Birding | Cyprus Birding Tours

August 8, 2015
by cyprusbirdingtours Leave a comment

Cape Greco area and Oroklini Marsh this morning, 8th August 2015

Well I knew it had been hot in Cyprus while I had been away but I had hoped that at 7am it would be bearable. It wasn’t really but there were a few interesting species around. At least 18 Pallid Swift were over Agia Napa Sewage Works where almost every bush seemed to have several Eastern Olivaceous Warbler in it. I also saw eight Eastern Orphean Warbler but I am sure there were more unseen. A lone Cyprus Wheatear was also there as were several Spectacled Warbler.

A male Lesser Grey Shrike was at the Agia Napa Football Fields together with a Woodchat Shrike. Nearly 50 Cattle Egret were feeding on the watered pitches together with a couple of Black Francolin.

At Oroklini Marsh there were at least 22 Spur-winged Lapwing – several of them juvenile – and 25 Black-winged Stilt (again with several juvenile). At least twenty Little Stint were feeding in what is left of the water with some Little Ringed Plover, Wood Sandpiper, Ruff and a single Marsh Sandpiper.

Cattle Egret, Agia Napa Football Fields 8th August 2015 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

July 22, 2015
by cyprusbirdingtours Leave a comment

Oroklini Marsh, 22nd July 2015

An adult Spur-winged Lapwing was chasing all other birds away from where its four chicks were feeding at Oroklini today. It was even chasing away Little Stint which were smaller than the chicks! Also in the area was a juvenile Glossy Ibis, several adult and juvenile Little Tern and an unseasonal Common Black-headed Gull. Numbers of Ruff, Little Ringed Plover and Little Stint are increasing there.

At Larnaca Sewage Works I found nine Little Tern and five Green Sandpiper were on the coast nearby.

Spur-winged Lapwing chick Oroklini 22nd July 2015 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Spur-winged Lapwing Oroklini 22nd July 2015 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

July 18, 2015
by cyprusbirdingtours Leave a comment

Zitting Cisticola, Larnaca Sewage Works 18th July 2015

This Zitting Cisticola was one of a family party around the hide at Larnaca Sewage Works this morning. Also flying around the area were an adult and juvenile Little Tern and a Whiskered Tern which was still in breeding plumage.

Zitting Cisticola Larnaca Sewage Works 18th July 2015 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

July 15, 2015
by cyprusbirdingtours Leave a comment

Larnaca waterbird count and Oroklini Marsh this morning, 15th July 2015

A hot morning out for the waterbird count around Larnaca. Three Whiskered Tern were on the Sewage Works pools, an Audouin’s Gull flew ovre and there were plenty of young birds – Mallard, Black-winged Stilt, a few Coot and some Spur-winged Lapwing. Three Common Sandpiper and a Green Sandpiper there showed that migrant waders are now moving through. More waders were at Oroklini – nine Wood, three Common and a Green Sandpiper plus three Ruff, a Common Redshank and several adult and juvenile Little Ringed Plover. There were still some Cattle Egret in the small colony that is now established there as well as four feeding Little Egret. Large flocks of Barn Swallow were everywhere with a few Common Swift and House Martin as well.

Two juvenile Little Tern were at Oroklini – one was fed by an adult while another appeared to be having fishing lessons from a parent – the juvenile was diving in the water and the adult was squawking near by. At least eleven Little Tern were on the main Salt Lake although it was a bit too hazy for an accurate count. There were also around twenty Greater Flamingo and plenty of Black-winged Stilt. A couple of juvenile Eurasian Reed Warblers were in the reeds on the north eastern edge of the lake.

Little Ringed Plover Oroklini Marsh 15th July 2015 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Barn Swallow Larnaca Sewage Works 15th July 2015 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

July 4, 2015
by cyprusbirdingtours Leave a comment

European Bee-eaters and Rollers this morning, 4th July 2015

Took a drive around Pyrga and Panagia Stazousa this morning and was treated to a flying display from what looked like newly fledged European Bee-eaters. Paler than their parents they were very noisy as they flew between carob and eucalyptus trees. There were also several European Rollers in the area as well as family parties of both Cyprus Wheatear and Warbler – in fact at one stage I had a few of each species in the same bush! Elsewhere a Eastern Olivaceous Warbler family were making a lot of noise. The Little Owl was on guard at its nest site but no sign of any young there. A Long-legged Buzzard flew over the area being mobbed by Common Kestrels.

European Roller Pyrga 4th July 2015 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

July 1, 2015
by cyprusbirdingtours Leave a comment

A few interesting species in Larnaca this morning, 1st July 2015

Less wind than on previous days in the Larnaca area as summer takes hold. Had a quick look around Cape Kiti and Larnaca Sewage Works this morning. Was surprised to find a European Bee-eater on the wires near Meneou. Just one Calandra Lark was seen at Pervolia with none heard singing today. Single Little Terns were at Meneou Pool and Larnaca Sewage Works where there was also a scruffy looking Whiskered Tern. An Audouin’s Gull was with several Yellow-legged Gulls on Spiros Pool.

June 22, 2015
by cyprusbirdingtours Leave a comment

Late afternoon at Agios Sozomenos, Nicosia 22nd June 2015

A few hours in the Agios Sozmenos area late this afternoon produced four European Roller, a couple of hundred Corn Bunting in post breeding flocks, several calling Black Francolin, some Spanish Sparrow, at least three Green Sandpiper, Stone Curlew, Black-winged Stilt, Spur-winged Lapwing and a juvenile Great Spotted Cuckoo begging its Magpie parent for food.

Spanish Sparrow Agios Sozomenos 22nd June 2015 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

June 20, 2015
by cyprusbirdingtours Leave a comment

Omodos today 20th June 2015

Spent a few hours in the vineyards to the north west of Omodos where there were many singing Black-headed Bunting and Cyprus Wheatear. Had good views of Cyprus Warbler, Serin, Eastern Olivaceous Warbler and Long-legged Buzzard as well and there were many Common House Martin with a few Red-rumped and Barn Swallow overhead.

The best part of the time there was when I drove along the road to Agios Nikolaos and found a family party of four Black-headed Bunting juveniles flying from mosphilia bush to the vines and back. At one stage there were several young Corn Bunting, a couple of juvenile Spanish Sparrow, a young Common Linnet and Sardinian Warbler and two of the Black-headed Bunting in the same bush! Great birding moment! Light was really bad so the photo of one of the young Black-headed Bunting with a young Spanish Sparrow is the best of a very poor bunch.

Black-headed Bunting juvenile with Spanish Sparrow juvenile Omodos 20th June 2015 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

June 13, 2015
by cyprusbirdingtours Leave a comment

Larnaca area 12th June 2015

Was out doing some survey work this morning in the Larnaca area and came across five juvenile Great Spotted Cuckoo being fed by Magpies – one Magpie had two – and another being fed by a Hooded Crow. Also several Cyprus Warbler family parties were about as was a juvenile Cetti’s Warbler. There were some pairs of European Roller around but no young birds yet. Several hundred Common Swift were over the fields around Kivisilli towards Teresfanou. A Long-legged Buzzard was over the road between Mazotos and Alaminos with two over Anglisides.

At the coast Spiros Pool is drying up although a couple Ruff and some Black-winged Stilt were there. On the beach a sub-adult Audouin’s Gull was feeding on what looked to be a red mullet and warding off raiding Yellow-legged Gulls.

May 17, 2015
by cyprusbirdingtours Leave a comment

Pyrga and Panagia Stazousa this morning, 17th May 2015

At least seven European Rollers in the area but the best bird was found when I was trying to find a Masked Shrike that had flown into an old olive tree. I then realised that in the top of the tree was a nest and from it emerged a juvenile Great Spotted Cuckoo which then flew off noisily.

Interesting sightings:

Pyrga – European Roller 1, Cretzschmar’s Bunting 1, Cyprus Warbler 3m, European Bee-eater h, Eurasian Hoopoe 4, Cyprus Wheatear 1m

Panagia Stazousa – European Bee-eater h, Eurasian Scops Owl 1h, Eurasian Turtle Dove 2, European Roller 6, Cyprus Warbler 2m, Cyprus Wheatear 7, Little Owl 1, Great Spotted Cuckoo 2 juveniles (one seen another heard)

Klavdia – Lesser Grey Shrike 1

Great Spotted Cuckoo juvenile 17th May 2015 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

May 16, 2015
by cyprusbirdingtours Leave a comment

Migrants moving on, 16th May 2015

Much quieter around Akrotiri today than it was when I visited on Tuesday, with a big clear out of waders especially. Still some good sightings though: two male Honey Buzzard over Phassouri Plantations being mobbed by Hooded Crows; two Eleonora’s Falcon putting up a flock of around one hundred marsh terns – mainly White-winged – over Akrotiri Salt Lake; good views of three White-winged, 14 Little and two Gull-billed Tern at the Zakaki outflow; and a European Roller behind Lady’s Mile.

On the Larnaca Sewage Works Pools there were twelve White-winged Tern and a Eurasian Spoonbill was on Spiros Pool where the numbers of waders has also decreased compared to the last few days.

White-winged Tern and Little Tern Akrotiri Salt Lake 16th May 2015 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Eurasian Spoonbill Spiros Pool 16th May 2015 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

May 15, 2015
by cyprusbirdingtours Leave a comment

Larnaca area this morning 15th May 2015

Found the melanistic Greater Flamingo today in with the others on Larnaca Salt Lake – not as interesting a find to be honest as the Lesser Flamingo found on Tuesday at Kouklia Reservoir outside Famagusta. The first record of this species in Cyprus and it seems it may have been overlooked on other occasions in with the group of Greater Flamingo there, and has been there at least a week. Would be nice if it decided to move further south to give others the chance to see it. After all the melanistic bird showed that the species is quite mobile when here in Cyprus moving between wetlands.

Other interesting species included Gull-billed, Little and White-winged Tern, Temminck’s Stint and Broad-billed Sandpiper.

Full sightings include:

Aradippou – European Roller 2

Livadhia – Spotted Flycatcher 1

Livadhia Drainage Channel (Jumbo) – Spur-winged Lapwing 6

Larnaca Salt Lake – Greater Flamingo 300+ (including melanistic individual), Great Reed Warbler 1h, Black-winged Stilt 24, White-winged Tern 3, Little Tern 1, Spur-winged Lapwing 5, Glossy Ibis 6, Ruff 24, Purple Heron 2, Common Ringed Plover 7, Curlew Sandpiper 9, Gull-billed Tern 2

Larnaca Sewage Works – Spur-winged Lapwing 5, Black-winged Stilt 16+, Ruff 46, White-winged Tern 7, Whiskered Tern 6, Little Tern 1, Wood Sandpiper 8, Northern Shoveler 1m

Spiros Pool – Ruff 66, Common Ringed Plover 15, Little Stint c240, Curlew Sandpiper 28, Greater Flamingo 1, Temminck’s Stint 2, Broad-billed Sandpiper 1, Dunlin 1, European Bee-eater 30 in off sea,

Meneou Beach – Spotted Flycatcher 1, Little Tern 1

Spotted Flycatcher Livadia 15th May 2015 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Ruff Spiros Pool 15th May 2015 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Cyprus Birding Tours

Offering guided bird watching tours around Cyprus

Category Archives: Birding