Assister au passage des Grues demoiselles à Chypre à la fin de l’été

The Akrotiri Salt Lake is a large and shallow expanse of water, more thoroughly described earlier on the website introduction, situated just west of the city of Limassol, south of Cyprus. It is fringed with both reed beds and salt marsh and usually completely dries out in summer. However during the rest of the year, the lake and its ecology, provides for a rich habitat that supports much flora and fauna. The lake is famous for waterbirds and one of the best known species that visits Akrotiri, is the Greater Flamingo, which winters here in its thousands. Waterfowl are numerous too, with many found throughout both spring and winter.
But the really top migratory species is the rare Demoiselle Crane (Grus virgo). During August/September these birds are seen on passage stopping for an over night rest on the Akrotiri Salt Lake. They often land in a small groups in the middle of the dry salt-lake, and are present until the early morning thermals are sufficient to allow them to lift off the ground and help them on their way to Africa. Their appearance allows the fortunate birders to observe a scarcely viewed species.
Frédéric Jiguet watched 39 birds the 25 of August and 140 le 29 of August 2005, and he sent us his photos.