18th January
This was not a good time to have chosen to visit Cyprus. We have a forecast with heavy rain on some of the forthcoming days, with extremely strong winds too.
We limited our time out on day 1 as there were intermittent heavy showers.
20th January
The following day was less windy and we travelled over to Ayios Minas to try a ringing session. The catch rate was low and we failed to reach 20 birds. The best bird was a Siberian Chiffchaff - very pale underparts and grey on the mantle with some olive in the flight feathers with splash of yellow from the axillaries.
The sun was sinking as we drew closer to Paphos along the Polis road. While I photographed the impending sunset, Chris punctured a tyre on the layby gravel.
This was not a good time to have chosen to visit Cyprus. We have a forecast with heavy rain on some of the forthcoming days, with extremely strong winds too.
We limited our time out on day 1 as there were intermittent heavy showers.
This squall can be seen tracking towards the coast. When it finally arrived there was also hail.
Nothing to be found on the sea, only 40 or so Yellow-legged Herring Gulls moving east.
19th January
There was a dreadful storm overnight, a lot more rain, strong winds and some areas lost power although in that respect we were fortunate and we didn't lose our heating and lighting.
We planned to do a general runaround of the local spots to check out what's changed and remained the same.
A check of the sea by the fish ponds produced no Slavonian Grebe,
only white horses racing towards the beach.
A beached Sea Urchin paid testament to the strength of last night's waves.
It was rescued and duly returned to the sea.
Kouklia with flowing water. We've not seen it flike this or ages
and the water won't be there for long.
Moving on to Mandria we found a few birds. The first was a Hen Harrier quartering the fields.
Hen Harrier
Juvenile Peregrine Falcon, race Calidus
Stonechats took refuge, among the citrus trees, avoiding the worst of the wind.
The fields held large numbers of Skylarks.
Bonelli's Eagle
Chiffchaffs were abundant around the sewage works,
feasting on small flies.
Hooded Crow
We started to work Anarita park but had to return to the apartment for a meeting - but not before finding the Finsch's Wheatear.
Finsch's Wheatear.
The following day was less windy and we travelled over to Ayios Minas to try a ringing session. The catch rate was low and we failed to reach 20 birds. The best bird was a Siberian Chiffchaff - very pale underparts and grey on the mantle with some olive in the flight feathers with splash of yellow from the axillaries.
Chiffchaff showing characteristics for Siberian, on DNA shown to be collybita
Other species caught were limited to Blackcap, Cetti's Warbler, Sardinian Warbler, Greenfinch and Robin.
Robin
Total: 16 (1)
Robin - 5
Cetti's Warbler - 1
Sardinian Warbler - 1 (1)
Blackcap - 4
Chiffchaff - 2
Greenfinch - 3
We took a drive up to a rather quiet Smigies Picnic site, then took a brief walk around the camp site at the Baths of Aphrodite. The coastal views were as beautiful as ever.
There seemed to be more caravens than we remembered, many looking the worse for wear and well past the days of hitting the road. The make shift fences were also recent, well, built at some stage since we last visited in 2009 at any rate! We saw a few birds including Black Redstart.
Baths of Aphrodite camp site
A call into Evretou Dam found the water level quite high. Ten Coots were grouped together, feeding around the margins. There were also White Wagtail and two Water Pipits here, along with over 40 Magpie. From the weedy vegetation we flushed Meadow Pipit, Stonechat and a few Corn Bunting.
Corn Bunting
Reaching the town just after 5pm we were unable to find a tyre shop still open on this Saturday evening. Eager not to miss one of the few ringing days this stay in Cyprus, Chris switched the tyre for the space saver and resigned to try to replace the punctured tyre on Sunday afternoon - or more likely Monday morning (when it should be blowing a hoolie in any case).