We catch late migrants in Cyprus
Three great new additions to the yearlist. Once again our good friends Owen and Glynis Roberts are kindly putting us up - or is that putting up with us - a their Cyprus home before the four of us head off for Turkey. Early morning saw us on Paphos headland where we searched rather unsuccessfully for migrants, most of these having already passed through, but we did see Woodchat Shrike, and three Spotted Flycatchers. Having added nothing to our yearlist, we moved inland and in the hills outside Paphos we quickly came across a singing male Black-headed Bunting, new for the year. All around us the countryside had changed from our previous visit only some seven weeks ago. Gone were most of the wildflowers and the lush green grass had changed to a parched brown. What a difference a few weeks can make! A roadside stop gave us European Roller, another new bird for the year. On again to Anarita Park, where we immediately found our target bird, an immature male Red-footed Falcon. For some time we watched this gorgeous bird as it hovered and swooped to catch insects, then dexterously passed them from foot to bill as it ate them on the wing. Also another European Roller showed here. A quick look at the area around the red and white mast produced a family party of Spectacled Warblers, two adults and three juveniles, and we then dropped down to the Aspro Pools, not far from Paphos. Alpine Swifts swept overhead, a male Cyprus popped up and sang for us, the pools themselves held a female Little Bittern and a late migrant Sedge Warbler. Our last port of call were the Paphos Sewage Works fields, a fragrant spot! The area seemed almost devoid of birds and thoughts turned homeward when Ruth spotted a single brightly coloured Wagtail moving through the vegetation. Panic to get on to it, but then suddenly it stepped into the open and revealed itself as a stunning adult male Citrine Wagtail. What a great way to finish our day!Bird Species total: 2195, 7pm 16th May, Paphos, Cyprus