Although we managed to keep dry, a lot of our day out was spent dodging coming storms until one finally caught up with us at Lady’s Mile on Akrotiri. This definitely affected the species that we saw. However, Stuart, Sue and I did manage to fit in some good birds including male Pallid and female Hen Harrier, Lesser Kestrel including two very smart males, Semi-collared and Collared Flycatchers, a male Ortolan Bunting, several male Common Redstart with one of the samamisicus race and the stars of the day – a Baillon’s and male Little Crake at Zakaki Marsh to end the day.
Highlights per location:
Timi Beach – Grey Heron, Ruff, Kentish Plover and Common Greenshank all on beach. Eurasian Stone Curlew, Common Nightingale, Corn Bunting, Greater Short-toed Lark, Isabelline and Northern Wheatear
Anarita Park – Hen Harrier, Lesser Kestrel, Great Spotted Cuckoo h, Alpine Swift, Red-rumped Swallow, Cyprus and Eastern Black-eared Wheatear, Cretzschmar’s Bunting, Whinchat, Tree Pipit. Common Redstart, Ehrenberg’s Redstart
Paphos Sewage Works – Cattle Egret, Spur-winged Lapwing, Collared Flycatcher, Common Redstart
Akrotiri Gravel Pits area – Pallid Harrier, Greater Short-toed Lark, Ruff, Common Nightingale, Common Redstart, Semi-collared Flycatcher 1m, Collared Flycatcher 5m and 1f, Common Whitethroat, Cretzschmar’s Bunting, Ortolan Bunting, Cyprus Wheatear
Akrotiri Salt Lake – Greater Flamingo, Eurasian Hoopoe
Lady’s Mile – Black-winged Stilt, Ruff
Zakaki Marsh – Glossy Ibis, Baillon’s Crake, Little Crake, Great Reed Warbler, Eurasian Penduline Tit h, Black Francolin h
Total species and forms seen – 70
Little Grebe, Cattle Egret, Grey Heron, Glossy Ibis, Greater Flamingo, Mallard, Hen Harrier, Pallid Harrier, Lesser Kestrel, Common Kestrel, Chukar, Black Francolin, Little Crake, Baillon’s Crake, Common Moorhen, Eurasian Coot, Black-winged Stilt, Eurasian Stone Curlew, Kentish Plover, Spur-winged Lapwing, Ruff, Common Greenshank, Common Black-headed Gull, Yellow-legged Gull, Armenian Gull, Common Woodpigeon, Eurasian Collared Dove, Great Spotted Cuckoo, Common Swift, Alpine Swift, Eurasian Hoopoe, Greater Short-toed Lark, Crested Lark, Barn Swallow, Red-rumped Swallow, Common House Martin, Tree Pipit, Meadow Pipit, Yellow Wagtail, White Wagtail, Common Nightingale, Common Redstart, Ehrenberg’s Redstart, Whinchat, Isabelline Wheatear, Northern Wheatear, Cyprus Wheatear, Eastern Black-eared Wheatear, Cetti’s Warbler, Zitting Cisticola, Eurasian Reed Warbler, Great Reed Warbler, Sardinian Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat, Common Whitethroat, Eurasian Blackcap, Common Chiffchaff, Semi-collared Flycatcher, Collared Flycatcher, Great Tit, Eurasian Penduline Tit h, Eurasian Magpie, Hooded Crow, Western Jackdaw, House Sparrow, European Greenfinch, European Goldfinch, Ortolan Bunting, Cretzschmar’s Bunting, Corn Bunting
Corn Bunting, Anarita Park, 1st April 2017 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Little Crake, Zakaki Marsh 1st April 2017 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
The report contains 55 colour photos, the 2015 Systematic List of 301 observed species or recognised forms which was compiled from nearly 66,000 records, the 2015 Ringing report, papers on the first Lesser Flamingo in Cyprus, putting geolocators on Cyprus Wheatears, the BirdLife Cyprus 2015 monitoring programmes, the diet of Red-footed Falcons while in Anarita Park, and autumn bird numbers in Western Paphos. The Report includes species charts and tables and a full Cyprus bird List. The front cover features a male Bearded Reedling – one of a pair at Lower Ezousas in November 2015.
The Report will be sent automatically to those BirdLife Cyprus members whose subscription includes it. Extra copies can be purchased from birdlifecyprus@birdlifecyprus.org.cy
Two days out with Ashley who was in Cyprus with the single purpose of seeing the Cyprus Warbler, Cyprus Wheatear and Black Francolin and then some general birding.
Wednesday 29th March
We started on Wednesday morning in the Panagia Stazousa valley where we soon heard the strange buzzing of a male Cyprus Wheatear on territory and got some great views of it while at the same time two Cyprus Warbler were singing and competing for territory nearby. We had excellent views of them as well and were two thirds of the way through our target before our first hour was over. In the end we saw at least four singing male Cyprus Wheatear and at least twelve male and a female Cyprus Warbler in the area. Very satisfying to see so many of the warblers. A singing Eastern Bonelli’s Warbler in the same area was an added bonus. We also saw four Great Spotted Cuckoo -two of whom were seem copulating while the male fed the female a caterpillar taken from the nest of a processionary moth caterpillar. We watched him trying to extract another one but the female had lost interest by the time he was successful. A Long-legged Buzzard flew over, a Eurasian Scops Owl called and we found five Cretzschmar’s Bunting. Two Eurasian Hoopoe flew into a pine while we were watching a group of European Serin in the same tree.
Driving through the fields beneath the village of Kivisilli we stopped to admire another Eurasian Hoopoe and eight Lesser Kestrel hunting over the fields and dropping down to catch insects. A small group of Greater Short-toed Lark were in a ploughed field. We heard several Black Francolin calling at Petounta Point but only saw one briefly in flight. We had better views of another Long-legged Buzzard and several Northern and Isabelline Wheatear as well as a Common Redstart. But driving towards Pervolia we had more luck and finally had a singing male Black Francolin out in the open and not too far away so that our views were ruined by heat haze. In the fields near Pervolia village we had close up views of five Calandra Lark, around 60 Yellow Wagtail, 20 Red-throated Pipit and 50+ Greater Short-toed Lark.
After a picnic lunch by the seaside we moved to the hide overlooking Larnaca Sewage Works. There were not many waterfowl left there now although there were two Ruddy Shelduck which were a lovely surprise. Lesser Whitethroat were in the bushes in front of the hide – they were present at all the locations we visited over the two days. A Purple Heron flew over but didn’t stop while another Great Spotted Cuckoo rested briefly in front of the hide. Spur-winged Lapwing, Black-winged Stilt, Little Stint, Common Ringed Plover, Common and Green Sandpiper fed around the water’s edge. Before leaving the area we found more Black-winged Stilt, a lone Greater Flamingo and 13 Slender-billed Gull on Meneou Pool.
A quick stop to scan the main Salt Lake gave us a few more Greater Flamingo, two breeding plumage Black-necked Grebe and more Slender-billed Gull. In the north east corner our best birds were a female Little Crake and a Spotted Crake as well as Marsh Sandpiper, Little Ringed Plover, Common Snipe, Ruff, Spur-winged Lapwing, Wood and Green Sandpiper, Bluethroat, Water Pipit, Yellow Wagtail and Eurasian Reed Warbler. We finished the day there with targets met and a total of 80 species seen.
Thursday 30th March
Our first stop today was Oroklini Marsh where we found a Glossy Ibis and a Black-tailed Godwit, Ruff, Black-winged Stilt and Spur-winged Lapwing, three winter plumage Black-necked Grebe, a Ferruginous Duck, two male and a female Red-crested Pochard, Garganey, plenty of Cattle Egret and two Little Egret and an overflying male Pallid Harrier and a hunting female Western Marsh Harrier. Several Eurasian Reed Warbler and a single Sedge Warbler were singing. We found another Pallid Harrier, this time a sub-adult male, sitting on Paralimni Lake and another male flew over. Also there were two Eurasian Golden Plover, many Ruff, many wheatear – mainly Northern but also Isabelline, Eastern Black-eared and Cyprus, a couple of Little Ringed Plover and a Common Greenshank.
We ate our lunch at the picnic site at Cape Greco after a short walk that had us thinking there was nothing around having just heard a Common Nightingale and seen a couple of Lesser Whitethroat and Eurasian Blackcap. Then a male Pallid Harrier flew by as did five Alpine Swift. We had good views of a dark-throated and pale throated Eastern Black-eared Wheatear and two male Cyprus Warbler at a distance. A drive around the rest of the area was then more productive and we saw two Water Pipit, 12 Greater Short-toed Lark, several Cyprus Wheatear including a pair with the female collecting nest material, a showy Eurasian Wryneck sitting on a rock in the sun, five Tawny Pipit, a male Masked Shrike in the same bush as three male Subalpine Warbler and a male Ruppell’s Warbler. A quick visit to the Larnaca area produced our final birds which were another male Masked Shrike and 18 Baltic Gull migrating off shore.
Two great days out with Ashley with a wide variety of species.
Total species and forms seen – 101
Little Grebe, Black-necked Grebe, Cattle Egret, Little Egret, Grey Heron, Purple Heron, Glossy Ibis, Greater Flamingo, Ruddy Shelduck, Eurasian Teal, Mallard, Garganey, Northern Shoveler, Red-crested Pochard, Ferruginous Duck, Western Marsh Harrier, Pallid Harrier, Long-legged Buzzard, Lesser Kestrel, Common Kestrel, Chukar, Black Francolin, Common Quail, Spotted Crake, Little Crake, Common Moorhen, Eurasian Coot, Black-winged Stilt, Little Ringed Plover, Common Ringed Plover, Kentish Plover, Eurasian Golden Plover, Spur-winged Lapwing, Little Stint, Ruff, Common Snipe, Black-tailed Godwit, Marsh Sandpiper, Common Greenshank, Green Sandpiper, Wood Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, Slender-billed Gull, Baltic Gull, Yellow-legged Gull, Common Woodpigeon, Eurasian Collared Dove, Eurasian Scops Owl, Great Spotted Cuckoo, Common Swift, Alpine Swift, Eurasian Hoopoe, Eurasian Wryneck, Calandra Lark, Greater Short-toed Lark, Crested Lark, Barn Swallow, Common House Martin, Tawny Pipit, Meadow Pipit, Red-throated Pipit, Water Pipit, Blue-headed Wagtail (flava), Black-headed Wagtail (feldegg), superciliaris intergrade, White Wagtail, Common Nightingale h, Bluethroat, Common Redstart, Common Stonechat, Isabelline Wheatear, Northern Wheatear, Cyprus Wheatear, Eastern Black-eared Wheatear, Song Thrush, Cetti’s Warbler, Zitting Cisticola, Sedge Warbler h, Eurasian Reed Warbler, Spectacled Warbler, Subalpine Warbler, Sardinian Warbler, Cyprus Warbler, Ruppell’s Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat, Eurasian Blackcap, Eastern Bonelli’s Warbler, Common Chiffchaff, Great Tit, Masked Shrike, Eurasian Magpie, Western Jackdaw, Hooded Crow, House Sparrow, Spanish Sparrow, Common Chaffinch, European Serin, European Greenfinch, European Goldfinch, Cretzschmar’s Bunting, Corn Bunting
Lesser Kestrel, Kivisilli, 29th March 2017 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Concluding the tour with The Travelling Naturalist group we had the following highlights:
26th March – The main effort of the day went into finding different flora in Akamas but the birding highlights were Eastern Bonelli’s Warbler, Cretzschmar’s Bunting and Tree Pipit.
27th March – We headed for Troodos via Kouklia, Archimandrita and Agios Nikolaos. Highlights were two Eurasian Griffon Vulture plus Coal Tit, Short-toed Treecreeper, Red Crossbill, European Serin, Laughing Dove, Cyprus and Eastern Black-eared Wheatear, Great Spotted Cuckoo and Eurasian Sparrowhawk, plus a Spur-winged Lapwing and a Long-eared Hedgehog outside hotel in morning.
28th March – Concluding a successful week’s guiding we explored the beach near the hotel this morning, finishing with a quick visit close to Larnaca airport. Highlights Ruddy Turnstone, Pallid Harrier, Eastern Black-eared Wheatear, Kentish Plover, Slender-billed Gull, Ruddy Turnstone, Spur-winged Lapwing and migrating Common Shelduck.
During 21st – 28th March Cyprus Birding Tours is leading a tour for the UK based company ‘The Travelling Naturalist’. So far we have visited Paphos Headland with our highlights being Subalpine and Ruppell’s Warbler, Eastern Black-eared and Isabelline Wheatear, Black-headed Wagtail, Great Spotted Cuckoo, Eurasian Hoopoe, Common Quail, Whimbrel, Ruddy Turnstone, Tawny Pipit, Red-rumped Swallow and Alpine Swift.
On 23rd we were at Agia Varvara and Anarita Park with highlights:
Agia Varvara – Common Snipe, Green Sandpiper, Cyprus Warbler, Cyprus Wheatear, Common Quail
Anarita Park – Bonelli’s Eagle, Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush, Pallid Harrier, Common Quail, Cretzschmar’s Bunting, Eastern Black-eared Wheatear, Isabelline Wheatear, Great Spotted Cuckoo, Little Owl
The 24th we were around the Paphos Plain with highlights:
Male Pallid and Western Marsh Harrier, Great Spotted Cuckoo, Eurasian Stone Curlew, Spur-winged Lapwing, Little Ringed Plover, Yellow Wagtail, Red-throated Pipit, Blue Rock Thrush, Eastern Orphean Warbler, Ruppell’s Warbler, Eurasian Golden Plover and Chukar.
Today, Saturday 25th March we visited Akrotiri with highlights:
Eurasian Bittern, Ferruginous Duck, Squacco Heron, Black-winged Stilt, Baltic Gull, Slender-billed Gull, Water Rail, Eurasian Penduline Tit, Greater Flamingo, Cretzschmar’s Bunting, Common Redstart samamisicus race, Eastern Black-eared Wheatear, Bimaculated Lark, Purple Heron, Spotted Redshank, Wood Sandpiper, Black-crowned Night Heron, ‘Steppe’ Buzzard and Western Marsh Harrier.
Tawny Pipit, Kefelos Beach, 22nd March 2017 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
The second day out with Ann and Peter was spent in the Larnaca area although we did stop quickly at the hide at Zakaki Marsh but just missed the Baillon’s Crake that was there. Although we were told it had been out in the open just before we arrived it didn’t come out again while we waited. As we left the area we heard Eurasian Penduline Tit and saw a Purple Heron fly over.
Larnaca was very windy and we saw very few migrant warblers. Despite that we were pleased with our day total of 73 which took the total for the two days out to 94.
Highlights per location:
Alaminos – Chukar, Great Spotted Cuckoo, Cyprus Warbler h
Petounta Point – Long-legged Buzzard 1, Black Francolin 2, Isabelline Wheatear, Northern Wheatear, Lesser Whitethroat
Petounta to Kiti Road – Eurasian Hoopoe 2, Western Marsh Harrier 1, Calandra Lark 3 in display flight
Pervolia – Eurasian Skylark, Yellow Wagtail inc feldegg and flava races and superciliaris intergrade, Red-throated Pipit, Corn Bunting
Meneou Pool – Greater Flamingo, Black-winged Stilt, Marsh Sandpiper
Larnaca Airport Pools South – Eurasian Stone Curlew 19
Larnaca Sewage Works – Ruddy Shelduck 7, Eurasian Wigeon 2m, Black-winged Stilt, Common Greenshank, Ruff, Common Redshank
Spiros Pool – Eurasian Golden Plover, Spectacled Warbler
Larnaca Airport Coast – Northern Wheatear 1m
Larnaca Salt Lake – Cattle Egret, Greater Flamingo, Common Shelduck, Black-winged Stilt, Ruff, Spur-winged Lapwing, Common Snipe, Slender-billed Gull, Water Pipit, Grey Wagtail
Some of the main sightings from my morning in the Larnaca area doing the monthly waterbird count. It was still windy but a fall of warblers all along the coast – mainly Chiffchaff but also Lesser Whitethroat, Ruppell’s and Subalpine. The only Ruppell’s that stayed in the open long enough for a photo (see below) didn’t chose the best backdrop before he dived into the shelter of the nearby bushes.
Meneou Pool
Black-winged Stilt 60
Greater Flamingo 190
Ruff 3
Kentish Plover 22
Common Black-headed Gull 25
Dunlin 3
Little Stint 11
Common Ringed Plover 6
Marsh Sandpiper 6
Little Ringed Plover 1
Larnaca Airport Pools South
Baltic Gull ad and 2 imm over heading E
Eurasian Stone Curlew 10
Larnaca Sewage Works
Western Marsh Harrier 1
Ruppell’s Warbler 2m
Chiffchaff 13
Ruddy Shelduck 19
Black-headed Wagtail 3
Spur-winged Lapwing 3
Common Greenshank 6
Eurasian Wigeon 2m
Isabelline Wheatear 1
Eurasian Hoopoe 1
Song Thrush 3
Spiros Pool
Subalpine Warbler 1m
Corn Bunting 1
Black-winged Stilt 9
Common Chiffchaff 6+
Little Stint 3
Hen Harrier 1 ringtail
Larnaca Airport Pools North
Greater Flamingo 210
Black-winged Stilt 30
Ruff 2
Marsh Sandpiper 2
Common Redshank 1
Larnaca Salt Lake
Grey Heron 5
Great Egret 2
Slender-billed Gull 779
Greater Flamingo 35
Ruff 197
Common Chiffchaff 10+
Common Shelduck 425
Black-necked Grebe 6
Ruppell’s Warbler 1m+
Western Marsh Harrier 2
Common Redshank 4
Spur-winged Lapwing 8
Little Crake 1
Eurasian Reed Warbler 6 (3 heard only)
Kentish Plover 15
Little Ringed Plover 4
Little Stint 10
Dunlin 6
Yellow Wagtail 1f (same bird as present all winter now acquiring ad plumage and seems to be flava female)
Water Pipit 2
Water Pipit, Larnaca Salt Lake 18th March 2017 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
After our day out around Cape Greco on Monday, I took Barry today to Akhna Dam, Oroklini and Larnaca. A very windy day which affected the kind of species we saw but we had some excellent views of some great birds and took the total number of species seen over the two days to 103.
We started our day today at Akhna Dam. A Great White Pelican has been moving between Akhna and Larnaca since early November 2016 and today was at Akhna. We watched him preening for a while and also saw a Great Crested Grebe, a singing male Spectacled Warbler, several Grey Heron, a hunting Western Marsh Harrier, a small group of overflying Ruff and a lone Little Ringed Plover. We then headed towards Oroklini Marsh. On the spur of the moment I decided we should check out the beach first just in case there were any gulls there. There wasn’t a single gull present but hovering over the shallow water there we saw a Pied Kingfisher. It had been seen at the Marsh earlier in the week but not since Monday. We were really pleased and watched it for a while as it hovered and then flew to a wire near us calling. It returned to the sea and then flew east. The bird of the day and it wasn’t even lunch time.
At Oroklini we visited both hides and had great views of Greater Flamingo, Spur-winged Lapwing, Black-winged Stilt, Northern Pintail, Red-crested Pochard, a Black-necked Grebe, Lesser Whitethroat, Eurasian Reed Warbler, Sedge Warbler and best of all a showy Bluethroat. Although we heard Eurasian Penduline Tit we couldn’t spot it in the reeds. A quick stop at the drainage channel further west along the coast added Common Kingfisher to our growing day list and as we drove through Livadia village we found three Laughing Doves near the church there.
It was very windy around Larnaca Salt Lake and the Sewage Pools area. Two Sandwich Tern were fishing offshore and from the hide we saw 18 Ruddy Shelduck, six Common Greenshank and two Eurasian Wigeon in with the Northern Shoveler, Eurasian Teal and Mallard there. A lone Audouin’s Gull sat on Spiros Pool and our only wheatears of the day were in that area – an Isabelline and a female Northern. We saw a migrating male Western Marsh Harrier and then moved to Meneou Pool where there were several Greater Flamingo, some Kentish Plover, a Common Ringed Plover, a few Little Stint, over forty Black-winged Stilt and some Ruff and Marsh Sandpiper. We visited nearby fields in the village of Pervolia and were pleased to see a singing male Black Francolin out in the open and then two migrating Pallid Harrier flying low over the fields fighting against the wind.
A quick scan of the main Salt Lake produced six Black-necked Grebe, around forty Slender-billed Gull and a couple of hundred Greater Flamingo. We finished the day in the north-east corner of the Salt Lake where we spent around an hour watching a female Little Crake feeding in a run off channel. Also there were Eurasian Reed and Cetti’s Warbler, a Water Pipit, Common Snipe, Grey Wagtail, several Red-rumped Swallows and a Water Rail. Some great birds to finish a great day out.
Total species seen – 82
Little Grebe, Great Crested Grebe, Black-necked Grebe, Great Cormorant, Great White Pelican, Cattle Egret, Little Egret, Grey Heron, Greater Flamingo, Ruddy Shelduck, Eurasian Wigeon, Eurasian Teal, Mallard, Northern Pintail, Northern Shoveler, Red-crested Pochard, Western Marsh Harrier, Pallid Harrier, Common Kestrel, Black Francolin, Water Rail, Little Crake, Common Moorhen, Eurasian Coot, Black-winged Stilt, Kentish Plover, Little Ringed Plover, Common Ringed Plover, Spur-winged Lapwing, Little Stint, Ruff, Common Snipe, Common Redshank, Marsh Sandpiper, Common Greenshank, Green Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, Common Black-headed Gull, Slender-billed Gull, Audouin’s Gull, Yellow-legged Gull, Sandwich Tern, Common Woodpigeon, Eurasian Collared Dove, Laughing Dove, Common Swift, Common Kingfisher, Pied Kingfisher, Crested Lark, Eurasian Skylark, Barn Swallow, Red-rumped Swallow, Common House Martin, Meadow Pipit, Water Pipit, Grey Wagtail, White Wagtail, European Robin, Bluethroat, Common Stonechat, Isabelline Wheatear, Northern Wheatear, Song Thrush, Cetti’s Warbler, Zitting Cisticola, Sedge Warbler, Eurasian Reed Warbler, Spectacled Warbler, Sardinian Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat, Common Chiffchaff, Great Tit, Eurasian Penduline Tit, Eurasian Magpie, Western Jackdaw, Hooded Crow, House Sparrow, Spanish Sparrow, Common Chaffinch, European Greenfinch, European Goldfinch, Corn Bunting
Little Crake, Larnaca Salt Lake, 17th March 2017 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Pied Kingfisher, Oroklini 17th March 2017 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Great White Pelican, Akhna Dam 17th March 2017 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
A day around Paphos with Ann and Peter – the third year running that we have been out together. We started at Timi Beach and Anarita Park and then went further inland to new sites for them – Episkopi (Paphos), Arodes and Evretou Dam. We had a total of 55 species with highlights from each location as follows:
Eurasian Hoopoe, Common Buzzard, Long-legged Buzzard, Chukar
Total species – 55
European Shag, Eurasian Teal, Common Buzzard, Long-legged Buzzard, Bonelli’s Eagle, Lesser Kestrel, Common Kestrel, Peregrine Falcon, Chukar, Eurasian Coot, Yellow-legged Gull, Caspian Gull, Rock Dove, Common Woodpigeon, Eurasian Collared Dove, Little Owl, Common Swift, Eurasian Hoopoe, Crested Lark, Woodlark, Barn Swallow, Red-rumped Swallow, Common House Martin, Meadow Pipit, White Wagtail, Common Nightingale, European Robin, Western Black Redstart, Common Stonechat, Isabelline Wheatear, Northern Wheatear, Cyprus Wheatear, Finsch’s Wheatear, Blue Rock Thrush, Song Thrush, Cetti’s Warbler, Zitting Cisticola, Sardinian Warbler, Cyprus Warbler, Ruppell’s Warbler, Eurasian Blackcap, Common Chiffchaff, Great Tit, Western Jackdaw, Hooded Crow, House Sparrow, Eurasian Magpie, Spanish Sparrow, Common Chaffinch, European Serin, European Goldfinch, European Greenfinch, Common Linnet, Cretzschmar’s Bunting, Corn Bunting
Lesser Kestrel, Anarita Park 15th March 2017 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
The first of two day’s out with Barry and we spent our time around Cape Greco moving to Paralimni Lake later in the day. We started at Agia Trias beach where there were still two Greater Sand Plover on the beach together with a Grey Plover, Common Sandpiper and a Common Kingfisher. We spent several hours exploring Cape Greco on foot and by car and were pleased with the species we found which included three singing male Cyprus Warbler, Spectacled and Ruppell’s Warbler, Isabelline, Cyprus, Northern and Finsch’s Wheatear, Red-rumped Swallow, a Pallid Harrier, at least seven Eurasian Hoopoe, Blue Rock Thrush, Baltic Gull and Little Egret migrating offshore, Cretzschmar’s Bunting and Greater Short-toed Lark. Still plenty of Western Black Redstart and Common Stonechat around as well as several Chukar and lots of finches.
Although it was very windy when we finally got to Kermia Beach we were glad we made the effort as our target species for that location was there – two Audouin’s Gull. Although they were dozing when we arrived two Yellow-legged Gull flew in and woke them up for us. We went slightly inland to Agia Napa Sewage Works where we saw two male Blue Rock Thrush, more Cretzschmar’s Bunting and Isabelline Wheatear and a very smart male Masked Shrike. On the treated water pools there were Eurasian Coot and Little Grebe as well as two each of Spur-winged Lapwing, Common Sandpiper and Green Sandpiper. We did a detour to the Agia Napa Football fields where we found another Cretzschmar’s Bunting and two Laughing Doves.
Finishing the day at Paralimni Lake we set up the ‘scope and scanned the area. A Peregrine Falcon was sitting on a rock towards the middle and an adult Long-legged Buzzard was nearby in a low bush. We found a couple more Isabelline Wheatear and another Masked Shrike. There were several species of wader – Kentish Plover, Spur-winged Lapwing, Little Ringed Plover, Ruff, Eurasian Golden Plover and Dunlin. As we sat to go over our sightings and drink a final cup of tea late in the afternoon we watched a small flock of Common Starling coming into roost. A good day out hopefully with more species to come later in the week on our second day out.
Total species – 64
Little Grebe, Great Cormorant, Little Egret, Mallard, Pallid Harrier, Long-legged Buzzard, Common Kestrel, Peregrine Falcon, Chukar, Common Moorhen, Eurasian Coot, Little Ringed Plover, Kentish Plover, Greater Sand Plover, Eurasian Golden Plover, Grey Plover, Spur-winged Lapwing, Dunlin, Ruff, Green Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, Audouin’s Gull, Baltic Gull, Yellow-legged Gull, Eurasian Collared Dove, Laughing Dove, Common Swift, Common Kingfisher, Eurasian Hoopoe, Greater Short-toed Lark, Barn Swallow, Red-rumped Swallow, Common House Martin, Meadow Pipit, White Wagtail, European Robin, Western Black Redstart, Common Stonechat, Isabelline Wheatear, Northern Wheatear, Cyprus Wheatear, Finsch’s Wheatear, Blue Rock Thrush, Song Thrush, Cetti’s Warbler, Zitting Cisticola, Spectacled Warbler, Sardinian Warbler, Cyprus Warbler, Ruppell’s Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat, Eurasian Blackcap, Common Chiffchaff, Great Tit, Masked Shrike, Hooded Crow, Common Starling, House Sparrow, Spanish Sparrow, European Greenfinch, European Goldfinch, Common Linnet, Cretzschmar’s Bunting
Audouin’s Gull, Kermia Beach, 13th March 2017 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
The first day out of what promises to be a busy spring season for Cyprus Birding Tours, was with Peter and Sian. We had arranged to go to Anarita Park and Akrotiri to show Peter those locations. Our target species were Cyprus Warbler, Cyprus Wheatear and Finsch’s Wheatear. After heavy rain over night the weather was mainly sunny if hazy as we headed for Anarita Park. Flocks of finches – Common Linnet, European Serin, European Goldfinch and Greenfinch greeted us as did a Eurasian Hoopoe. Corn Bunting were singing and we heard a Great Spotted Cuckoo although we didn’t see one there. After a few false starts we found both Cyprus and Finsch’s Wheatear as well as a couple of Isabelline and Northern and a very smart Eastern Black-eared. We were told by a local birder that a male Lesser Kestrel was hunting near the road and we passed by there and had good views of it. We briefly saw a male Cyprus Warbler as well as a Chukar, two male and a female Blue Rock Thrush, some male Spanish Sparrow and a few Woodlark.
We then headed to the Agia Varvara valley hoping to get better views of the Cyprus Warbler. We were in luck and found a male singing there which kept us entertained for a while until we were interrupted by a fox dashing through the undergrowth nearby being chased by three dogs. We then moved on to Kourio Stadium where we ate our lunch in the shade of a carob tree watching Isabelline, Northern and Cyprus Wheatear and added Red-rumped Swallow to our list of species.
Two Eurasian Hoopoe flew over Phasouri Reed-beds but we didn’t find much else there. We drove to check the coast of the Gravel Pits and assumed we had found Garganey floating on the sea. Putting the scope on them it was a surprise to see five Gadwall and around twenty Eurasian Teal. Driving through the Gravel Pits area we came across five Little Ringed Plover, a Ruff and a Green Sandpiper, two Kentish Plover, a Great Spotted Cuckoo, two Isabelline Wheatear, a male Eastern Black-eared Wheatear, five Lesser Whitethroat, a Woodchat Shrike and many mosquitos. A quick scan over the Salt Lake revealed a couple of hundred Greater Flamingo and a Western Marsh Harrier quartering the shore.
On Lady’s Mile we found just a couple of Kentish Plover and Ruff, a Black-winged Stilt, a Spotted Redshank and a Common Redshank. A couple of Slender-billed Gull with a lovely pink tinge to their plumage were floating offshore with some Common Black-headed Gull and at least one Armenian and Caspian Gull. We then spent a short time in the hide at Zakaki Marsh where we could hear Eurasian Penduline Tit calling. Finally two males were spotted by Peter feeding in a tamarisk bush to the left of the hide. Also present were a Little Egret, Common Moorhen, Eurasian Coot and five Common Starling.
The last stop was Kensington Cliffs but unfortunately we were too late to see any Eurasian Griffon Vulture but we did see at least six Alpine Swift. We returned to Paphos happy with our days birding.
Total species – 72
Little Egret, Grey Heron, Greater Flamingo, Gadwall, Eurasian Teal, Mallard, Western Marsh Harrier, Common Buzzard, Lesser Kestrel, Common Kestrel, Chukar, Black Francolin, Common Moorhen, Eurasian Coot, Black-winged Stilt, Kentish Plover, Little Ringed Plover, Ruff, Common Snipe, Spotted Redshank, Common Redshank, Green Sandpiper, Common Black-headed Gull, Slender-billed Gull, Caspian Gull, Armenian Gull, Rock Dove, Common Woodpigeon, Eurasian Collared Dove, Great Spotted Cuckoo, Common Swift, Alpine Swift, Eurasian Hoopoe, Crested Lark, Woodlark, Barn Swallow, Red-rumped Swallow, Common House Martin, Meadow Pipit, White Wagtail, European Robin, Western Black Redstart, Common Stonechat, Isabelline Wheatear, Northern Wheatear, Cyprus Wheatear, Eastern Black-eared Wheatear, Finsch’s Wheatear, Blue Rock Thrush, Song Thrush, Cetti’s Warbler, Zitting Cisticola, Sardinian Warbler, Cyprus Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat, Eurasian Blackcap, Common Chiffchaff, Great Tit, Eurasian Penduline Tit, Woodchat Shrike, Eurasian Magpie, Western Jackdaw, Hooded Crow, Common Starling, House Sparrow, Spanish Sparrow, Common Chaffinch, European Serin, European Greenfinch, European Goldfinch, Common Linnet, Corn Bunting
Lesser Kestrel, Anarita Park 10th March 2017 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Found two newly arrived Cyprus Wheatear at Cape Greco today and just a hand full of other migrants – an Eastern Bonelli’s Warbler, a Lesser Whitethroat and plenty of Isabelline Wheatear. Also saw several singing male Cyprus Warbler and a pair chasing, plus three Blue Rock Thrush, a flock of migrating Great Cormorant, Spanish Sparrows collecting nest material , a Eurasian Hoopoe and a male and female Finsch’s Wheatear. Two Greater Sandplover, a Grey Plover and an immature Slender-billed Gull were at Agia Trias.
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