Cyprus Birding Tours

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Tag Archives: Black-necked Grebe


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Waterbird count Larnaca area 11th January 2020

 

Spent most of the day doing the Waterbird Count around Larnaca today. Lots of Greater Flamingo and Northern Shoveler to count – and surprisingly also – it took time to count the Little Gull with just over 300 in the area feeding on several pools. Other interesting birds included three Pied Avocet, three Greater White-fronted Geese and 38 Black-necked Grebe.

Meneou Pool
Little Gull 71

Larnaca Airport Pools South
Little Gull 2
Northern Shoveler 276
Greater Flamingo 13
Common Shelduck 2
Caspian Gull c50
Armenian Gull 4
Heuglin’s Gull 1

Larnaca Sewage Works
Western Marsh Harrier 3
Great Cormorant 130
Northern Shoveler 88
Common Teal 429
Greater White-fronted Goose 3
Common Coot 29
Caspian Gull 8
Grey Heron 1
Spur-winged Lapwing 3
Common Redshank 5

Spiros Beach
Little Stint 63
Dunlin 58
Kentish Plover 175
Common Ringed Plover 4

Spiros Pool
Northern Shoveler 130
Eurasian Wigeon 2
Common Redshank 4

Larnaca Desalination Plant fields
Eurasian Golden Plover 5
Dunlin 20
Common Ringed Plover 3

Larnaca Airport Pools North
Pied Avocet 3
Little Gull 124

Larnaca Salt Lake
Little Gull 107
Cattle Egret 3
Greater Flamingo 9000+
Common Shelduck 153
Northern Shoveler 449
Black-necked Grebe 38
Dunlin 38
Little Stint 25
Common Snipe 14
Common Redshank 3
Spur-winged Lapwing 5
Common Ringed Plover 7
Bluethroat 2
Reed Bunting 1
Water Pipit 2

Kiti Dam (full but no waterbirds)
Woodlark 5

Little Gull, Larnaca Salt Lake 11th January 2020 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Little Gull, Larnaca Salt Lake 11th January 2020 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours


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Waterbird count, Larnaca area today 18th November 2019

Evidence that winter visitors have been arriving at our wetlands the last few weeks with large numbers of Northern Shoveler (see photo), Greater Flamingo and Common Teal at the Salt Lake and Sewage Works. Also two each of Greater White-fronted Goose and Black-necked Grebe as well as four Common Pochard, a Eurasian Wigeon and two Northern Pintail. A small flock of Eurasian Golden Plover is already present as are good numbers of Eurasian Skylark and Meadow Pipit.

Northern Shoveler, Larnaca 18th November 2019 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Northern Shoveler, Larnaca 18th November 2019 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours


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Larnaca area this morning 9th November.

Good morning out around Larnaca in the sunshine. Not a great variety of birds but already good numbers of ducks and flamingos around plus a few more unusual species.

Spiros Pool
Eurasian Golden Plover 18

Larnaca Sewage Works
Common Teal c500
Northern Shoveler 300+
Black-necked Grebe 1
Great Crested Grebe 3
Northern Pintail 1
Armenian Gull 12
Common Shelduck 1
Spur-winged Lapwing 2

Larnaca Salt Lake
Greater Flamingo 1200+
Common Crane 1

Kamares, Larnaca
Bluethroat 1 (see photo)
Black Redstart 1
Eurasian Penduline Tit 1h
Common Kingfisher 1
Common Redshank 1
Green Sandpiper 1
Common Snipe 2
Spur-winged Lapwing 3
Water Pipit 1
Eurasian Sparrowhawk 1 over being mobbed by Jackdaws
Little Egret 2

Panagia Stazousa/Pyrga
Long-legged Buzzard 1
European Serin 30+
Cyprus Warbler 2
Woodlark 7 (see photo)
Eurasian Blackbird 1

Bluethroat, Larnaca 9th November 2019 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Bluethroat, Larnaca 9th November 2019 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Woodlark, Pyrga 9th November 2019 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Woodlark, Pyrga 9th November 2019 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours


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Larnaca 5th December 2018

Visited Larnaca today where there was evidence of very heavy overnight rain in the fields and around the salt lake.

Highlights:
Meneou Pool
Greater Flamingo 26

Larnaca Airport Pools South
Pied Avocet 3
Greater Flamingo 3
Armenian Gull 4+
Black-headed Gull 3+
other white-headed gulls – probably Caspian – but distant 11

Pervolia
Calandra Lark 2 in flight

Larnaca Sewage Works
Common Shelduck 8
Greater White-fronted Goose 6
Black-necked Grebe 14+
Eurasian Wigeon 2
Northern Pintail 4+
Common Redshank 1
Ferrruginous Duck 32
Armenian Gull 2 imm

Spiro Beach
Sandwich Tern 2 on buoys

Spiros Pool
Eurasian Golden Plover 26

Larnaca Salt Lake
Greater Flamingo 700+
Slender-billed Gull 1 imm

Kamares aquaduct
Western Marsh Harrier 1
Little Egret 1
Spur-winged Lapwing 5
Common Snipe 2 (see photo)
Water Pipit 3
Green Sandpiper 1
Common Redshank 2
Eurasian Penduline Tit 1h

Oroklini Marsh
Spur-winged Lapwing 34 (most in fields on other side of motorway)
Common Redshank 1
Cattle Egret 20
Peregrine Falcon 1
Western Marsh Harrier 1
Northern Shoveler c300
Black-winged Stilt 4
Water Pipit 1h

Common Snipe, Larnaca 5th December 2018 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Common Snipe, Larnaca 5th December 2018 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours


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Oroklini, Achna Dam and Cape Greco today 10th April 2018

Managed to avoid most of the rain showers today and even had a good walk around Achna Dam – trying to find (and failing) the Pied Kingfisher that has been seen there on a couple of occasions over the last ten days. But despite that, at the three locations I visited I managed to see some good birds including Black-necked Grebe, Squacco Heron, Great Egret, Glossy Ibis, ‘Baltic’ Gull, Purple Heron, Marsh Sandpiper, Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Great Spotted Cuckoo, Black-winged Stilt, Temminck’s Stint, Garganey, Olivaceous Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat, Cyprus Wheatear and Warbler, Tawny Pipit, Black-eared Wheatear and Woodchat Shrike.

Black-necked Grebe, Achna Dam, 10th April 2018 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours


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Larnaca area today 2nd April 2018

Some of the more interesting sightings:

Meneou Pool

Blue-cheeked Bee-eater 1
Black-winged Stilt 7
Purple Heron 2

Spiros Beach

Eurasian Thick-knee 1
Greater Flamingo c200 flying E
Northern Wheatear 4m
Isabelline Wheatear 1

Spiros Pool

Kentish Plover 2
Pied Avocet 12 (seen later on Airport Pools south)

Larnaca Sewage Works

Northern Wheatear 5
Black-necked Grebe 3
Citrine Wagtail 2
Yellow Wagtail 7
Common Greenshank 1
Ruff 1
Spur-winged Lapwing 8+
Common Nightingale 1 singing in front of hide

Pervolia

Common Quail 1h
Black-headed Wagtail 8
Calandra Lark 3+
Common Hoopoe 1
Isabelline Wheatear 1

Petounta Point

Northern Wheatear 5
Common Kingfisher 1
Common Sandpiper 1

Kiti Dam

Laughing Dove 1
Isabelline Wheatear 1
Great Spotted Cuckoo 2
Eurasian Blackcap 1+
European Turtle Dove 1
Common Hoopoe 2

Kivisili

Lesser Kestrel 10+
Eurasian Thick-knee 1
Cyprus Wheatear 1
Common Hoopoe 1

Panagia Stazousa

Cyprus Wheatear 6
Cyprus Warbler 1
Common Cuckoo 1
Cretzschmar’s Bunting pair near known breeding location
Olivaceous Warbler 1 singing
Eurasian Stone Curlew, Spiros Beach 2nd April 2018 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Eurasian Stone Curlew, Spiros Beach 2nd April 2018 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Lesser Kestrel, Kivisili 2nd April 2018 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Lesser Kestrel, Kivisili 2nd April 2018 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Common Hoopoe, Kivisili 2nd April 2018 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Common Hoopoe, Kivisili 2nd April 2018 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

 


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Waterbird count Larnaca area today 15th March

Black-necked Grebe, Larnaca Sewage Works 15th March 2018 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Black-necked Grebe, Larnaca Sewage Works 15th March 2018 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Morning around Larnaca doing the monthly waterbird count. Most wintering ducks have gone as have most of the Greater Flamingos. Highlights were a Greater Sandplover at Spiros Pool, a flock of more than 600 Slender-billed Gulls on the Salt Lake and my first Wood Sandpiper of the year.

Main sightings:

Meneou Pool
Kentish Plover 6

Larnaca Airport Pools South
Eurasian Thick-knee 2
Greater Flamingo 178
Black Francolin 1h
Laughing Dove 1 (first time seen here)

Larnaca Sewage Works
Spur-winged Lapwing 6
Black-necked Grebe 13 (see photograph)
Northern Shoveler 247
Common Pochard 3f
Eurasian Wigeon 1m and 1f
Green Sandpiper 2
Common Teal 44
Common Hoopoe 1

Spiros Beach
Greater Sandplover 1 (later seen on Spiros Pool)
Kentish Plover 2

Spiros Pool
Little Stint 14
Kentish Plover 1

Larnaca Airport Pools North
Greater Flamingo 100

Larnaca Salt Lake
Greater Flamingo 17
Common Shelduck 2
Slender-billed Gull 657
Ruff 145
Dunlin 16
Kentish Plover 14
Little Stint 56
Common Ringed Plover 28
Eurasian Reed Warbler 5+h
Reed Bunting 1h
Common Snipe 6+
Water Pipit 4
Common Redshank 1h
Spur-winged Lapwing 9
Little Egret 1
Bluethroat 1
Wood Sandpiper 1
Little Ringed Plover 1
Yellow Wagtail 1 first winter/spring


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Cape Greco area today 9th March 2018

Saw at least 18 Ruppell’s Warbler today at Cape Greco – mainly males although there were a couple of females. More seemed to arrive as the day went on.

Also seen:

Cape Greco area
Greater Short-toed Lark 30 in one flock
Tawny Pipit 2
Cyprus Warbler 5m and 1f with nesting material in bill
Grey Heron 1 flying E
Common Buzzard 2
Isabelline Wheatear 3
Ruppell’s Warbler (almost certainly an undercount) 16m and 2f
Long-legged Buzzard 2
Common Hoopoe 2
Northern Wheatear 1m and 1f

Agia Napa Sewage Works
Ruppell’s Warbler 1
Spur-winged Lapwing 1
Black-necked Grebe 5 (3 in breeding plumage)
Ferruginous Duck 1
Cretzschmar’s Bunting 4
Eurasian Blackcap 1m

Ruppell's Warbler, Cape Greco 9th March 2018 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Ruppell’s Warbler, Cape Greco 9th March 2018 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Ruppell's Warbler female Cape Greco 9th March 2018 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Ruppell’s Warbler female Cape Greco 9th March 2018 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Ruppell's Warbler, Cape Greco 9th March 2018 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Ruppell’s Warbler, Cape Greco 9th March 2018 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours


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Larnaca area 5th March 2018

A few hours around Larnaca produced the following more interesting sightings. Migration still to get into full swing.

Meneou Pool
Greater Flamingo 39
Common Ringed Plover 1

Larnaca Airport Pools South
Greater Flamingo 180

Spiros Beach
Greater Sandplover 2 (see photo)
Caspian Gull 1
Isabelline Wheatear 1

Larnaca Sewage Works
Spur-winged Lapwing 4
Common Teal 50+ in one flock, very restless
Northern Shoveler c50 headed out to sea
Black-necked Grebe 12+ (Nine in breeding plumage)
Eurasian Wigeon 3f
Little Gull 1 imm
Common Buzzard 1
Western Marsh Harrier 1

Pervolia fields
Calandra Lark 3+

Petounta Point
Isabelline Wheatear 2
Great Cormorant 2 heading E
Eurasian Reed Warbler 1h

Agios Theodoros Coast – sea watch 15:10 – 16:30
Little Egret 3 on rocks
Great Crested Grebe 4 offshore
Northern Shoveler c50 heading W to E
Duck spp – probably Pintail c35 W to E
Great Cormorant c180 W to E 15:10

Greater Sandplover, Spiros Beach, 5th March 2018 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Greater Sandplover, Spiros Beach, 5th March 2018 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours


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East of the island 27th February 2018

Went out hoping for some early migrants today. No luck with that although had some good birds including at least six singing male Cyprus Warbler at Cape Greco. Two photographed below.

Cyprus Warbler, Cape Greco 27th February 2018 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Cyprus Warbler, Cape Greco 27th February 2018 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Cyprus Warbler, Cape Greco 27th February 2018 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Cyprus Warbler, Cape Greco 27th February 2018 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Other sightings of note included:

Agia Trias
Greater Sandplover 3
Grey Plover 10
Kentish Plover 2

Konnos Bay
Eurasian Shag 1

Cape Greco
Cyprus Warbler 6 singing males

Macronissos Beach
Common Sandpiper 1

Potamos Liopetriou
Great Cormorant c70 migrating NE 13:40

Ormideia Fishing Harbour
Audouin’s Gull 1
Common Buzzard 1
Eurasian Shag 2

Oroklini Beach
Great Cormorant 90+ migrating W 15:15
Sandwich Tern 1
Armenian Gull 2 imm

JUMBO Drainage Channel
Spur-winged Lapwing 8
Common Sandpiper 1

Oroklini Marsh
Greater Flamingo 50+
Northern Pintail 1m and 1f
Gadwall 1m and 1f
Black-necked Grebe 1
Ferruginous Duck 7
Red-Crested Pochard 1m and 1f
Black-tailed Godwit 1
Ruff 4
Black-winged Stilt 8
Spur-winged Lapwing 5
Common Redshank 2
Little Egret 2
Cattle Egret c250
Western Marsh Harrier 1


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Waterbird count Larnaca area today 20th February 2018

Numbers of ducks decreasing but still good numbers of Northern Shoveler and Common Teal as well as 24+ Black-necked Grebe, a pair of Gadwall, some Eurasian Wigeon and Common Pochard. More than 1000 Greater Flamingo in the area, although no sign today of a melanistic one seen yesterday, as well as nearly 1000 Common Shelduck on the main Salt Lake. A couple of hundred Slender-billed Gull were on the Salt Lake as well as some Caspian and Armenian Gull and plenty of Black-headed. But the best was an adult Pallas’s Gull in full breeding plumage in the north-east corner together with a Baltic Gull, two Heuglin’s Gull and a Mediterranean Gull. Waders included at least 16 Common Snipe, five Ruff, a few Eurasian Stone Curlew and hundreds of Dunlin and Little Stint.

The only spring migrants I saw were some Barn Swallows, an Isabelline Wheatear (see photo) and a Common Hoopoe. I then went along the coast towards Agios Theodoros where the Great Grey Shrike (probable aucheri intergrade) was still present and I managed to get a view of one of two Short-toed Snake Eagle that have also been in that area for a few days.Isabelline Wheatear, Kiti, 20th February 2018 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours


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Larnaca area 6th February 2018

Out for a day’s birding around Larnaca with Victor Tjernberg checking out some good sites for spring birding and trying to up our year lists!

The wetlands had most birds but probably the birds of the day were the Calandra Lark on the fields in Pervolia already in display song flight. Also good to see several Cyprus Warbler in the Panagia Stazousa valley singing and on territory. Although it is a partial migrant with some leaving in the winter, many stay all year on the island.

Interesting sightings:

Larnaca Sewage Works
Eurasian Wigeon 7 (3m)
Ferruginous Duck 1
Common Pochard 6+
Black-necked Grebe 40+
Common Greenshank 3
Western Marsh Harrier 1

Spiros Pool
Eurasian Golden Plover 120+

Larnaca Airport Pools South
Eurasian Thick-knee 17
Caspian Gull 10+
Armenian Gull 1ad
Heuglin’s Gull 1 ad

Pervolia fields
Calandra Lark 4+ in display flight

Petounta Point
Common Buzzard 4

Kiti Dam
Common Quail 1h

Panagia Stazousa
Cyprus Warbler 6+ singing males
Long-legged Buzzard 1
European Serin 3+
Eurasian Blackbird 1m
Eurasian Thick-knee 1 in flight near Klavdia village

Oroklini Marsh (see photo)
Black-winged Stilt 2
Red-crested Pochard 1m and 2f
Common Pochard 2m
Ferruginous Duck 7
Ruff 3
Northern Lapwing 1
Cattle Egret 200+
Grey Heron 2
Barn Swallow 3
Common Redshank 1
Green Sandpiper 1
Spur-winged Lapwing 3

Oroklini Beach
Armenian Gull 5 ad and c15 imm
Caspian Gull 1 imm
Sandwich Tern 2 fishing offshore

Oroklini Marsh 6th February 2018 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Oroklini Marsh 6th February 2018 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours