Tuesday, April 30, 2019

Monday, 29th April...........an affinity with Swifts !

Out early to Lady's Mile where I found precious little until coming across  a Red-footed Falcon at the very end of the track !   On to Agios Georgios where I thought it would be worthwhile to get there relatively early and see what might have arrived overnight.  I ought to have reckoned there would be a church service given it was Easter Monday here and whilst things were relatively cool........120 cars worth in fact and two cold drinks stalls.   I didn't see anything !

On to the Akritiri reserve where I met with Viktor , who was operating his ringing site. Views from the Tower Hide included Squacco Heron and Ferruginous Duck and one each of Woodchat, Red-backed and Lesser Grey Shrike.  Things were improving  !  Viktor came up for a chat in between ringing rounds and we discussed recent sightings , including the large numbers of Swifts and hirundines over the reedbed the day previously ( 28th ). At that point a LITTLE SWIFT whizzed around the hide along with a few Swallow, odd Sand Martins and Common Swift and , at one point , was within touching distance. Tremendous ! It was about for less than a couple of minutes , but produced excellent views !

Later, I went down to Rabbit Farm pools where the water is rapidly disappearing since the temperatures zoomed. It was 27C down there and bird song, even of Cetti's Warblers , was beginning to wane. Wader numbers are going down by the day and nothing new had arrived. Two of the three Black tailed Godwits were still there whilst a Great Reed Warbler sang intermittently nearby.  I went down to Kourian Bay as I still favour the place as a visible migration spot. Over three quarters of an hour two flocks of 30 +  Glossy Ibis went east , but nothing else. Mid afternoon, and cutting back over the Akritiri wasteland area , a few Whinchat were in evidence, a female Black eared Wheatear ( pale throated form )and a couple of Hoopoe, but , otherwise, all was still and ferociously hot !  A check on various areas on the way back to the hotel produced nothing.  And that was it, a slow day but with a very good Cyprus record nonetheless.

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