This is the first post of 2026 and the shortest one ever. Our celebratory new year breakfast, pancakes and thin sliced streaky bacon
It has been 3 years and 210 days since we began our Migration
Wednesday, January 7, 2026
31 Dec 2025 Paphos: Adios 2025!
New Year's Eve is a thing here as I imagine it is in many parts of the world. Since Cyprus has been a drought, there were no municipal fireworks shows, but that did not stop all the neighborhood shows.
From our balcony we could see a dozen or so hot spots for mini firework shows. We had not intended to stay up to midnight but one movie led to another and we started preparing for bed later than usual. While performing our bedtime routines, we heard the fireworks outside. We went out to the balcony and saw that there was to see. After a quick whoot hoot, we hustled to be back into the warmth. Leslie was busy putting her good foot forward and stubbed her toe on the lip of the sliding glass doors, ouch.
We thought that a head of cabbage would be a good start to the new year but his one would have lasted the entire year!
This thick Cypriot bacon was not going to work
Se we diced it up and cooked it for breakfast, the countdown is 14 hours
Happy hour goodies
Some Dumplings, countdown 6 hours
Count down to 2026 finished!
Sunday, January 4, 2026
30 December 2025 Paphos: Another Try at the Rare Bird
While Leslie stayed home and danced her Zumba playlist I walked down to the Paphos headlands and looked for the very elusive Desert Finch. I saw on the whattsapp group that it was sighted just a half hour before, so I got on my shoes and started walking. Of course I got three blocks away and realized I had the car keys in my pocket. That would make it problematic for Leslie to drive down to pick me up. Off I went and when I got to the coastal walkway the sun is shining and there was almost no wind. I walked along the path for a couple of hours and talked to a birder or two about the rare bird. Leslie came to pick me up and we headed to the store on the way home. It was quite busy with folks stocking up for their New Years Eve celebrations.
Cats eating potatoes! What is this world coming to?
At least the flowers are still blooming
The goats are the greatest of all time
Cormorants
Crows
It was quicker to walk to the lighthouse than it was to walk to the entrance of the archeological site
Sparrows
Seagrass
Smelly seagrass
A big rope
The golden plovers
The light is really showing off the plumage
They are joined by a little egret
Looking for a late lunch
Getting into the photo
Greenfinch
Crested lark
Sardinian warbler
Black Redstart
Chiffchaff
White wagtail
No new birds for my list but great fun and 11,500 steps to boot
The sun is setting
A great sunset
Suddenly a flock of birds fly by
Seagulls
That is a wrap for the day
Wednesday, December 31, 2025
28 Decembner 2025 Paphos: A Rare Bird is Sighted
There ia a whattsapp group, Cyprus Bird Sightings, that I follow and they reported a Desert Finch seen in Cyprus only three other times. This bird was seen in Paphos so it was worth giving it a look. Unfortunately it was a very windy and chilly day and on the headlands the wind was whipping. Leslie and I bundeled up and walked to the area along the coastal walkway. I spoke to a couple of birders that were already there with big lenses and spotting scopes. We got in position and started waiting, we never saw the bird and later it was reported further inland by the archelogocal site. I am guessing it did not like the wind much either. By the time we got back to the car these old bones were chilled.
The stonechats were out as usual
Meduim sized waves
In position with the sun at our backs
The birs has been hanging out with a flock of Goldfinches like this one
A Spanish Sparrow
This common sandpiper sems to like this area
There were lots of people out on a Sunday afternoon even though the weather was not ideal
The Goldfinches flew into this bunch of grass
They blend in until they start to fly, can you see all three birds?
After a bit I left Stan the birder from Kent and headed back
Starlings inland
More sparrows
A red throated pipet, a lifebiord, fourth for Cyprus on this trip
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