Cyprus Birding Tours

Offering guided bird watching tours around Cyprus

Category Archives: Birding


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Waterbird count and other birding around Larnaca today, 17th March 2015

Mixture of migrants and winter visitors around Larnaca today

Black-winged Stilt Meneou Pool 17th March 2015 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Black-winged Stilt Meneou Pool 17th March 2015 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Meneou Pool – Black-winged Stilt 6

Larnaca Airport Pools South – Black-winged Stilt 13, Slender-billed Gull 49, Greater Flamingo 776, Black-headed Gull 215, Common Shelduck 42, Little Gull 1, Armenian Gull 2+, Caspian Gull 2

Larnaca Sewage Works – Green Sandpiper 2, Northern Shoveler 21, Eurasian Teal 111, Spur-winged Lapwing 6, Ferruginous Duck 2, Ruppell’s Warbler 1f, Great Cormorant c180 flying E at 17.15pm

Spiros Pool and Beach area – Wryneck 2, Temminck’s Stint 1, Little Stint 3

Larnaca Airport Pools North – Greater Flamingo 39

Larnaca Salt Lake – Greater Flamingo 2770, Slender-billed Gull 159, Little Ringed Plover 3, Northern Shoveler 313, Common Shelduck 44, Eurasian Wigeon 1m and 1f, Northern Pintail 1m and 1f, Black-necked Grebe 11, Eurasian Reed Warbler 6+heard singing, Eurasian Teal 38, Green Sandpiper 1, Black-winged Stilt 2, Spur-winged Lapwing 2, Common Redshank 21, Common Snipe 1, Ruff 3, Little Stint 54, Dunlin 4, Common Ringed Plover 1, Kentish Plover 11

Kiti Dam – Masked Shrike 1, Eurasian Coot 31, Northern Shoveler 3, Eastern Bonelli’s Warbler 1

Petounta Point – Eurasian Hoopoe 4, Isabelline Wheatear 2, Corncrake 1 (flew from side of track into cereal crop), Red-throated Pipit 3, Kentish Plover 2

Eurasian Hoopoe Petounta Point 17th March 2015 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Eurasian Hoopoe Petounta Point 17th March 2015 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours


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Fall of migrants today at Cape Greco, 13th March 2015

After being confined to Nicosia for several days and feeling frustrated at the birds that were being seen elsewhere I headed for Cape Greco today. There were many Ruppell’s Warbler – almost one per bush and probably even more Chiffchaffs. There were also good numbers of Eastern Bonelli’s Warbler around. Many were seen coming in off the sea as were Tawny Pipit and Greater Short-toed Lark. Double figures of Cyprus, Northern and Isabelline Wheatear as well as a male Finsch’s Wheatear and a dark throated and pale throated male Eastern Black-eared Wheatear. I also saw at least twenty Cretszchmar’s Bunting, eight Eurasian Hoopoe. plenty of Lesser Whitethroat, a Cyprus Warbler and a male Common Redstart, a male Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush, a Wryneck and a Great Spotted Cuckoo.


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Migration around Larnaca today, 8th March 2015

Some movement of birds noted today around Larnaca. In the morning eighteen Mediterranean Gull in breeding plumage were a great sight on Larnaca Airport Pools near Meneou. There were also four Garganey together with Northern Shoveler, Eurasian Teal and some Common Shelduck as well as around two hundred Greater Flamingo and some Slender-billed Gull. A flock of fourteen Grey Heron flew over around 11.00 am and then in the late afternoon two flocks of around thirty Great Cormorant each headed east.


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Cape Greco 7th March 2015

Annoyed to dip on the Rock Sparrow today at Cape Greco but found some good migrants instead – both male Subalpine and Ruppell’s Warbler, a Black-headed Wagtail, a singing male Cyprus Wheatear, two Eurasian Hoopoe and at least six Isabelline Wheatear. A Common Quail was calling at Kermia Beach where I also saw two Audouin’s Gull and a Sandwich Gull.

At least thirty Slender-billed Gull were on Larnaca Airport Pools later and twenty six were flying east close to the sea off Spiros Beach. Thirteen Armenian Gull had flown over Cape Greco around midday.

Isabelline Wheatear Larnaca Sewage Works March 7th 2015 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Isabelline Wheatear Larnaca Sewage Works March 7th 2015 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Ruppell's Warbler Cape Greco 7th March 2015 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Ruppell’s Warbler Cape Greco 7th March 2015 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours


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Larnaca and Oroklini today, 4th March 2015

Some of the more interesting birds seen while I was out today around Larnaca and Oroklini
Larnaca Sewage Works area – Eurasian Curlew 6
Petounta Point – Northern Wheatear 1m, Kentish Plover 2 (pair)
Kivisili – Hoopoe 1, Isabelline Wheatear 1
Oroklini Beach – Armenian Gull 11, Caspian Gull 3, Mediterranean Gull 3 adult and 1 second year bird
Oroklini Marsh – Common Snipe 10, Black-winged Stilt 5, Black-tailed Godwit 1, Pied Avocet 1, Ruff c30, Red-crested Pochard 2m and 2f, Mediterranean Gull 1 adult, Armenian Gull 2, Common Redshank 2, Common Kingfisher 1, Northern Pintail 1m and 2f, Green Sandpiper 1, Cattle Egret 50+, Greater Flamingo c30, Western Marsh Harrier 1

Red-crested Pochard male and female Oroklini Marsh 4th March 2015 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Red-crested Pochard male and female Oroklini Marsh 4th March 2015 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours


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Cape Greco this afternoon, 28th February 2015

An afternoon walk around Cape Greco in spring sunshine until a large dust cloud approached from the west around 4.30pm. Found five Audouin’s Gull on Kermia Beach and an assortment of wheatears – four Isabelline Wheatear, a male Northern Wheatear and a male and female Finsch’s Wheatear. Surprise bird was an immature Black Kite flying over the army camp.

Audouin's Gull Kermia Beach February 28th 2015 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Audouin’s Gull Kermia Beach February 28th 2015 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours


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Some decent weather at last, 26th February 2015

With no rain forecast, for the first time in days,  I headed out with first stop Agios Sozomenos on the outskirts of Nicosia. There was still a male Finsch’s Wheatear present. Two sub-adult Bonelli’s Eagle, a Peregrine Falcon and a Long-legged Buzzard flew over and at the water treatment plant there were two Ferruginous Duck. Blackcap could be heard singing from many bushes as could several male Spectacled Warbler. I also saw two Long-legged Buzzard  flying over Panagia Stazousa on the way to Larnaca. A single Isabelline Wheatear and Eurasian Hoopoe at Petounta Point showed that migration continues to stutter into gear. On the beach there were four Kentish Plover. Nine Eurasian Curlew were near the Larnaca Sewage Pools and at least eight Calandra Lark were in the fields outside Pervolia.

Eurasian Hoopoe Petounta Point 26th February 2015 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Eurasian Hoopoe Petounta Point 26th February 2015 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours


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Water bird count around Larnaca 18th February 2015

Very windy today at Larnaca where I did the water bird count. A lot of water on the Salt Lake so the Greater Flamingo were concentrated at the edges where the water is shallower. Best species was Little Gull – one on Meneou Pool and another on the Sewage Pools. A Eurasian Hoopoe and a Common Quail were seen on the track leading to the hide at the Sewage Pools.

Meneou Pool – Little Gull 1 first winter, Common Shelduck 3

Larnaca Airport Pools South – Greater Flamingo 245, Western Marsh Harrier 1, Caspian Gull 3, Common Black-headed Gull 107

Larnaca Sewage Pools – Barn Swallow 8, Mallard 73, Eurasian Teal 330, Black-necked Grebe 1, Northern Shoveler 13, Northern Pintail 1m, Gadwall 1m, Great Cormorant 1, Quail (in off sea), Eurasian Hoopoe 1, Little Gull 1

Spiros Pool/Beach – Spur-winged Lapwing 2, Greater Flamingo 67, Sandwich Tern 3, Golden Plover 11, Common Redshank 1

Larnaca Airport Pools North – Northern Shoveler 38, Greater Flamingo 82, Kentish Plover 12, Barn Swallow 2, Coot 3

Larnaca Salt Lake – Northern Shoveler 301, Common Shelduck 660, Greater Flamingo 3364, Barn Swallow c60, Green Sandpiper 1, Black-headed Gull c300, Caspian Gull c80, Armenian Gull c10, Western Marsh Harrier 1, Common Redshank 10, Common Ringed Plover 4, Dunlin 5, Little Stint 7, Kentish Plover 6


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Spring and winter visitors today, 14th February 2015

The nine Ruddy Shelduck were still at Paralimni Lake this morning where there are still around two hundred Greater Flamingo. I heard two Water Rail and there were eight Ruff feeding. A couple of Barn Swallows were in the area together with a single Alpine Swift. Only winter visitors though at Agia Trias – one Sandwich Tern, one Greater Sand Plover and one Golden Plover.

As Cape Greco was hosting a car rally – not exactly the best use for a Natura 2000 site I would have thought – there was no access there so I had a walk from the east of Agia Napa and found one of the earliest Isabelline Wheatear of the year (the first had been found at Avagas last Saturday).

On the beach at Oroklini there were still many Black-headed Gull with just one Mediterranean Gull, two Sandwich Tern, a couple of Armenian Gull and at least one Caspian Gull. On Oroklini Marsh there were hunting Western Marsh Harrier and Long-legged Buzzard which put up three Common Snipe. As well as the overwintering Greater Flamingo, Northern Shoveler and Eurasian Teal there were at least fifty Barn Swallow and probably more House Martin flying around the area and just one Common Swift. A flock of over a hundred Common Starling were also seen.

Grey Plover Agias Trias 14th February 2015 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Grey Plover Agias Trias 14th February 2015 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours


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Cyprus Bird Report 2013

The Cyprus Bird Report 2013 is now available.

The report contains 37 colour photos, the 2013 Systematic List of 293 observed species or recognised forms which was compiled from nearly 65,000 records, the 2013 Ringing report, papers on the first Asian Buff-bellied Pipit in Cyprus, the Southern Grey Shrike species complex, the BirdLife Cyprus 2013 monitoring programmes and Cyprus ringing recoveries updated to 2013. The Report includes species charts and tables and a full Cyprus bird List. The front cover features the Eurasian Griffon Vulture, the subject of a reintroduction project -GYPAS.

Copies can be purchased from BirdLife Cyprus

Cyprus Bird Report 2013

Cyprus Bird Report 2013