Cyprus Birding Tours

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Tag Archives: Cyprus birdwatching


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Paphos area May 21st 2020

Headed towards Paphos yesterday for first day here without a lock down and restrictions on movement. Spent some time in the Akamas where I found plenty of European Roller, a Woodchat Shrike, several Black-headed Bunting, two Cretzschmar’s Bunting (see photo of female), European Turtle Dove, Red-rumped Swallow and Cyprus Wheatear. On the way home I visited Agia Varvara soakaways where there is still some water and spent time watching a Little Bittern and a Squacco Heron (see photo) fishing.

Cretzschmar's Bunting, Akamas 21st May 2020 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Cretzschmar’s Bunting, Akamas 21st May 2020 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Squacco Heron, Agia Varvara 21st May 2020 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Squacco Heron, Agia Varvara 21st May 2020 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours


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Larnaca area today 24th March 2020

Like many other local birders I was out trying to make the most of what could be last birding away from my garden for many weeks as we are now in lock down.

Some good birds around including my first Subalpine Warbler, Whinchat and Montagu’s Harrier of the year.

Meneou Pool
Mediterranean Gull 1
Slender-billed Gull 1
Garganey 3
Greater Flamingo c70
Little Egret 5
Common Sandpiper 1
Black-eared Wheatear 1m (see photo)

Larnaca Airport Pools South
Greater Flamingo c800
Northern Shoveler c120
Mediterranean Gull 5
Black-eared Wheatear 1m

Spiros Beach
Little Stint 10
Kentish Plover 2
Little Ringed Plover 1
Isabelline Wheatear 2

Spiros Pool
Spotted Redshank 4
Bluethroat 1
Garganey 50+
Ruff c30
Black-winged Stilt c40
Black-eared Wheatear 2m and 1f
Northern Wheatear 1m (see photo)
Ruppell’s Warbler 1m
Common Hoopoe 4
Masked Shrike 1m
Black-tailed Godwit 2
Subalpine Warbler 1m

Larnaca Airport Coast
Black-eared Wheatear 2m
Isabelline Wheatear 2
Common Nightingale 1

Softades
Northern Wheatear 1
Montagu’s Harrier 1m
Common Hoopoe 1m in off sea
Northern Wheatear 2

Kiti to Petounta road
Northern Wheatear 6

Petounta Point
Common Snipe 6
Little Ringed Plover 13 (see photo)
Citrine Wagtail 1f (see photo)
Black-headed Wagtail feldegg 12+
Blue-headed Wagtail flava 2
Grey-headed Wagtail thunbergi 1
Common Hoopoe 2
Kentish Plover 1
Northern Wheatear 3
Water Pipit 8+
Red-throated Pipit 1
Isabelline Wheatear 4
Black-eared Wheatear 5
Common Quail 1 in flight
Spur-winged Lapwing 1
Cyprus Wheatear 1f
Ruppell’s Warbler 1m
Common Redstart 2m

Kivisili fields
Black-eared Wheatear 4m
Cyprus Wheatear 1f
Isabelline Wheatear 1
Whinchat 2m
Common Hoopoe 3
Green Sandpiper 1

 

Black-eared Wheatear, Larnaca 24th March 2020 (Cyprus Birding Tours)

Black-eared Wheatear, Larnaca 24th March 2020 (Cyprus Birding Tours)

Female Citrine Wagtail, Petounta 24th March 2020 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Female Citrine Wagtail, Petounta 24th March 2020 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Little Ringed Plover, Petounta 24th March 2020 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Little Ringed Plover, Petounta 24th March 2020 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Northern Wheatear, Spiros Pool 24th March 2020 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Northern Wheatear, Spiros Pool 24th March 2020 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours


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Larnaca area 16th March 2020

Out around Larnaca yesterday morning doing the waterbird count. Still more than 2000 Greater Flamingos plus several hundred Slender-billed Gull, 23 Little Gull, three Mediterranean Gull, more than 50 Black-winged Stilt, nine Pied Avocet, a male Tufted Duck, three Great Crested Grebe, some Little and Common Ringed Plover, Ruff, Kentish Plover, some Northern and Isabelline Wheatear, a couple of Common Hoopoe (see photo), lots of Common Chiffchaff, Lesser Whitethroat and Western Yellow and White Wagtail and a Woodchat Shrike.

Common Hoopoe, Larnaca 16th March 2020 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Common Hoopoe, Larnaca 16th March 2020 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours


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Cape Greco 13th March 2020

Lovely day around Cape Greco today – dodging some very heavy rain at times. Great birds including this male Masked Shrike (photo).

Other sightings included:

Isabelline Wheatear 28+
Northern Wheatear 12+
Common Hoopoe 20 incl a group of five in off sea together
Cyprus Wheatear 4
Common Crane 1 heading E 09:45
Black Redstart 10
Lesser Whitethroat 8+
Common Whitethroat 2
Song Thrush 7
Bluethroat 1
Black-eared Wheatear 2 pale throated and 5 dark throated
Ruppell’s Warbler 3m
Masked Shrike 1m
Blue Rock Thrush 3 (incl a pair with singing male)
Cyprus Warbler 3m
Common Nightingale 1
Great Spotted Cuckoo 1
Hen Harrier 1f
Eastern Bonelli’s Warbler 2
Common Redstart 1m and 1f
‘Ehrenberg’s’ Redstart 1f
Desert Wheatear 1m
Red-rumped Swallow 7
Black-headed Wagtail 30
Blue-headed Wagtail 2

Masked Shrike, Cape Greco 13th March 2020 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Masked Shrike, Cape Greco 13th March 2020 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours


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Desert Wheatear, Mandria 10th March 2020

Desert Wheatear, Mandria 10th March 2020 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Desert Wheatear, Mandria 10th March 2020 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Pleased to find one at Avakas coast this morning and then this individual on the beach at Mandria late in the afternoon. Light rubbish but never mind – always a great bird even if the photo doesn’t do it justice.

Had these other sightings today around Paphos:

Lara Beach
Woodchat Shrike 1
Tawny Pipit 1
Greater Short-toed Lark 3
Isabelline Wheatear 8
Woodlark 3

Avakas Coast
Desert Wheatear 1m
Isabelline Wheatear 5

Anarita Park early pm
Blue Rock Thrush 1m
Cyprus Wheatear 1
Pallid Swift 3

Timi Beach
Northern Wheatear 1m and 1f
Isabelline Wheatear 5
Little Ringed Plover 1

Mandria late pm
Desert Wheatear 1m on beach
Isabelline Wheatear 15+


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Petounta Point this morning 8th March 2020

A quick visit to Petounta east of Larnaca with my first feldegg Yellow Wagtail of the spring, three Water Pipits, a Common Snipe, two Kentish Plover, three Isabelline Wheatear and migrating Slender-billed Gulls offshore.

Isabelline Wheatear, Petounta 8th March 2020 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Isabelline Wheatear, Petounta 8th March 2020 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Water Pipit, Petounta 8th March 2020 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Water Pipit, Petounta 8th March 2020 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

 


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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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Larnaca and Agia Napa today 9th January 2020

Back out for the first time in a few weeks. Plenty of Little Gull being reported islandwide although usually in ones and twos. Was amazed to find at least 70 at Meneou this morning. A very high count of the species for Cyprus. Also good to see the Greater Sandplover and Grey Plover are back wintering at Agia Trias near Paralimni.

Little Gull, Meneou 9th January 2020 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Little Gull, Meneou 9th January 2020 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Greater Sandplover, Agia Trias 9th January 2020 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Greater Sandplover, Agia Trias 9th January 2020 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours


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Bluethroat, Larnaca Sewage Works 10th December 2019

A Bluethroat in front of hide at Larnaca Sewage Works this morning 10th December 2019 distracting me while I was doing the Waterbird Count!

Bluethroat , Larnaca Sewage Works,10th December 2019 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Bluethroat , Larnaca Sewage Works,10th December 2019 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Bluethroat 2, LSW 10th December 2019 (1 of 1)

Bluethroat , Larnaca Sewage Works,10th December 2019 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours


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Larnaca area 10th December 2019

Out doing the waterbird count today but the best bird was an immature Audouin’s Gull at Oroklini Beach which I visited after I’d finished (see heavily cropped photo).

Audouin's Gull, Oroklini Beach 10th December 2019 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Audouin’s Gull, Oroklini Beach 10th December 2019 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Other sightings included:

Meneou Pool
Common Ringed Plover 1

Larnaca Airport Pools South
Grey Plover 1
Armenian Gull c10
Caspian Gull 8+
Heuglin’s Gull 2 ad
Baltic Gull 1 juv

Larnaca Sewage Works
Great Cormorant 431
Bluethroat 1
Common Teal 417
Northern Shoveler 180
Greater White-fronted Goose 2
Eurasian Wigeon 3m and 2f
Great Crested Grebe 1
Northern Pintail 8
Common Shelduck 1
Western Marsh Harrier 1
Armenian Gull 20+
Caspian Gull 30+
Yellow-legged Gull 5
Black-headed Gull 68+

Spiros Pool
Common Ringed Plover 1
Eurasian Golden Plover 175

Larnaca Airport Pools North
Black-headed Gull 35
Slender-billed Gull 3 ad
Common Redshank 43
Dunlin 6

Larnaca Salt Lake
Greater Flamingo 946
Common Shelduck 6
Kentish Plover 2
Common Ringed Plover 5
Spanish Sparrow 10+
Corn Bunting 4
Cattle Egret 3
Black-headed Gull 77

Larnaca Salt Lake north east corner
Water Pipit 1
Common Snipe 29+
Western Water Rail 1h

Kamares area
Jack Snipe 1
Common Snipe 1
Water Pipit 2
Common Kingfisher 2
Western Water Rail 1 seen

Oroklini Beach
Audouin’s Gull 1 imm
Black-headed Gull c150
Little Egret 1
Caspian Gull 4
Armenian Gull 7
Great Cormorant c50 heading E offshore

Oroklini Marsh
Northern Lapwing c60
Northern Pintail 5m
Bluethroat 1h
Spur-winged Lapwing 36+
Little Egret 3
Northern Shoveler 200+
Common Teal 130+
Common Starling c30
Red-crested Pochard 1m and 1f
Greater Flamingo 26
Cattle Egret 32
Ferruginous Duck 1
Common Pochard 2f