Spent today out in the Paphos area. Rain was a pleasant relief from the heat when I got to Arodes but it didn’t put off both the Long-legged Buzzard and Eurasian Hobby that were flying over the area. There were at least four European Roller in the area and two Eurasian Turtle Dove.
Off shore I saw thirteen Grey Heron, three Little Egret, at least 75 Glossy Ibis, around fifty Garganey and six Gull-billed Tern as they migrated over Polis Chrysochou Bay. A Woodchat Shrike was at Neochorio and Masked Shrike were at Androlikou and Minthis Hills with several European Roller at both those locations.
A quick visit to Paphos Sewage Works on my way home produced 12 migrating Yellow Wagtail .
European Roller Arodes 10th August 2015 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Woodchat Shrike Neochorio 10th August 2015 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Well I knew it had been hot in Cyprus while I had been away but I had hoped that at 7am it would be bearable. It wasn’t really but there were a few interesting species around. At least 18 Pallid Swift were over Agia Napa Sewage Works where almost every bush seemed to have several Eastern Olivaceous Warbler in it. I also saw eight Eastern Orphean Warbler but I am sure there were more unseen. A lone Cyprus Wheatear was also there as were several Spectacled Warbler.
A male Lesser Grey Shrike was at the Agia Napa Football Fields together with a Woodchat Shrike. Nearly 50 Cattle Egret were feeding on the watered pitches together with a couple of Black Francolin.
At Oroklini Marsh there were at least 22 Spur-winged Lapwing – several of them juvenile – and 25 Black-winged Stilt (again with several juvenile). At least twenty Little Stint were feeding in what is left of the water with some Little Ringed Plover, Wood Sandpiper, Ruff and a single Marsh Sandpiper.
Cattle Egret, Agia Napa Football Fields 8th August 2015 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
An adult Spur-winged Lapwing was chasing all other birds away from where its four chicks were feeding at Oroklini today. It was even chasing away Little Stint which were smaller than the chicks! Also in the area was a juvenile Glossy Ibis, several adult and juvenile Little Tern and an unseasonal Common Black-headed Gull. Numbers of Ruff, Little Ringed Plover and Little Stint are increasing there.
At Larnaca Sewage Works I found nine Little Tern and five Green Sandpiper were on the coast nearby.
This Zitting Cisticola was one of a family party around the hide at Larnaca Sewage Works this morning. Also flying around the area were an adult and juvenile Little Tern and a Whiskered Tern which was still in breeding plumage.
Zitting Cisticola Larnaca Sewage Works 18th July 2015 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
A hot morning out for the waterbird count around Larnaca. Three Whiskered Tern were on the Sewage Works pools, an Audouin’s Gull flew ovre and there were plenty of young birds – Mallard, Black-winged Stilt, a few Coot and some Spur-winged Lapwing. Three Common Sandpiper and a Green Sandpiper there showed that migrant waders are now moving through. More waders were at Oroklini – nine Wood, three Common and a Green Sandpiper plus three Ruff, a Common Redshank and several adult and juvenile Little Ringed Plover. There were still some Cattle Egret in the small colony that is now established there as well as four feeding Little Egret. Large flocks of Barn Swallow were everywhere with a few Common Swift and House Martin as well.
Two juvenile Little Tern were at Oroklini – one was fed by an adult while another appeared to be having fishing lessons from a parent – the juvenile was diving in the water and the adult was squawking near by. At least eleven Little Tern were on the main Salt Lake although it was a bit too hazy for an accurate count. There were also around twenty Greater Flamingo and plenty of Black-winged Stilt. A couple of juvenile Eurasian Reed Warblers were in the reeds on the north eastern edge of the lake.
Little Ringed Plover Oroklini Marsh 15th July 2015 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Barn Swallow Larnaca Sewage Works 15th July 2015 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Took a drive around Pyrga and Panagia Stazousa this morning and was treated to a flying display from what looked like newly fledged European Bee-eaters. Paler than their parents they were very noisy as they flew between carob and eucalyptus trees. There were also several European Rollers in the area as well as family parties of both Cyprus Wheatear and Warbler – in fact at one stage I had a few of each species in the same bush! Elsewhere a Eastern Olivaceous Warbler family were making a lot of noise. The Little Owl was on guard at its nest site but no sign of any young there. A Long-legged Buzzard flew over the area being mobbed by Common Kestrels.
European Roller Pyrga 4th July 2015 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Less wind than on previous days in the Larnaca area as summer takes hold. Had a quick look around Cape Kiti and Larnaca Sewage Works this morning. Was surprised to find a European Bee-eater on the wires near Meneou. Just one Calandra Lark was seen at Pervolia with none heard singing today. Single Little Terns were at Meneou Pool and Larnaca Sewage Works where there was also a scruffy looking Whiskered Tern. An Audouin’s Gull was with several Yellow-legged Gulls on Spiros Pool.
A few hours in the Agios Sozmenos area late this afternoon produced four European Roller, a couple of hundred Corn Bunting in post breeding flocks, several calling Black Francolin, some Spanish Sparrow, at least three Green Sandpiper, Stone Curlew, Black-winged Stilt, Spur-winged Lapwing and a juvenile Great Spotted Cuckoo begging its Magpie parent for food.
Spent a few hours in the vineyards to the north west of Omodos where there were many singing Black-headed Bunting and Cyprus Wheatear. Had good views of Cyprus Warbler, Serin, Eastern Olivaceous Warbler and Long-legged Buzzard as well and there were many Common House Martin with a few Red-rumped and Barn Swallow overhead.
The best part of the time there was when I drove along the road to Agios Nikolaos and found a family party of four Black-headed Bunting juveniles flying from mosphilia bush to the vines and back. At one stage there were several young Corn Bunting, a couple of juvenile Spanish Sparrow, a young Common Linnet and Sardinian Warbler and two of the Black-headed Bunting in the same bush! Great birding moment! Light was really bad so the photo of one of the young Black-headed Bunting with a young Spanish Sparrow is the best of a very poor bunch.
Black-headed Bunting juvenile with Spanish Sparrow juvenile Omodos 20th June 2015 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Was out doing some survey work this morning in the Larnaca area and came across five juvenile Great Spotted Cuckoo being fed by Magpies – one Magpie had two – and another being fed by a Hooded Crow. Also several Cyprus Warbler family parties were about as was a juvenile Cetti’s Warbler. There were some pairs of European Roller around but no young birds yet. Several hundred Common Swift were over the fields around Kivisilli towards Teresfanou. A Long-legged Buzzard was over the road between Mazotos and Alaminos with two over Anglisides.
At the coast Spiros Pool is drying up although a couple Ruff and some Black-winged Stilt were there. On the beach a sub-adult Audouin’s Gull was feeding on what looked to be a red mullet and warding off raiding Yellow-legged Gulls.
Our first stop was at Kensington Cliffs as Stuart and Frances were keen to see as many raptors as possible. We found at least five Eleonora’s Falcon sitting on cliffside ledges as we first scanned the area but then two dark morph birds flew in front of us shortly followed by several light morph individuals. We were treated to their aerial display during our time there with several Alpine Swift also flying around. Checking the rocks at the bottom of the western cliff face we found six Eurasian Shags. A single Baltic Gull was a surprise find in the bay and then we were pleased to see two Griffon Vulture fly up from behind the cliffs, circle over Episkopi Garrison and then head inland.
Pleased with our start we moved to Akrotiri where we visited Phassouri Reed Beds, Akrotiri Gravel Pits, Lady’s Mile and Zakaki Marsh. Far fewer migrants were around than when I had visited the area at the weekend –especially waders – but we still managed to get good views of European Bee-eater, Temminck’s Stint, Glossy Ibis, Squacco Heron, Eastern Olivaceous Warbler, Spotted Flycatcher, Woodchat Shrike, Ferruginous Duck, Armenian Gull, Spur-winged Lapwing and Kentish Plover.
We then headed inland and ate our lunch in a valley behind Omodos. There we watched at least four singing Black-headed Bunting, two singing Cretzschmar’s Bunting, at least one Long-legged Buzzard, several Cyprus Wheatear, a Corn Bunting, two Red-rumped Swallow and several European Serin. On the way back to Larnaca we visited the Panagia Stazousa valley where we added Chukar, Eurasian Turtle Dove, European Roller, Eurasian Hoopoe and (Stuart and Frances’ bird of the day), a Little Owl to our day’s list of species.
A good variety of birds even considering that migrating species at Akrotiri were much reduced now as we move to the end of May.
Species seen – 54
European Shag, Squacco Heron, Little Egret, Glossy Ibis, Mallard, Ferruginous Duck, Eurasian Griffon Vulture, Long-legged Buzzard, Common Kestrel, Eleonora’s Falcon, Chukar, Black Francolin (h), Common Moorhen, Eurasian Coot, Kentish Plover, Spur-winged Lapwing, Temminck’s Stint, Baltic Gull (Lesser Black-backed Gull), Armenian Gull, Yellow-legged Gull, Common Woodpigeon, Eurasian Collared Dove, Eurasian Turtle Dove, Little Owl, Common Swift, Alpine Swift, European Bee-eater, European Roller, Eurasian Hoopoe, Crested Lark, 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, Woodchat Shrike, Eurasian Magpie, Western Jackdaw, Hooded Crow, House Sparrow, Common Chaffinch, European Serin, European Greenfinch, European Goldfinch, Common Linnet, Cretzschmar’s Bunting, Black-headed Bunting, Corn Bunting
Cyprus Wheatear, Omodos, May 21st 2015 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Cyprus Birding Tours 