Cyprus

Crested Lark, Paphos headland

Last month Jane and I went to Paphos, Cyprus for a week. We were supposed to be going to Porto Santo again, but the flights got changed several times and in the end it wasn’t practical to go. We settled on Cyprus as it’s currently very reasonably priced and it’s good for birding with a number of desirable breeding species and plenty of migrants.

We had a lovely week. We stayed at the Louise Phaethon Hotel, which is basically the last of a long line of seafront hotels stretching from Paphos harbour to the edge of town. Jane has stayed there before with Bryony, I liked the place a lot. I hired a car for a couple of days so as to be able to visit Akotiri area. We also went on a TUI trip to the Turkish occupied north of the island, which is recommended.

In terms of birding I’m a bit conflicted. I obviously saw a lot more than I would have done on Porto Santo. By and definition I saw some really nice birds including a number of lifers and plenty of migrants. But it’s hard to convey just how many birders were present on the island. At times it felt like most Briths birders were visiting, that’s clearly an exaggeration but that’s how if felt. I like to find my own bird but it was difficult with so much coverage, a bit like being on Fair Isle in late September or early October.

If you stay in Paphos the headland is the obvious place to focus your birding efforts. It’s also a world heritage sight, and features some excellent mosaics that have been excavated and are showcased from an elevated viewing facility.

A few bird pictures from the week follow below. Better pictures are available from people who in most cases generally saw more birds, but if you are heading that way and want some help on where to go just drop me a line.