Little did I know, that Friday the 22nd was going to “spectacularly” upstage the previous day and provide much excitement….if only for me!
Entering the site at 8.30am I followed the path North to the “ruin” that held the Wheatears, en route noting a larger flock of Yellow Wagtails than the previous day c30, composed of mostly feldegg and beema types.
Arriving at the ruin, I noted 4 Tawny Pipits, 2-3 Red-throated Pips, 4 Tripits, 2 Whinchat,
4 Northern Wheatear, one Isabelline and the male Hooded still present…it’s 3rd day!
A flyover Curlew and then a Sprawk running the “Hoodie gauntlet” looking somewhat anxious as it beat a hasty retreat!
Another look in the bushes provided a 2nd Woodchat Shrike and what appeared to be the same Eastern Olivaceous, Spotted and Collared Flycatcher hanging out together albeit loosely.
A call from the missus meant that the lunch time break was imminent, as I stumbled purposefully out the exit, I looked behind and vowed….that I would be back!
After lunch and with great difficulty, I made the supreme sacrifice and returned to the “office”😊
On return I altered the circuit route, going anti-clockwise this time, then adding a more Eastern loop, however with nothing out of the norm being seen, I reverted to my regular clockwise route deciding to quit for the day relishing a dip in the “very” cold pool followed by a cuppa!
As I emerged from the avenue of Tamarisks, I looked back down the track towards Paphos Town on the hill, when I noticed what looked like a Parakeet sitting on a completely dead tree (with head turned away).
I mused that I’d travelled all this way, only to find one of those “buggers” that I’m surrounded by back home!
Then it turned it’s head!!! my initial outburst was in the WTF vein, but not just because of it’s veracity….it was because between it and moi was a bush, that once if aligned between us, I could if lucky, get much, much closer…perhaps to within c20m distant.
Making as much “quiet” stumbling as was humanly possible, I arrived at said bush with heart pounding, slowly inching my way round hoping that I’d get a “flight” shot if nothing else.
With baited breath and approximating “subjects” height in said tree, I blindly slid round with camera to eye, then when “we eye-balled” I just hit the button, hoping that I’d get something decent with my “temperamental” camera whose software often “slips” modes during operation.
It’s fair to say, that with my kit behaving itself and taking the distance into account, I have no complaints….also my 2nd Paphos tick!
