CYPRUS - FINSCH'S WHEATEAR SPECIAL

Day 1    ARRIVAL IN PAPHOS
Arrival in the evening and you will be met and transferred to our villa, some 40 minutes drive away where you will be greeted with a cold beer or cool glass of wine or three! The weather at this time of year should be nice and warm, making for a very pleasant time!

Days 2 - 4    PAPHOS - AKROTIRI SALT LAKE - TROODOS MOUNTAINS
Waking up abroad on the first morning is always one of the most exciting aspects of any birding trip, so we'll head to a nearby reservoir just a few minutes away and follow a dirt track for maybe a kilometre. This walk will give us a good introduction into the bird life of Cyprus and the eastern Mediterranean and we could see Chukar, Long-legged Buzzard, Crested Lark, Sardinian Warbler, Hooded Crow, Spanish Sparrow and Corn Bunting amongst others. Leaving here we will drive to the south-west corner of the island and the first of our 'hotspots' where Finsch's Wheatear spends the winter. They can be elusive however there are a number of traditional sites to search and we expect to get very good views of this fabulous species.

Probably the next major spot we will explore will be the Troodos Mountains to find a few endemic subspecies (for insurance purposes) - Short-toed Teecreeper, Coal Tit, Eurasian Jay and Common Crossbill. And whilst up in the hills we could also see Bonelli's Eagle, Northern Goshawk  and Blue Rock Thrush.

For the remainder of our time we will explore a number of reservoirs and the wetlands of Akrotiri and thoroughly explore the area. There's a high chance we will find something unusual, but initially we could well focus our attentions on the reedbeds and small pools in the hopes of finding an overwintering Moustached Warbler. Other possibilities during our time on this amazing island include Chukar, Black Francolin, Greater Sandplover, Spur-winged Lapwing, Bonelli's Eagle, Long-legged Buzzard, flocks of Red-throated Pipits, 

There's a surprising lot to see and do during our time on the island but we aim to keep it very relaxed and above all safe. There will be daily house cleaning, daily car valeting and we will do everything possible to make this as enjoyable and as safe as possible.

Day 5    CYPRUS - END OF TOUR
A full morning's birding will allow us to attempt to catch up with any species we still need, followed by lunch back at the villa. We will take you to the airport in the late afternoon for your flight back to the UK.