Bird watching in Cyprus – what a magnificent lark
THE Turkish soldier was with us before we’d even noticed the manned mini-watchtower on top of the hill opposite, and he gave us a bit of fright, to be honest.
There was what seemed to be a heated debate between him and our guide, during which our mega-zoom-lensed cameras, binoculars, top-notch telescopes and giant tripods were perused and pointed at.
But then, with a jaunty wave, he was gone, back to his post. No drama at all, as it turned out. Everyone shouts here; we were just requested to aim our cameras away from the military installations, thank you so much.
You’re never far away from a military presence in North Cyprus, aka occupied Cypriot territory since the invasion by Turkish troops way back in 1974.
Life may be a little easier for visiting tourists – you can now fly into the Greek Cypriot south from the UK and have a Turkish Cypriot taxi waiting to take you north, instead of having to change cars at the border.
North Cyprus is certainly looking a lot different from when I last visited around nine years ago. There are more showy mansions, blingy shops, and brand-new mosques. You’ll still find the region quieter, less touristy, and a lot cheaper than the south, especially if you fancy a spot of birdwatching. Hence all the gear.
North Cyprus is already wellknown as a good spot for turtle watching, but it’s also finding more favour among birders.
Wildlife expert Robin Snape, who has an environmental biology masters degree from Swansea University, knows the region’s flora and fauna exceptionally well, and takes visitors on birdwatching tours.
So we collected aforementioned kit and headed for the hills for the day.
Due to its geographical location, Cyprus is an important stopover for millions of migratory birds, as well as being home to some interesting endemic species. My hope-to-see list included the Cyprus wheatear, Cyprus warbler and, with a bit of luck, a Bonelli’s eagle. Up in the Kyrenia Mountains, just off the road, the trees were twitching with dozens of birds and I tried in vain to get my inadequate binoculars to focus on even one. That’s when the mega-telescopes earned their keep, allowing a closer look at a delightful little black and white Cyprus wheatear.
Before we left the Buffavento region, we’d ticked off Cyprus warbler, masked shrike, kestrel, and many others. I could barely keep up with the sightings as we visited different spots: calandra lark, stone-curlew, hoopoe, glossy ibis, garganey, plovers of assorted varieties, ditto egrets, sandpipers and herons, even stunning flamingos. Then, somewhat unexpectedly, a Bonelli’s eagle took off and treated us to a fly-past.
We’d seen 61 different species of birds in a day, and not had to share the experience with any other tourists.
More British holidaymakers are discovering the highlights of North Cyprus. The Kyrenia area has a handful of boutique hotels. But if it’s a family holiday, your best choice is the Acapulco Resort, which has a huge pool and aqua park.