Cyprus Birding Tours

Offering guided bird watching tours around Cyprus

Tag Archives: Greater Flamingo


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Akrotiri, 4th September 2020

Spent the hottest day of the year doing my first stint of raptor counting of the autumn at Akrotiri on Friday. A few Western Marsh Harrier were on the move as was a male Montagu’s Harrier and a Pallid/Montagu juvenile. Other birds of interest were three Isabelline Wheatear, some Eleonora’s Falcon, several Red-backed and Lesser Grey Shrike, a Woodchat Shrike, lots of Common Snipe, Grey and Squacco Heron and Cattle (see photo), Great White and Little Egret, Glossy Ibis, Western Yellow Wagtail, Ruff and Wood Sandpiper, European Roller and Greater Flamingo.

Cattle Egret, Akrotiri Marsh 4th September 2020 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours


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Waterbird count Larnaca area 18th August 2020

Two flocks of 220 and 60 White Storks were the highlight of the waterbird count around Larnaca this morning. Numbers of Black-winged Stilts on Meneou Pool are slowly dropping as they start to leave (see photo of a juvenile there).

Black-winged Stilt, Meneou 18th August 2020 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Black-winged Stilt, Meneou 18th August 2020 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Interesting sightings included:
Meneou Pool
Black-winged Stilt 133
Common Ringed Plover 10 (incl six that flew out to sea)
Kentish Plover 3
Little Stint 111
Ruff 20
Grey Heron 6
Greater Flamingo 4 (1 juv)
Glossy Ibis 1
Common Sandpiper 10
Green Sandpiper 6
Little Ringed Plover 4
Western Yellow Wagtail 1h
Slender-billed Gull 2
Black-headed Gull 1
Temminck’s Stint 1
Curlew Sandpiper 2 (1 ad and 1 juv)
Little Egret 2
Larnaca Airport Pools South
White Stork 218 roosting at 08:15.
Spur-winged Lapwing 1
Larnaca Sewage Works
Spur-winged Lapwing 33
Mallard 236
Great Cormorant 1
Ruff 9
Common Coot 4
Grey Heron 4
Greater Flamingo 1 juv
Common Sandpiper 2
Common Shelduck 1
Larnaca Salt Lake
Greater Flamingo 3 juvs
Masked Shrike 2 juv
Red-backed Shrike 1 m
White Stork c60 gaining height and moving SE N of Tekke Mosque at 10:15
Cattle Egret 7
Spur-winged Lapwing 11
Little Egret 9
Wood Sandpiper 1
Common Kingfisher 1


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Akrotiri morning 2nd July 2020

A morning around the Akrotiri peninsula with some interesting species seen.

Akrotiri Salt Lake
Slender billed Gull 50+
Common Tern 2
Gull billed Tern 4
Caspian Tern 1
Little Tern 15
Spotted Redshank 1
Marsh Sandpiper 4
Wood Sandpiper 1
Green Sandpiper 4
Common Redshank 4+
Greater Flamingo c1000
Little Ringed Plover 4
Little Egret 3
Black winged Stilt 100+

Akrotiri Marsh (Phasouri Reed beds)
Glossy Ibis 24
Little Egret 16 (see photo)
Grey Heron 2
Cattle Egret 8
Spur winged Lapwing 1
Squacco Heron 4
Little Bittern 1m
Eleonora’s Falcon 1
Red rumped Swallow 7 heading S
Black crowned Night Heron 1 juv in flightLittle Egret, Akrotiri 2nd July 2020


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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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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 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


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Waterbird count, Larnaca area today 18th November 2019

Evidence that winter visitors have been arriving at our wetlands the last few weeks with large numbers of Northern Shoveler (see photo), Greater Flamingo and Common Teal at the Salt Lake and Sewage Works. Also two each of Greater White-fronted Goose and Black-necked Grebe as well as four Common Pochard, a Eurasian Wigeon and two Northern Pintail. A small flock of Eurasian Golden Plover is already present as are good numbers of Eurasian Skylark and Meadow Pipit.

Northern Shoveler, Larnaca 18th November 2019 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Northern Shoveler, Larnaca 18th November 2019 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours


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Larnaca area this morning 9th November.

Good morning out around Larnaca in the sunshine. Not a great variety of birds but already good numbers of ducks and flamingos around plus a few more unusual species.

Spiros Pool
Eurasian Golden Plover 18

Larnaca Sewage Works
Common Teal c500
Northern Shoveler 300+
Black-necked Grebe 1
Great Crested Grebe 3
Northern Pintail 1
Armenian Gull 12
Common Shelduck 1
Spur-winged Lapwing 2

Larnaca Salt Lake
Greater Flamingo 1200+
Common Crane 1

Kamares, Larnaca
Bluethroat 1 (see photo)
Black Redstart 1
Eurasian Penduline Tit 1h
Common Kingfisher 1
Common Redshank 1
Green Sandpiper 1
Common Snipe 2
Spur-winged Lapwing 3
Water Pipit 1
Eurasian Sparrowhawk 1 over being mobbed by Jackdaws
Little Egret 2

Panagia Stazousa/Pyrga
Long-legged Buzzard 1
European Serin 30+
Cyprus Warbler 2
Woodlark 7 (see photo)
Eurasian Blackbird 1

Bluethroat, Larnaca 9th November 2019 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Bluethroat, Larnaca 9th November 2019 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Woodlark, Pyrga 9th November 2019 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Woodlark, Pyrga 9th November 2019 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours


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Larnaca area waterbird count 15th October 2019

Another disappointing waterbird count in the Larnaca area this morning. Best birds were three Common Pochard, four Common Snipe (see photo) and the long-staying Mediterranean Gull.

Other birds seen:

Meneou Pool
Little Stint 1
Kentish Plover 2

Larnaca Sewage Works
Grey Heron 3
Common Coot 5
Mallard 122
Common Teal 51
Northern Shoveler 4
Spur-winged Lapwing 6
Common Pochard 2m and 1f
Great Cormorant 7
Western Marsh Harrier 1
Northern Pintail 2f
Common Shelduck 1
Red-throated Pipit 1h
Common Redshank 1h
Red-backed Shrike 1 juv
Common Whitethroat 1

Spiros Beach
Mediterranean Gull 1 (long-staying bird)

Larnaca Salt Lake
Barn Swallow 1
Greater Flamingo 40 juv and 83 ads
Kentish Plover 40
Common Snipe 3
Water Rail 1h

Kamares area
Common Snipe 1
Green Sandpiper 1
Common Redshank 1
Spur-winged Lapwing 5
Little Egret 2

Common Snipe, Larnaca 15th October 2019 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Common Snipe, Larnaca 15th October 2019 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours


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Larnaca area this morning 10th October 2019

First time around the area for a few weeks. The best place for birds was Oroklini Marsh where these two Eurasian Spoonbill were feeding (photo).

Eurasian Spoonbill, Oroklini Marsh 10th October 2019 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Eurasian Spoonbill, Oroklini Marsh 10th October 2019 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Also in the area were:

Oroklini Marsh
Eurasian Spoonbill 2
Great White Egret 1
Little Egret 3
Cattle Egret 1
Common Teal 13
Northern Shoveler 34
Greater Flamingo 30
Common Snipe 6
Wood Sandpiper 1
Green Sandpiper 1
Common Redshank 3
Spur-winged Lapwing c45
Common Kingfisher 1
Western Marsh Harrier 1 m
Black-winged Stilt 1
Marsh Sandpiper 1
Laughing Dove 3

Larnaca Salt Lake
Greater Flamingo c150
Eurasian Spoonbill 10
Red-rumped Swallow c20

Spiros Pool
Red-throated Pipit 2

Larnaca Airport Coast
Northern Wheatear 2

Larnaca Sewage Works
Spur-winged Lapwing 7
Armenian Gull 2
Great Cormorant 1
Common Teal 15
Ruff 7
Western Marsh Harrier 1


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Waterbird count Larnaca 16th September 2019

 

Some of the more interesting sightings included: an Osprey migrating west early, a group of 20+ Collared Pratincole, nine Ruddy Turnstone feeding together – which is a high count for Cyprus, six Gull-billed Tern, two Whimbrel, more than 30 Eurasian Stone Curlew, two Black-eared Wheatear, many juv Red-backed Shrike and Whinchat and then a juv Common Cuckoo resting on my veranda when I got home.

Photos of the small flock of Greater Flamingo on the Salt Lake and three of the Ruddy Turnstone group.

Greater Flamingo, Larnaca Salt Lake 16th September 2019 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Greater Flamingo, Larnaca Salt Lake 16th September 2019 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Ruddy Turnstone, Meneou Pool, 16th September 2019 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Ruddy Turnstone, Meneou Pool, 16th September 2019 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

 


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Shrikes on migration.

A few days in the Akamas area 6th – 8th August produced several adult and juvenile Masked Shrike, a male and a female Woodchat Shrike and among the first return migrating Lesser Grey Shrike and Red-backed Shrike. Sea watching was quiet with not much movement yet, although I had several Gull-billed and Whiskered Tern, a flock of 22 Common Sandpiper and an ‘in off’ European Roller as well as a Western Yellow Wagtail feeding in a coastal feed.
Back in Larnaca today I found a resting group of Grey Heron and Little Egret and saw a small group of Glossy Ibis flying over. Little Tern are still fishing offshore and a group of c80 Greater Flamingo are on the Salt Lake which still has some water. Another Lesser Grey Shrike was also there and while I was looking at an Olivaceous Warbler in a track side bush this juvenile Masked Shrike came to check me out.

Masked Shrike juvenile, Larnaca 10th August 2019 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Masked Shrike juvenile, Larnaca 10th August 2019 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Masked Shrike juv 2, Larnaca 10th August 2019

Masked Shrike juvenile, Larnaca 10th August 2019 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours