Birding | Cyprus Birding Tours

December 14, 2015
by cyprusbirdingtours Leave a comment

Agios Sozomenos and Oroklini Marsh this morning, 14th December 2015

Visited Agios Sozomenos for a quick birdwatch this morning and found two male and one female Finsch’s Wheatear, several Red-throated Pipit, a Long-legged Buzzard and a lovely male Hen Harrier. My time there ended abruptly on receipt of a message from local birder, Matt Smith, saying he had found three White-headed Duck on Oroklini Marsh. So a quick dash there and although they were sleeping and on the far side of the lake, I spent some time enjoying this rare visitor floating around. Also on the lake were Northern Lapwing, Spur-winged Lapwing, some Common Redshank, two Common Snipe, lots of Eurasian Teal, Northern Shoveler and Eurasian Coot, and three Northern Pintail. As I left I spotted a Moustached Warbler in the reeds. Some good birds for my first birding in Cyprus for a few weeks!

Record shot of three White-headed Duck, Oroklini Marsh 14th December 2015 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Finsch’s Wheatear, Agios Sozomenos 14th December 2015 (C) Cyprus Birding Tours

November 23, 2015
by cyprusbirdingtours Leave a comment

Finsch’s Wheatear, Agios Sozomenos, Nicosia 23rd November 2015

Four birds on territories in the area – three males and a female. Also several Red-throated Pipit, Eurasian Skylark, Spectacled Warbler, Western Black Redstart and a Long-legged Buzzard.

Finsch’s Wheatear Agios Sozomenos 23rd November 2015 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

November 20, 2015
by cyprusbirdingtours 1 Comment

Troodos today, 20th November 2015

All the usual suspects at Troodos today – plenty of Coal Tits, Winter Wren, Short-toed Treecreeper, Eurasian Jay, Common Chaffinch and Eurasian Blackbird. Of more interest was a male Yellowhammer and a Mistle Thrush at Almirolivado, two Goldcrest at Livadi tou Pashia and at least twelve European Siskin at Platania.

Photograph below of a Coal Tit at Livadi tou Pashia. One of the Cyprus endemic sub-species.

Coal Tit Troodos 20th November 2015 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

November 14, 2015
by cyprusbirdingtours Leave a comment

Larnaca and Oroklini 14th November 2015

Did the waterbird count at Larnaca and late in the afternoon visited Oroklini. The Red-breasted Goose is still at the Sewage Works together with five Greater White-fronted Geese. A Pied Avocet was the best wader and the Red Knot is still present. A young Peregrine Falcon flew in and snatched up a Coot only to be forced to drop it by an adult Peregrine that came swooping in. Both Peregrines flew off calling and briefly grappling. The Coot was left there although it was gone when I revisited in the afternoon.

The Ruddy Shelduck is still at Oroklini and there were three Temminck’s Stint and six Common Snipe feeding as well as a Bluethroat and Water Pipit.

Full list of sightings:
Larnaca Sewage Works
Greater Flamingo 56 (only one adult)
Pied Avocet 1
Common Shelduck 1
Black-winged Stilt 8
Little Stint c50
Common Redshank 6
Dunlin 9+
Ruff 3
Common Ringed Plover 1
Baltic Gull 1 juv
Armenian Gull 11
Marsh Sandpiper 1
Greater White-fronted Goose 5
Red-breasted Goose 1
Black-necked Grebe 1
Northern Pintail 6
Red Knot 1
Peregrine Falcon 2

Larnaca Desalination Plant Fields
Eurasian Skylark 100+
Calandra Lark 5
Eurasian Golden Plover 4
Common Starling 11

Larnaca Salt Lake
Greater Flamingo 6
Eurasian Teal 13
Little Ringed Plover 5
Common Ringed Plover 25
Spur-winged Lapwing 2
Common Redshank 30
Dunlin c100
Kentish Plover c140
Little Stint 30+
Western Marsh Harrier 1
Water Pipit 2

Oroklini Marsh
Spur-winged Lapwing 35
Ruddy Shelduck 1
Cattle Egret 60
Common Snipe 6
Little Stint 2
Temminck’s Stint 3
Common Ringed Plover 5
Little Ringed Plover 2
Water Pipit 1
Water Rail h
Eurasian Penduline Tit h
Northern Pintail 2
Common Starling 40
Bluethroat 1
Corn Bunting 8

Oroklini Beach
Sandwich Tern 2
Common Black-headed Gull c150

Sandwich Tern Oroklini Beach 14th November 2015 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

November 5, 2015
by cyprusbirdingtours Leave a comment

Red-breasted Goose at Larnaca Sewage Works this morning, 5th November 2015

Had a great view of this Cyprus rarity that was first found yesterday. Also present were four Greater White-fronted Geese, a Red Knot, a Grey Plover, two Marsh Sandpiper, four Black-winged Stilt, an Armenian Gull, a male and female Tufted Duck, a Black-necked Grebe, three Eurasian Wigeon, a Bluethroat and the usual Northern Shoveler, Eurasian Teal, Dunlin, Little Stint, Common Redshank, Eurasian Coot and Greater Flamingo.

Nearly fifty Eurasian Golden Plover were on the fields close to the coast as were many Eurasian Skylark and Red-throated Pipit. Two Sandwich Tern were fishing off shor

October 30, 2015
by cyprusbirdingtours Leave a comment

Akrotiri Peninsula, 30th October 2015

As I hadn’t been over to Akrotiri for a while, I headed there today. Some interesting species around as winter visitors are finally arriving:

Phassouri Reed Beds
Grey Wagtail 1
Eurasian Sparrowhawk 1

Akrotiri Gravel Pits
Common Kingfisher 1
Eurasian Skylark 9
Eurasian Golden Plover h

Akrotiri Salt Lake
Greater Flamingo c200

Bishop’s Pool
Ferruginous Duck 4
Northern Pintail 5
Eurasian Wigeon 3

Lady’s Mile
Red-backed Shrike 1 juv
Common Starling 12

Zakaki Marsh
Common Kingfisher 1
Bluethroat 1
Moustached Warbler 1
Sedge Warbler 2
Eurasian Reed Warbler 2
Penduline Tit heard but not seen

Common Kingfisher Akrotiri Gravel Pits 30th October 2015 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

October 27, 2015
by cyprusbirdingtours Leave a comment

Early visit to Larnaca Sewage Works and coast today, 27th October 2015

Larnaca Airport Coast
Spanish Sparrow c300
Red-throated Pipit 24
Yellow Wagtail 1

Larnaca Sewage Works
Common Crane 9 (also seen later gaining height and heading out S over the sea)
Eurasian Spoonbill 1
Mediterranean Gull 1
Slender-billed Gull 6
Grey Plover 1
Northern Lapwing 1
Ruddy Turnstone 1
Marsh Sandpiper 1
Black-winged Stilt 8+
Little Stint 12+
Common Ringed Plover 5
Common Redshank 10+
Greater Flamingo 62
Ferruginous Duck 4
Tufted Duck 1m and 1f
Common Pochard 1f
Northern Pintail 4

Spanish Sparrow Larnaca Airport Coast 27th October 2015 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Tufted Duck male Larnaca Sewage Works 27th October 2015 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

October 23, 2015
by cyprusbirdingtours Leave a comment

Finsch’s Wheatear and interesting raptors outside Nicosia this morning, 23rd October 2015

Found my target species today at Agios Sozomenos – a newly arrived male Finsch’s Wheatear (well he wasn’t there on Wednesday!) was setting up his winter territory there. An interesting selection of raptors was flying over the area – all receiving close attention from the local Western Jackdaws – first a juvenile Bonelli’s Eagle, then a Long-legged Buzzard, a Common Buzzard and finally a Eurasian Sparrowhawk all had to run the gauntlet. The only raptor that the Jackdaw’s didn’t bother was a Peregrine Falcon flying around the cliffs.

I only saw one White Stork in the nearby clover fields but I understand that two had been present earlier in the morning.

Finsch’s Wheatear Agios Sozomenos 23rd October 2015 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

White Stork, Nicosia 23rd October 2015 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

October 21, 2015
by cyprusbirdingtours Leave a comment

Nicosia birding late this afternoon, 21st October 2015

Thanks to a tip off from a local birder, I went to fields to the south east of Nicosia this afternoon and found the two White Stork he had found there earlier today. I then took the opportunity to check if any Finsch’s Wheatear had arrived at nearby Agios Sozomenos but couldn’t find any. I did find two Cyprus Wheatear, a Blue Rock Thrush, a Purple Heron and many Cattle Egret in a watered field, at least one Red-throated Pipit and a Long-legged Buzzard. Little Owl were calling throughout the area and I saw three, although I am sure there were more.

October 21, 2015
by cyprusbirdingtours Leave a comment

Larnaca area early this morning, 21st October 2015

The six Common Crane were back on the Sewage Pools this morning and the long-staying Ruddy Shelduck was still there. There were many Eurasian Teal, Northern Shoveler, Mallard, Eurasian Coot, Little Grebe, Little Stint, Dunlin, Kentish Plover, Common Ringed Plover and several Black-winged Stilt. There were also single Grey Plover, Ruddy Turnstone and Northern Lapwing as well as more than sixty Greater Flamingo.

Also in the area was a late Northern Wheatear and at least six Red-throated Pipits. There were plenty of Common Stonechat setting up territories and away from the coast at Panagia Stazousa I counted at least 12. There were also several singing European Robin, a Little Owl and two late Cyprus Wheatear in that area.

Common Crane Larnaca Sewage Works 21st October 2015 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Ruddy Shelduck Larnaca Sewage Works 21st October 2015 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

October 19, 2015
by cyprusbirdingtours Leave a comment

Larnaca Waterbird Count this morning 19th October 2015

Not a lot of water, even the Sewage Works Pools are emptying but some interesting birds with a Red-breasted Flycatcher (not a male though 😦 ) as a bonus!

Larnaca Sewage Works
Bluethroat 1
Spur-winged Lapwing 9
Greater Flamingo 66
Northern Shoveler c300
Eurasian Teal c150
Black-winged Stilt 13
Grey Heron 2
Great Egret 1 (flew off heading E)
Dunlin c60
Little Stint c40
Ruddy Shelduck 1
Ruff 5
Pintail 3
Northern Lapwing 1
Kentish Plover 16
Common Ringed Plover 17
Marsh Sandpiper 1
Eleonora’s Falcon 2 flew over fast heading W
Red-breasted Flycatcher 1

Spiros Pool
Spur-winged Lapwing 30
Common Crane 6 (in pm were on Sewage Pools)
Common Ringed Plover 25
Ruff 5
Water Rail 1h
Common Redshank 1
Common Snipe 1h
Yellow-legged Gull 27 flew over
Red-throated Pipit 2+h

Larnaca Desalination Fields
Spanish Sparrow 40+
Red-throated Pipit 1

Spiros Beach
Yellow-legged Gull 30+
Caspian Gull 1
Armenian Gull 1+

Common Crane Spiros Pool 19th October 2015 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Ruddy Shelduck Larnaca Sewage Works 19th October 2015 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Common Stonechat Spiros Pool 19th October 2015 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Spanish Sparrow Spiros Beach 19th October 2015 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Armenian Gull Spiros Beach 19th October 2015 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Yellow-legged Gull Spiros Beach 19th October 2015 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

October 11, 2015
by cyprusbirdingtours Leave a comment

Migrating Common Crane and Great White Pelican this weekend 9th – 11th October 2015

Joined the BirdLife Cyprus trip to the Karpasia this weekend with the highlights 86+ Common Crane heading S over Agios Therissos 16.50 9th October, six on southern coast 17.45 9th October, three in same area 08.00 am 10th October, c80 again there 08.00am 11th October and 17 in off sea Agios Phylonas 11.00am 11th October. Around 12.45 11th October 28 Great White Pelican were seen circling up and gaining height to the east of the village of Galinoporni on the south coast and then heading SE out to sea.

Common Crane Agios Therissos 9th October 2015 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Common Crane 2 Agios Therissos 9th October 2015 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours