Akrotiri birds | Cyprus Birding Tours

March 15, 2014
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Cyprus Birding Tours Trip Report – Day’s Guiding Kouklia and Limassol 14th March 2014

Out with Harry and Jacky again who were over here for their annual spring visit. As usual they wanted to visit new locations and were especially keen to see birds of prey. We went to Kouklia Soakaways where we found Long-legged and Common Buzzard and a Eurasian Sparrowhawk. On to Germasogeia Dam where the highlights were a ring tail Hen Harrier, a singing male Cyprus Warbler and on the water a drake Northern Pintail together with two male and a female Garganey.

Around the Akrotiri Peninsula we visited Phassouri Reed Beds and the Gravel Pits. We saw the juvenile Bonelli’s Eagle that has been in the area most of the winter, several Western Marsh Harrier, another Hen Harrier and a couple of Common Buzzard. We also had Water Pipit, Black-headed Wagtail, Ruff, Eurasian Curlew, Great Spotted Cuckoo, Blue Rock Thrush and best of all were treated to a singing Subalpine Warbler at the church.

We ended an enjoyable day at Kensington Cliffs where we watched several Alpine Swift and heard another Cyprus Warbler.

Sixty one species –

Little Grebe, Great Cormorant, Cattle Egret, Little Egret, Grey Heron, Eurasian Teal, Mallard, Northern Pintail, Garganey, Western Marsh Harrier, Hen Harrier, Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Common Buzzard, Long-legged Buzzard, Bonelli’s Eagle, Common Kestrel, Chukar, Common Moorhen, Eurasian Coot, Ruff, Eurasian Curlew, Green Sandpiper, Common Woodpigeon, Eurasian Collared, Rock Dove, Great Spotted Cuckoo, Common Swift, Alpine Swift, Crested Lark, Eurasian Skylark, Barn Swallow, Common House Martin, Meadow Pipit, Water Pipit, Black-headed Wagtail, White Wagtail, European Robin, Western Black Redstart, Common Stonechat, Isabelline Wheatear, Blue Rock Thrush, Song Thrush, Cetti’s Warbler, Zitting Cisticola, Sedge Warbler, Eurasian Reed Warbler, Subalpine Warbler, Sardinian Warbler, Cyprus Warbler, Common Chiffchaff, Great Tit, Eurasian Magpie, Western Jackdaw, Hooded Crow, House Sparrow, Spanish Sparrow, Common Chaffinch, European Serin, European Goldfinch, European Greenfinch, Common Linnet

March 11, 2014
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Cyprus Birding Tours Trip Report – Morning’s guiding around Akrotiri 11th March 2014

Spent this morning around Akrotiri with Lesley who was on holiday in Cyprus. We managed to avoid the heaviest of the showers by being in the car at the time and still saw a varied collection of birds in a few hours.

Our first stop was Phassouri Reed Beds where at least two Western Marsh Harrier and a Common Buzzard were quartering the reeds. Many Common Swift and Barn Swallow were flying over the area with a few House Martin and Sand Martin in with them. A couple of Ruff flew into the area and there were Meadow and Water Pipit feeding in the wet grass together with a single Black-headed Wagtail. Several Cattle Egret and a Little Egret were present and we heard Little Grebe and Common Coot from deep in the reeds. A couple of Mallard and a Northern Shoveler flew over. After seeing some movement in the reeds we finally located a Moustached Warbler although just for brief views.

Crossing Akrotiri Gravel Pits we spotted a male Blue Rock Thrush perched on a low tree and when we got out of the car to get better views two Great Spotted Cuckoo flew off. We managed to relocate one of them only for it to fly away again. A Eurasian Hoopoe was also present as were a couple of Isabelline Wheatear. A male Sardinian Warbler flew to the top of a bush and later near the Church we were able to compare him with a male Cyprus Warbler we found there. In that area after a shower there were also many Meadow Pipit together with many Serin and Goldfinch and a female Black Redstart. Seven Grey Heron were migrating over the area.

At Lady’s Mile the wind got up and the sky dark again but we managed to see good numbers of Kentish Plover there as well as some Dunlin and Little Stint which were still mainly in winter plumage. There were no gulls around although we also saw a Common Ringed Plover. A quick scan of Zakaki produced another Little Egret and a Water Pipit.

To finish the morning we checked the Limassol Port channel and had much better views of a Moustached Warbler there creeping low down in the reeds. We also added a Grey Wagtail to our list.

Species seen (55) –

Little Grebe, Cattle Egret, Little Egret, Grey Heron, Mallard, Northern Shoveler, Western Marsh Harrier, Common Buzzard, Common Kestrel, Eurasian Coot, Common Ringed Plover, Kentish Plover, Little Stint, Dunlin, Ruff, Rock Dove, Common Woodpigeon, Great Spotted Cuckoo, Common Swift, Eurasian Hoopoe, Greater Short-toed Lark, Crested Lark, Eurasian Skylark, Barn Swallow, Common House Martin, Sand Martin, Meadow Pipit, Water Pipit, Black-headed Wagtail, Grey Wagtail, White Wagtail, European Robin, Western Black Redstart, Common Stonechat, Isabelline Wheatear, Blue Rock Thrush, Song Thrush, Cetti’s Warbler, Zitting Cisticola, Moustached Warbler, Eurasian Reed Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat, Sardinian Warbler, Cyprus Warbler, Eurasian Blackcap, Common Chiffchaff, Great Tit, Hooded Crow, House Sparrow, Spanish Sparrow, Common Chaffinch, European Serin, European Greenfinch, European Goldfinch, Common Linnet

February 26, 2014
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Akrotiri and Amathus today, 26th February 2014

My planned visit to Akrotiri today luckily coincided with the discovery yesterday of a Cream-coloured Courser at Akrotiri Gravel Pits. Fortunately it was easy to find and as well as seeing that I got my first Isabelline Wheatears (six in total) and Great Spotted Cuckoo of the year. On the coast there were two Eurasian Curlew and in the reeds at Phassouri I found a ReedBunting. There were at least three Western Marsh Harrier and three Common Buzzard in the area. Several Barn Swallows and House Martin were flying around and before I arrived another birder had seen a group of around fifty Common Swift pass over.

I later found one of the Laughing Doves that are now breeding in a residential area of Limassol. They are probably escapes but are well established in the area. Afterwards I went to Amathus where I found another Isabelline Wheatear, five Black Redstart, sixty Spanish Sparrow, over thirty Common Linnet, several Song Thrush and a female Blackbird, two male Cyprus Warbler, a couple of Chukar and more than twelve Corn Bunting.