Written by 
Flamingo at Akrotiri, Cyprus
Heavy rains may have put a damper on Cyprus winter holidays this year but they have helped boost bird visitor numbers.
According to the Cyprus Game Fund more than 21,000 fowl, mostly flamingos, were recorded across Cyprus in December – the second highest number of aquatic birds ever.
The highest numbers were spotted in the Larnaca area, with the region’s salt flats attracting over 10,000 flamingos.
The wetlands around the village of Oroklini, also situated in the Larnaca District, recorded its third highest bird numbers in 2011 (1,428). More than 1.000 of those were the small Garnagey ducks.
Limassol has also attracted record numbers of aquatic birds this winter with more than 7,400 flamingos counted on the Akrotiri salt flats.
One of the sights that Cyprus winter holiday visitors all enjoy every year is that of the thousands of Flamingos that winter on the salt lakes.
One of the best places to watch them feeding on minute food-shrimps is from the roof of the new visitor centre in Akrotiri village.
The centre has binoculars and telescopes for use by visiting birdwatchers and there is lots of information about the birds and plants of the area, notably the turtles which nest on nearby beaches.
As well as the flamingos, there are usually many types of duck and waders to be seen on the salt lakes of Cyprus.
Many of the birds which stay in Cyprus to breed build their nests in the cool and safety of the mountains. Birdwatchers can often be seen tracking down various varieties in the Troodos Mountains during the season.
December is the month when winter rains usually kick in and Cyprus usually gets about six wet days and about 10 days of cloudy weather. Winter rains in Cyprus can be like a monsoon, with serious damage to many roads and inland tracks of compacted gravel can be washed away.
