[eagle golden]

We arrived onto Cyprus, landing at Pafhos just before dark on the 5th October picked the car up and drove to our Villa in Pissouri bay, it was very nice, and in a quite spot.
The next day we just relaxed and got our bearings, After that, we arranged to meet up with members of bird life Cyprus, the first trip was to Lady mile beach, then onto akrotiri salt lake, then P
phasouri reed beds, where we saw our first Blue throat, greater reed warbler, and red backed shrike, same visit we had kingfisher, and one my wife Helen saw was a spotted crake. We called at a local terverna for lunch, I got a real shock as we walked out onto the balcony, as the owner was walking out with a Pelican walking in front of him he was putting it into its cage, wow what a bird. On the way home we saw three red-footed falcons on the wire, hunting in the vine fields.
Over the whole two weeks, most days we paid a visit to a place called Kensington Cliffs which is next to the army barracks at Episkopi, to watch the Eleonora falcons, peregrines, kestrels, and in hope of seeing the few Griffon Vultures that live there, we must have over the past four years made dozens of visits , but never seen them, until the penultimate day when we made our final visit, Helen shouted look over the cliffs, sure enough not one but five griffons circling over the cliffs heading for the barracks, I managed a few shots which I will post.
One of our favourite spots is the Akamas peninsular, up towards Aphrodite’s pool and Latsi, not far of Polis we pulled in to a lay by there up the side of the hill a pair of long legged buzzards, what a sight, up above Aphrodite’s pool we had the usual, Cyprus Wheatears, willow warblers, and chukers.
The final day with Bob from bird life Cyprus was spent down at Mandria, Helen had the morning with Bobs wife Linda, while we had a look for Stone curlew, we found some in a ploughed field a long way off, but a better view than we had in Norfolk, then to a fish & chip lunch, washed down with a Keo, beer.
We had several visits to the Aspro dam near Paphos, the pool below the dam can hold almost any thing from crake to warblers, in the air above dam you get red footed falcon, harriers, peregrine, kestrel in the bushes at the edge of dam you can get hoopoe, bee eaters, collared fly catchers, francolins, chukers. We had two days of storms, but mostly it was a pleasant 28 o c .
We had some news while we were there, that the police, along with protectionists, and the army, had made a raid into the hills and confiscated miles of mists nets, and released loads of trapped birds, if you have not yet signed the petition please do so.
We had news the second week that we had Zara Phillips staying in the local hotel, with her husband, don’t know if the rugby team was with him or not, if you ever plan to go to Cyprus please get in touch with Bird life Cyprus, and get details from them, they may also have some outings planned, and if you ever come across mist nets or lime sticks, please take some pictures, but don’t remove, but ring the police or bird life Cyprus in Nicosia, I hope this report is ok as I have never done one before.

Birds seen from the 5th to 19th October 2011

Hooded crow Long legged Buzzard Little grebe Stone curlew
Sparrow house Goshawk Sand martin Goldfinch
Jackdaw House martin Swallow Yellow legged gull
Pigeon wood Sardinian warbler Curlew sandpiper 63 plus 1 not yet id
Dove collard Peregrine Honey buzzard
Dove turtle Flamingo Spoonbill
Chucker Red footed falcon Hobby
Francolin Fan tailed warbler European wheatear
Blue throat Golden oriole Cyprus warbler
Greater reed warbler Cyprus wheatear Magpie
Masked shrike Yellow wagtail Grey wagtail
Eleonora Falcon White wagtail Griffon vulture
Kestrel Sparrow hawk Black kite
Kingfisher Great tit Bonelies eagle
Kentish plover Cettis warbler Dunlin
Knot Spotted crake Sanderling
Little stint Sedge warbler Coot
Buzzard Common snipe Water hen
Marsh harrier Garganey Crested lark
Shoveller Roller Merlin

[eagle golden]

I hope you will all sign the petition re-stopping the trapping in Cyprus. MC

[eagle golden]

The bird has been identified, as a blue rock thrush, a new one for us. MC

[eagle golden]

There is a brand new DVD out on the birds of cyprus narated by martin the campaign manager birdlife cyprus available from thier office in nicocia, we watched it last night, it is brilliant, and very well made, showing all the main areas in cyprus and the birds to be seen, including the main turtle places. mc