Black-winged Stilt, Ruff, Black-tailed Godwit and Spotted Redshank were among the migrating waders today at Lady’s Mile. Three Great Egret were on Zakaki Marsh.
Spotted Redshank, Lady’s Mile 20th March 2016 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Ruff, Lady’s Mile 20th March 2016 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Black-tailed Godwit, Lady’s Mile 20th March 2016 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Around the Larnaca wetlands today. Very few Greater Flamingo around but there are still a couple of hundred Northern Shoveler and Eurasian Teal on the Sewage Pools. One Black-necked Grebe is still present as is a Ruddy Shelduck, five Ferruginous Duck, four Northern Pintail and two male and a female Red-crested Pochard. Most of the pools had double figures of Black-winged Stilt and plenty of Common Black-headed Gull and some Slender-billed Gull. Four hundred Slender-billed Gull were on the main Salt Lake as were four male Garganey and a large flock of Ruff, more than forty Common Redshank, some Dunlin and LIttle Stint and Kentish Plover. Several pairs of Spur-winged Lapwing were around as was a Common Snipe and some Green and Common Sandpiper.
Several Yellow Wagtail were in the area – mainly feldegg but also a couple of flava and a few intergrades. A Cyprus Wheatear was near Tekke Mosque and several Isabelline and Northern Wheatear were around. At Petounta Point two Sandwich Tern were offshore and three Little Ringed Plover and a Kentish Plover were in the flooded area.
After a storm in the early afternoon there were many Common Swift, Red-rumped Swallow and Barn Swallow in the area of Meneou Beach.
Black-winged Stilt, Meneou Pool, 16th March 2016 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Black-headed Wagtail, Petounta Point 16th March 2016
Little Ringed Plover, Petounta Point, 16th March 2016 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Corn Bunting, Larnaca Salt Lake 16th March 2016 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Immature Greater Flamingo Meneou Pool 13th March 2016 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Much quieter than it had been at Cape Greco yesterday. There was a female Desert Wheatear and a Cyprus Wheatear near the Sewage Pools plus two Eurasian Hoopoe. On the Sewage Pools there was a Ruddy Shelduck, five Ferruginous Duck and two male and a female Red-crested Pochard in with the usual Northern Shoveler etc. Six Black-winged Stilt around the edge and still fourteen of those on Meneou Pools. A few immature Greater Flamingo were still on the pools of the area as were tens of Slender-billed Gull.
Good numbers of Rueppell’s Warbler at Cape Greco this afternoon – mainly males but a few females as well as well as a few Eastern Subalpine Warbler and an Eastern Orphean Warbler. Birds seen included:
Eastern Orphean Warbler 1
Rueppell’s Warbler 10+m and 3f
Eastern Subalpine Warbler 3m and 1f
Isabelline Wheatear 14
Lesser Whitethroat 2
Eastern race of Stonechat – prob Siberian 1m
Blue Rock Thrush 2
Northern Wheatear 4m
Cyprus Warbler 1m setting up territory
Song Thrush 7
Red-rumped Swallow 1
Eurasian Hoopoe 1
Cyprus Wheatear 2m
Eastern Black-eared Wheatear 1m dark throated
Masked Shrike 1
Cretzschmar’s Bunting 2+
Had a great couple of hours this afternoon walking around the archaeological site at Paphos Headland where I found: Richard’s Pipit, Eastern Subalpine Warbler 1m, Ruppell’s Warbler 1m, Common Quail (h), Isabelline Wheatear, Little Egret (one flew over), Greater Short-toed Lark, Blue Rock Thrush, Eurasian Hoopoe and Western Black Redstart and Eurasian Blackcap 2m and 1f.
Greater Short-toed Lark, Paphos Headland, 11th March 2016 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Distant record shot of Richard’s Pipit, Paphos Headland 11th March 2016 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
It was quite windy at Cape Greco so there was little chance of finding any early sylvia warblers – the reason for my trip. But I was very pleased with what I did manage to see, especially as I finally found the Trumpeter Finches that had been avoiding me on all other recent visits there.
Apart from them, other birds around included two Tawny Pipit, 27 Isabelline Wheatear, four Northern Wheatear, a male Eastern ‘Siberian’ Stonechat, three singing male Cyprus Warbler, four Northern Wheatear, a male Desert Wheatear, two male Cretzschmar’s Bunting, a Eurasian Hoopoe, a male Blue Rock Thrush and a group of c40 Great Cormorant migrating E.
At Kermia Beach I found three Audouin’s Gull, two Yellow-legged Gull and a Caspian Gull.
Desert Wheatear Cape Greco 4th March 2016 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Trumpeter Finch Cape Greco 4th March 2016 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Pleased to finally get the chance on Friday afternoon to see the first year White-crowned Wheatear that was found at Cape Greco on Tuesday. The eighth record of this species in Cyprus. Also at Cape Greco of note were four Isabelline Wheatear, two Tawny Pipit, a pale Long-legged Buzzard, four Blue Rock Thrush and a passing Audouin’s Gull. On leaving Cape Greco I checked the coast at Kermia Beach where I found two Greater Sand Plover, a Grey Plover, two Northern Lapwing and a migrating flock of 54 Great Cormorant. Moving onto Macronissos Beach there were thirteeen Greater Sand Plover, three Dunlin, around seventy Kentish Plover and a Little Egret.
White-crowned Wheatear Cape Greco 26th February 2016 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
White-crowned Wheatear Cape Greco 26th February 2016 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
A couple of hours around the Sewage Works area with Ruddy Shelduck, Pied Avocet, Eurasian Stone Curlew, Caspian Gull, Baltic and Heuglin’s Gull, Slender-billed Gull, Ferruginous Duck, Black-necked Grebe, Gadwall, Common Shelduck, Sandwich Tern, Lesser Short-toed Lark, Eurasian Curlew and Barn Swallow.
Plus the sight of a Western Marsh Harrier trying hard to put the flock of Eurasian Coot to flight so it could catch one – it had no joy while I was watching it, gave up and flew away. But I had the feeling it would go back and keep trying until it was successful.
Western Marsh Harrier over Eurasian Coot Larnaca Sewage Works 7th February 2016 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Eurasian Stone Curlew Larnaca Airport Pools South 7th February 2016 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Underestimated how much snow was still around at Troodos and most of my usual sites were difficult to explore. There were large flocks of Common Chaffinches around and the Coal Tits were very vocal and chasing through the trees. Unfortunately I didn’t have the chance to check the finch flocks for anything more interesting.
Down at Zakaki I found: Common Buzzard 1, Common Reed Bunting 4, Water Rail 1h, Bluethroat 1, Eurasian Penduline Tit 2+h, Western Marsh Harrier 2, Hen Harrier 1 ring tail, Spur-winged Lapwing 2, Green Sandpiper 1
Finishing the day at Germasogeia Dam there were at least 12 Eurasian Crag Martin, five Common House Martin and five Barn Swallow plus an adult Bonelli’s Eagle flying over the area, two Bluethroat, two Water Pipit, a Grey Wagtail, two European Serin and flocks of Corn Bunting, Common Chaffinch, Common Linnet, European Goldfinch, Spanish Sparrow, and Meadow Pipit.
Bluethroat Germasogeia Dam 5th February 2016 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Common Buzzard Lady’s Mile 5th February 2016 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Hooded Crow Lady’s Mile 5th February 2016 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Blue Rock Thrush Cape Greco 1st February 2016 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
No joy finding the Trumpeter Finches that had been found here on Saturday but did have a great walk and the pleasure of sitting eating sandwiches with a female Finsch’s Wheatear to my left and a male Blue Rock Thrush to my right – so not all bad!
Interesting birds around included: Blue Rock Thrush 2m and 1f, Finsch’s Wheatear 1m and 2f (both dark throated) and Cyprus Warbler 1f.
As I had to be in Paphos by 6pm I decided to do some birding on the way visiting Germasogeia Dam, Kouklia Soakaways, Asprokremmos Dam and Kefalos Beach (Paphos Headland). Highlights were:
Germasogeia Dam
Bluethroat 1
Moustached Warbler 2
Common Snipe 1
Water Pipit 1+
Woodlark 7
Cyprus Warbler 1
Kouklia Soakaways
Long-legged Buzzard 1
Common Buzzard 1
Asprokremmos Dam area
Cyprus Warbler 2m (1 singing)
Spectacled Warbler 2+
Kefalos Beach
Whimbrel 1
Slender-billed Gull 1 imm (photographed)
European Shag 2 offshore
Common Kingfisher 1
Red-throated Pipit 1h
Slender-billed Gull Kefalos Beach 30th January 2016 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Finally got to Akrotiri today for the first time in 2016. Made the wrong decision in going to Phasouri Reed-beds first as it meant I missed the Pied Kingfisher which was at Lady’s Mile at that time…by the time I got to Lady’s Mile it was nowhere to be seen.
Several Western Marsh Harrier around at both Phasouri and Zakaki as well as a couple of Common Buzzard and a female Hen Harrier at Zakaki. Bird of the day was the Pied Avocet at Lady’s Mile where there were also many Common Black-headed Gull and at least thirty Armenian Gull. At Zakaki Marsh I heard at least one Penduline Tit and a Water Rail and there were also Green Sandpiper and Common Reed Bunting in the area.
Pied Avocet Lady’s Mile 29th January 2016 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Armenian Gull Lady’s Mile 29th January 2016 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Green Sandpiper Zakaki Marsh 29th January 2016 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Common Redshank Lady’s Mile 29th January 2016 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Cyprus Birding Tours 