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Cypriot Delights: Part I

10,000 Birds

Tucked away at the extreme eastern end of the Mediterranean, Cyprus is regarded politically as part of Europe, but when it comes to birds it’s very much Middle Eastern in flavour, with a number of species that are hard or even impossible to find in Europe, plus a trio of endemics. It was strange to hear it here in Cyprus.

Cyprus 225
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Common Ringed Plover

10,000 Birds

Very occasionally though, one might stray down the eastern seaboard of the USA, but for the most part, those that breed in arctic Canada migrate towards Europe and swell numbers there during the winter. In this part (sorry Corey) all those tundran breeders seem to have followed the path most flown.

Iceland 223
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Andalucia’s City-Slicker Falcons

10,000 Birds

If you see a flock of kestrels in southern Europe, then the chances are that they will be Lessers, for the Common Kestrel never flocks, though occasionally in summer you will see a family hunting together. On their breeding grounds in Spain, Lesser Kestrels are very much city birds, for 95% of the population nests in towns.

Falcons 205
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Rosefinches, Griffons and Woodcocks

10,000 Birds

This is my first visit to this area, known as the Madz Brod, where two new breeding species for the country were discovered a decade ago. They are common winter visitors, but this is my first observation of them in the breeding season. But I cannot notice the breeder #2! Madz Brod by Slobodan Puzovic. We wait again.

Europe 249
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Prespa Lakes National Park, Greece: the largest Dalmatian Pelican colony in the world

10,000 Birds

Add more than 350 pairs of White Pelicans to that picture, numerous herons and up to 700 pairs of Pygmy Cormorants breeding in the same reedbeds (cover photo)… It must be bursting with activity in spring, but I was there in mid-September. Have you heard of it? Can you pinpoint it on a map? and dual digits.

Greece 252
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The true “Mediterranean” Gull

10,000 Birds

Quite recently, it has started to expand inland, along the river Rhone and to the South of Germany, where it is now an uncommon but conspicious breeder. I’ll start with the Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis. So there you have it: conservative taxonomy leads to unfortunate common names.

Europe 127
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Birding Deliblato Sands: What I have seen and what I haven’t

10,000 Birds

The only unstreaked pipit around here and a characteristic breeder of sand dunes is the Tawny Pipit and this one shows well, holding to the grass edge. They do not build nests, but occupy old nests of Rooks and breed colonially among them. They are rare breeders here, but at least, this species’ numbers are on the increase.

Serbia 128