A non birding break to Cyprus did produce a few moments of sheer birding pleasure non the less.Even though the main migration takes place a couple of months earlier there are always a few stragglers going through and some species migrate later anyway. A massive influx of Bee eaters for example, could not be ignored, the air was full of their calls throughout the latter part of our stay in Paphos. I tried to ignore the birds swooping down from wires, dead branches etc but the temptation was too great. Some birds have to be photographed.
Bee eaters
The non birding holiday had other high points. A storm lasting 3 hours put pay to other non birding holiday activities, well most of them, so it seemed sensible to sit in the car on an exposed south facing beach and watch the lightning bolts. The weather certainly brought in the birds and a walk along the beach as the rains eased produced an Icterine warbler, 2 Collared Pratincole, Tawny pipit and fly by Common tern, with flocks of Purple Heron and Little Egret all in the space of 1/2 an hour or so.
Icterine warbler, Mandria beach
Icterine warbler
Little Egrets
Purple Heron against the Storm clouds
Collared Pratincole, Mandria beach
A Common tern battles against the storm.
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