Pafos area, Cyprus - 11th April 2019

First day out for our Spring visit. As usual, the need to check usual ringing sites is paramount added to a little birding. the big news today is that Kouklia, a site that we've ringed for 10 years has been washed away! Not just part of the track, but the whole area has been swamped and everything between the river and track has been swept to the sea.

The river bed is four times the width that it was.

The track in has been totally obliterated

So much vegetation (and so many rocks scoured away)

We managed to access the stream (as we used to call it) by cutting across via a farm track, only realising just how much ground had been lost when we noticed we were on the wrong side of the telegraph wires. We may try closer to the sea but most of the larger shrubs and reedbed are now gone. It doesn't look promising.

The one remaining ride (furthest from the river) is now too difficult to use as there 

are no paths or tracks to the closest point where we can bring the car.

Birds present at Kouklia included Stone Curlew, Wheatear, Whinchat, Buzzard, Hoopoe, Red-rumped Swallow. Woodchat Shrike, Little-ringed Plover and Green Sandpiper.

In other news, the desalination plant area is completely flooded. This will be good when the water recedes. We'll take another look in a week or so but that probably won't be enough for it to become usable.

Another flooded site. We usually park near the first telegraph pole.

So, our two closest sites are not usable and plans for ringing are somewhat stalled.

We did get out for some birding done in the morning and observations were as follows:

Pafos Headland had some Red-throated Pipits, Black-eared Wheatear, Whinchats, wagtails and a Starling among the ruins. Highlights were two female Ruppell's Warblers and Pied Flycatcher.

Anarita Park (tracks badly affected with one landslip blocking half width of one track), Cuckoo (2), Great-spotted Cuckoo, Ortolan Bunting (2), Wryneck, Tawny Pipit (5), Spectacled Warbler, Redstart, Lesser Kestrel (4), Long-legged Buzzard and Red-rumped Swallow.

Ayia Varvara (river running outside of usual confinements, some tank edges washed out). Observations included Little Crake 3 males and 4 females, Common Sandpiper (2), Green Sandpiper (2), Eastern Olivaceous Warbler, Snipe, Wood Sandpiper and Black-headed Gull

Timi Picnic site and forest (completely flooded). Difficult to work the site as tracks look more like canals in places and areas are inaccessible. Large numbers of Glossy Ibis (42), Little Egret (22), Purple Heron (17) also Moorhen (8), Little Crake female, Black-winged Stilt (3), Cattle Egret (2), Wood Sandpiper (8), Tree Pipit, Squacco Heron, Little Ringed Plover (4), Spur-winged Plover and a Collared Flycatcher.

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Male Collared Flycatcher - Timi