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Message: <blockquote data-quote="foresttwitcher" data-source="post: 2986598" data-attributes="member: 97625">Friday 2nd MayHaving discovered that I had been going to the wrong hide the last couple of days, an early morning visit to the roadside tower hide at the north east corner of Kalloni Saltpans gave views of the large mixed wader flock, comprising mainly Ruff & Curlew Sandpiper with a few Little Stint on the periphery. I eventually managed to pick out one of the reported Broad-billed Sandpiper. What is it with the height of the viewing slots in this hide!I then went to Madaros, walking from the upper Tsiknias River to the top of the track where it enters woodland & drops down into the next valley, in the hope of finding Partridge. A sheep flock had already passed through so I had no luck with that but the sheep did attract a Tawny Pipit to the track by a small stock enclosure & a sizeable flock of flava Yellow Wagtail were following the sheep around the scrubby hillside. Other species of interest were: Woodchat Shrike; a Common Sandpiper in the river; a pair of Ruddy Shelduck flying around the valley; a Middle Spotted Woodpecker in the orchards; a hunting Short-toed Eagle over the ridge; a heard only Hoopoe; various sized flocks of Bee-eaters overhead; singing Woodlark in the woodland; & a number of Whinchat plus the usual doves, warblers, tits, finches & buntings.Metochi Lake was well worth a visit with Moorhen & Little Grebe on the open water, Black-crowned Night Heron roosting in a tree at the north end & Nightingale singing in the scrub. But the best sighting was a Little Bittern on the edge of the reeds opposite the main viewing area & whilst watching this another bird flew up from behind a nearer patch of reeds & landed near-by resulting in a Little Crake in the same binocular view.A late afternoon spell at the Kalloni / Petra road Raptor Watch Point was a bit quiet with just a Common Buzzard, an unidentified small falcon & Black Stork over.</blockquote>

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