The almond walk, Nata Village

This morning we took the dog for a walk around the local area. It's a great time of year to be here, everything is in fruit, with almond, orange, lemon and pomegranate trees all providing us with a top up to our packed lunch! There's also a bush which is clearly related to hawthorn which has yellow fruit the size of a cherry, and feeding on these were at least three hawfinches, the first I have ever seen outside the UK.

We walked a bit further and flushed two eagles, Bonelli's eagles with pale bodies and white backs, and possibly the same birds we saw on Sunday down near Finikas village. Other birds on the walk included several chukar, Sardinian warblers and black redstarts.

Hawfinch.

This is what the hawfinches were feeding on.

 Nata village.

This is Arisarum vulgare which is related to Lords and Ladies. It's only about 5cm high.

Paphos lighthouse and the Tombs of the Kings

At Paphos lighthouse today, five greater sand plovers in with a flock of around 50 golden plover. This is a regular wintering spot for the species. Also today, plenty of black redstarts, stonechats, Sardinian warblers and a possible Caspian gull.

These were my first greater sand plovers. This photo shows at least four birds. After watching them for about 10 minutes, these birds flew around the headland, but a fifth appeared almost immediately.

Paphos lighthouse.

Hooded crow

Wow, what a plant! As good as any sand plover!  Growing at the Tomb of the Kings, I'm pretty sure that this is Cyprus cyclamen, but I need to double check when I get home. Most specimens were long since over, but this one plant was still flowering. Edit: No it's not Cyprus cyclamen, it's actually Persian cyclamen (see Avakas gorge 12/12/14 and Baths of Aphrodite 15/12/14).

As far as I'm concerned, cyclamen are right up there with gentians, crocus and alpines. A class above everything else!

Narcissus obsoletus also growing at the Tombs of the Kings. I'm quite into miniature daffs as well!

Anemone coronaria at the Tombs of the Kings.

One of the tombs.

Paphos.

Walking the dog at the Asprokremmos Dam, Cyprus

I don't have a dog, we're here dog sitting for friends. That's the price of free accommodation and a free car. So today we took the dog for a walk from our house in Nata down to the abandoned village of Finikas on the shore of the Asprokremmos Dam, and on to very nearly the head of the dam itself, a round walk of a good 10 miles.

Most of the best birds were around Finikas, where I found the main target species of the holiday, Finsch's wheatear, a bird which breeds in Turkey and winters in Cyprus. I was pleased to see two spectacular males.

Cyprus pied wheatear breeds here in summer, but most have gone by now. Finsch's wheatear is distinctive because it has a white back, whereas Cyprus pied has a black back. This was a new bird for me.

While we were in the village I noticed two birds of prey flying around the nearby cliffs, and was made up to see that they were Bonelli's eagles, a species which I have seen before but only rarely and never so well.

White body contrasting with a dark looking under wing is a feature of Bonelli's eagle.

The white back is a another feature. Looking at the photographs, I would say that these were juvenile birds.

On the return journey we stopped off at the village again and had more views of the wheatears, but also a bird which at first I thought was a female Finsch's wheatear, but on seeing the photos I now consider to be a juvenile blue rock thrush. I could get used to walking the dog!

Finally, below are a couple of shots of Finikas village.

The first day

The first day on Cyprus, we are staying in the village of Nata near Paphos. During the flight we had spectacular views of the Alps and the Aegean sea, and when we arrived at Paphos airport the temperature was 22'C with bright blue sunshine. Not had time for any serious birding etc. today, but even so I've seen a few Spanish sparrows, black redstarts, a possible short-toed eagle and a Turkish gecko.

The Aegean.

Turkish gecko and a large millipede.

Appleton Reservoir, Warrington

Mandarin 1 m
Teal 3 m & 2ff
Tufted duck 20
Mute swan 2 ads

Rainford Mosslands

Whooper swan 1 adult Dairy Farm Road
Pink-footed goose 5000+ Old Coach Road (to the north of Dairy Farm Road)
Corn bunting 1 Dairy Farm Road
Corn bunting 10 Moss Lane
Raven 2 Moss Lane

Despite the close proximity of Martin Mere, whooper swans are pretty scarce in St Helens.  In January 2006 two adults spent about three weeks in fields alongside Dairy Farm Road. A flock of seven were on Clare's Moss alongside the Old Coach Road on 18th November 2005, and I've had two flyovers at the same location, involving three and two birds in 2004 and 2006. I've seen whoopers three times at Eccleston Mere, all in late November / early December, with the largest flock being nine which landed on the water for 10 minutes on 13th November 2005. The largest flock I know of from St Helens is 33 adults which spent at least seven hours at Prescot reservoirs on 14th March 2002.

Meanwhile, the pink-footed goose flock along the Old Coach Road was a very impressive sight, best viewed from the railway bridge.

Corn bunting Dairy Farm Road

Eccleston Mere

Woodcock 1

Snipe 10

Tufted duck 42

Little grebe 1

Mute swan 1

Great crested grebe 10

Herring gull 5

Black headed gull 100

Grey heron 5

Buzzard 2

Cormorant 3

Please note the new sign at the mere if you're planning on visiting. Many of the "informal" entrances have been blocked.