Started at Kermia Beach this morning where I found a Little Egret, two adult Audouin’s Gull, a Grey Plover, a Kentish Plover and a Greater Sand Plover. Around Cape Greco there were four Isabelline Wheatear, four Blue Rock Thrush, including a singing male, and a female Finsch’s Wheatear – which I was especially pleased to find as it had eluded me on other visits this winter. At Agia Trias there was a Common Sandpiper, a Common Kingfisher and two more Grey Plover but no sign of the Red-breasted Merganser that were there last week.
On Oroklini Beach in the late afternoon there were around twenty Armenian Gull, hundreds of Common Black-headed Gull, a single Mediteranean Gull and five Sandwich Tern. I had been hoping to find a Little Gull there so I was pleased to see that there was one on Oroklini Marsh along with many Cattle Egret, Northern Shoveler, Common Teal, Cattle Egret, Barn Swallow and a few Greater Flamingo.
My planned visit to Akrotiri today luckily coincided with the discovery yesterday of a Cream-coloured Courser at Akrotiri Gravel Pits. Fortunately it was easy to find and as well as seeing that I got my first Isabelline Wheatears (six in total) and Great Spotted Cuckoo of the year. On the coast there were two Eurasian Curlew and in the reeds at Phassouri I found a ReedBunting. There were at least three Western Marsh Harrier and three Common Buzzard in the area. Several Barn Swallows and House Martin were flying around and before I arrived another birder had seen a group of around fifty Common Swift pass over.
I later found one of the Laughing Doves that are now breeding in a residential area of Limassol. They are probably escapes but are well established in the area. Afterwards I went to Amathus where I found another Isabelline Wheatear, five Black Redstart, sixty Spanish Sparrow, over thirty Common Linnet, several Song Thrush and a female Blackbird, two male Cyprus Warbler, a couple of Chukar and more than twelve Corn Bunting.
Two days birding with Paula and Jack over from Canada for a couple of weeks. Paula’s wish list had contained several passage migrants which unfortunately the timing of her visit wouldn’t allow for – infact the only spring migrant we saw were Barn Swallow. It was interesting to take out a couple with little experience of European species and therefore did not tire of the many Common Stonechat and Crested Lark we saw which we take for granted here.
We spent Monday in the Limassol area starting at Germasogeia Dam where we were able to see Common and Long-legged Buzzard and a pair of Bonelli’s Eagle. Flocks of Chaffinch, Linnet, Serin, European Goldfinch, Spanish Sparrow and Meadow Pipit were around and several Great Cormorant, Common Coot and Common Teal were on the water. There were plenty of Common Stonechat and Chiffchaff but although we could hear singing Song Thrush and several flew quickly past us, none would stay still in the open for Paula to get good views of them.
It was very windy on the Akrotiri Peninsula and there were not many small birds out in the open. We did find the long-staying young Common Crane which is now acquiring adult plumage and had brief glimpses of a couple of Water Pipit. At least eight Cattle Egret were present together with a single Little Egret. Two flocks of Rock Dove flew over. A couple of Western Marsh Harrier were flying over the area and we disturbed a perched Common Buzzard which flew off in front of the car. On the coast there was a large flock of at least fifty European Greenfinch. On Lady’s Mile we found three roosting Common Ringed Plover and three Kentish Plover as well as a Little Stint. There were four adult Armenian Gull and around twenty juveniles on the sea together with over a hundred Common Black-headed Gull.
We tried out the new hide overlooking Zakaki Marsh but the wind made viewing unpleasant. There were a couple of Teal together with some White Wagtail, a Water Pipit and a Green Sandpiper. I heard a Common Snipe fly off but we were unable to see it. We headed to Kensington Cliffs to finish the day where a single Griffon Vulture rose up from the cliffs to greet us. We spent some time watching it having found a relatively sheltered viewing point. Paula was pleased to get her first view of Common Woodpigeon on the trees there but only I was able to see the European Shag heading east over the bay.
A trip around Paphos was planned for Wednesday and we started with a walk around the Headland. The sea was calm and we had no wind, so we were optimistic of seeing a few more of our target species. A male Western Black Redstart was the first bird we found. There were several Eurasian Skylark flying over the area and we watched a singing Corn Bunting, a male Sardinian Warbler as well as Linnets and Meadow Pipit. I found a Red-throated Pipit but it was disturbed before Paula could see it. We found the Eurasian Golden Plover on the shore as well as the long-staying Dunlin. The four Greater Sand Plover were harder to find but we soon got the ‘scope on them. Each one had slightly different plumage, ranging from winter to almost in full breeding plumage.
At Paphos Sewage Works we were able to see five Spur-winged Lapwing but the star birds there were the large flocks of European Serin, probably two hundred birds in total, which were singing and flying around the area. We were pleased to get a good view of a Cetti’s Warbler which we had heard calling as well as a male Blackcap. The Song Thrush continued to refuse to allow Paula good views however. A Common Buzzard circled over the area and an army helicopter flying over and scaring the birds meant the six Cattle Egret landed in front of us. We spent most of our time at Mandria looking for Red-throated Pipit and were pleased to find a flock of about twenty as we were leaving the area. They came close to the car and we were able to sort out the ID differences between them and the Meadow Pipit. Flocks of Eurasian Skylark were everywhere – even coming close to us as we ate our picnic lunch. Eight Golden Plover were present but despite searching for an early Isabelline Wheatear reported early in the week we were unlucky. A female Hen Harrier flew over giving Paula and Jack the chance to compare it with the Northern Harrier they were more familiar with.
We headed inland and at Anarita Park were pleased to find two male Finsch’s Wheatear and a male Blue Rock Thrush and Paula was also able to get another look at a Chukar. A flock of Woodlark obligingly stopped on a boulder near the track as we drove past and we could compare its characteristics with the Crested and Skylark we had seen earlier. As no Cyprus Wheatear had been reported yet I hoped that we would be able to find an endemic Cyprus Warbler at least for Paula and Jack. We headed to Asprokremmos Dam where we luckily found a very smart male defending his territory. Unluckily only I saw the Little Owl in his cave nearby. On the water there were at least one hundred gull – probably Yellow-legged. We finished our day at Kouklia Soakaways were we saw two Moustached Warbler and heard at least one other.
Although our Monday had not been as productive as we had hoped, Wednesday made up for it and I would like to thank Jack and Paula for their interesting company.
68 species:
Great Cormorant, European Shag, Cattle Egret, Little Egret, Grey Heron, Common Shelduck, Eurasian Teal, Mallard, Eurasian Griffon Vulture, Western Marsh Harrier, Hen Harrier, Common Buzzard, Long-legged Buzzard, Bonelli’s Eagle, Common Kestrel, Chukar, Common Moorhen, Eurasian Coot, Common Crane, Common Ringed Plover, Kentish Plover, Greater Sand Plover, Eurasian Golden Plover, Spur-winged Lapwing, Little Stint, Dunlin, Common Snipe, Green Sandpiper, Common Black-headed Gull, Yellow-legged Gull, Armenian Gull, Rock Dove, Common Woodpigeon, Eurasian Collared Dove, Little Owl, Crested Lark, Woodlark, Eurasian Skylark, Barn Swallow, Meadow Pipit, Red-throated Pipit, Water Pipit, White Wagtail, European Robin, Western Black Redstart, Common Stonechat, Finsch’s Wheatear, Blue Rock Thrush, Song Thrush, Cetti’s Warbler, Zitting Cisticola, Moustached Warbler, Sardinian Warbler, Cyprus Warbler, Eurasian Blackcap, Common Chiffchaff, Great Tit, Eurasian Magpie, Western Jackdaw, Hooded Crow, House Sparrow, Spanish Sparrow, Common Chaffinch, European Serin, European Greenfinch, European Goldfinch, Common Linnet, Corn Bunting.
A record shot of the four female types that have been making an appearance in the area in the late afternoon since the weekend. A rare bird for Cyprus, the last record was of up to three in the same area in January 2011. A female was at Potamos Liopetri late January/early February 2009, while up to six had spent several weeks at the same location in early 2008.
After checking in on the Steppe Grey Shrike at Pervolia, I made a quick visit to Petounta. Found my first Hoopoe of the spring there as well as two Gadwall and three Kentish Plover on the shore and a single Reed Bunting. There were also many Meadow Pipit, Eurasian Skylark, singing Corn Bunting and a calling Black Francolin.
Eurasian Hoopoe Petounta Point February 18th 2014 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
This individual was found in his garden by a Pervolia resident on Wednesday and photographed. Despite no luck when looking for it on Friday, I managed to find it today in a nearby field and from the photographs taken today it appears to be a Steppe Grey Shrike Lanius meridionalis pallidirostris. Wonder how long it has been there and how long it will stay. As it is not at one of the known birding sites it may never have been discovered!
Joined the BirdLife Cyprus field trip around Armou and the Ezousas Valley. Lots of finches around, some Woodlark and thrushes. Most interesting were the seven species of raptors that we saw – Common Kestrel obviously but also a male and a ringtail Hen Harrier, several Long-legged Buzzard, a Common Buzzard, a female European Sparrowhawk and a male Peregrine Falcon. But the stars were the two adult Bonelli’s Eagle and another young one that were in the Ezousas Valley.
Out around Larnaca doing the February Waterbird Count. Started the day in sunshine and luckily just finished before a thunder storm with hail and strong winds hit the area.
I only found one Greater Flamingo on the Salt Lake but just around eighty were on Meneou Pool together with five Stone Curlew and a few Armenian Gull. Two male Black Francolin were having a standoff in a corner of the pool but one of them was frightened off by a male Hen Harrier which flew over. The other celebrated by calling loudly.
The number of ducks on the Sewage Works was much reduced from last month and neither the Greater White-fronted Geese nor the single Greylag Goose were there – maybe they were out on the fields somewhere but I didn’t see them. There were just over five hundred Northern Shoveler, two hundred and thirty Common Teal, a hundred or so Mallard and around 160 Little Grebe. The Coot numbers were up – four hundred and eighty. The Black-necked Grebe (eighteen in total) were with the Little Grebe near to the hide so I could got great views of them – at least four are now in full breeding plumage and the others are acquiring it. There was a single Northern Pintail, five Eurasian Wigeon and two female Gadwall. Three Black-winged Stilt were feeding around the edge.
No water birds on Spiro’s Pool although a Bluethroat flew to the top of a bush briefly and I could make out two Sandwich Tern on the offshore buoys. There were still plenty of Common Shelduck on the main Salt Lake – around 700, together with many Common Black-headed Gull, some Armenian Gull and a few Caspian Gull. There were also five Slender-billed Gull. Kentish Plover, Dunlin, Little Stint and a few Common Ringed Plover were around the edge of the water. A couple of Marsh Harrier were quartering the area and two Little Owl were near Tekke Mosque. In that area there were also many Linnet, Corn Bunting and European Goldfinch.
At Kiti Dam there was a lone Green Sandpiper and twelve Barn Swallow and around twenty House Martin were feeding over the water.
Another sunny day with the winter seeming to have passed us by this year. Plenty of Water Pipit still at Phassouri Reed Beds and several Western Marsh Harrier, Hen Harrier and Common Buzzard around. Flocks of Greenfinch, Linnet and Serin were flying over the Gravel Pits. On Lady’s Mile there were several Kentish Plover and Little Stint with a lone Common Ringed Plover and some Armenian Gulls.
At Germasogeia Dam there were several Barn Swallow feeding over the water and again flocks of finches as well as a flock of Spanish Sparrow and Corn Bunting. Two adult Long-legged Buzzard were present and there were at least five Common Snipe around the edge. I was pleased to see a Mistle Thrush and a Cyprus Warbler on the nature trail but the best bird was a Bluethroat feeding out in the open near the water’s edge.
Serin Germasogeia Dam 12th February 2014 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
The report contains 40 colour photos, the 2012 Systematic List of 294 observed species which was compiled from nearly 57,000 records, the 2012 Ringing report, papers on the first Crested Honey Buzzard in Cyprus, the Yellow Wagtail species complex, House Martin colonies in western Cyprus, small predator species and the effects of a fire on the local bird species density. The Report includes species charts and tables and a full Cyprus bird List. The front cover features the country’s 2nd Sociable Lapwing.
Copies can be purchased from birdlifecyprus@birdlifecyprus.org.cy
Cyprus Birding Tours 