I arrived in Cyprus this year in early March; the idea being
that I’ll have time to collect the newly shipped nest boxes from Limassol Port
and install them before the first rollers arrive back on territory at the end
of the month. Thus ensued a Whacky Races-style drive around Limassol docks as I
tried to locate the warehouse holding the new arrivals (including a sudden veer
off the road when I spotted a pied kingfisher (a Cyprus rarity) sat on wires
alongside the port road!) It soon transpired that it isn’t actually possible to
fit 18 large wooden boxes inside a small hire car in one go either, so I racked
up the mileage over a few days as I ferried them back piecemeal to the Paphos
study area.
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Pied kingfisher - No. 1 cause of road
accidents in Cyprus |
It’s probably about time that I also disclose that I have a
new love in my life… My newly purchased inflatable roof-rack! No longer do I
have to lash my Nemesis (AKA the ladder) onto the hire car roof with random pieces
of rope and dog blankets, nor risk destroying the paintwork with it. It’s definitely
increased my fieldwork efficiency twofold, and exponentially decreased the
number of ladder-induced bruises across my body.
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My trusty steed for the field season,
surmounted by the inflatable Better Half |
I’ve been installing the 22 new boxes, and redeploying the
18 from last year, for much of the month. I decided that the older nest boxes
had originally been deployed at too high a density to make them useful in
providing spatially independent data points (should the rollers choose to use
them). This has meant removing them from their original positions and
installing them, alongside the new ones, across the study area at approximately
1km intervals. Some of the older boxes are already in a slightly parlous state.
Upon removing an unexpectedly heavy one from an almond tree at Androlikou, it
became clear that the local rodent population had taken a particular liking to
it and had filled it to the brim with almond shells!
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| Nuts |
Another unexpected problem arose when the clutch on hire car
decided to snap in half underfoot whilst I was carrying out a three point turn
in the middle of a rural junction. I think that the hire car reps who finally
delivered a replacement car were somewhat bemused by the presence of a large
folding ladder and 10 large nest boxes on the side of the road…
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| Fail... |
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| Even more fail... |
Despite the various ups and downs, I have managed to get all
40 nest boxes up and in place before the rollers arrive back on territory.
Fingers crossed that they like the look of them! Migration is already in full
swing here; I’ve provided a few record shots of some nice bits and bobs that I’ve
seen over the last few weeks.
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| The finished article |
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| Ruppell's warbler |
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Levant (aucheri) grey shrike: a handful of
previous Cypriot records |
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| Female desert wheatear |
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| Red-throated pipits |
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