Another Trip to Cyprus.

Landing on the 5th of April at Pathos airport Geoff, Steve and myself look out on a familiar scene Geoff has been here over 20 times, this will be Steve’s 9th and my 6th trip. At this moment we are full of expectation how many birds what species and how many ticks will we get. What we do know is every site and every net round could produce a star bird. It is this that keeps us returning year after year.

First morning the 6th we go to Ayios Menas our local site 11 nets only produces 20 birds nothing outstanding just a couple of Bonelli’s Warblers, 4 Sardinians Warblers, a Northern Wheatear, a Cyprus Wheatear, a Nightingale and the best of the morning 2 Orphean Warblers. A poor morning hope it improves.

The 7th we spent at Polis reed bed the stream has dried up through lack of rain we put up 12 nets and wait to see what will happen. The mornings catch is 50 birds but nothing spectacular 6 Sardinian Warblers, a Nightingale, 14 Cetti’s Warblers, a zitting Cisticola, and 7 Savi’s Warblers the best but numbers a little better.

The 8th is along drive to Achelia this is where a stream runs into the sea but again we have no running water just a few very small standing water pools with reeds. Only room for a few nets and only a few birds caught about 25 in all but as I said anything can happen here and I get 2 ticks a Subalpine Warbler and a Penduline Tit I am all smiles. Other birds include a nightingale, 7 Cetti’s Warblers and another Savi’s Warbler. On our drive back we check another site Evretou Dam here we ring a stream that runs in to the dam our first sight of running water but we don’t see many birds but decide to try next morning.

On the 9TH We arrive at Evretou early and put up 10 nets in the reeds and scrub we catch 50 birds nothing too exciting a snipe and 2 Olivatious Warblers the pick of the bunch but while we are there Geoff spots a Bailon’s Crake and hears at least 2 Little Crakes we try our best to catch them but to no avail.

The 10th finds us back at Ayios Menas hoping things have improved we start with a couple of Scopes Owls but little else of note till Geoff returns from the nets with a Greater spotted Cuckoo a tick for Steve now guess who is smiling, we later catch 2 Pied Flycatchers and a Wryneck are things moving in but we only catch 20 birds.

We try Polis again on the 11th we catch 50 birds similar to our first visit except for 3 Great Reed Warblers a little disappointing as in the past this has been one of our best sight for producing the unexpected.

The 12th off to Evretou hoping to catch a crake the morning produces over 40 birds with some interesting species a Jack Snipe the first seen on Cyprus this year and may well be the only one 3 more Great Reed Warblers and a Corn Bunting however the best of the day is a Red Rumped Swallow the first Geoff has caught on Cyprus and another tick for Steve.

On the 13th we try a different site at Ayios Menas up to this point we have only ringed 21 Blackcaps a bird we normally would expect to ring at least 100 while we are there. Different theories are proposed for the lack of numbers on the Island lack of food due to lack of vegetation no water to be reflected by the moon to attract as the birds fly over causing the birds to carry on their migration. We nearly double our catch of Blackcaps with 19, which helps us to our biggest total at Ayios Menas 43 with another Scop’s Owl and an interesting retrapped Olivatious Warbler.

We finish early so we can go bird watching Phassouri Reed beds a one and half to two hour drive to near Limmassol. Near the docks at Limmassol on a small pool we see a Pied Kingfisher perch on the wires Squacco Herons, Black Winged Stilts, Glossy Ibis a little further, on the saltpans are Kentish Plover Chicks but we have left the rings back at the villa. A nice lunch then on to the reed beds Marsh Harriers flying around a Little Crake only yards away Cattle Egrets among the cattle,marsh and wood sandpipers side by side 7 glossy Ibis, Spur Winged Plover Ferruginous Ducks Pintail Gadwall and more. One of my best days bird watching.

The 14th we head off again to Evretou to try for the elusive crakes on the way we pick up a Geordie who now lives in Dorset name of Shawn. The morning proves to be very interesting Shawn gets several ticks including Great Reed Warbler, Sardinian Warbler, Savi’s Warbler, Spanish Sparrow and stunning Cyprus Warbler. A Squacco Heron lands between the nets and Steve tries to flush it into the net wading knee deep up the stream only to see it fly inches over the net. We had not seen or heard the crakes all morning but while flushing the heron Steve spots 2 crakes the next net round he sees another near a net this raises our hopes but we fail to catch them. Just before we drop the nets Geoff extracts a superb Black Headed Bunting another tick for me my third of the week. While here this morning we see glossy Ibis, Roller, Green Sandpiper and a Marsh Harrier. As we leave I ask Shawn if he will be out again don’t think so I don’t think my partner will approve, we don’t realize how lucky we are to have such long-suffering understandings wives. Many thanks to Jill, Carol and Pam.

Our last day the 15th up again same time as every morning 4.45 off to Ayios Menas we put up 2 nets for Scop’s Owls and then another 2 but the wind picks up quickly and we decide to take down. We have caught an owl and as Geoff approaches a net he spots a Quail in but it escapes before he gets to it that would have been my fourth tick but that’s how it goes.

Climbing the steps of the plane which will take us home I think back over the last 10 days 300 birds ringed 75 retraps, 38 species, 3 ticks for me, 2 ticks for Steve,Geoff sees new birds for his Cyprus list. Plenty of good food and drink in the tavernas in the evening. A barbecue on the patio of the villa, Steve and Pam swimming in the pool. We may not have had the numbers but plenty of species and some new birds, time to leave but never mind only 50 weeks and we will be here again.

By Phil. Lawson.