A very hot and humid early morning check around the Larnaca area saw a few interesting species including this Eurasian Stone Curlew and Dunlin (see photos). Also of note were a juvenile Collared Pratincole, two Isabelline Wheatear, an adult and two juv Ruddy Turnstone, at least 13 Curlew Sandpiper, a couple of Red-backed Shrikes, migrating Red-rumped Swallow and Northern House Martin, a juvenile Audouin’s Gull and the first Northern Shoveler of the autumn on the Sewage Works pools.
Dunlin, Larnaca 31st August 2020 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Eurasian Stone Curlew, Larnaca 31st August 2020 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
The fields around Pervolia this morning had migrants feeding there -four juvenile Collared Pratincole, at least 40 Western Yellow Wagtail (see photo), a female Masked Shrike and a lovely male Red-backed Shrike posing on a dried artichoke head (see photo).
Red-backed Shrike, Pervolia 21st August 2020 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Western Yellow Wagtail, Pervolia 21st August 2020 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Meneou Pool is the only one of those scattered around Larnaca Salt Lake to have water in it at present and its muddy edges are just right for feeding waders. Since Monday I’ve been lucky enough to see several of the rarer waders to Cyprus there – a Red Knot on 11th & 13th August, two Sanderling on 10th and 11th and then three Broad-billed Sandpiper on 14th. None of them approachable for photos except this morning when one Broad-billed Sandpiper was close enough for me to get the cropped photo below. Also around in variable numbers each day were Common and Little Ringed Plover (also photographed today), Little and Temminck’s Stint, Ruff, Dunlin, Curlew Sandpiper, Common Greenshank, Common Redshank, Marsh Sandpiper, Collared Pratincole, Little Tern, White-winged Tern, Garganey, Black-headed Gull, Slender-billed Gull, Teal, Grey Heron, Glossy Ibis, Little Egret, Stone Curlew, Spur-winged Lapwing, Common Snipe, Common, Wood and Green Sandpiper and many Black-winged Stilt.
Broad-billed Sandpiper, Meneou Pool 16th August 2020 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Common Ringed Plover, Meneou Pool 16th August 2020 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Little Ringed Plover, Meneou Pool 16th August 2020 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Some interesting birds at Meneou this morning including at least 230 Black-winged Stilt, plus much smaller numbers of Ruff, Common and Little Ringed Plover, Little Stint, Common and Green Sandpiper and Collared Pratincole. At least eight Little Tern and a juvenile White-winged Tern. Plenty of Yellow-legged Gull roosting on salt flats and flying around the Sewage Works including several juveniles (see photo).
Yellow-legged Gull, Larnaca Sewage Works 9th August 2020 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Some of the more interesting sightings included: an Osprey migrating west early, a group of 20+ Collared Pratincole, nine Ruddy Turnstone feeding together – which is a high count for Cyprus, six Gull-billed Tern, two Whimbrel, more than 30 Eurasian Stone Curlew, two Black-eared Wheatear, many juv Red-backed Shrike and Whinchat and then a juv Common Cuckoo resting on my veranda when I got home.
Photos of the small flock of Greater Flamingo on the Salt Lake and three of the Ruddy Turnstone group.
Greater Flamingo, Larnaca Salt Lake 16th September 2019 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Ruddy Turnstone, Meneou Pool, 16th September 2019 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
More sea watching today and some good waders around – Eurasian Oystercatcher moving very quickly west close to shore, flock of 14 Common Redshank, another of 28 Ruff, a juvenile Collared Pratincole and single Ruddy Turnstone and Little Ringed Plover. Also small flocks of Grey and Purple Heron and Glossy Ibis, single Cattle Egret and Black-crowned Night Heron, Garganey, a lone Elenora’s Falcon heading east and two Slender-billed Gull. The photos are the best of a bad bunch of photos taken today – blame the speed of the birds, the harsh light and of course the photographer!
Ruddy Turnstone, Polis Chrysochou Bay, 26th August 2019 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Common Redshank, Polis Chrysochou Bay, 26th August 2019 (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
Migration slowly getting busier with c50 Collared Pratincole in the fields near Larnaca Sewage Works and a group of 13 Common Sandpiper resting on the rocks on the nearby coast this morning. Feeding on the Sewage Pools were Gull-billed, Whiskered and White-winged Tern. A couple of Slender-billed and Black-headed Gull were present as were more than 100 Greater Flamingo, a couple of Black-winged Stilt, 23 Ferruginous Duck, a Common Greenshank, six Grey Heron and six Cattle Egret, plenty of Spur-winged Lapwing and both the long-staying unseasonable Great Crested Grebes.
A very enjoyable day birding around Akrotiri even if I got a later start than intended. Highlight was definitely finding a female Semi-collared Flycatcher as I was checking the ID’s of several females near Bishop’s Pool – also a female Collared Flycatcher which was actually my first Collared for the year. In that area there were also Pied and Spotted Flycatcher, Wood Warbler, Blackcap and several beautiful male European Golden Oriole. Plenty of Woodchat Shrike around with a few Red-backed as well. A large group of more than twenty Little Tern were on Lady’s Mile in the morning as were nine Collared Pratincole and many Marsh Sandpiper and Common Greenshank (see photos).
Late in the afternoon I visited the eastern shore of the Salt Lake and the Zakaki run off. There I saw more than ten Temminck’s Stint, ten Black-tailed Godwit, a few Curlew Sandpiper, fishing Little Tern, feeding White-winged and Whiskered Tern and best of all – a resting flock of around 300 Collared Pratincoles (see photo). Lovely!
Collared Pratincole, Akrotiri Salt Lake 28th April 2018 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Common Greenshank, Lady’s Mile 28th April 2018 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
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