A morning out with Rob and Payel started at the hide overlooking Zakaki Marsh. We had excellent views of Bluethroat and Moustached Warbler which kept us entertained for a long time. Only I caught a brief glimpse of a Spotted Crake but we all saw two Water Rail run in front of the hide. We also saw Water and Meadow Pipit, Common Reed Bunting, Western Black Redstart, Common Starling, Northern Pintail, Common Moorhen, Eurasian Coot and Eurasian Teal. The short drive from there to Lady’s Mile gave us the chance to look closely at a Zitting Cisticola and of course several Common Stonechat. Common Linnet, White Wagtail and a Common Kingfisher were also in the area.

Five Kentish Plover flew over us and a lone Dunlin fed on the marshy area of Lady’s Mile. We spent some time looking at the gulls on the water and picked out an adult Caspian and an adult Armenian Gull in with the many Common Black-headed Gull. We headed into the area behind Lady’s Mile hoping to find the ‘Steppe’ Grey Shrike that had been there recently. We quickly found a shrike – but not the right one! A late migrating juvenile Red-backed Shrike was sitting on the bushes recently occupied by the Cyprus rarity which was nowhere to be seen.

Nothing of interest was to be seen at Phasouri Reed-beds so we headed inland to Germasogeia Dam. Our main target there was the endemic Cyprus Warbler. We soon heard Chukar on the hillsides and in the trees and bushes found European Serin, Eurasian Blackcap, Corn Bunting and Spanish Sparrow. We heard European Robin and saw several Zitting Cisticola but although we could hear the scolding of a Cyprus Warbler we had to wait a while for one to appear. Finally, we saw one and it sang briefly in front of us. Another was also in the area but not seen well. There was only a little water in the dam and the only wetland species we saw were Great Cormorant.

A good morning out with the highlight the showing Bluethroat at the hide.

Total species seen: 45

Great Cormorant, Eurasian Teal, Mallard, Northern Pintail, Common Kestrel, Chukar, Water Rail, Spotted Crake, Common Moorhen, Eurasian Coot, Kentish Plover, Dunlin, Common Black-headed Gull, Caspian Gull, Armenian Gull, Common Woodpigeon, Eurasian Collared Dove, Common Kingfisher, Crested Lark, Meadow Pipit, Water Pipit, White Wagtail, European Robin, Bluethroat, Western Black Redstart, Common Stonechat, Cetti’s Warbler, Zitting Cisticola, Moustached Warbler, Sardinian Warbler, Cyprus Warbler, Eurasian Blackcap, Great Tit, Red-backed Shrike, Western Jackdaw, Hooded Crow, Common Starling, House Sparrow, Spanish Sparrow, Common Chaffinch, European Serin, European Goldfinch, Common Linnet, Common Reed Bunting, Corn Bunting