Cyprus, Polis Chrysochou Bay, 4. Sep 2016, a great Day for Nature and Bird Migration

One day I will long keep in memory as a nature photographer.

All started around 6:30 with a swarm Demoiselle Crane at high altitude; I could only estimate the number.

Then, a little later came the first group Purple Herons and Grey herons, which started to revolve about the tall eucalyptus trees at the campsite and to settle down there but then.

And then there have been more and more, I couldn't believe my luck and made photos and videos every minute.

The Heron flew around again and again to the trees, always new rounds out on the sea and again about me.

Sometimes I had the feeling to stand in the middle of Alfred Hitchcock's movie "The birds" if the Heron then so in droves approx. 30 m over me.It was not more possible for me to count this big numbers and also make photos and Videos,

I informed my friend Colin and 30 minutes later he was on site. I am sure also Colin, the Cyprus bird expert, has something not often witnessed. Shared joy is the better joy, we could not really grasp both what there was on our minds, more and more groups with mixed Heron species of egrets, grey herons, cattle egrets, night heron, little egret and Purple Heron came there flying in.

In the meantime also some Caspian gulls, Ruff, groups of Garganeys stormed in the Chrysochou Bay. For the fishing Shag and also the Kingfisher in the sea we had hardly an eye left. At about 1:30 pm we then had an incredible number of migratory birds on our list and I get about 1800 photos and video clips on the memory card.

Our record list from September 4. 2016 at Polis, Cyprus

DEMOISELLE CRANE c100

Purple Heron c720, including 400 in one flock, present for 3-4 hours over campsite [must be some child of record?]

Grey heron 120, Night Heron 16, Glossy ibis 3, Cattle egret 1, Little egret 2,

Garganey 300, Ruff 4, Turnstone 1, Ringed Plover 7, Baltic Gull 12, Gull-billed tern 5, White-winged tern 22

Roller 1 juv, Kingfisher 1, Shag 1, Ringtail harrier 1 off sea