Here are some photos from my first few weeks in Cyprus, where I'm volunteering as breeding bird field surveyor with BirdLife Cyprus for the next four months. It's been a great start - a lot of new info, sites and stunning birds; my brain is scratching to the sound of sylvias galore, the chatter of house sparrows and swallows is never far away. It took a few days to adjust to the fact that migrants I’d be waiting weeks and months for in England were already here. This weekend, in Pafos Forest, a Nightjar swept up into our headlights from a carpet of pine needles at the side of a road.
The new patch is immense, it's like Cliffe on steroids, it even has flamingos (if you squint)...
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| Akrotiri Salt Lake, Limassol in the background |
My primary focus at the moment is atlas surveys and breeding bird transects (including nocturnal visits) which has taken me to some beautiful locations the length of the island...
And what's it all about...
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| The endemic Cyprus Warbler (Sylvia melanothorax), near Agros - an important breeding species |
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| Masked Shrike, Troodos foothills, 30th March |
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| Black Francolins find a prominent perch to sing from |
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| Greater Sand Plover (male), Lady's Mile, 28th March |
Or possibly what it's really all about -
Cyprus is amazing.
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