A very different morning at Cape Greco today. Few birds around compared to yesterday, although I spent an hour checking out the football pitches at Agia Napa which were full of migrants feeding on the watered pitches:
Cape Greco 8.00am – 12.00pm
Black Kite 1
Montagu’s Harrier 1 ringtail
Marsh Harrier 6 (1 male)
European Honey Buzzard 9
European Hobby 1
European Bee-eater two flocks heard and another 17 seen
Ortolan Bunting 4
Ruff 15 migrating off shore
Lesser Whitethroat 1
Back again this morning at Cape Greco with an easterly wind, the birds arriving later than yesterday and only around 50 Barn Swallow migrating with no martins at all today. Raptors were a juvenile Montagu’s Harrier and another distant ring-tail, six Western Marsh Harrier, six European Honey Buzzard, a Black Kite and a Long-legged Buzzard which may be a local bird. Twenty Purple Heron left their roost in some eucalyptus trees and headed south around 10.00 am. Other birds seen included two Greater Short-toed Lark, two Tree Pipit, three Spotted Flycatcher, a Common Whitethroat, a Cyprus Wheatear and two male Red-backed Shrike with a single juvenile.
Ten Eurasian Hoopoe were feeding on the Agia Napa Football Fields were there was also a small flock of Yellow Wagtail, some Cattle Egret, a Northern Wheatear, two Lesser Grey Shrike and two Red-backed Shrike.
Raptor watching at Cape Greco this morning to kick off the autumn migration survey there. For a location that can be very good but also very quiet, it was a reasonable first day with two juvenile Pallid Harrier, five Western Marsh Harrier, three Honey Buzzard and a Black Kite all by 10.00 am. Then the only other bird of prey was a Eurasian Hobby who heading south in the company of the many hirundines that were migrating over the area. There were more than 400 Barn Swallow, 180+ Sand Martin, nine Common House Martin and five Red-rumped Swallow moving S over my observation point.
Also in the area to keep me interested once the raptor movement slowed were six Cretzschmar’s and then one Ortolan Bunting, three juvenile Eastern Orphean Warbler, twelve Eurasian Turtle Dove, two Pallid Swift, an Isabelline Wheatear, at least one Tawny Pipit, two Spotted Flycatcher, Common and Lesser Whitethroat, two Eurasian Hoopoe, a male Blue Rock Thrush and the inevitable Masked, Red-backed and Lesser Grey Shrike.
Two mornings around the Paphos area with early starts to avoid the lingering summer heat enabled Andy to see some target species and catch up with several early migrants.
An unusual finding today was a Ruddy Shelduck on Zakaki Marsh – although the height of the reeds there now made it hard to see. Apparently it has been present for a few days now and is probably the first summer record for this species in Cyprus. It’s usually seen between November to April as a winter visitor, although three were reported in September in 1995.
Also had a juvenile Citrine Wagtail at Phassouri Reed Beds where there was a Lesser Grey Shrike and a Eurasian Hoopoe as well as several juvenile Yellow Wagtail and plenty of fledged Eurasian Reed Warblers. On Lady’s Mile there were around 150 Kentish Plover, several Little Stint, a Dunlin and one, maybe two, Sanderling. A juvenile Glossy Ibis was also there with several Black-winged Stilt.
As well as the Ruddy Shelduck at Zakaki I heard a Common Kingfisher and saw a Garganey.
At least seven European Rollers in the area but the best bird was found when I was trying to find a Masked Shrike that had flown into an old olive tree. I then realised that in the top of the tree was a nest and from it emerged a juvenile Great Spotted Cuckoo which then flew off noisily.
Interesting sightings:
Pyrga – European Roller 1, Cretzschmar’s Bunting 1, Cyprus Warbler 3m, European Bee-eater h, Eurasian Hoopoe 4, Cyprus Wheatear 1m
Panagia Stazousa – European Bee-eater h, Eurasian Scops Owl 1h, Eurasian Turtle Dove 2, European Roller 6, Cyprus Warbler 2m, Cyprus Wheatear 7, Little Owl 1, Great Spotted Cuckoo 2 juveniles (one seen another heard)
Klavdia – Lesser Grey Shrike 1
Great Spotted Cuckoo juvenile 17th May 2015 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Several male Black-headed Bunting seen singing on territories Friday and Saturday around Droushia and Neo Chorio. Also seen were Golden Oriole, Masked and Woodchat Shrike, Cretzschmar’s Bunting, Collared Flycatcher, Eurasian Hoopoe, Red-rumped Swallow, European Hobby and European Roller.
The first of two morning’s out with Mike and Nancy, with the intention of seeing different species and visiting different habitats. We started at Paphos Sewage Works where we saw several Spur-winged Lapwing, two Eurasian Stone Curlew, at least one Eurasian Hoopoe and a singing male Sardinian Warbler. There were at least eight Turtle Doves on the wires near the Ezousas river mouth. On the water still left in the river bed we found three Glossy Ibis, some Little Egret and a Common Greenshank. We had good views of a Eurasian Reed Warbler high on one of the reeds and also a Cetti’s Warbler came out into the open for a chance.
Of course, we had to go to Mandria to find the male Caspian Plover that luckily was still there, as was the Eurasian Dotterel that has been keeping it company since Tuesday. We also watched a Black Francolin singing in response to another calling male and found a flock of more than twenty Greater Short-toed Lark and a couple of Northern Wheatear. There was a single Greater Short-toed Lark in the manure piles close to the mast behind Asprokremmos Dam.
We spent some time there watching two singing male Cyprus Warbler and also had brief views of a female. A pair of Spectacled Warbler was also in the area. Closer to the mast we found a Woodchat Shrike, at least seven Whinchat, more than fifteen Red-throated Pipit and several Ortolan Bunting. In the pine trees there we found several Eurasian Blackcap and some young Great Tits which seemed to be annoying a pair of Sardinian Warbler.
Number of species seen – 42
European Shag, Little Egret, Glossy Ibis, Common Kestrel, Black Francolin, Common Moorhen, Eurasian Stone Curlew, Spur-winged Lapwing, Caspian Plover, Eurasian Dotterel, Common Greenshank, Yellow-legged Gull, Common Woodpigeon, Eurasian Collared Dove, Eurasian Turtle Dove, Common Swift, Eurasian Hoopoe, Greater Short-toed Lark, Crested Lark, Barn Swallow, Red-rumped Swallow, Common House Martin, Red-throated Pipit, Whinchat, Northern Wheatear, Cetti’s Warbler, Zitting Cisticola, Eurasian Reed Warbler, Spectacled Warbler, Sardinian Warbler, Cyprus Warbler, Common Whitethroat, Eurasian Blackcap, Great Tit, Woodchat Shrike, Eurasian Magpie, Hooded Crow, House Sparrow, Spanish Sparrow, European Greenfinch, European Goldfinch, Ortolan Bunting
Olöf and Gun had three priorities for our day out –Cyprus Warbler, Cyprus Wheatear and Great Spotted Cuckoo. We headed out to Anarita Park where Great Spotted Cuckoo had been seen regularly recently. Our first scan of the area produced several Ortolan Bunting and a Tawny Pipit but the cold wind and the threat of rain made us worry we wouldn’t find our target. As we returned to the car to search other areas, one flew into a hawthorn bush just 30metres from us and meant we got great views – in fact we moved off before the Great Spotted Cuckoo did. We then found two maybe three others and one even sat on a fence close to us while we were watching a male Cyprus Wheatear singing on his territory. We also found a Wrneck, several Eurasian Blackcap, a European Roller, a couple of Lesser and Common Whitethroat, at least five Whinchat, two Woodchat Shrike and two female Eastern Black-eared Wheatear. We found the Little Owl on its usual rock and to the watched a small group of Lesser Kestrel to the north of the area. A male Western Marsh Harrier migrated over being harassed by a Hooded Crow.
Two of the targets found and we headed to the area behind Asprokremmos Dam for the third. The wind meant that sylvia warblers were not keen to come out and sing but finally we found a male and then a female and heard at least one other singing well inside a bush. In the area we heard another Great Spotted Cuckoo, found a female Eurasian Pied Flycatcher in a carob grove, a male Eastern Black-eared Wheatear, several Tawny Pipit, two male Spectacled Warbler, a couple of Chukar and several Whinchat. While eating our lunch in the pines of the utility area we watched a couple of Wood Warbler, a Eurasian Hoopoe and heard a Willow Warbler. Several Alpine Swift and Red-rumped Swallow were flying over the area.
It was very windy down at Mandria where we found a single Black-winged Stilt on the beach and several Isabelline and Northern Wheatear in the fields. Towards the church we got good views of a male Black Francolin and at least three Eurasian Turtle Dove flew over. At Paphos Sewage Works we watched a couple of Spur-winged Lapwing in a field which were joined by a Collared Pratincole and a group of herons flew in off the sea and headed inland – it contained Grey and Purple Heron, a single Cattle Egret and at least eleven Black-crowned Night Heron. We then watched a flock of around a hundred of Yellow Wagtail – mainly feldegg with some flava – and at least ten Red-throated Pipit feeding on a recently mown field. Two Grey-headed Wagtail, thunbergi, were on a pool at the mouth of the Ezousas river together with a Little Egret. As we left the area we were greeted by the beautiful sight of five Blue-cheeked Bee-eater. A great end to a good day’s birding with our targets met and we avoided the rain as well!
Sixty four different birds seen:
Black-crowned Night Heron, Cattle Egret, Little Egret, Grey Heron, Purple Heron, Western Marsh Harrier, Lesser Kestrel, Common Kestrel, Chukar, Black Francolin, Black-winged Stilt, Collared Pratincole, Spur-winged Lapwing, Yellow-legged Gull, Common Woodpigeon, Eurasian Collared Dove, Eurasian Turtle Dove, Great Spotted Cuckoo, Little Owl, Common Swift, Alpine Swift, Blue-cheeked Bee-eater, European Roller, Eurasian Hoopoe, Eurasian Wryneck, Crested Lark, Sand Martin, Barn Swallow, Red-rumped Swallow, Common House Martin, Tawny Pipit, Tree Pipit, Red-throated Pipit, Blue-headed Wagtail, Grey-headed Wagtail, Black-headed Wagtail, White Wagtail, Whinchat, Isabelline Wheatear, Northern Wheatear, Cyprus Wheatear, Eastern Black-eared Wheatear, Cetti’s Warbler, Zitting Cisticola, Spectacled Warbler, Sardinian Warbler, Cyprus Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat, Common Whitethroat, Eurasian Blackcap, Wood Warbler, Willow Warbler, Eurasian Pied Flycatcher, Great Tit, Woodchat Shrike, Eurasian Magpie, Western Jackdaw, Hooded Crow, House Sparrow, Spanish Sparrow, European Greenfinch, European Goldfinch, Ortolan Bunting, Corn Bunting.
Mixture of migrants and winter visitors around Larnaca today
Black-winged Stilt Meneou Pool 17th March 2015 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Meneou Pool – Black-winged Stilt 6
Larnaca Airport Pools South – Black-winged Stilt 13, Slender-billed Gull 49, Greater Flamingo 776, Black-headed Gull 215, Common Shelduck 42, Little Gull 1, Armenian Gull 2+, Caspian Gull 2
Larnaca Sewage Works – Green Sandpiper 2, Northern Shoveler 21, Eurasian Teal 111, Spur-winged Lapwing 6, Ferruginous Duck 2, Ruppell’s Warbler 1f, Great Cormorant c180 flying E at 17.15pm
Spiros Pool and Beach area – Wryneck 2, Temminck’s Stint 1, Little Stint 3
Larnaca Airport Pools North – Greater Flamingo 39
Larnaca Salt Lake – Greater Flamingo 2770, Slender-billed Gull 159, Little Ringed Plover 3, Northern Shoveler 313, Common Shelduck 44, Eurasian Wigeon 1m and 1f, Northern Pintail 1m and 1f, Black-necked Grebe 11, Eurasian Reed Warbler 6+heard singing, Eurasian Teal 38, Green Sandpiper 1, Black-winged Stilt 2, Spur-winged Lapwing 2, Common Redshank 21, Common Snipe 1, Ruff 3, Little Stint 54, Dunlin 4, Common Ringed Plover 1, Kentish Plover 11
Kiti Dam – Masked Shrike 1, Eurasian Coot 31, Northern Shoveler 3, Eastern Bonelli’s Warbler 1
Petounta Point – Eurasian Hoopoe 4, Isabelline Wheatear 2, Corncrake 1 (flew from side of track into cereal crop), Red-throated Pipit 3, Kentish Plover 2
Eurasian Hoopoe Petounta Point 17th March 2015 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
With no rain forecast, for the first time in days, I headed out with first stop Agios Sozomenos on the outskirts of Nicosia. There was still a male Finsch’s Wheatear present. Two sub-adult Bonelli’s Eagle, a Peregrine Falcon and a Long-legged Buzzard flew over and at the water treatment plant there were two Ferruginous Duck. Blackcap could be heard singing from many bushes as could several male Spectacled Warbler. I also saw two Long-legged Buzzard flying over Panagia Stazousa on the way to Larnaca. A single Isabelline Wheatear and Eurasian Hoopoe at Petounta Point showed that migration continues to stutter into gear. On the beach there were four Kentish Plover. Nine Eurasian Curlew were near the Larnaca Sewage Pools and at least eight Calandra Lark were in the fields outside Pervolia.
Eurasian Hoopoe Petounta Point 26th February 2015 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Cyprus Birding Tours 