Cyprus Wheatear can still be found in several areas and this is one of eight found today in the Panagia Stazousa valley.
Cyprus Wheatear, Panagia Stazousa 10th October 2019 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Cyprus Wheatear, 10th October 2019
Category Archives: Birding
Larnaca area this morning 10th October 2019
First time around the area for a few weeks. The best place for birds was Oroklini Marsh where these two Eurasian Spoonbill were feeding (photo).
Eurasian Spoonbill, Oroklini Marsh 10th October 2019 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Also in the area were:
Oroklini Marsh
Eurasian Spoonbill 2
Great White Egret 1
Little Egret 3
Cattle Egret 1
Common Teal 13
Northern Shoveler 34
Greater Flamingo 30
Common Snipe 6
Wood Sandpiper 1
Green Sandpiper 1
Common Redshank 3
Spur-winged Lapwing c45
Common Kingfisher 1
Western Marsh Harrier 1 m
Black-winged Stilt 1
Marsh Sandpiper 1
Laughing Dove 3
Larnaca Salt Lake
Greater Flamingo c150
Eurasian Spoonbill 10
Red-rumped Swallow c20
Spiros Pool
Red-throated Pipit 2
Larnaca Airport Coast
Northern Wheatear 2
Larnaca Sewage Works
Spur-winged Lapwing 7
Armenian Gull 2
Great Cormorant 1
Common Teal 15
Ruff 7
Western Marsh Harrier 1
Agios Sozomenos, morning 7th October 2019
Quick visit to Agios Sozomenos outside Nicosia this morning. Very quiet apart from some Red-throated Pipits, a Cyprus Wheatear and a group of five Whinchat (one photographed below) and a male European Stonechat together on the edge of a field. The European Stonechat was my first of the winter – soon they will be so common everywhere until late March.
Whinchat , Agios Sozomenos, 7th October 2019 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Waterbird count Larnaca 16th September 2019
Some of the more interesting sightings included: an Osprey migrating west early, a group of 20+ Collared Pratincole, nine Ruddy Turnstone feeding together – which is a high count for Cyprus, six Gull-billed Tern, two Whimbrel, more than 30 Eurasian Stone Curlew, two Black-eared Wheatear, many juv Red-backed Shrike and Whinchat and then a juv Common Cuckoo resting on my veranda when I got home.
Photos of the small flock of Greater Flamingo on the Salt Lake and three of the Ruddy Turnstone group.
Greater Flamingo, Larnaca Salt Lake 16th September 2019 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Ruddy Turnstone, Meneou Pool, 16th September 2019 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Akrotiri area 13th September 2019
A good day around Akrotiri despite being in the wrong places at the time when three Short-toed Snake Eagles passed over. Anyhow saw nearly 70 migrating European Honey Buzzard as well as six Black Kite and several Montagu’s Harrier. Elenora’s Falcon were hunting over the area and hundreds of European Bee-eater were migrating through. Nearly two hundred Kentish Plover were on Lady’s Mile together with a few Little Stint and single Sanderling and Dunlin.
Photo below of a juvenile Kentish Plover in the midday sun on Lady’s Mile.
Kentish Plover, Lady’s Mile 13th September 2019 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Cape Greco, 2nd September 2019
A good selection of migrants in the area including Lesser Whitethroat, Masked, Red-backed and Lesser Grey Shrike, Ortolan and Cretzschmar’s Bunting, Western Yellow Wagtail, Spotted Flycatcher, Common Whitethroat and Willow Warbler (see photos). Best birds though were 13 Black Kite that migrated SW over the area around 8:20 am. Single Peregrine Falcon, Western Marsh Harrier and Pallid Harrier also seen.
Willow Warbler, Cape Greco 2nd September 2019 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Lesser Whitethroat, Cape Greco 2nd September 2019 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Red-backed Shrike, Larnaca 28th August 2019
Several smart male Red-backed Shrikes were around the Larnaca coastal area this morning.
Red-backed Shrike, Spiros Pool 28th August 2019 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Polis Chrysochou Bay 26th August 2019
More sea watching today and some good waders around – Eurasian Oystercatcher moving very quickly west close to shore, flock of 14 Common Redshank, another of 28 Ruff, a juvenile Collared Pratincole and single Ruddy Turnstone and Little Ringed Plover. Also small flocks of Grey and Purple Heron and Glossy Ibis, single Cattle Egret and Black-crowned Night Heron, Garganey, a lone Elenora’s Falcon heading east and two Slender-billed Gull. The photos are the best of a bad bunch of photos taken today – blame the speed of the birds, the harsh light and of course the photographer!
Ruddy Turnstone, Polis Chrysochou Bay, 26th August 2019 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Common Redshank, Polis Chrysochou Bay, 26th August 2019 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Larnaca area 24th & 25th August 2019
Very hot and humid but signs of migration included Greater Flamingo, Grey Heron, Ruff, Little Stint, Little Ringed Plover, Lesser Grey, Red-backed and Masked Shrike, Common Hoopoe, Lesser Whitethroat, Common Teal, Garganey, Isabelline and Northern Wheatear, Western Yellow Wagtail, a single White Stork, Common Kingfisher (photo) and unusually a moulting Mediterranean Gull (photo) on the beach.
Common Kingfisher, Larnaca, 24th August 2019 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Mediterranean Gull, Larnaca 25th August 2019 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Polis Chrysochou Bay, 13th August 2019
Spent most of the day sea watching in the Polis Chrysochou Bay. The bird of the day was this Whimbrel (photo) which flew in off the sea and started feeding on the beach in front me. Also migrating were some Grey and Purple Heron, Glossy Ibis and Garganey. Other waders seen were a flock of eight Common Sandpiper, four distant Pied Avocet flying west over the sea and two Grey Plover which flew into the bay as I was leaving and couldn’t see where they had landed.
Whimbrel, Polis Chrysochou 13th August 2019 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Shrikes on migration.
A few days in the Akamas area 6th – 8th August produced several adult and juvenile Masked Shrike, a male and a female Woodchat Shrike and among the first return migrating Lesser Grey Shrike and Red-backed Shrike. Sea watching was quiet with not much movement yet, although I had several Gull-billed and Whiskered Tern, a flock of 22 Common Sandpiper and an ‘in off’ European Roller as well as a Western Yellow Wagtail feeding in a coastal feed.
Back in Larnaca today I found a resting group of Grey Heron and Little Egret and saw a small group of Glossy Ibis flying over. Little Tern are still fishing offshore and a group of c80 Greater Flamingo are on the Salt Lake which still has some water. Another Lesser Grey Shrike was also there and while I was looking at an Olivaceous Warbler in a track side bush this juvenile Masked Shrike came to check me out.
Masked Shrike juvenile, Larnaca 10th August 2019 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Masked Shrike juvenile, Larnaca 10th August 2019 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Black-winged Stilt chick, Larnaca 3rd July 2019
The Black-winged Stilt appear to have had a successful breeding season in the Larnaca area. Lots of juveniles of all age and sizes around.
Black-winged Stilt chick, Larnaca 3rd July 2019 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Black-winged Stilt chick, Larnaca 3rd July 2019 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
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