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
Greater Sandplover, Agia Trias 9th January 2020 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Spent most of the day at Cape Greco looking for early migrants. Some putting in an appearance – see list below – but the best was a lovely male Common Redstart of the samamisicus race (see photos). Also visited Oroklini Marsh and a couple of Agia Napa beaches where there were ten Greater Sandplovers (see photos).
Oroklini Marsh
Finally a sunny day with not a lot of wind and no rain coincided with a day I was free to go out. Went to the east again and checked out Oroklini, Achna, Paralimni Lake and the rocky coasts. A good collection of birds including Greater Flamingo, Greater Sandplover, Grey Plover, Slender-billed Gull, Audouin’s Gull, Blue Rock Thrush, Peregrine Falcon, several Western Marsh Harrier, Great Crested Grebe, Northern and Spur-winged Lapwing and Black-winged Stilt.
Photos of one of the Grey Plover and Greater Sandplover that were at Agia Trias, Paralimni
Greater Sandplover, Agia Trias 18th January 2019 (C) Cyprus Birding Tours
Greater Sandplover, Agia Trias 18th January 2019 (C) Cyprus Birding Tours
Grey Plover, Agia Trias, 18th January 2019 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Back after a few weeks away and spent the day on the east of the island. All wetlands now have a lot of water and from the weather forecasts more is to come. Visited Oroklini, Akhna Dam, Paralimni Lake and the coastal sites of Agios Trias, Kermia and Macronissos Beaches. Highlights were:
Oroklini Marsh
Western Marsh Harrier 1
Northern Lapwing c70+
Spur-winged Lapwing 5+ (see photo)
Black-winged Stilt 5
Northern Pintail 2m and 1f
Red-crested Pochard 1m and 1f
Ferruginous Duck 2
Northern Shoveler 80+
Greater Flamingo 73
Grey Heron 1
Common Teal 30+
Common Starling 1
Cattle Egret 140+ evening roost
Akhna Dam
Great Crested Grebe 1
Grey Heron 2
Great Cormorant 6
Woodlark 3 (1 singing from wire)
Eurasian Skylark h
Common Starling 5
Corn Bunting 1
Paralimni Lake – a lot of water
Grey Heron 17
Northern Lapwing 79
Ruff 5
Common Redshank 1
Greater Flamingo 112
Common Teal 5
Western Marsh Harrier 2
Common Starling 8
Pied Avocet 2
Laughing Dove 1+
Agios Trias
Greater Sandplover 4
Grey Plover 11
Common Sandpiper 2
Cape Greco
Black Redstart 2f
Cyprus Warbler 1m
Eurasian Skylark h
Kermia Beach
Grey Plover 1
Macronissos Beach
Kentish Plover 4
Potamos Liopetriou
Little Egret 1
Common Sandpiper 1 (see photo)
Ormidia
European Shag 4
Oroklini Beach
Black-headed Gull c100
Caspian Gull c10
Armenian Gull 10+
Mediterranean Gull 1 ad
JUMBO Drainage Channel
Laughing Dove 1
Spur-winged Lapwing 4
Spur-winged Lapwing, Oroklini Marsh, 5th January 2019 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
White Wagtail, Oroklini Marsh, 5th January 2019 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Common Sandpiper, Potamos Liopetriou, 5th January 2019 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
A good selection of birds including non-breeders and returning migrants today at Akrotiri. Breeding Black-winged Stilt and Kentish Plover with young of all ages as well as a Whiskered Tern, two Curlew Sandpiper, a Greater Sandplover, several Little Ringed Plover, a Wood Sandpiper, some Common Redshank, a Squacco Heron, several Black-headed Wagtail and three Common Greenshank.
Black-winged Stilt, ASL, 6th July 2018 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Curlew Sandpiper non-breeding plumage, ASL, 6th July 2018 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Curlew Sandpiper breeding plumage, Akrotiri Salt Lake 6th July 2018 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Kentish Plover chick, Akrotiri Salt Lake, 6th July 2018 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Kentish Plover juvenile, Akrotiri Salt Lake, 6th July 2018 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Little Ringed Plover, Akrotiri Salt Lake, 6th July 2018 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Whiskered Tern, ASL, 6th July 2018 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Seen on Spiros Pool in the morning with some Kentish Plover. On the afternoon it had moved to the nearby beach.
Greater Sandplover, Spiros Beach 15th May 2018 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Black-necked Grebe, Larnaca Sewage Works 15th March 2018 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Morning around Larnaca doing the monthly waterbird count. Most wintering ducks have gone as have most of the Greater Flamingos. Highlights were a Greater Sandplover at Spiros Pool, a flock of more than 600 Slender-billed Gulls on the Salt Lake and my first Wood Sandpiper of the year.
Main sightings:
Meneou Pool
Kentish Plover 6
Larnaca Airport Pools South
Eurasian Thick-knee 2
Greater Flamingo 178
Black Francolin 1h
Laughing Dove 1 (first time seen here)
Larnaca Sewage Works
Spur-winged Lapwing 6
Black-necked Grebe 13 (see photograph)
Northern Shoveler 247
Common Pochard 3f
Eurasian Wigeon 1m and 1f
Green Sandpiper 2
Common Teal 44
Common Hoopoe 1
Spiros Beach
Greater Sandplover 1 (later seen on Spiros Pool)
Kentish Plover 2
Spiros Pool
Little Stint 14
Kentish Plover 1
Larnaca Airport Pools North
Greater Flamingo 100
Larnaca Salt Lake
Greater Flamingo 17
Common Shelduck 2
Slender-billed Gull 657
Ruff 145
Dunlin 16
Kentish Plover 14
Little Stint 56
Common Ringed Plover 28
Eurasian Reed Warbler 5+h
Reed Bunting 1h
Common Snipe 6+
Water Pipit 4
Common Redshank 1h
Spur-winged Lapwing 9
Little Egret 1
Bluethroat 1
Wood Sandpiper 1
Little Ringed Plover 1
Yellow Wagtail 1 first winter/spring
A few hours around Larnaca produced the following more interesting sightings. Migration still to get into full swing.
Meneou Pool
Greater Flamingo 39
Common Ringed Plover 1
Larnaca Airport Pools South
Greater Flamingo 180
Spiros Beach
Greater Sandplover 2 (see photo)
Caspian Gull 1
Isabelline Wheatear 1
Larnaca Sewage Works
Spur-winged Lapwing 4
Common Teal 50+ in one flock, very restless
Northern Shoveler c50 headed out to sea
Black-necked Grebe 12+ (Nine in breeding plumage)
Eurasian Wigeon 3f
Little Gull 1 imm
Common Buzzard 1
Western Marsh Harrier 1
Pervolia fields
Calandra Lark 3+
Petounta Point
Isabelline Wheatear 2
Great Cormorant 2 heading E
Eurasian Reed Warbler 1h
Agios Theodoros Coast – sea watch 15:10 – 16:30
Little Egret 3 on rocks
Great Crested Grebe 4 offshore
Northern Shoveler c50 heading W to E
Duck spp – probably Pintail c35 W to E
Great Cormorant c180 W to E 15:10
Greater Sandplover, Spiros Beach, 5th March 2018 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Went out hoping for some early migrants today. No luck with that although had some good birds including at least six singing male Cyprus Warbler at Cape Greco. Two photographed below.
Cyprus Warbler, Cape Greco 27th February 2018 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Cyprus Warbler, Cape Greco 27th February 2018 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Other sightings of note included:
Agia Trias
Greater Sandplover 3
Grey Plover 10
Kentish Plover 2
Konnos Bay
Eurasian Shag 1
Cape Greco
Cyprus Warbler 6 singing males
Macronissos Beach
Common Sandpiper 1
Potamos Liopetriou
Great Cormorant c70 migrating NE 13:40
Ormideia Fishing Harbour
Audouin’s Gull 1
Common Buzzard 1
Eurasian Shag 2
Oroklini Beach
Great Cormorant 90+ migrating W 15:15
Sandwich Tern 1
Armenian Gull 2 imm
JUMBO Drainage Channel
Spur-winged Lapwing 8
Common Sandpiper 1
Oroklini Marsh
Greater Flamingo 50+
Northern Pintail 1m and 1f
Gadwall 1m and 1f
Black-necked Grebe 1
Ferruginous Duck 7
Red-Crested Pochard 1m and 1f
Black-tailed Godwit 1
Ruff 4
Black-winged Stilt 8
Spur-winged Lapwing 5
Common Redshank 2
Little Egret 2
Cattle Egret c250
Western Marsh Harrier 1
Greater Sandplover, Agia Trias, 2nd February 2018 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Grey Plover, Agia Trias, 2nd February 2018 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
A lovely drive around some eastern locations today in the February sun. Was pleased to find a total of 15 Greater Sandplover on three different beaches. Other highlights:
Akhna Dam
Common Starling 12
Sotira
Common Starling c300
Paralimni Lake
Greater Flamingo 9
Northern Lapwing 1
Western Marsh Harrier 1
Derynia
Common Starling 30+
Agia Trias
Greater Sandplover 4 (see photo)
Grey Plover 5 (see photo)
Common Sandpiper 1
Cape Greco
Long-legged Buzzard 1
Cyprus Warbler 1m singing and in display flight
Blue Rock Thrush 2m and 1f
Hen Harrier 1 ring tail
Kermia Beach
Greater Sandplover 3
Kentish Plover 2
Macronissos Beach
Common Kingfisher 1
Greater Sandplover 8
Kentish Plover 8
Common Sandpiper 1
Agia Thekla
Little Egret 1
Laughing Dove 2
Potamos Liopetri
Little Egret 1
Oroklini Beach
Caspian Gull 1 ad and 3 imm
Armenian Gull 2 ad and 4 imm
JUMBO Drainage Channel
Spur-winged Lapwing 6
Common Snipe 1
Laughing Dove 1+
Common Starling c100
Oroklini Marsh (main lake)
Common Pochard 1m
Black-winged Stilt 2
Common Redshank 2
Grey Heron 2
Cattle Egret 55+
Greater Flamingo 49
Photos of a few of the birds at Paphos Headland early this afternoon. Birds of note included:
Greater Sandplover 3 hunkered down
Eurasian Golden Plover 58
Common Sandpiper 2
Ruddy Turnstone 2
Whimbrel 1
Eurasian Skylark 12
Whimbrel, Paphos Headland 9th January 2018 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Crested Lark, Paphos Headland 9th January 2018 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Greater Sandplover, Agios Trias, 28th November 2017 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Visited several sites this morning before the heavens opened and the rain ruined any chance of birding in the afternoon.
Akhna Dam
Hen Harrier 1 ring -tail
Black-necked Grebe 2
Woodlark 11
Agios Trias
Greater Sandplover 4 (see photograph)
Eurasian Shag 1
Avgorou
Common Starling 2
Cape Greco
Hen Harrier 1 ring-tail
House Sparrow 500+
Spanish Sparrow 20+
Common Buzzard 2
Northern Wheatear 1m
Blue Rock Thrush 1m
Kermia Beach
House Sparrow 300+
Spanish Sparrow 50+
Macronissos Beach
Eurasian Collared Dove 80+
Laughing Dove 4
Common Kingfisher 1
Audouin’s Gull 1
Potamos Liopetriou
Common Shelduck 1 flying W
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