21 May 2024 - Latchi, Cyprus

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Black Francolins, Bee-eaters, Rollers, Crested Lark, Sardinian Warbler, Little Owl

This morning I decided to go to Polis Reedbeds. En route I saw a distant small heron against the light; I thought it was Night Heron but couldn't be sure - it was just a silhouette. Quite a few Bee-eaters were about, perching on the wires and flying over on the road down to Latchi, and at least one Roller was present in the bottom field.

Initially the reedbeds at Polis seemed fairly quiet; just a few Sardinian and Cetti's Warblers singing, and a Black Whipsnake which slithered across the road in front of the car. As I drove around however I became increasingly aware of a Black Francolin singing, and at one point stopped where one was obviously just a few yards away but deep in cover. I got out of the car and got within a few feet of it (though I couldn't see it) and then it suddenly flew off in a flurry of wings.

A little further on I heard another, and after a while I drove out onto the main road and looked back to where it had been singing from, and it was stood there on a small mound, singing away. At first it was in shade but gradually it came out into the sun and gave excellent views for several minutes, singing away. I managed some decent footage, although the heat haze was playing havoc with the autofocus, but this is the first time I'd had chance to really look at one for any length of time. All my previous views had been very brief or in flight.

I then drove up the hill behind the reedbeds, where I encountered three Rollers at various points on the climb, and in one spot a ploughed field held a couple of Crested Larks. At the top I saw what I'm fairly sure was a pair of Lesser Kestrels, but I was looking into the sun, and as soon as I got my bins on them they moved away.

Back at the villa, a Sardinian warbler sang from one of the bushes in the garden, and after a lunchtime trip to Molos Restaurant for Gyros, we decided to stay in for the evening and on the way back from the supermarket, managed to get some pics of the Little Owl, as well as a young bird later on in the headlights.