Harriers and chiffchaffs around Nata Village

This afternoon we had a final walk with the dog up into the hills around Nata village. Our walk took us through almond and olive groves, and the common birds were serin, linnet, Sardinian warbler and Stonechat.

We came across one small area of almonds which had a small flock of hawfinches, I still can't get over how relatively common they are here. Apparently it's been an exceptional winter for them, not only here but in Greece and probably Turkey as well.

Also "peeping" away in the bushes and scrub, chiffchaffs, which it now appears may well be brevirostris after all, but that's a story for another day. Its a developing stort as they say! They have a sibe chiffchaff like call, but apparently they've never been recorded on  Cyprus before, so what's going on?

Best sight of the day, and perhaps most surprising, four hen harriers flying over the hillside. Two males and two ringtails.

 Almond flower.

 Almonds

Male hen harrier.