Back in Larnaca and out early to do the monthly waterbird count there. Good to find three Broad-billed Sandpiper and a Grey Plover on the Sewage Works pools but very dry elsewhere with just a small stream of water in the Kamares end of the main Salt Lake.
Larnaca Sewage Works
Mallard 248
Ferruginous Duck 22
European Coot 40
Spur-winged Lapwing 29
Black-winged Stilt 11
Little Grebe 6
Yellow-legged Gull 22
Dunlin 10+
Broad-billed Sandpiper 3
Little Stint 15
Kentish Plover 5
Green Sandpiper 2
Northern Shoveler 4
Garganey 5
Common Teal 2
Grey Plover 1
Yellow Wagtail h
Ruff 41
Common Sandpiper 6
Grey Heron 1
Temminck’s Stint 1
Migrating duck, wader and heron spp usually start appearing offshore on the northern coast of Cyprus at this time of year. This morning between 7.00 and 8.30 am I had six Cattle Egret (see photo), around 20 Glossy Ibis, four Garganey and nine Common Sandpiper. Larger flocks would be expected from second week of August onwards until mid/late September.
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
A chance to see some migrating birds off the north west coast of the island and to join the BirdLife Cyprus annual boat trip from Latchi to Cape Arnaouti. Highlight of that for local birders was a Eurasian Oystercatcher seen flying E along the rocky shore – never common here it has been five years since I last saw one in Cyprus, although at least one has been seen on this coast so far this autumn. Also seen over the two days were Purple and Grey Heron, Baltic Gull, Little and Cattle Egret, Garganey, White-winged Tern, Common Redshank, Peregrine Falcon, Western Marsh Harrier, a ring-tailed Harrier – probably a juvenile Pallid, Yellow Wagtail, Little Ringed Plover, Eurasian Shag and migrating Common Black-headed Gull. Plus several flying fish!
A brief visit to Oroklini Marsh where there was a Little Tern fishing, a Little Bittern, an adult and immature Black-crowned Night Heron and two Garganey as well as the usual Black-winged Stilt and Spur-winged Lapwing. On the coast of Larnaca south of the airport there was a Whimbrel flying west and two Little Tern on Meneou Pool with a Great Spotted Cuckoo nearby.
Two record shots from Oroklini as I attempt to master getting decent flight photos…..
Little Tern, Oroklini Marsh, 14th May 2016 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
A day around the Paphos birding spots with Brenda and George today. We started at Petra tou Romiou where we had a dozen overhead Alpine Swift, singing male Cyprus Wheatear and Warbler as well as two distant Eleonora’s Falcon and close up views of a Peregrine Falcon. We then explored the area behind Asprokemmos Dam near the mast where we spent some time watching a family party of Spectacled Warbler, saw a male Eastern Black-eared Wheatear, a couple of Whinchat, a pair of Red-rumped Swallow and a migrating Purple Heron. On approaching the Dam itself we were pleased to see an Osprey flying over the area. In the trees of the amenities area near the Dam we found two male Collared Flycatcher, two Spotted Flycatcher and a Eurasian Hoopoe.
Moving to the Sewage Works we quickly found our target species – the Spur-winged Lapwing. There were at least seven birds around the Plant buildings and in fields. We watched at least 35 migrating Glossy Ibis and also found our only Yellow Wagtails of the day – two Black-headed around a small puddle of water. On arrival at the coast of Mandria we saw seventeen Northern Pintail flying E along the coast. In a field we found three Spur-winged Lapwing and a Ruff and a male Red-backed Shrike on a tree near the picnic site where we ate our lunch.
Moving inland we headed to the Ezousas Valley behind Agia Varvara village. A lone Garganey was on one of the pools there and we also found Spanish Sparrow, Eurasian Turtle Dove and Eurasian Reed Warbler. We finished the day in Anarita Park. There we found three pairs of Great Spotted Cuckoo, two Little Owl, a hunting female Pallid Harrier, around twenty Lesser Kestrel, a European Roller, a Woodchat Shrike, two Whinchat and a Long-legged Buzzard. As at our first stop we also had Cyprus Wheatear and Cyprus Warbler. A good end to a good day’s birding.
Total species seen – 54
Little Egret, Purple Heron, Glossy Ibis, Northern Pintail, Garganey, Pallid Harrier, Long-legged Buzzard, Osprey, Lesser Kestrel, Common Kestrel, Eleonora’s Falcon, Peregrine Falcon, Chukar, Black Francolin, Common Moorhen, Spur-winged Lapwing, Ruff, Yellow-legged Gull, Common Woodpigeon, Eurasian Collared Dove, Eurasian Turtle Dove, Great Spotted Cuckoo, Little Owl, Common Swift, Alpine Swift, European Roller, Eurasian Hoopoe, Crested Lark, Barn Swallow, Red-rumped Swallow, Common House Martin, Black-headed Wagtail, Whinchat, Cyprus Wheatear, Eastern Black-eared Wheatear, Cetti’s Warbler, Zitting Cisticola, Eurasian Reed Warbler, Spectacled Warbler, Sardinian Warbler, Cyprus Warbler, Spotted Flycatcher, Collared Flycatcher, Great Tit, Red-backed Shrike, Woodchat Shrike, Eurasian Magpie, Western Jackdaw, Hooded Crow, House Sparrow, Spanish Sparrow, European Greenfinch, European Goldfinch, Corn Bunting
Great Spotted Cuckoo, Anarita Park, 22nd April 2016 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Spur-winged Lapwing, Mandria 22nd April 2016 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
On Saturday I had been surprised to see Ruff on Spiros Pool which appeared to be completely dry; visiting the area briefly yesterday I saw a Western Marsh Harrier put up many waders from that location. I returned for a search today and found water in the area near the Sewage Plant and Desalination Buildings. A good collection of waders and mosquitos awaited me. These included a Black-tailed Godwit (probably the same as seen at the Sewage Works last week), two Grey Plover moulting from their breeding plumage, a Temminck’s Stint, a Sanderling, several Wood Sandpiper, two Dunlin, a Curlew Sandpiper, two Little Ringed Plover and around ten Common Ringed Plover, four Common Snipe and tens of Ruff and Little Stint. Several Black-winged Stilt were there and a juvenile Collared Pratincole flew away as I arrived. Four Greater Short-toed Lark flew over the area calling and there were at least three Yellow Wagtail. The Western Marsh Harrier was still quartering the area.
After the excitement of finding a juvenile Rose-coloured Starling on the coast near the airport boundary fence, I then watched a young Peregrine Falcon chase a feral pigeon while being mobbed by two Commom Kestrel.
As I arrived at the Sewage Works pools a Long-legged Buzzard was soaring over the area. On the water were an adult and two juvenile ‘Baltic’ Gulls, an eclipse plumage Northern Pintail, at least four Garganey, six Northern Shoveler and a Eurasian Teal. A few waders around the edge of the pools – Common Sandpiper, Common Redshank, Ruff, Common Ringed Plover, Spur-winged Lapwing and Black-winged Stilt.
Spent today out in the Paphos area. Rain was a pleasant relief from the heat when I got to Arodes but it didn’t put off both the Long-legged Buzzard and Eurasian Hobby that were flying over the area. There were at least four European Roller in the area and two Eurasian Turtle Dove.
Off shore I saw thirteen Grey Heron, three Little Egret, at least 75 Glossy Ibis, around fifty Garganey and six Gull-billed Tern as they migrated over Polis Chrysochou Bay. A Woodchat Shrike was at Neochorio and Masked Shrike were at Androlikou and Minthis Hills with several European Roller at both those locations.
A quick visit to Paphos Sewage Works on my way home produced 12 migrating Yellow Wagtail .
European Roller Arodes 10th August 2015 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Woodchat Shrike Neochorio 10th August 2015 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Some good birds seen around the area of Larnaca Salt Lake both north and south of the airport today, which included the famous black Greater Flamingo which today was on the main Salt Lake. Waders of note included eight Pied Avocet, four Eurasian Dotterel, two Whimbrel flying offshore, three Red-necked Phalarope, more than thirty Common Greenshank and plenty of Black-winged Stilt. Several migrating Grey Heron and Little Egret were around and three Squacco Heron went east along the coast in the morning with a flock of sixteen Great Egret flying over the area just before 9 am. There were several Slender-billed Gull on the main Salt Lake where there was also a European Roller and four European Bee-eaters flew over heading north. Eight Garganey were on the Larnaca Sewage Pools and a few Eurasian Teal still remain from the winter.
The fields were full of Red-throated Pipit and Yellow Wagtail early in the morning with several Greater Short-toed Lark and I found one Eurasian Wryneck. I also saw two Western Marsh Harrier and a female Pallid Harrier.
Little Egret Larnaca Salt Lake 15th April 2015 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Some movement of birds noted today around Larnaca. In the morning eighteen Mediterranean Gull in breeding plumage were a great sight on Larnaca Airport Pools near Meneou. There were also four Garganey together with Northern Shoveler, Eurasian Teal and some Common Shelduck as well as around two hundred Greater Flamingo and some Slender-billed Gull. A flock of fourteen Grey Heron flew over around 11.00 am and then in the late afternoon two flocks of around thirty Great Cormorant each headed east.
Plenty of Lesser Grey Shrike in the Akamas area this morning with several Red-backed Shrike, a Whinchat, Eastern Orphean and Willow Warbler, Cretzschmar’s Bunting, Hoopoe, Red-rumped Swallow, Lesser and Common Whitethroat. Off shore at Latchi were several flocks of Purple Heron throughout the day totalling over 200 individuals, a few Grey Heron, three Squacco Heron, seventeen Black-crowned Night Heron, over 200 Garganey and ten Northern Pintail. At Droushia nearly twenty Alpine Swift passed over at midday and at dusk a European Nightjar and two Scops Owls were near Smygies picnic site.
Cyprus Birding Tours 