Cyprus Birding Tours

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Category Archives: Birding


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Larnaca area this morning, 21st July 2014

A quick visit to Panagia Stazousa this morning where I found several juvenile Masked Shrike and Cyprus Wheatear. Two Little Owls were near the road but the best birds were an adult and sub-adult Bonelli’s Eagle soaring over the area.

At the coast, the fields near the Larnaca Desalination Plant are being watered at the moment and there were two Collared Pratincole, four Little Stint, a Common Sandpiper, three juvenile Little Ringed Plover and several Kentish Plover feeding in the mud. Two juvenile Little Tern flew along the coast.

Little Owl Panagia Stazousa 21st July 2014 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Little Owl Panagia Stazousa 21st July 2014 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Little Stint Larnaca Desal Fields 21st July 2014 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Little Stint Larnaca Desal Fields 21st July 2014 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Kentish Plover juvenile Larnaca Desal Fields 21st July 2014 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Kentish Plover juvenile Larnaca Desal Fields 21st July 2014 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours


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Larnaca, Oroklini and Akhna this morning, 15th July 2014

A flock of nineteen Common Sandpiper were on the coast near the airport at Larnaca this morning and another five were on the Sewage Works Pools. Two were also at Akhna with five Green and two Wood Sandpiper. A Spotted Redshank in breeding plumage flew over Spiros Pool and another was at Akhna. Two Ferruginous Duck and the long-staying Common Shelduck were in with the Mallard on the Sewage Works Pool. There were Black-winged Stilt and Spur-winged Lapwing at the Sewage Pools, at Akhna and also at Oroklini. Three chicks were at the Sewage Pools and also at Oroklini.

A Temminck’s Stint, an adult Gull-billed Tern and three Greenshank were at Akhna with two Little Stint and a Common Redshank on the Sewage Pools. There was a Squacco Heron, nine Cattle Egret, nine Grey Heron, two Little Egret and six Glossy Ibis at Akhna and sleeping towards the back of the main pool of Oroklini were three Eurasian Spoonbill. Behind them was a Black-tailed Godwit.

Other than waterbirds I found a juvenile Masked Shrike near the Sewage Pools, a European Roller and two Eurasian Hoopoe near Tekke Mosque with another Hoopoe at Akhna. A male Black-headed Wagtail flew very close to me on the edge of the Salt Lake and may have been doing some kind of distraction display.

Black-winged Stilt Akhna Dam 15th July 2014 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Black-winged Stilt Akhna Dam 15th July 2014 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Eurasian Spoonbill Oroklini Marsh 15th July 2014 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Eurasian Spoonbill Oroklini Marsh 15th July 2014 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours


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Oroklini Marsh this morning, 12th July 2014

There were two Eurasian Spoonbill on Oroklini Marsh this morning feeding with the nearly fifty Greater Flamingo spending the summer there. There must be at least forty Cattle Egret breeding in the tamarisks there with many nearly fully grown young visible. There were also a couple of Little Egret present. A couple of Slender-billed Gull were swimming among the Coots and a small Spur-winged Lapwing chick was feeding just in front of the hide. A Green Sandpiper was flying around the area.

Greater Flamingo Oroklini Marsh 12th July 2014 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Greater Flamingo Oroklini Marsh 12th July 2014 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours


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Birding around Troodos 11th July 2014

Spent the day in Troodos yesterday. Found family parties of Masked Shrike, Eastern Olivaceous Warbler, Winter Wren, Spotted Flycatcher, Short-toed Treecreeper, Coal Tit, Chaffinch and Cyprus Wheatear. Also a lone Hoopoe at Livadhi tou Pashia and several male Blackbirds. I heard at least one Red Crossbill fly over Troodos Square. There were a couple of Pallid Swift in with around twenty Common Swift flying around together with at least fifty House Martin and several Barn Swallow. A Scops Owl called a couple of times.

Went to the Myllomeris Waterfall to see if Grey Wagtail were breeding there again this year. I saw a male fly off but as I mistimed my visit there and it coincided with the arrival of several jeep loads of other visitors, there was unfortunately no chance to find any birds at all let alone juvenile Grey Wagtails.

I stopped at Zakaki Marsh on the way home and found two juvenile Black-crowned Night Heron and a Black-tailed Godwit. The Black-winged Stilt young are growing. A Great Reed Warbler was seen climbing among the reeds as well as several Eurasian Reed Warbler.

Caledonia Trail near Troodos 11th July 2014 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Caledonia Trail near Troodos 11th July 2014 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Black Pine Troodos 11th July 2014 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Black Pine Troodos 11th July 2014 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours


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More migrating waders 8th July 2014

Found migrating waders at Akhna Dam and Larnaca sites this morning. Single Collared Pratincole were at Akhna and flying over the Larnaca Airport fields. Also at Akhna were a couple of Common Greenshank, a Common Sandpiper, a Little Ringed Plover, a Common Redshank, four Green Sandpiper, a Ruff and several Black-winged Stilt and Spur-winged Lapwing. A quick visit to Oroklini produced a Slender-billed Gull and the chance to watch three young Spur-winged Lapwing feeding near the hide under the watchful eye of their parents. A Common Sandpiper was at Larnaca Sewage Works and on Spiros Beach nearly thirty Kentish Plover were roosting.

Collared Pratincole Akhna Dam 8th July 2014 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Collared Pratincole Akhna Dam 8th July 2014 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours


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Zakaki Marsh late afternoon 3rd July 2014

As well as two small Black-winged Stilt chicks there were three slighty bigger ones and two that were almost adult size. A small Spur-winged Lapwing chick was feeding near the hide. There were two Black-tailed Godwit that spent most of the time fighting each other. A Little Tern was sitting on a mound and four adult Little Ringed Plover were feeding in the mud as were two juvenile birds. Also present were some Little Egret, a couple of Ruff, a Common Sandpiper and two Common Redshank, two adult Spur-winged Lapwing, a couple of Ferruginous Duck and Mallard, Coots and Little Grebe. Several Reed Warbler could be seen flitting around the base of the reeds and a male Black-headed Wagtail was also present.

Black-winged Stilt chick Zakaki Marsh 3rd July 2014 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Black-winged Stilt chick Zakaki Marsh 3rd July 2014 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours


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Returning migrating waders today 2nd July 2014

Was at Akhna and Oroklini this morning and it is obvious that wader return migration is underway. As well as a Wood Sandpiper at both locations and five Green Sandpiper at Akhna, there was a Spotted Redshank still in breeding plumage at Akhna and a single Black-tailed Godwit feeding close to it. At Oroklini there were four Black-tailed Godwit and three Common Redshank.

Also at Akhna were several Spur-winged Lapwing with juveniles, a Gull-billed Tern, a European Roller and hundreds of House Sparrows coming to the water’s edge to bathe and drink. At Oroklini there were around 100 Greater Flamingo, several Black-winged Stilt and there now seem to be more than thirty Cattle Egret nests with several young visible too.

Black-tailed Godwit Oroklini July 2nd 2014 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Black-tailed Godwit Oroklini July 2nd 2014 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours


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Rollers at Panagia Stazousa, Monday 30th June 2014

Found 10 adult Rollers this morning in the Panagia Stazousa Important Bird Area. All were adults and I didn’t see any young. There were family parties of Cretzschmar’s Bunting, Cyprus Warbler and Wheatear as well as young Wood-pigeon, Chukar and Little Owl. The juvenile Long-legged Buzzard had left the nest but was still perched closed by. An adult was flying over the area. I also saw a couple of European Bee-eater, Masked Shrike and Hoopoe.


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Agia Napa Sewage Works and Akhna Dam this morning, 24th June 2014

Was at Agia Napa Sewage Works early this morning and found a couple of male Black-headed Bunting and a female. Not much else around as the heat of summer starts to take hold. Heard several Spectacled Warbler and there were nearly twenty Little Grebe on the sewage pools. Leaving the area an Eleonora’s Falcon flew over the road being mobbed by a Common Kestrel.

Knowing that there was still water in Akhna Dam and there had been some good sightings there recently I decided to pay it a visit. The first bird I saw there was a Eurasian Spoonbill which made the detour worthwhile. There were four Squacco Heron, twelve Black-winged Stilt, a Common Sandpiper, a Common Greenshank, a Little Egret and two Grey Herons as well as nearly twenty Spur-winged Lapwing. There were several juvenile Spur-winged Lapwing. Cattle Egret flew in while I was there and the seven adults had five young birds with them. Eurasian Reed Warbler were heard in the reeds and a European Roller flew over the area, rolling while trying to catch an insect which was not giving in easily. After the dry winter and spring it was good to visit an area with water in it for a change, even if there was no sign of the Black Tern that had been there last month.

Eurasian Spoonbill Akhna Dam 24th June 2014 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Eurasian Spoonbill Akhna Dam 24th June 2014 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Black-winged Stilt, Akhna Dam 24th June 2014 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Black-winged Stilt, Akhna Dam 24th June 2014 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Cattle Egret, Akhna Dam 24th June (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Cattle Egret, Akhna Dam 24th June (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Common Greenshank Akhna Dam 24th June 2014 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Common Greenshank Akhna Dam 24th June 2014 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours


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Larnaca area this morning 17th June 2014

Combining the monthly Waterbird Count and a Breeding Bird Atlas survey in Larnaca this morning produced a few interesting observations which included a couple of Turtle Doves, two juvenile and an adult Great Spotted Cuckoo, two young Black-winged Stilt with a few other adults around, incubating Spur-winged Lapwing, a couple of Ferruginous Duck, solitary Common Shelduck and male Northern Shoveler. There were plenty of juvenile Common Kestrel flying around the Larnaca Salt Lake area, Dromolaxia and Kiti. The whole area had an amazing number of House Sparrow – hundreds of adults and young birds in flocks feeding on the fields and in the built up areas as well.

Great Spotted Cuckoo 17th June 2014 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Great Spotted Cuckoo 17th June 2014 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours


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Panagia Stazousa, Larnaca this morning 9th June 2014

Back in Cyprus after a couple of weeks away, I went to Panagia Stazousa and Pyrga this morning. Found at least six European Roller, two Eurasian Hoopoe, a pair of Long-legged Buzzard with two young on the nest, a couple of Cretzschmar’s Bunting and several Masked Shrike. There were at least two Cyprus Wheatear family parties as well as several singing males. I heard a Cyprus Warbler and several Eastern Olivaceous Warbler singing. A Eurasian Scops Owl called briefly and a Little Owl disappeared quickly into its nest hole as I drove past. As well as many Barn Swallow there were also at least four Red-rumped Swallow. Two juvenile Great Spotted Cuckoo were being fed by Magpies. The only species missing from visits there this time last year was European Bee-eater.