Local birding around Paphos
Some quality birds around Paphos. First stop this morning was the sewage works, late spring now so hopes for new birds were not high. Five Cattle Egrets feeding in an alfalfa field made for a good start. Hardly any water left in the area so we were pleasantly surprised to find a single Wood Sandpiper and a Little Stint on the puddles remaining. An area where the waste from the sewage works had been spread, we do get to visit some lovely sites on this trip, held three Spur-winged Plover, stunning as always in their neat black, white and brown plumage. The Aspro Pools were next, where we again had good if brief views of a female Little Bittern and also a Cetti's Warbler. The nearby scrub held a singing male Cyprus Warbler. Moving up to the Aspro Dam, the trees around the amenity area held a singing Eastern Olivaceous Warbler, elusive as usual, and four Turtle Doves. We walked out to the edge of the escarpment and looked down on what should have been the enormous Aspro Reservoir but today it held perhaps less than 20 percent of its total water capacity. This really brought home just what problems Cyprus has with fresh water supply. This problem is only set to get worse with the continued large-scale developments of housing and golf courses across much of the island. Currently fresh water supplies to homes are being turned off periodically in a bid to eke out the meagre supplies, so it comes as a bit of a surprise to see roadside flowerbeds being watered and fountains erupting from roundabouts in an around Paphos, while car parks are sprayed liberally with precious water just to keep down the dust. This rather looks as though the local authorities are turning a blind eye to what is obviously a major problem, which is only set to get worse in the future. We are told that there are plans to ship in water from Spain by tanker - surely this cannot make sense when water is being frittered away on frivolous uses.That said, there were still some good birds to be seen. A singing male Spectacled Warbler showed off just below us on the steep slope of the escarpment, and in the same area a family of Cyprus Pied Wheatears, complete with recently fledged juveniles. A Whiskered Tern swept back and forth over the surface of the reservoir daintily picking up insects from the water.We then checked Anarita Park only to find that the Red-footed Falcons had already moved on but a European Roller was now in residence on the same wires. It was here that we enjoyed amazing views of a pair of Red-rumped Swallows, sitting preening in the glorious sunshine. Singing Cyprus Warbler also showed off well here. Then we headed back to prepare for our trip to Eastern Turkey tomorrow.Bird Species list: still 2197Posted 18th May, Paphos, Cyprus