Birding | Cyprus Birding Tours

February 12, 2014
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Akrotiri and Germasogeia today 12th February 2014

Another sunny day with the winter seeming to have passed us by this year. Plenty of Water Pipit still at Phassouri Reed Beds and several Western Marsh Harrier, Hen Harrier and Common Buzzard around. Flocks of Greenfinch, Linnet and Serin were flying over the Gravel Pits. On Lady’s Mile there were several Kentish Plover and Little Stint with a lone Common Ringed Plover and some Armenian Gulls.

At Germasogeia Dam there were several Barn Swallow feeding over the water and again flocks of finches as well as a flock of Spanish Sparrow and Corn Bunting. Two adult Long-legged Buzzard were present and there were at least five Common Snipe around the edge. I was pleased to see a Mistle Thrush and a Cyprus Warbler on the nature trail but the best bird was a Bluethroat feeding out in the open near the water’s edge.

Serin Germasogeia Dam 12th February 2014 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

February 11, 2014
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CYPRUS BIRD REPORT 2012

The Cyprus Bird Report 2012 is now available.

The report contains 40 colour photos, the 2012 Systematic List of 294 observed species which was compiled from nearly 57,000 records, the 2012 Ringing report, papers on the first Crested Honey Buzzard in Cyprus, the Yellow Wagtail species complex, House Martin colonies in western Cyprus, small predator species and the effects of a fire on the local bird species density. The Report includes species charts and tables and a full Cyprus bird List. The front cover features the country’s 2nd Sociable Lapwing.

Copies can be purchased from birdlifecyprus@birdlifecyprus.org.cy

February 11, 2014
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Early migrant update, 11th February 2014

Barn Swallows, House Martins and now Common Swift are being reported in small numbers (max 50 at a time – usually less) at locations such as Oroklini Marsh, Zakaki Marsh, Phassouri Reed Beds and Germasogeia Dam. This morning there were three Barn Swallow at Manglis Lake in Nicosia. Less than for this time other years when by now I would have expected House Martin and Common Swift there as well.

A late report that the first Great Spotted Cuckoo for the year was seen on January 22nd at Phassouri. Another has been seen at Germasogeia.

Lets see what this week brings – on February 14th 2013 the first Isabelline and Cyprus Wheatear were reported from Cape Greco in the east and Cape Drepanum in the west. A Tawny Pipit had been at Akrotiri Gravel Pits on February 2nd and by mid February a few Yellow Wagtail and a single Desert Wheatear had been seen. The first Hoopoe was seen at Oroklini on 8th February 2013.

February 7, 2014
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Birding around Nicosia, 7th February 2014

Decided to limit my birding to the Nicosia area today. Started at Manglis Lake in Lakatameia where the single Gadwall is still present after several weeks keeping company with some Common Coot, a Grey Heron, a Little Egret and a Common Kingfisher. As I walked round I disturbed a Green Sandpiper that was feeding at the edge and flew off noisily. Several Spanish Sparrow were in the water side trees and a couple of Song Thrush flew over.

At Agios Sozomenos I was pleased to find four male Finsch’s Wheatear were still around – each of them in the same place as on previous visits. There was also a male Blue Rock Thrush. On the Water Treatment Pool at Vathi Gonia there was a Common Sandpiper as well as six Northern Shoveler. A couple of male Spectacled Warbler were singing in the sunshine.

The usual suspects were at Athalassa Park – many Woodpigeon and Hooded Crow were flying around and on the water there were two Great Egret, five Grey Heron, twelve Little Egret, a couple of Cattle Egret and a juvenile Black-crowned Night Heron. Over sixty Great Cormorant were present as were some Northern Shoveler and Common Teal.

Agios Sozomenos 7th February 2014 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

February 5, 2014
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Paphos Headland and Anarita Park today 5th February 2014

Visited Anarita Park this afternoon to see if could relocate the Red-fronted Serin that had been found there on Friday. Went with the local birders who found it but we had no luck. There were several small flocks of finches around – mainly European Serin and Goldfinch with a few Chaffinch and Greenfinch as well as at least thirty Corn Bunting. We had good views of a male Finsch’s Wheatear, one of the area’s resident Little Owls and a male Hen Harrier so they made up for it. Two Long-legged Buzzard were soaring in the distance over Anarita village.

In the morning I had visited the Paphos Headland. There were forty nine Golden Plover, four Greater Sand Plover and a Dunlin on the coast and in the archaeological site I found at least eleven Woodlark, a couple of Common Starling and the usual winter visitors – Eurasian Skylark, Common Stonechat, Black Redstart, Meadow Pipit, Common Chaffinch, Song Thrush and resident Common Linnet, Sardinian Warbler and Spanish Sparrow.

Sardinian Warbler Paphos Headland 5th February 2014 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

February 2, 2014
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Akrotiri and Larnaca this weekend 1st & 2nd February 2014

Two very different days this weekend weatherwise. On Saturday I had been to Akrotiri on the BirdLife Cyprus field trip there. The number of Common Buzzard and Harriers in the area was notable – more than six Common Buzzard, at least four Western Marsh Harrier and two Hen Harrier. I arrived too late to see the Bittern, Eurasian Curlew and Bluethroat at Phassouri but caught up with a couple of Water Pipit there and then several Ferruginous Duck, a female Common Pochard and two female Northern Pintail at Bishop’s Pool.

I went to Kensington Cliffs late in the afternoon and enjoyed a fly-pass of two Griffon Vulture who were then joined in the air by a third and a Peregrine Falcon who was vying for attention. The sun shone and the sea was calm.

Completely different at Larnaca this morning. Rough sea and strong wind meant three Western Marsh Harriers were seen battling against the wind over the Sewage Works pools being mainly ignored by the hundreds of Northern Shoveler and Common Teal, the Mallard, Common Coot and Little Grebe which were there as usual. The Greylag Goose is still present as are the thirteen Greater White-fronted Geese. In with the other birds I found two Gadwall, five Wigeon and at least twelve Black-necked Grebe: two of which are now acquiring breeding plumage.

A flock of around a hundred Golden Plover flew over the area and as well as a single Heuglin’s Gull and eight Armenian Gull I also found three Eurasian Stone Curlew on the Airport Pools.

Griffon Vulture Kensington Cliffs February 1st 2014 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Stone Curlew Larnaca 2nd February 2014 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

January 29, 2014
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Agias Trias, Cape Greco and Oroklini today, 29th January 2014

Out birding today in the wind to the east of Larnaca. At Agias Trias I found the four Grey Plover and two Greater Sand Plover that had been there earlier in the month. A walk around Cape Greco produced two male Blue Rock Thrush, several Chukar, lots of Meadow Pipit, some Black Redstart and Spanish Sparrow, and a Hen Harrier. Two Audouin’s Gull flew offshore and there were three more on the rocks at Kermia Beach together with a single Yellow-legged Gull. There was a juvenile Armenian Gull in with all the Black-headed Gull on Oroklini Beach and a Sandwich Tern was fishing out past the rocks there. Around twenty European Shag were roosting on the buoys off Dhekelia Power Station.

I had my first House Martin of the year at Oroklini Marsh where there was a male Marsh Harrier hunting. It put up a flock of around twenty Spur-winged Lapwing as well as the Cattle Egret that were collecting there for their evening roost. Two Moustached Warbler were heard in the reeds and there were many White Wagtail flying over to roost and around a hundred Common Starling flying around the area. On the water there were eight Northern Pintail in with the Northern Shoveler, Common Teal, Coot and Mallard.

Grey Plover Agias Trias January 29th 2014 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

January 28, 2014
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Waiting for the first spring migrants of 2014

Last Thursday the first Barn Swallows of the year were seen at Zakaki Marsh and Phassouri Reed Beds with another at Paphos Sewage Works on Friday – which was an unusually early record for the west of the island. Two House Martins were seen at the Finikaria end of the Germasogeia Dam the same day. Most January records of hirundines are usually from the east of the island and more will be expected from now on, with both species being regularly seen from mid-February onwards. The first Common Swift are usually seen in January as well – again most likely to be recorded in the east first.

Wetlands such as those around Limassol and Larnaca are good places to visit to catch the first hirundines of the spring and the first reports of these migrants whet the appetite for the other early spring migrants that will follow – usually Eurasian Hoopoe, Great Spotted Cuckoo and then Isabelline, Northern and Cyprus Wheatear.

January 22, 2014
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Peregrine Falcon, Merlin, Long-legged Buzzard and other raptors around Limassol today, 22nd January 2014

Went to Limassol to try and find the Pied Kingfisher that was seen around Limassol port last week but although I was unlucky with that I had an enjoyable day out. In the canal close to the port I watched a Water Rail creeping through the reeds and also found several Cetti’s Warbler, two Little Egret, two Grey Wagtail, several Water Pipit, a Common Snipe and a Common Kingfisher.

At Zakaki there were plenty of Black-headed Gull, Common Teal and Coot but the highlight of the day occurred there when two Peregrine Falcon flew over hotly pursued by a Merlin. One of the Peregrines and the Merlin even seemed to grapple at one stage. It was unclear why this was happening but am guessing it could have been a squabble over prey. The Merlin was being very aggressive towards the other two larger falcons.

There were several Marsh Harrier and a Hen Harrier as well as a couple of Common Buzzard at Phassouri Reed Beds. I heard a Water Rail there but couldn’t see it and found six Reed Buntings feeding on the reeds. In the Gravel Pits area the hunting Hen Harrier put up the two Eurasian Curlew that have been there since the new year.

I went to Germasogeia Dam in the late afternoon stopping there to walk around the Finikaria end of the dam. There were twelve Crag Martin flying around the area and a Long-legged Buzzard perched on a tree. I also saw a Peregrine Falcon as well as a Little Owl and more Water Pipit, Common Snipe and Grey Wagtail, as well as mixed flocks of finches – Linnets, Serin , Chaffinch and Goldfinch – and some Corn Bunting.

Long-legged Buzzard, Finikaria, 22nd January 2014 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

January 19, 2014
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Yellowhammers at Troodos today, 19th January 2014

Went to Troodos for a few hours this morning. Full of people enjoying the unseasonally warm weather. Plenty of singing Short-toed Treecreeper and Coal Tit as well as Blackbird, Chaffinch and a lone Crossbill. More interestingly were the seven Yellowhammer that flew over the Meteorological Station, landing about 200m away from me near the houses there before flying off and refusing to be located. Got views of one through my bins for about twenty seconds and despite looking into the sun this confirmed the ID for me. Only my second sighting of these birds in Cyprus, which are not seen every year, but are probably present most winters. Last year a Pine Bunting was suspected to be with the small group seen in February. Now that would be nice!!

Troodos January 19th 2014 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

January 15, 2014
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Waterbird Count Larnaca today 15th January 2014

As with last month the largest numbers of birds were ducks at the Sewage Works – over 1300 Northern Shoveler and nearly the same number of Common Teal were there. There were also a few Common Shelduck there as well as two Gadwall, a Northern Pintail, five Wigeon and a Ferruginous Duck. There were at least fifteen Black-necked Grebe and over two hundred Little Grebe as well as 350 Coot and nearly a hundred Black-headed Gull. There was a Black-winged Stilt and a Common Redshank on the Sewage Pools and in the fields there were over forty Northern Lapwing and six Ruff.

There were more than four hundred Golden Plover on Larnaca Airport Pools South and I also found three Eurasian Stone Curlew. Twelve of the Greater White-fronted Geese and the Greylag Goose were in the fields there while the thirteenth Greater White-fronted was on the Sewage Pools to where the others returned during the morning. On the offshore buoys I could count six Sandwich Tern and there were two Marsh Harrier and a Hen Harrier quartering the area.

There were only just over 300 Greater Flamingo on the main Salt Lake and they were all collected in the north-east corner. There were around 850 Common Shelduck as well as over 500 Black-headed Gull (with a lone immature Mediterranean Gull in with them) on the lake. Most of the birds were also in the north-eastern area – Dunlin, Kentish Plover, Little Stint, Common Ringed Plover, Common Redshank, a Grey Heron, a Common Snipe and around sixty Common Teal. I found a couple of Water Pipit and saw four Reed Bunting in one area and heard two others elsewhere. Another Marsh Harrier was also hunting in the area.

I then visited Kiti Dam for the Waterbird Count – it has some water but no waterbirds. I returned to Larnaca Airport Pools South in the late afternoon and by then there were at least 28 Armenian Gull, twenty Caspian Gull and two Heuglin’s Gull (Lesser Black-backed Gull). The Heuglin’s Gull may have been the same two that had been seen by other birders on the main Salt Lake on Sunday afternoon.

Stone Curlew Larnaca 15th January 2014 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Kiti Dam January 15th 2014 (C) Cyprus Birding Tours

January 7, 2014
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Limassol area this morning, 7th January 2014

There were several Western Marsh Harrier and Common Buzzard at Phassouri Reed Beds this morning together with at least twenty Water Pipit and a possible pair of Penduline Tit seen briefly in the reeds. There were two Common Snipe but no sign of the Great Snipe reported there earlier this week. On Akrotiri Gravel Pits there was a Reed Bunting, four Common Shelduck and twenty Golden Plover as well as more Marsh Harrier and another Common Buzzard.

At Bishop’s Pool there were at least four Ferruginous Duck, two Common Shelduck, a female Common Pochard, two female Northern Pintail as well as at least two Northern Shoveler and several Mallard and Common Teal. There seemed to be even more Greater Flamingo on the Salt Lake than I saw last week – maybe up to 10,000 as well as many Common Shelduck. Only a small number of gulls at Lady’s Mile – twenty Armenian Gull (adults and juvenile) and around 50 Common Black-headed Gull.

At the Finikaria end of Germasogeia Dam there were many Chiffchaff in the reeds as well as a couple of Cetti’s coming out of the reeds to feed on the mud and also the bird of the morning – a Moustached Warbler – which kept low down at the base of the reeds but was visible during most of the time spent there. A Long-legged Buzzard was perched on a grassy slope nearby and the area was full of small passerines including Meadow Pipit, Stonechat, Chaffinch, Robin, Serin, Linnet as well as a Song Thrush and a couple of Blackbird.

Ferruginous Duck, Bishop’s Pool January 7th 2014 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

: Grey Wagtail Finikaria January 7th 2014 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

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