Annoyed to dip on the Rock Sparrow today at Cape Greco but found some good migrants instead – both male Subalpine and Ruppell’s Warbler, a Black-headed Wagtail, a singing male Cyprus Wheatear, two Eurasian Hoopoe and at least six Isabelline Wheatear. A Common Quail was calling at Kermia Beach where I also saw two Audouin’s Gull and a Sandwich Gull.
At least thirty Slender-billed Gull were on Larnaca Airport Pools later and twenty six were flying east close to the sea off Spiros Beach. Thirteen Armenian Gull had flown over Cape Greco around midday.
Isabelline Wheatear Larnaca Sewage Works March 7th 2015 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Some of the more interesting birds seen while I was out today around Larnaca and Oroklini
Larnaca Sewage Works area – Eurasian Curlew 6
Petounta Point – Northern Wheatear 1m, Kentish Plover 2 (pair)
Kivisili – Hoopoe 1, Isabelline Wheatear 1
Oroklini Beach – Armenian Gull 11, Caspian Gull 3, Mediterranean Gull 3 adult and 1 second year bird
Oroklini Marsh – Common Snipe 10, Black-winged Stilt 5, Black-tailed Godwit 1, Pied Avocet 1, Ruff c30, Red-crested Pochard 2m and 2f, Mediterranean Gull 1 adult, Armenian Gull 2, Common Redshank 2, Common Kingfisher 1, Northern Pintail 1m and 2f, Green Sandpiper 1, Cattle Egret 50+, Greater Flamingo c30, Western Marsh Harrier 1
Red-crested Pochard male and female Oroklini Marsh 4th March 2015 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Very windy today at Larnaca where I did the water bird count. A lot of water on the Salt Lake so the Greater Flamingo were concentrated at the edges where the water is shallower. Best species was Little Gull – one on Meneou Pool and another on the Sewage Pools. A Eurasian Hoopoe and a Common Quail were seen on the track leading to the hide at the Sewage Pools.
Meneou Pool – Little Gull 1 first winter, Common Shelduck 3
Larnaca Airport Pools South – Greater Flamingo 245, Western Marsh Harrier 1, Caspian Gull 3, Common Black-headed Gull 107
Larnaca Sewage Pools – Barn Swallow 8, Mallard 73, Eurasian Teal 330, Black-necked Grebe 1, Northern Shoveler 13, Northern Pintail 1m, Gadwall 1m, Great Cormorant 1, Quail (in off sea), Eurasian Hoopoe 1, Little Gull 1
Spiros Pool/Beach – Spur-winged Lapwing 2, Greater Flamingo 67, Sandwich Tern 3, Golden Plover 11, Common Redshank 1
Larnaca Airport Pools North – Northern Shoveler 38, Greater Flamingo 82, Kentish Plover 12, Barn Swallow 2, Coot 3
Larnaca Salt Lake – Northern Shoveler 301, Common Shelduck 660, Greater Flamingo 3364, Barn Swallow c60, Green Sandpiper 1, Black-headed Gull c300, Caspian Gull c80, Armenian Gull c10, Western Marsh Harrier 1, Common Redshank 10, Common Ringed Plover 4, Dunlin 5, Little Stint 7, Kentish Plover 6
First trip out of the new season was around Limassol with Ann and Peter. We visited Germasogeia Dam, Phassouri Reed Beds, Akrotiri Gravel Pits, Akrotiri Salt Lake, Zakaki Marsh, Lady’s Mile and Kensington Cliffs. A windy day still mainly dominated by winter visitors although we found a Eurasian Hoopoe at the Gravel Pits and Barn Swallows and Common House Martins at Germasogeia Dam. We had good views of a juvenile Caspian Gull and adult and juvenile Armenian Gull at Lady’s Mile with other highlights – a Ferruginous Duck on Zakaki; Woodlarks at Akrotiri Gravel Pits; a male and a female Black Francolin in flight at Phassouri Reed Beds and a Long-legged Buzzard at Kensington Cliffs.
Days species – 57:
Little Grebe, Great Cormorant, Eurasian Shag, Little Egret, Greater Flamingo, Common Shelduck, Eurasian Teal, Mallard, Ferruginous Duck, Western Marsh Harrier, Common Buzzard, Long-legged Buzzard, Common Kestrel, Chukar, Black Francolin, Common Moorhen, Eurasian Coot, Eurasian Curlew, Common Black-headed Gull, Baltic Gull, Yellow-legged Gull, Caspian Gull, Armenian Gull, Sandwich Tern, Rock Dove, Common Woodpigeon, Eurasian Collared Dove, Eurasian Hoopoe, Crested Lark, Woodlark, Barn Swallow, Common House Martin, Meadow Pipit, White Wagtail, European Robin, Western Black Redstart, Common Stonechat, Blue Rock Thrush, Eurasian Blackbird, Song Thrush, Cetti’s Warbler, Zitting Cisticola, Sardinian Warbler, Eurasian Blackcap, Common Chiffchaff, Great Tit, Eurasian Magpie, Western Jackdaw, Hooded Crow, Common Starling, House Sparrow, Common Chaffinch, European Serin, European Greenfinch, European Goldfinch, Common Linnet, Corn Bunting
The nine Ruddy Shelduck were still at Paralimni Lake this morning where there are still around two hundred Greater Flamingo. I heard two Water Rail and there were eight Ruff feeding. A couple of Barn Swallows were in the area together with a single Alpine Swift. Only winter visitors though at Agia Trias – one Sandwich Tern, one Greater Sand Plover and one Golden Plover.
As Cape Greco was hosting a car rally – not exactly the best use for a Natura 2000 site I would have thought – there was no access there so I had a walk from the east of Agia Napa and found one of the earliest Isabelline Wheatear of the year (the first had been found at Avagas last Saturday).
On the beach at Oroklini there were still many Black-headed Gull with just one Mediterranean Gull, two Sandwich Tern, a couple of Armenian Gull and at least one Caspian Gull. On Oroklini Marsh there were hunting Western Marsh Harrier and Long-legged Buzzard which put up three Common Snipe. As well as the overwintering Greater Flamingo, Northern Shoveler and Eurasian Teal there were at least fifty Barn Swallow and probably more House Martin flying around the area and just one Common Swift. A flock of over a hundred Common Starling were also seen.
Spent a lovely spring day around Limassol with highlights:
Phassouri Reed Beds – Hawfinch 1+, Common Reed Bunting 3, Water Pipit 2, Common Snipe 4, Little Egret 1, Blackcap 10+, Song Thrush 5+, Blackbird 1, Western Marsh Harrier 2
Akrotiri Gravel Pits – Green Sandpiper 1, Western Marsh Harrier 1
Lady’s Mile – Sandwich Tern 2, Armenian Gull 20, Caspian Gull 3+
Zakaki Marsh – Common Kingfisher 1, Common Snipe 1, Penduline Tit 1h
Germasogeia Dam – Bonelli’s Eagle 1 adult, Grey Wagtail 2, Barn Swallow 7, Woodlark 14
Out today doing the waterbird count around Larnaca Salt Lake area and Kiti Dam. Also visited Petounta Point. The highlight was a group of seventeen Black-necked Grebe on Larnaca Salt Lake which is full of water and had few waders as a result.
Highlights were:
Meneou Pool – Greater Flamingo 465
Spiros Pool & Beach area – Greater Flamingo 15, Golden Plover c300 flying over airport in distance, Dunlin 2, Little Stint 3, Green Sandpiper 1, Common Ringed Plover 12, Kentish Plover 89
Larnaca Airport Pools North – Greater Flamingo 24, Common Redshank 1
Larnaca Salt Lake – Black-headed Gull 108, Common Shelduck 607, Northern Shoveler 87, Greater Flamingo 1820, Black-necked Grebe 17, Reed Bunting 3, Common Snipe 2, Eurasian Teal 107, Common Redshank 3, Common Buzzard 1, Western Marsh Harrier 2, Water Pipit 1, Dunlin 4, Blackbird 1
Larnaca Airport Pools South – Greater Flamingo 123, Caspian Gull 50, Armenian Gull 12, Heuglin’s Gull 1 (maybe 2)
Kiti Dam (has water) – Western Marsh Harrier 1, Eurasian Teal 6, Black-headed Gull 54
Petounta Point – Sandwich Tern 2, Common Buzzard 1
Had a chance to check the gulls on Oroklini Beach this afternoon. Many Common Black-headed Gull as usual at this time of year but there were also at least four Mediterranean, five Armenian and one Caspian Gull as well. Two Sandwich Tern were also present. One Mediterranean Gull was also on Oroklini Marsh where there were two Western Marsh Harrier quartering the area putting up Northern and Spur-winged Lapwing, Northern Shoveler, Eurasian Teal and Mallard. More than fifty Greater Flamingo were there as were seven Cattle Egret.
Mediterranean Gull and Black-headed Gull Oroklini Beach 4th January 2015 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Cyprus Birding Tours 