Waterbird count time at Larnaca today. Everywhere still very dry so most birds were found at the Sewage Works. Garganey, Northern Shoveler and Eurasian Teal have joined the resident Mallard there and two Gull-billed Tern flew over towards the coast with a Whiskered Tern and two White-winged Tern feeding over the pools. Kentish Plover and Yellow-legged Gull were on Spiros Pool with a Common Kingfisher along the coast and sixteen Yellow Wagtail flying over the fields near the Desalination Plant.
Several Red-backed, Masked and a Lesser Grey Shrike were around the Salt Lake and three Pallid Swift were seen in with a small group of Barn Swallow.
Mixed bag of birds around Larnaca and Pervolia this morning. A Lesser Grey Shrike at Larnaca Airport Pools south; a flock of 16 Greater Flamingo flying over the Sewage Pools with another nine there feeding around the edges; also on the Sewage Pools were two eclipse Garganey, the long-staying Common Shelduck, five Ruff, a Common Sandpiper and a Little Stint. On the rocks of the Airport Coast ignoring the swimmers was a Common Kingfisher and in the fields at Pervolia near Cape Kiti were eight Collared Pratincole.
Greater Flamingo Larnaca Sewage Works 10th August 2014 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
An early morning visit to the area around the Agia Napa Sewage Works this morning produced a male and female Red-backed Shrike, a Woodchat and Lesser Grey Shrike and a juvenile Masked Shrike. There were several Eastern Orphean Warbler in the bushes and I was pleased to get a good view of a male out in the open for a few seconds. Other warblers around included a couple of Cyprus Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat and plenty of Eastern Olivaceous Warbler. A larger warbler skulking deep inside an olive tree was probably a juvenile Barred Warbler but wouldn’t cooperate to allow a definite ID.
Another Woodchat Shrike was at the Agia Napa Football Fields as was a Common Cuckoo, two Eurasian Hoopoe and a Common Whitethroat.
A few hours around a couple of Paphos sites on a hot and humid Cyprus summer morning with Rob and Helen produced twenty five different species. We had good views of two of Rob’s target species – Eleonora’s Falcon and Long-legged Buzzard. We were unable to find any Cretzschmar’s Bunting that may have still have been hanging around for his third. Despite checking out a couple of their breeding locations they all appear to have moved out. Plenty of Masked Shrike around and a couple of Turtle Dove still at Kannaviou while a Eurasian Hobby flew over the road in front of us outside Stroumbi.
Locations visited with some of the more interesting species seen there:
Petra tou Romiou: European Shag, Eleonora’s Falcon, Chukar, Cyprus Wheatear
Minthis Hills: Long-legged Buzzard, European Roller, Sardinian Warbler, Masked Shrike
Back out guiding after the summer break, we chose Troodos as our destination as temperatures were still in the high thirties. I picked up Paul and Reem from their Nicosia base and we headed into the mountains with our first stops the Livadhi tou Pashia and Kampos tou Livadiou picnic spots.
We found several Spotted Flycatcher family parties, juvenile and moulting adult Cyprus Wheatear, an adult Masked Shrike, a male European Blackbird, an Eastern Olivaceous Warbler family and good numbers of the endemic sub-species Coal Tit, Short-toed Treecreeper and Jay. Around Troodos Square we added Common and Pallid Swift as well as Eurasian Hoopoe and European Serin. We found two adult male Masked Shrike – one of which perched really close to us. Again we found plenty of Coal Tit and Short-toed Treecreeper.
Leaving Troodos to go to Zakaki we detoured and had our lunch at Tzelefos Bridge. There we found a Grey Wagtail and Common Kingfisher in the stream and plenty of Common Chaffinch. At Omodhos we watched several Red-rumped Swallow and continuing southwards we stopped to watch a large raptor gliding over the area near the turn off to Agios Therapon – a Griffon Vulture and a nice surprise for us.
We ended the day out in the hide at Zakaki where we had good views of Little Egret, Glossy Ibis, Spur-winged Lapwing, Black-winged Stilt, Little Stint, Little Ringed Plover, Dunlin, Wood and Green Sandpiper, Reed Warbler and Black-headed Wagtail. Reem and Paul also had their first sighting of Collared Pratincole as an adult and a juvenile were roosting next to the many Mallards. Noting how much warmer it was down by the coast we were glad we had spent most of the day in the mountains birdwatching at a leisurely pace.
Total species seen – 43
Little Grebe, Little Egret, Glossy Ibis, Mallard, Griffon Vulture, Common Kestrel, Common Moorhen, Collared Pratincole, Black-winged Stilt, Little Ringed Plover, Spur-winged Lapwing, Little Stint, Dunlin, Green Sandpiper, Wood Sandpiper, Common Woodpigeon, Eurasian Collared Dove, Common Swift, Pallid Swift, European Roller, Eurasian Hoopoe, Barn Swallow, Red-rumped Swallow, Common House Martin, Black-headed Wagtail, Grey Wagtail, Common Kingfisher, Cyprus Wheatear, Eurasian Blackbird, Eurasian Reed Warbler, Eastern Olivaceous Warbler, Sardinian Warbler, Spotted Flycatcher, Coal Tit, Great Tit, Short-toed Treecreeper, Masked Shrike, Eurasian Jay, Hooded Crow, House Sparrow, Common Chaffinch, European Serin, European Goldfinch
Spent yesterday and today around Kalopanagiotis and Troodos. Plenty of European Serin and Winter Wren heard around the river bed at Kalopanagiotis as well as a couple of male Blackbirds, a Cyprus Wheatear and plenty of Chaffinch. After sunset there were at least fifty House Martin flying over the village.
This morning near the Venetian Bridge at Kalopanagiotis I found a juvenile Grey Wagtail and was pleased to find evidence of breeding again this year. Plenty of Eurasian Jay around the Mount Olympos and Troodos cafes picking up scraps and stale bread. Several male Masked Shrike and adult Cyprus Wheatear were still in the area as well as two Common Swift flying over. Plenty of Coal Tit and Short-toed Treecreeper were heard but only a few were seen. At Moutoullas there were around six Red-rumped Swallow and a Eurasian Crag Martin as well as more House Martin and plenty of Barn Swallow.
Three Spur-winged Lapwing chicks have be seen in front of the observation platform at Oroklini since early July. The parents are very protective and are always close by. They even chase away Little Stint and Little Ringed Plovers to ensure the youngsters can feed safely. So far all three have survived. Not the greatest photos I know but its good to record their progress
A quick visit to Panagia Stazousa this morning where I found several juvenile Masked Shrike and Cyprus Wheatear. Two Little Owls were near the road but the best birds were an adult and sub-adult Bonelli’s Eagle soaring over the area.
At the coast, the fields near the Larnaca Desalination Plant are being watered at the moment and there were two Collared Pratincole, four Little Stint, a Common Sandpiper, three juvenile Little Ringed Plover and several Kentish Plover feeding in the mud. Two juvenile Little Tern flew along the coast.
Little Owl Panagia Stazousa 21st July 2014 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Little Stint Larnaca Desal Fields 21st July 2014 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
A flock of nineteen Common Sandpiper were on the coast near the airport at Larnaca this morning and another five were on the Sewage Works Pools. Two were also at Akhna with five Green and two Wood Sandpiper. A Spotted Redshank in breeding plumage flew over Spiros Pool and another was at Akhna. Two Ferruginous Duck and the long-staying Common Shelduck were in with the Mallard on the Sewage Works Pool. There were Black-winged Stilt and Spur-winged Lapwing at the Sewage Pools, at Akhna and also at Oroklini. Three chicks were at the Sewage Pools and also at Oroklini.
A Temminck’s Stint, an adult Gull-billed Tern and three Greenshank were at Akhna with two Little Stint and a Common Redshank on the Sewage Pools. There was a Squacco Heron, nine Cattle Egret, nine Grey Heron, two Little Egret and six Glossy Ibis at Akhna and sleeping towards the back of the main pool of Oroklini were three Eurasian Spoonbill. Behind them was a Black-tailed Godwit.
Other than waterbirds I found a juvenile Masked Shrike near the Sewage Pools, a European Roller and two Eurasian Hoopoe near Tekke Mosque with another Hoopoe at Akhna. A male Black-headed Wagtail flew very close to me on the edge of the Salt Lake and may have been doing some kind of distraction display.
Black-winged Stilt Akhna Dam 15th July 2014 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
There were two Eurasian Spoonbill on Oroklini Marsh this morning feeding with the nearly fifty Greater Flamingo spending the summer there. There must be at least forty Cattle Egret breeding in the tamarisks there with many nearly fully grown young visible. There were also a couple of Little Egret present. A couple of Slender-billed Gull were swimming among the Coots and a small Spur-winged Lapwing chick was feeding just in front of the hide. A Green Sandpiper was flying around the area.
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