Two mornings out with Jean, Ray and Mair were spent at different Paphos locations where we had good views of many migrant breeders and migrating herons, hirundines, waders, Lesser Kestrel, Red-footed Falcon and European Bee-eater. We also got excellent views of the vagrant Amur Falcon – looking rather cross as he dried out after a downpour – and a displaying European Roller.
Highlights per locations:
Tuesday 3rd May
Evretou Dam – Purple Heron 1, Chukar, Little Ringed Plover, Little Stint, Ruff, Common Snipe, Curlew Sandpiper 3, Wood Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, European Bee-eater, Red-rumped Swallow, Cyprus Wheatear, Spotted Flycatcher, Eurasian Hoopoe
Androlikou – Eurasian Turtle Dove, Little Owl, European Bee-eater, European Roller, Eurasian Hoopoe, Cyprus Wheatear, Spotted Flycatcher
Neochorio – Smygies – European Bee-eatear, Red-rumped Swallow, Cyprus Wheatear, Eastern Olivaceous Warbler, Spotted Flycatcher, Eurasian Golden Oriole, Cretzschmar’s Bunting
Friday 6th May
Anarita Park – Lesser Kestrel 2, Red-footed Falcon c20, Amur Falcon 1m, Eleonora’s Falcon 1, Great Spotted Cuckoo, Little Owl, European Bee-eater, European Roller
Agia Varvara – Squacco Heron, European Bee-eater, Sand Martin
Paphos Sewage Works – Cattle Egret, Spur-winged Lapwing, Sand Martin 40+
Arodes (near village) – Golden Oriole 3, Black-headed Bunting 1 singing male
Two day list of species: 55 in total
Squacco Heron, Cattle Egret, Grey Heron, Purple Heron, Lesser Kestrel, Common Kestrel, Red-footed Falcon, Amur Falcon, Eleonora’s Falcon, Chukar, Black Francolin, Little Ringed Plover, Spur-winged Lapwing, Little Stint, Ruff, Common Snipe, Curlew Sandpiper, Wood Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, Yellow-legged Gull, Common Woodpigeon, Eurasian Collared Dove, Eurasian Turtle Dove, Great Spotted Cuckoo, Little Owl, Common Swift, European Bee-eater, European Roller, Eurasian Hoopoe, Crested Lark, Sand Martin, Barn Swallow, Red-rumped Swallow, Common House Martin, Cyprus Wheatear, Cetti’s Warbler, Zitting Cisticola, Eurasian Reed Warbler, Eastern Olivaceous Warbler, Sardinian Warbler, Spotted Flycatcher, Great Tit, Eurasian Golden Oriole, Eurasian Magpie, Western Jackdaw, Hooded Crow, House Sparrow, Spanish Sparrow, European Serin, European Greenfinch, European Goldfinch, Common Linnet, Cretzschmar’s Bunting, Black-headed Bunting, Corn Bunting
Amur Falcon drying off in the sun, Anarita Park, 6th May 2016
Black-headed Bunting, Arodes, 6th May 2016 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Record shots taken 29th April 2016 of the male Amur Falcon found at Anarita Park the day before by Matt Smith and now delighting both local and visiting birders. The second Cyprus first this year after a Brown-necked Raven found by Keith and Raija Howard at Cape Greco in March. A crashed laptop means I lost my (admittedly poor) photos of that bird.
Amur Falcon, Anarita Park, 29th April 2016 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Amur Falcon , Anarita Park, 29th April 2016 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Amur Falcon , Anarita Park, 29th April 2016 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
A day out with Vanessa, Catherine, Les and David around Paphos where we saw some colourful and varied species. We started at Anarita Park where a pair of Great Spotted Cuckoo greeted us as we drove into the area. As we watched them several Lesser Kestrel could be seen hunting over fields and a female Pallid Harrier gained height to the south. Four Lesser Kestrel rested on a nearby pylon and we were able to see the ID pointers on both the male and females. Moving down the track we found at least eight male and two female Red-footed Falcon and also the male Amur Falcon that has caused great excitement amongst local birders since it was found on Thursday. A Cyprus first and we had the privilege of watching it fly and hunt over our heads! After a while we moved on and found a European Roller and both the Cyprus endemics – being able to watch a singing male Cyprus Wheatear on our right and a singing male Cyprus Warbler on our left. We also got close to the resident Little Owl and found another pair of Great Spotted Cuckoo.
Our next stop was the valley of Agia Varvara. On our way to check out the soakaways that still held some water we were distracted by a displaying European Roller that was also attracting the attention of the resident Hooded Crows who were not keen to having him setting up territory there. A great spectacle and with all respect to the Amur Falcon it was the highlight of the day. In the wet areas we found Purple and Squacco Heron, Glossy Ibis, Ruff, Wood and Common Sandpiper, Common Snipe, and Yellow and White Wagtail. A surprise find were two Ortolan Bunting. We heard a Eurasian Turtle Dove and saw two European Bee-eater. We saw two Eurasian Turtle Dove at Mandria where we also found a Eurasian Stone Curlew in a ploughed field and added Red-rumped Swallow, Sand Martin and Eurasian Shag to the day list.
After a picnic lunch on the coast at Mandria, we moved to the Sewage Works at Paphos where we quickly located Catherine’s target – Spur-winged Lapwing. At least five were seen – the same number of Cattle Egret were also in the fields where they were joined by twelve Wood Sandpiper and two Glossy Ibis. At least three Eurasian Turtle Dove were with a large group of Common Woodpigeon and a Eurasian Hoopoe flew over the area. Near the beach we found a female Northern Wheatear.
Our next stop was Asprokremmos Dam where we had been told there were some Golden Orioles. We were pleased to find at least three males and a female although we would have been happier if they had perched out in the open instead of flying quickly across the area. A Eurasian Hoopoe called over the area and some European Bee-eater flew over. We finished the day near the cliffs at Petra tou Romiou where at least four Eleonora’s Falcon and eight Alpine Swift gave us aerial displays. A good way to finish our enjoyable and successful day out.
Total 57 species
European Shag, Squacco Heron, Cattle Egret, Purple Heron, Glossy Ibis, Pallid Harrier, Lesser Kestrel, Common Kestrel, Red-footed Falcon, Amur Falcon, Eleonora’s Falcon, Black Francolin h, Common Moorhen, Eurasian Stone Curlew, Spur-winged Lapwing, Ruff, Common Snipe, Green Sandpiper, Wood Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, Yellow-legged Gull, Common Woodpigeon, Eurasian Collared Dove, Eurasian Turtle Dove, Great Spotted Cuckoo, Little Owl, Common Swift, Alpine Swift, European Bee-eater, European Roller, Eurasian Hoopoe, Crested Lark, Sand Martin, Barn Swallow, Red-rumped Swallow, Common House Martin, Blue-headed Wagtail flava, Black-headed Wagtail feldegg, White Wagtail, Northern Wheatear, Cyprus Wheatear, Cetti’s Warbler, Zittting Cisticola, Eurasian Reed Warbler h, Sardinian Warbler, Cyprus Warbler, Great Tit, Eurasian Golden Oriole, Eurasian Magpie, Western Jackdaw, Hooded Crow, House Sparrow, Spanish Sparrow, European Greenfinch, European Goldfinch, Ortolan Bunting, Corn Bunting
Red-footed Falcon, Anarita Park 30th April 2016 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Ruff and Wood Sandpiper, Agia Varvara 30th April 2016 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Two days out with Benny and Ann-Marie who were based in Limassol. We visited most of the coastal Larnaca sites and a couple of inland ones, Zakaki, Phasouri and Kensington Cliffs in Limassol, Omodos, Agios Nikolaos and Tzelefos Bridge inland before finishing at Anarita Park where we had ended our two days out with great views of the first Amur Falcon to be found in Cyprus the day before by local birder Matt Smith.
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