After a hot morning at Kensington Cliffs helping with the BirdLife Cyprus vulture census I was pleased to hear that a Rose-coloured Starling had been seen an hour or so before at Akrotiri Gravel Pits. Luckily it was still around and although it wasn’t exactly photo friendly I did manage a record shot.
Rose-coloured Starling, Akrotiri 24th May 2019 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Today the Travelling Naturalist group visited Akrotiri starting at Kensington Cliffs where we saw a Griffon Vulture and a male Cyprus Warbler. During the day we found many migrants in the area including Black-winged Stilt, Spur-winged Lapwing, Western Yellow Wagtail, Common Redstart, Ruppell’s and Subalpine Warbler, Little Ringed Plover, Eurasian Bittern, Common Hoopoe (photo). Black-eared Wheatear, Red-throated & Tree Pipit and ‘Steppe’ Buzzard.
Common Hoopoe, Phasouri 24th March 2019 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
As well as the Demoiselle Cranes at Akrotiri on 16th March I also found several Great Spotted Cuckoo (photo), a Common Hoopoe, Water Pipit, Baltic and Slender-billed Gull, some Little Ringed Plover (photo) and a Purple Heron.
Great Spotted Cuckoo, Phasouri, 16th March 2019 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Purple Heron, Phasouri, 16th March 2019 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Little Ringed Plover, Phasouri, 16th March 2019 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Over the weekend hundreds of Demoiselle Crane were seen leaving Akrotiri Salt Lake and heading north to their breeding grounds of central Eurasia. We always get some on their return passage in late August early September – again mainly at Akrotiri Salt Lake. But such large numbers in spring are very unusual as they probably pass over without the need to rest here. We usually see a few single or double figure flocks each spring. It seems as if the bad storms of the weekend force them to land and rest as it did in March 2012.
I was lucky enough to be at Akrotiri yesterday morning and watch a group of around 90 birds feeding and getting ready to leave – which they did around 9:30 am.
Demoiselle Crane, Akrotiri Salt Lake 16th March 2019 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Managed to avoid the storms that were around most of the day just inland from Akrotiri and had a relaxing birding day with highlights:
Lady’s Mile
Black-headed Gull c300 (flying between here and Zakaki Marsh)
Mediterranean Gull 1 1st winter
Slender-billed Gull 3
Armenian Gull 20+
Caspian Gull c2
Eurasian Skylark 1 over calling
Dunlin 4
Kentish Plover 6
Zakaki Marsh
Hen Harrier 1 ring tail
Eurasian Sparrowhawk 1f flew over area four or five times putting gulls to flight
Eurasian Wigeon 1m
Reed Bunting 3
Eurasian Penduline TIt 2+ h
Moustached Warbler c5
Bluethroat 3 (one with white on head, one white spot and one red spot)
Water Rail 2
Spanish Sparrow 6
Common Kingfisher 2
Akrotiri Gravel Pits
Western Marsh Harrier 1f
Common Starling 1
Phasouri Reed-beds
Cattle Egret 2
Western Yellow Wagtail 3
Eurasian Penduline Tit 1+h
Common Kingfisher 1
Water Rail 1h
Kensington Cliffs
Griffon Vulture 10 flying over cliffs together 14:40 – 14:55
Kourio Stadium
Cyprus Warbler 2 (1 h only)
Long-legged Buzzard 1
Woodlark 2+
Eurasian Magpie 21 in one flock flying together
Bluethroat, Zakaki 23rd November 2018 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Water Rail, Zakaki 23rd November 2018 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
White Wagtail, Zakaki 23rd November 2018 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Continuing October’s run of either being out of the country when they are around or dipping on the month’s rarities, today was no exception! No sign of the Eurasian Oystercatcher, Common Rosefinch or even the Eurasian Bittern, found by local birders Ian & Kate Bloomer and Matt Smith today at Akrotiri, by the time I got there.
So instead I spent some time just sitting in the hide at Phasouri Reed-beds watching this juvenile Little Bittern hunting through the reeds.
No sign today of the Black-winged Kite that was seen at Phasouri Reed-beds yesterday morning which was disappointing. Spent some time watching this female Common Kingfisher which cheered me up (See photo). Elsewhere around Akrotiri I found Spotted Crake, Water Rail, Little Bittern, Great Reed Warbler, Red-throated Pipit, Bluethroat, Common Crane, a Western Marsh and a Hen Harrier, two European Honey Buzzard, four Eleonora’s Falcon and a few Eurasian Sparrowhawk so I can’t really complain!
Common Kingfisher, Zakaki, 19th October 2018 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
A spur of the moment visit to Akrotiri today. I didn’t see any raptor migration but had some good birds in any case.
Interesting sightings include:
Akrotiri Salt Lake/Zakaki run off area
Hen Harrier 1 ring tail
Ruff 6
Common Ringed Plover 26+
Common Snipe 2
Red-throated Pipit 8
Little Stint 24+
Western Marsh Harrier 6
Temminck’s Stint 1
Kentish Plover 150+
Greater Flamingo 400+ incl melanistic bird
Northern Wheatear 1
Spotted Crake 3 seen and another heard elsewhere
Collared Pratincole 1
Bluethroat 2
Sedge Warbler 1
Spanish Sparrow 40+
Eleonora’s Falcon 4
Zakaki Marsh hide
Black-headed Gull 6
Grey Heron 20+
Grey Wagtail 1
Water Rail 4
Spotted Crake 1
Bluethroat 1 with white on head
Squacco Heron 1
Little Egret 1
Spanish Sparrow 15
Phasouri Reed-beds Tower hide
Masked Shrike 1 juv
Western Marsh Harrier 1 maybe 2
Eurasian Reed Warbler 1
Common Kingfisher 1
Bluethroat 1
Little Bittern 1 juv
Akrotiri Gravel Pits
Northern Wheatear 1m
Bluethroat, Akrotiri Salt Lake 14th October 2018 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Red-throated Pipit, Akrotiri Salt Lake, 14th October 2018 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Squacco Heron, Zakaki Marsh, 14th October 2018 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Water Rail, Zakaki Marsh, 14th October 2018 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Western Marsh Harrier, Zakaki Marsh, 14th October 2018 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Temminck’s Stint, Akrotiri Salt Lake, 14th October 2018 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
A good day around Akrotiri with highlights two Spotted Crake, a juvenile Common Crane and three Little Swift plus my first Bluethroats, Common Stonechat and Common Buzzard of the winter. Raptor migration has slowed to a trickle but I did see small numbers of Red-footed and Eleonora’s Falcon, Eurasian Hobby, European Honey Buzzard, Western Marsh Harrier and a single Osprey.
Spotted Crake, Zakaki Marsh 9th October 2018 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Northern Lapwing, Akrotiri Salt Lake, 9th October 2018 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Hundreds of European Honey Buzzard have migrated through the Akrotiri peninsula the last two days heading south.
European Honey Buzzard, Phasouri 18th September 2018 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
European Honey Buzzard, Phasouri 18th September 2018 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
A few photos of a very photo-friendly juvenile Collared Pratincole at Akrotiri this morning, 5th September 2018.
Collared Pratincole, Akrotiri Salt Lake 5th September 2018 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
The area is drying out but along with Larnaca Sewage Works, it is still probably the best birding location on the island at the moment. Plenty of Little Ringed Plover (see photo), Kentish Plover and Little Stint along with Glossy Ibis, Slender-billed Gull, a Broad-billed Sandpiper, a Spotted Redshank, Common Greenshank, Common Snipe, two Collared Pratincole, a Temminck’s Stint and a Gull-billed Tern. A female Western Marsh Harrier is putting the birds up frequently as she quarters the area and Elenora’s Falcon fly over from time to time.
Little Ringed Plover juv, Akrotiri 8th August 2018 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Cyprus Birding Tours 