Flamingos in Cyprus

Because Cyprus is located on some of the main migratory routes from Europe to Africa, hundreds of pink flamingos make a stop-over in the Larnaca and Akrotiri salt lakes, each winter. They come soon as winter steps in, then leave in the spring.

In Larnaca, you can see just how close nature is to us, as planes take off and land every few minutes, 10metres or so above the flamingos’ heads. Their memory can’t be too good as every time they hear the roar of an engine they turn and look in astonishment as the plane takes off. The airport seems to make a perfect backdrop to the flamingos.

The flamingos, picked out individually seem ugly, and in flight, pretty uncoordinated. But when you widen your view and look at a flock of a hundred, they are like a majestic pink cloud in the sky.

You can see the sand on the shore of the lake is dotted with three lined shaped made by the flamingos feet, I couldn’t get a snap because I hadn’t the right footwear.

Here are some photos that I took on recent trip to the airport in Larnaca :