Cyprus Birding Tours

Offering guided bird watching tours around Cyprus

Category Archives: Birding


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Cape Greco and Larnaca area, Sunday 13th September 2015

A very different morning at Cape Greco today. Few birds around compared to yesterday, although I spent an hour checking out the football pitches at Agia Napa which were full of migrants feeding on the watered pitches:

Cape Greco 8.00am – 12.00pm

Black Kite 1
Montagu’s Harrier 1 ringtail
Marsh Harrier 6 (1 male)
European Honey Buzzard 9
European Hobby 1
European Bee-eater two flocks heard and another 17 seen
Ortolan Bunting 4
Ruff 15 migrating off shore
Lesser Whitethroat 1

Agia Napa Football Fields

European Bee-eater 17
Lesser Grey Shrike 2
Masked Shrike 3
Eurasian Hoopoe 6
Yellow Wagtail 50+
Isabelline Wheatear 3
Red-backed Shrike 4
Whinchat 1
Tawny Pipit 1
Cattle Egret 12
Spotted Flycatcher 1
Red-rumped Swallow 8

Protaras
Alpine Swift 8

Meneou Beach 6.00am
Red-rumped Swallow 50+
Barn Swallow 30+
Sand Martin 3
Red-backed Shrike 1
European Bee-eater c60

Red-rumped Swallow Meneou Beach 13th September 2015 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Red-rumped Swallow Meneou Beach 13th September 2015 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Eurasian Hoopoe Agia Napa Football Fields 13th September 2015 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Eurasian Hoopoe Agia Napa Football Fields 13th September 2015 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours


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Good visible migration this morning at Cape Greco, 12th September 2015

Good movement over Cape Greco from 8am to 12pm this morning. Flocks totaling 54 Purple Heron and 16 Grey Heron were heading south and there were unseen European Bee-eaters flying over as well as plenty of Barn Swallow, a few Sand Martin and a flock of around 40 Red-rumped Swallow. Four European Rollers were in the area.

The stars though were the raptors. It was interesting to see that the 230+ European Honey Buzzard that passed over or were seen gaining height in the distance approached from the north, north east or east and the Harriers from the north or north west. There were forty Western Marsh Harrier including ten males and a male and two ringtail Montagu’s Harriers throughout the morning. One of the early birds was an Osprey and a European Sparrowhawk over the view point as I arrived. I counted at least eight Black Kite – mainly in with the Honey Buzzard. On two occasions kettles of Honey Buzzard rose up over the ridge to the east of the observation point and over my head. Great views.

Not many passerines around – two Cyprus Wheatear and a juvenile Red-backed Shrike.

Migrating raptors Cape Greco 12th September 2015 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Migrating raptors Cape Greco 12th September 2015 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Cyprus Wheatear 2 Cape Greco 12th September 2015 with signature


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Cape Greco again 2nd September 2015

Back again this morning at Cape Greco with an easterly wind, the birds arriving later than yesterday and only around 50 Barn Swallow migrating with no martins at all today. Raptors were a juvenile Montagu’s Harrier and another distant ring-tail, six Western Marsh Harrier, six European Honey Buzzard, a Black Kite and a Long-legged Buzzard which may be a local bird. Twenty Purple Heron left their roost in some eucalyptus trees and headed south around 10.00 am. Other birds seen included two Greater Short-toed Lark, two Tree Pipit, three Spotted Flycatcher, a Common Whitethroat, a Cyprus Wheatear and two male Red-backed Shrike with a single juvenile.

Ten Eurasian Hoopoe were feeding on the Agia Napa Football Fields were there was also a small flock of Yellow Wagtail, some Cattle Egret, a Northern Wheatear, two Lesser Grey Shrike and two Red-backed Shrike.


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Cape Greco Raptor watch this morning, 1st September 2015

Raptor watching at Cape Greco this morning to kick off the autumn migration survey there. For a location that can be very good but also very quiet, it was a reasonable first day with two juvenile Pallid Harrier, five Western Marsh Harrier, three Honey Buzzard and a Black Kite all by 10.00 am. Then the only other bird of prey was a Eurasian Hobby who heading south in the company of the many hirundines that were migrating over the area. There were more than 400 Barn Swallow, 180+ Sand Martin, nine Common House Martin and five Red-rumped Swallow moving S over my observation point.

Also in the area to keep me interested once the raptor movement slowed were six Cretzschmar’s and then one Ortolan Bunting, three juvenile Eastern Orphean Warbler, twelve Eurasian Turtle Dove, two Pallid Swift, an Isabelline Wheatear, at least one Tawny Pipit, two Spotted Flycatcher, Common and Lesser Whitethroat, two Eurasian Hoopoe, a male Blue Rock Thrush and the inevitable Masked, Red-backed and Lesser Grey Shrike.


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Spiros Pool and Larnaca Sewage Works 24th August 2015

On Saturday I had been surprised to see Ruff on Spiros Pool which appeared to be completely dry; visiting the area briefly yesterday I saw a Western Marsh Harrier put up many waders from that location. I returned for a search today and found water in the area near the Sewage Plant and Desalination Buildings. A good collection of waders and mosquitos awaited me. These included a Black-tailed Godwit (probably the same as seen at the Sewage Works last week), two Grey Plover moulting from their breeding plumage, a Temminck’s Stint, a Sanderling, several Wood Sandpiper, two Dunlin, a Curlew Sandpiper, two Little Ringed Plover and around ten Common Ringed Plover, four Common Snipe and tens of Ruff and Little Stint. Several Black-winged Stilt were there and a juvenile Collared Pratincole flew away as I arrived. Four Greater Short-toed Lark flew over the area calling and there were at least three Yellow Wagtail. The Western Marsh Harrier was still quartering the area.

After the excitement of finding a juvenile Rose-coloured Starling on the coast near the airport boundary fence, I then watched a young Peregrine Falcon chase a feral pigeon while being mobbed by two Commom Kestrel.

As I arrived at the Sewage Works pools a Long-legged Buzzard was soaring over the area. On the water were an adult and two juvenile ‘Baltic’ Gulls, an eclipse plumage Northern Pintail, at least four Garganey, six Northern Shoveler and a Eurasian Teal. A few waders around the edge of the pools – Common Sandpiper, Common Redshank, Ruff, Common Ringed Plover, Spur-winged Lapwing and Black-winged Stilt.


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Interesting migrants in Larnaca area this morning, 22nd August 2015

Had my first Pallid Harrier of the autumn today with a juvenile quartering the fields near Larnaca Desalination Plant. A Common Kingfisher was on the coast there and several Yellow Wagtail were in the fields. It was strange to see around twenty Ruff on the bone dry Spiros Pool.

On the Sewage Pools there were seven Garganey, around four Northern Shoveler and at least one Eurasian Teal – migrants mixed in with the resident Mallards. Around the edge were also some migrant waders – a Black-tailed Godwit, a Sanderling, two Common Ringed Plover, a Common Redshank, around twenty Little Stint, five Common Sandpiper and a Green Sandpiper. Two moulting adult White-winged Tern were flying over the water together with a juvenile. There are still good numbers of Black-winged Stilt and Spur-winged Lapwing there.

Near Tekke Mosque there were two Lesser Grey Shrike and two male, three female and a juvenile Red-backed Shrike.


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Limassol area today, 19th August 2015

A drive-around birdwatch of the Limassol area today with the star being a European Honey Buzzard sitting, carefully extracting and then eating wasp grubs from a piece of wasp nest he held in his talons. Even my non-birding companion got out of the car to watch that!

Other birds seen included:

Phassouri Reed Beds – Glossy Ibis 1 juv, Eurasian Turtle Dove 1, Red-backed Shrike 1f, Ferruginous Duck 1, Lesser Grey Shrike 1, Yellow Wagtail 3 juvs, Eurasian Reed Warbler

Akrotiri Gravel Pits – European Honey Buzzard 1, Red-backed Shrike 1f, Black-winged Stilt, Yellow Wagtail 12

Akrotiri Salt Lake – Greater Flamingo c1000

Lady’s Mile – Common Greenshank 2, Marsh Sandpiper 1, Curlew Sandpiper 1, Glossy Ibis 5, Little Egret 1, Kentish Plover c200, Little Stint c20, Dunlin 1

Kensington Cliffs – Eleonora’s Falcon 5

Glossy Ibis Lady's Mile 19th August 2015 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Glossy Ibis Lady’s Mile 19th August 2015 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Grey Heron Phassouri Reed Beds 19th August 2015 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Grey Heron Phassouri Reed Beds 19th August 2015 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours


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Waterbird Count at Larnaca, 17th August 2015

Early start to avoid the humid heat of Larnaca today. Larnaca Sewage Works had most species including migrating Common Ringed Plover, Wood and Common Sandpiper, Dunlin, Common Redshank, White-winged and Whiskered Tern. Two adult Slender-billed Gull were present, three Grey Heron flew over heading W and a Eurasian Curlew that flew in briefly was later seen heading E. There was a single Greater Flamingo also with the usual resident Mallard, Coot and Little Grebe and a good number of Spur-winged Lapwing and Black-winged Stilt – both with several juveniles.

More than two hundred Kentish Plover were roosting on Spiros Beach in a post-breeding flock which contained many juveniles.

Little Stint were feeding around the edge of the main Salt Lake where there were also more Black-winged Stilt and Spur-winged Lapwing. Two European Roller and a male Red-backed Shrike were near Tekke Mosque.


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Akrotiri today, 14th August 2015

An unusual finding today was a Ruddy Shelduck on Zakaki Marsh – although the height of the reeds there now made it hard to see. Apparently it has been present for a few days now and is probably the first summer record for this species in Cyprus. It’s usually seen between November to April as a winter visitor, although three were reported in September in 1995.

Also had a juvenile Citrine Wagtail at Phassouri Reed Beds where there was a Lesser Grey Shrike and a Eurasian Hoopoe as well as several juvenile Yellow Wagtail and plenty of fledged Eurasian Reed Warblers. On Lady’s Mile there were around 150 Kentish Plover, several Little Stint, a Dunlin and one, maybe two, Sanderling. A juvenile Glossy Ibis was also there with several Black-winged Stilt.

As well as the Ruddy Shelduck at Zakaki I heard a Common Kingfisher and saw a Garganey.

Lesser Grey Shrike Phassouri Reed Beds 14th August 2015 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Lesser Grey Shrike Phassouri Reed Beds 14th August 2015 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours


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Few hours birding around Cape Greco, 13th August 2015

Some of the birds seen in a few hours birding this morning were:

Agia Napa Sewage Works – Lesser Grey Shrike 2m, Red-backed Shrike 1f, Eastern Orphean Warbler 2, Eastern Olivaceous Warbler c10, Common Sandpiper 2, Cyprus Warbler 1f, Spectacled Warbler 4+, Spur-winged Lapwing 1

Cape Greco – Red-backed Shrike 2f, Eurasian Hoopoe 2, Cyprus Wheatear 1

Agia Napa Football Fields – Cattle Egret c60, Lesser Grey Shrike 1

Oroklini Marsh – Little Stint 20, Spotted Redshank 2, Marsh Sandpiper 1, Little Tern 2 juv, Ruff 5, Wood Sandpiper 4, Grey Heron 1, Yellow Wagtail 5 flew over, Black-winged Stilt c20, Spur-winged Lapwing c25

Red-backed Shrike female Agia Napa Sewage Works 13th August 2015 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Red-backed Shrike female Agia Napa Sewage Works 13th August 2015 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Eurasian Hoopoe Cape Greco 13th August 2015 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Eurasian Hoopoe Cape Greco 13th August 2015 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours


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Birding around Paphos area, 10th August 2015

Spent today out in the Paphos area. Rain was a pleasant relief from the heat when I got to Arodes but it didn’t put off both the Long-legged Buzzard and Eurasian Hobby that were flying over the area. There were at least four European Roller in the area and two Eurasian Turtle Dove.

Off shore I saw thirteen Grey Heron, three Little Egret, at least 75 Glossy Ibis, around fifty Garganey and six Gull-billed Tern as they migrated over Polis Chrysochou Bay. A Woodchat Shrike was at Neochorio and Masked Shrike were at Androlikou and Minthis Hills with several European Roller at both those locations.

A quick visit to Paphos Sewage Works on my way home produced 12 migrating Yellow Wagtail .

European Roller Arodes 10th August 2015 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

European Roller Arodes 10th August 2015 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Woodchat Shrike Neochorio 10th August 2015 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Woodchat Shrike Neochorio 10th August 2015 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours