lapwing

Spiros Beach – Ruddy Turnstone 5

Petounta – Long-legged Buzzard

Agios Theodoros – Little Owl 2, Eurasian Scops Owl 1 h and seen, Black-crowned Night Heron 16 heading S

Total species – 79

Little Grebe, Black-crowned Night Heron, Cattle Egret, Grey Heron, Glossy Ibis, Greater Flamingo, Eurasian Teal, Mallard, Northern Shoveler, European Honey Buzzard, Western Marsh Harrier, Montagu’s Harrier, Long-legged Buzzard, Common Kestrel, Eleonora’s Falcon, Peregrine Falcon, Chukar, Black Francolin, Common Moorhen, Eurasian Coot, Black-winged Stilt, Eurasian Stone Curlew, Common Ringed Plover, Kentish Plover, Spur-winged Lapwing, Little Stint, Curlew Sandpiper, Dunlin, Broad-billed Sandpiper, Ruff, Black-tailed Godwit, Common Greenshank, Ruddy Turnstone, Slender-billed Gull, Yellow-legged Gull, Whiskered Tern, White-winged Tern, Common Woodpigeon, Eurasian Collared Dove, Eurasian Scops Owl, Little Owl, Common Swift, Pallid Swift, Alpine Swift, Common Kingfisher, European Bee-eater, European Roller, Eurasian Hoopoe, Crested Lark, Sand Martin, Barn Swallow, Tawny Pipit, Blue-headed, Black-headed and Grey-headed Wagtail, Whinchat, Northern Wheatear, Cyprus Wheatear, Cetti’s Warbler, Zitting Cisticola, Spectacled Warbler, Sardinian Warbler, Cyprus Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat, Common Whitethroat, Willow Warbler, Spotted Flycatcher, Great Tit, Red-backed Shrike, Lesser Grey Shrike, Masked Shrike, Eurasian Magpie, Western Jackdaw, Hooded Crow, House Sparrow, European Greenfinch, European Goldfinch, Common Linnet, Cretzschmar’s Bunting