Cyprus, March 29-April 7, 2011

Part 3: Fassouri Reed-beds and Larnaca Salt-lake
At Fassouri the pools held much water and even some of the surrounding pasture had large puddles as result of an overnight storm. A Cattle Egret, a Little Egret and several Purple Herons were present and a Marsh Harrier displayed over the reed beds.


[Cattle Egret]


[Purple Heron]


[Fassouri]

One bird, which through its lack of fear and mode of flight when finally flushed, was identified as a Great Snipe whilst several other Common Snipe were there also.


[Great Snipe]

On some of the rain-flooded puddles Green and Wood Sandpipers as well as two Ruff were feeding.


[Wood and Green Sandpipers]


[Wood Sandpiper]



[Ruff, etc]

On the shallow salt lake at Larnaca the Flamingos were far out in the centre of the shallow water and so consequently unapproachable for reasonable photography. More accommodating were seven Black-winged Stilts and two Cattle Egrets on the small adjacent lake.


[Flamingos]



[Cattle Egret, both above]


[Black-winged Stilts]

Cyprus, March 29-April 7, 2011

Part 2. Kouklea scrape


[Kentish Plover]

A very small, now almost completly dried-out scrape immediately behind the beach near Kouklea held a very good selection of waders. This area is little more than 30 metres in diameter and held no surface water although its muddy bottom was still moist and had attracted the birds to feed.



[The Kouklea scrape]

Present were four species of Sandpiper (Common, Green, Marsh and Wood), Kentish and Little Ringed Plovers, a Little Stint and two Ruff.


[Common Sandpiper]




[Marsh Sandpiper (above 3), very long-legged and fine-billed]


[Little Stint]


[Wood Sandpiper]


[Wood Sandpiper and Little Stint]


[Little Ringed Plover with a very bright eye-ring]

A nice surprise here was to find a beautiful brightly-plumaged Citrine Wagtail as well. It appeared almost luminous against the grey background of the scrape.


[Citrine Wagtail]