Spent the morning at Achna Dam where I was lucky to get some slightly closer photos of the Pied Kingfisher that has been around there for a couple of weeks now. Not as sharp or as close as I would have liked but never mind!! A good morning out overall with other sightings including an Osprey, Montagu’s Harrier, male Western Marsh Harrier, a Long-legged Buzzard, a Purple Heron, several Common Kingfisher, Wood, Green and Common Sandpipers, Common Snipe, Common Ringed Plover, European Bee-eater, Common Hoopoe, juvenile Masked and Red-backed Shrike, Spur-winged Lapwing, a few Western Yellow Wagtail and a lone White Wagtail.
Pied Kingfisher, Achna Dam 28th September 2020 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Went to Achna for first time in several weeks to see if I could find the Pied Kingfisher that had been seen there on Thursday. Surprisingly it was the first bird I saw when I arrived – it called and flew in front of me as it headed to another part of the dam. Later on I saw two in that area – I assume one of those was the one I had seen earlier. No chance of anything other than a record flight shot as they were flying around the area and then disappearing! But it was a great morning’s birding with other birds seen including a Spotted Crake, Little Bittern, Great Crested Grebe, Western Marsh and Montagu’s Harrier, lots of Red-backed and Masked Shrike, many Common Hoopoe, Spur-winged Lapwing, Common Ringed Plover, Wood, Green and Common Sandpiper, Dunlin, Common Snipe, Purple and Squacco Heron, Olivaceous and Willow Warbler.
Achna Dam, 14th September 2020 (c) Cyprus Birding BirdsSpotted Crake, Achna Dam, 14th September 2020 (c) Cyprus Birding ToursDistant flight photo of one of Pied Kingfisher, Achna Dam 14th September 2020 (c) Cyprus Birding ToursSpur-winged Lapwing, Achna Dam, 14th September 2020 (c) Cyprus Birding ToursMasked Shrike, Achna Dam, 14th September 2020 (c) Cyprus Birding ToursCommon Hoopoe, Achna Dam, 14th September 2020 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
I don’t remember as much water in Achna Dam before as I found today . But even so I managed to have a good walk in several areas and found some interesting birds. Its getting hotter though now so I guess walks of an hour or more will soon be out of the question!
Birds seen included:
Glossy Ibis 13
Squacco Heron 8
Gull billed Tern 12
Spur winged Lapwing 8
Great Cormorant 2
Grey Heron 3
Great Crested Grebe 1 ad
European Roller 1
Cattle Egret 2 (one with stick in bill)
Little Egret 2
Little Bittern 1f
Purple Heron 1
Common Hoopoe 4
Black winged Stilt 2
Visited Achna Dam and Oroklini Marsh this morning after yesterday’s rain. Birds around included Hen and Western Marsh Harrier, Great Egret, Spur-winged Lapwing, Common Snipe, Common Kingfisher, my first Meadow Pipits of the winter and a Bluethroat. Photos of a female Northern Pintail and a Western Marsh Harrier from Achna.
Northern Pintail, Achna Dam 26th October 2017 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Western Marsh Harrier, Larnaca 26th October 2017 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours