Birding | Cyprus Birding Tours

November 28, 2016
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Rock Sparrow, Famagusta 27th November 2016

Was lucky enough to go with three other local birders yesterday to see five Rock Sparrows that are currently just outside Famagusta. (Thanks to them for taking me!) A rare but probably regular winter visitor my only previous sighting of these birds was a brief glimpse of one at Cape Greco.

Rock Sparrow, 27th November 2016 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

November 26, 2016
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Troodos 25th November 2016

A collection of photos taken yesterday at Troodos. The Coal Tit is a Cyprus endemic sub-species. Hawfinch is an almost annual winter visitor to Cyprus in variable numbers. A former winter visitor, Eurasian Blackbird now breed in Troodos although their numbers are swelled by winter visitors at this time of year. Mistle and Song Thrush are winter visitors in variable numbers each year.

Coal Tit, Troodos 25th November 2016 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Eurasian Blackbird, Troodos 25th November 2016 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Hawfinch, Troodos 25th November 2016 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Mistle Thrush, Troodos 25th November 2016 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Song Thrush, Troodos 25th November 2016 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

November 26, 2016
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First Rustic Bunting for Cyprus 24th November 2016

Having taken a photo of what I assumed was one of the Common Reed Buntings that was at Paphos Sewage Works on the afternoon of 24th November, it was a pleasant surprise when Dutch birder Arthur Geilvoet suggested via my Facebook page that the bird had many of the features of a Rustic Bunting. Closer examination showed that he was right. Rustic Bunting has not been recorded in Cyprus before and I still don’t have a good photo of a Common Reed Bunting.

Rustic Bunting, Paphos Sewage Works 24th November 2016 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

November 22, 2016
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Akhna Dam, Cape Greco and east of the island today 22nd November 2016

Went over to the east of the island again today to try my luck with the Asian Buff-bellied Pipit found at Akhna on Saturday. This is the 5th record of the species in Cyprus. Was lucky enough to find it, take a record photo before it flew off and see some other good birds.

Akhna Dam
Asian Buff-bellied Pipit 1
Water Pipit 20+
Meadow Pipit 40+
Eurasian Wigeon 1m and 1f
Common Shelduck 1 imm
Peregrine Falcon 1
Grey Plover 1
Common Ringed Plover 4
Great Cormorant 3
Common Chaffinch 6
Eurasian Blackbird 1
Song Thrush 10+
Common Linnet 3
European Serin 2+

Cape Greco
Finsch’s Wheatear 2m and 1f
Blue Rock Thrush 3m and 1f
Western Black Redstart 11
Great Cormorant 20 heading SW

Agias Trias
Little Egret

Oroklini Marsh
Greater Flamingo c60
Water Rail 1
Spotted Crake 1
Bluethroat 1
Cattle Egret c100
Song Thrush 1
Common Starling 16
Northern Lapwing 3

Asian Buff-bellied Pipit, Akhna Dam 22nd November 2016 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Common Stonechat, Cape Greco 22nd November 2016 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Little Egret, Agia Trias, 22nd November 2016 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

November 18, 2016
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Larnaca, Akhna and Oroklini today 18th November 2016

Most of my time out today was spent doing the Waterbird count around Larnaca. After the rain a few weeks ago there is still some water in parts of the Salt Lake and isolated patches of water contained some good birds. Best birds were a Common Crane flying over the Sewage Works, a Gadwall and three Black-necked Grebe on the Sewage Pools, eight Eurasian Stone Curlew and eight Eurasian Curlew, hunting Western Marsh and female Hen Harrier, flocks of Eurasian Skylark, two Bluethroat (see photo), six Temminck’s Stint, a Water Rail and around thirty Common Snipe in the north east corner of the Salt Lake.

Akhna Dam had less birds than when I visited a month ago although there was a Great White Pelican there and some recently arrived thrushes including Song and Mistle Thrush and Fieldfare. More than sixty Spur-winged Lapwing were at Oroklini together with twenty four Northern Lapwing, around fifty Greater Flamingo and a Great Egret.

Bluethroat, Larnaca Salt Lake 18th November 2016 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

November 16, 2016
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Athalassa Dam, Nicosia 16th November 2016

Spent a few hours at Athalassa Dam and saw the following:

Great Egret 3
Little Egret 2
Grey Heron 6
Great Cormorant 50+
Eurasian Spoonbill 1 juv
Cattle Egret 1
Black-crowned Night Heron 1 ad
Common Kingfisher 2
Grey Wagtail 2
Ferruginous Duck 2
Western Marsh Harrier 1
Black-winged Stilt 2
Common Snipe 1
Northern Shoveler 8
Eurasian Teal 30+
Mallard c30
Little Grebe, Eurasian Coot and Common Moorhen
Common Chaffinch, European Robin, Common Chiffchaff and White Wagtail.
Hooded Crow and Common Woodpigeon

Black-winged Stilt, Athalassa Dam 16th November 2016 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Eurasian Spoonbill, Athalassa Dam 16th November 2016 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Great Cormorant, Athalassa Dam 16th November 2016 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Great Egret Athalassa Dam 16th November 2016 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Grey Heron, Athalassa Dam 16th November 2016 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Little Grebe 4, Athalassa Dam 16th November 2016 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Mallard, Athalassa Dam 16th November 2016 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

November 15, 2016
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Whiskered Tern, Nicosia 15th November 2016

A first winter Whiskered Tern was on my local Nicosia patch this morning.

Whiskered Tern, Nicosia 15th November 2016 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

November 12, 2016
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Troodos today 12th November 2016

Spent several hours at a few Troodos picnic sites. As well as the usual enedemic sub-species Coal Tit, Eurasian Jay and Short-toed Tree Creeper there was a good selection of winter visitors around including this Yellowhammer (see record shot photo). Until recently Yellowhammers were vagrants but small numbers are recorded most years now.
A male and two female Hawfinch spent at least an hour hiding behind branches and leaves at Troodos today, finally coming down the drink as the light faded!

Platania Picnic Site
Eurasian Siskin c12
Goldcrest 2
Hawfinch 3
Grey Wagtail 1

Almyrolivado
Mistle Thrush c20
Fieldfare 1 flew over
Brambling 1m
Winter Wren 2
Eurasian Jay 2

Livadi tou Pashia
Eurasian Blackbird 5
Mistle Thrush 2
Yellowhammer 1
Hawfinch 1m and 2f

Yellowhammer, Livadi tou Pashia 12th November 2016 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Eurasian Blackbird, Livadi tou Pashia 12th November 2016 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Hawfinch f, Livadi tou Pashia 12th November 2016 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Hawfinch m, Livadi tou Pashia 12th November 2016 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Hawfinch f, Livadi tou Pashia 12th November 2016 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

November 7, 2016
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Eurasian Penduline Tit, Phasouri Reed-beds 7th November 2016

Penduline Tit, Phasouri Reed Beds 7th November 2016 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

November 5, 2016
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Larnaca area this morning 5th November 2016

An unexpected visit to Larnaca this morning and good to see some water at the wetlands after the rain earlier in the week. Notable were an Osprey, a Pied Avocet and two Ruddy Shelduck at the Sewage Works and more than sixty Spur-winged Lapwing at Oroklini Marsh (see photo). Water levels at Oroklini were good and there was also a Black-necked Grebe there as well as many Eurasian Teal and Northern Shoveler. A Common Buzzard was chased away from the area by Hooded Crows.

Spur-winged Lapwing, Oroklini Marsh 5th November 2016 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

November 4, 2016
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Troodos today, 4th November 2016

Strange day at Troodos! Found some interesting birds including a Yellow-browed Warbler at Platania and a Brambling at Almyrolivado. Fourteen Water Pipit on the road near the start of the Artemis Trail was an odd site – in fact it was hard not to run them over. Several Song and Mistle Thrushes too as well as plenty of resident Coal Tit and Eurasian Jay. Pine Bunting and Hawfinch were seen in the area by others.

Water Pipit, Troodos 4th November 2016 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

October 27, 2016
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Akhna Dam and Agia Napa area this morning, 27th October 2016

Some interesting birds at Akhna Dam this morning where there is still a good level of water. The star was a juvenile Little Bittern but also there were a Grey Plover, a Black-tailed Godwit, four Dunlin, a juvenile Ruff, a Common Snipe, Common Redshank and Little Stint. Also a Little Egret, Grey Heron, six Eurasian Teal and three Northern Pintail. A Bluethroat, two Yellow Wagtail, nine Water Pipit and several Corn Bunting and White Wagtail were around the edges. A couple of Barn Swallow and a Sand Martin flew over.

At Macronissos Beach there were six Greater Sand Plover and around forty Kentish Plover. They were spooked by a Eurasian Sparrowhawk that flew along the coast and were very uneasy for a while afterwards.