Common spoonbill or Eurasian spoonbill - Platalea leucorodia Linnaeus, 1758 - Χουλιαρομύτα - Κουταλάς - Cyprus

The Eurasian spoonbill or common spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia) is a wading bird of the ibis and spoonbill family Threskiornithidae,
This is a Palearctic species, breeding from the United Kingdom and Spain in the west through to Japan, and also in North Africa. In Europe, only The Netherlands, Spain, Austria, Hungary and Greece have sizeable populations. Most birds migrate to the tropics in winter, with European breeders mainly going to Africa, but a few remaining in mild winter areas of western Europe south to the United Kingdom. It was extirpated from the United Kingdom but sporadic breeding attempts in the early 21st century culminated with the formation of a colony at Holkham in Norfolk in 2010. In 2011, 8 breeding pairs nested, successfully fledging 14 young in India.

This species is almost unmistakable in most of its range. The breeding bird is all white except for its dark legs, black bill with a yellow tip, and a yellow breast patch like a pelican. It has a crest in the breeding season. Non-breeders lack the crest and breast patch, and immature birds have a pale bill and black tips to the primary flight feathers. Unlike herons, spoonbills fly with their necks outstretched. The Eurasian spoonbill differs from the African spoonbill with which in overlaps in winter, in that the latter species has a red face and legs, and no crest.

They are mostly silent. Even at their breeding colonies the main sounds are bill snapping, occasional deep grunting and occasional trumpeting noises.

Eurasian spoonbills show a preference for extensive shallow, wetlands with muddy, clay or fine sandy beds. They may inhabit any type of marsh, river, lake, flooded area and mangrove swamp, whether fresh, brackish or saline, but especially those with islands for nesting or dense emergent vegetation (e.g. reedbeds) and scattered trees or srubs (especially willow Salix spp., oak Quercus spp. or poplar Populusspp.). Eurasian spoonbills may also frequent sheltered marine habitats during the winter such as deltas, estuaries, tidal creeks and coastal lagoons

The diet consists of aquatic insects, mollusks, newts, crustaceans, worms, leeches, frogs, tadpoles and small fish up to 10–15 cm (3.9–5.9 in) long. It may also take algae or small fragments of aquatic plants (although these are possibly ingested accidentally with animal matter)From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Photos Meneou 8/11/2015 by George Konstantinou

Jack snipe - Lymnocryptes minimus (Brunnich, 1764) - Κουφομπεκάτσινο - Μονοπικάτσονο - Μικρομπεκάτσινο - Cyprus

The jack snipe (Lymnocryptes minimus) is a small stocky wader. It is the smallest snipe, and the only member of the genus Lymnocryptes. Features such as its sternum make it quite distinct from other snipes or woodcocks.

Video Achna dam by George Konstantinou


The common name has been said to come from the Welsh word for a snipe, giach (pronounced with a hard g), but modern dictionaries say it comes from the masculine name Jack. Alfred Newton hypothesized that, "It may be, as in Jackass, an indication of sex, for it is a popular belief that the Jack-Snipe is the male of the common species; or, again, it may refer to the comparatively small size of the bird, as the 'jack' in the game of bowls is the smallest of the balls used, and as fishermen call the smaller Pikes Jacks

Adults are smaller than common snipe and have relatively shorter bill. Length is 18–25 cm (7.1–9.8 in), wingspan is 30–41 cm (12–16 in) and weight is 33–73 g (1.2–2.6 oz). The body is mottled brown on top and pale underneath. They have a dark stripe through the eye. The wings are pointed and narrow, and yellow back stripes are visible in flight. When seen, the distinctive bobbing movement, as if the birdis on springs, has an almost hypnotic quality.

The head pattern of jack snipe differs from common snipe and other species in the genus Gallinago, in that there is no central crown-stripe; instead, there are two pale lateral crown-stripes, which are separated from the supercilium by an area of dark plumage.

Jack snipes are migratory, spending the non-breeding period in Great Britain, Atlantic and Mediterranean coastal Europe, Africa, and India. The jack snipe is one of the species to which the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) applies. Their breeding habitat is marshes, bogs, tundra and wet meadows with short vegetation in northern Europe and northern Russia.

Jack snipe can be secretive in their non-breeding areas and are difficult to observe, being well camouflaged in their habitat. Consequently,birdwatchers have developed a specialised technique for finding them. This involves walking through its marshy habitat until a bird is disturbed and flies up. Jack snipe will squat down and not flush from cover until an intruder is quite close.^[2] They then quietly fly a short distance before dropping back into vegetation.

They forage in soft mud, probing or picking up food by sight. They mainly eat insects and earthworms, also plant material.

The male performs an aerial display during courtship, during which it makes a distinctive sound like a galloping horse. It is silent in winter. They nest in a well-hidden location on the ground, laying 3–4 eggs.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Photo and video Mia milia 27/10/2019 by George Konstantinou

Ερημητήριο του Αγίου Σωζόμενου (Παναγία τοῦ Ἁγίου Σωζομένου) στο ερημωμένο χωριό Άγιος Σωζόμενος - Cyprus

Σπήλαιο Αγίου Σωζόμενου

Ο Άγιος Σωζόμενος σε ένα σκληρό βράχο λάξεψε το ασκητικό του καταφύγιο. Στο βάθος της σπηλιάς βρίσκεται ο τάφος του Αγίου που λαξεύτηκε από τον ίδιο. Στο σπήλαιο διακρίνονται τοιχογραφίες από το 11ο μέχρι και τον 16ο αιώνα.

Photos 26/10/2015 by George Konstantinou

See also

Tο ερημωμένο χωριό Άγιος Σωζόμενος- Agios Sozomenos village - Cyprus.

Eκκλησία του Αγίου Σωζόμενου,στο ερημωμένο χωριό Άγιος Σωζόμενος - Church, Agios Sozomenos at village Agios Sozomenos, Cyprus.

Εκκλησία του Αγίου Μάμα στο ερημωμένο χωριό Άγιος Σωζόμενος - Church .Agios Mamas at Agios Sozomenos village - Cyprus.