Cyprus Birding Tours

Offering guided bird watching tours around Cyprus


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Larnaca and Agia Napa today 9th January 2020

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

Little Gull, Meneou 9th January 2020 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Greater Sandplover, Agia Trias 9th January 2020 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Greater Sandplover, Agia Trias 9th 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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Bar-tailed Godwit and Red Knot, Akrotiri 19th October 2019

Two scarce waders for Cyprus on the Gravel Pits at Akrotiri last weekend– a Bar-tailed Godwit and a Red Knot. Also at least nine Grey Plover with the Knot – which was a good count for Cyprus.

Bar-tailed Godwit, Akrotiri 19th October 2019 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Bar-tailed Godwit, Akrotiri 19th October 2019 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Red Knot, Akrotiri 19th October 2019 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Red Knot, Akrotiri 19th October 2019 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours


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Polis Chrysochou Bay, 13th August 2019

Spent most of the day sea watching in the Polis Chrysochou Bay. The bird of the day was this Whimbrel (photo) which flew in off the sea and started feeding on the beach in front me. Also migrating were some Grey and Purple Heron, Glossy Ibis and Garganey. Other waders seen were a flock of eight Common Sandpiper, four distant Pied Avocet flying west over the sea and two Grey Plover which flew into the bay as I was leaving and couldn’t see where they had landed.

Whimbrel, Polis Chrysochou 13th August 2019 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Whimbrel, Polis Chrysochou 13th August 2019 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours


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East of the island 18th January 2019

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

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

Grey Plover, Agia Trias, 18th January 2019 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours


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East of the island 5th January 2019.

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

Spur-winged Lapwing, Oroklini Marsh, 5th January 2019 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

White Wagtail, 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

Common Sandpiper, Potamos Liopetriou, 5th January 2019 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours


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East of island today 11th December 2018

Visited Oroklini Marsh, Akhna Dam, Paralimni Lake, Cape Greco, Agia Trias, Kermia Beach, Macronissos Beach and Leivadia.
Highlights were fly in Pallas’s Gull at Oroklini (which then flew out again straight away), Great Crested Grebe at Akhna, Grey Plover at Agia Trias, Audouin’s Gull at Kermia Beach  (see photo) and Temminck’s Stint at Leivadia.

Audouin's Gull, Kermia Beach 11th December 2018 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Audouin’s Gull, Kermia Beach 11th December 2018 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Common Redshank, Oroklini Marsh 11th December 2018 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Common Redshank, Oroklini Marsh 11th December 2018 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours


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Larnaca and Achna area 25th September 2018

Visited the hide at the Sewage Works, Achna Dam, Ormideia and Oroklini this morning. Birds of interest:

Larnaca Sewage Works
Marsh Sandpiper 6
Dunlin c20
Kentish Plover 50+
Common Ringed Plover 10+
Little Stint 30+
Ruff c10
Sanderling 2
Whiskered Tern 3
Grey Heron 3
Spur-winged Lapwing c30
Garganey 2
Ruddy Turnstone 2

Akhna Dam
White-winged Tern 1
Whiskered Tern 5 (see photo of a juvenile that was preening on a rock)
Northern Lapwing 2
Spur-winged Lapwing 45
Little Egret 1
Grey Heron 5
Common Ringed Plover 6
Common Kingfisher 2
Garganey 1
European Bee-eater 14

Dekeleia Fire Station
Eurasian Thick-knee 8

Ormideia Beach
Common Kingfisher 1
Grey Plover 1

Oroklini Marsh
Spur-winged Lapwing 110
Glossy Ibis 1
Western Marsh Harrier 1
Common Redshank 1
Ruff 2
Common Ringed Plover 6
Little Stint 6

Whiskered Tern , Achna Dam 25th September 2018 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Whiskered Tern , Achna Dam 25th September 2018 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours


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East of the island 27th February 2018

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

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


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East of the island, 2nd February 2018

Greater Sandplover, Agia Trias, 2nd February 2018 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Greater Sandplover, Agia Trias, 2nd February 2018 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Grey Plover, 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


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Waterbird Count Larnaca 12th August 2017

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

Spiros Beach
Yellow-legged Gull 17
Kentish Plover 26 inc several juvs

Larnaca Airport Coast
Yellow-legged Gull 36
Pallid Swift 2

Larnaca Salt Lake (Tekke area)
Masked Shrike 3 imm

Larnaca Salt Lake (Kamares area)
Spur-winged Lapwing 10 inc 1 juv
Common Redshank 1 (see photo).
Green Sandpiper 1
Common Kingfisher 1

Common Redshank, Larnaca Salt Lake 12th August 2017 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Common Redshank, Larnaca Salt Lake 12th August 2017 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours


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Cyprus Birding Tours Trip Report – Day’s Guiding 5th May 2017, Paphos and Akrotiri

Good to see John and Madeleine again for another day’s birding. We visited a few Paphos locations in the morning before spending the rest of the day around Akrotiri. Eight species of raptor seen including Red-footed Falcon, Lesser Kestrel and Montagu’s Harrier at Anarita early morning and later on a Peregrine Falcon and two Eleonora’s Falcon hunting the waders on Akrotiri Salt Lake where we were surprised to find a female Hen Harrier as well. We saw many different waders including Broad-billed Sandpiper, Curlew Sandpiper and Temminck’s Stint plus great views of Collared Pratincole and White-winged Tern.

Highlights per location visited:

Agia Varvara – Black Francolin 2, European Turtle Dove, Ruff, Wood Sandpiper, Lesser Kestrel, Eleonora’s Falcon, Spotted Flycatcher

Agia Varvara village reservoir- Ruff, Temminck’s Stint, Wood Sandpiper, European Roller, Red-rumped Swallow

Anarita Park – Montagu’s Harrier 1m, Long-legged Buzzard, European Bee-eater h, Lesser Kestrel, Red-footed Falcon, Cyprus Warbler, Corn Bunting

Kouklia village – Laughing Dove

Akrotiri Gravel Pits – Great Spotted Cuckoo 2, European Turtle Dove 4, Little Egret, Kentish Plover, Willow Warbler, European Blackcap, Lesser Whitethroat, Spotted Flycatcher, European Pied Flycatcher 1f

Phasouri Reed Beds – Ferruginous Duck, Glossy Ibis 6, Squacco Heron, Cattle Egret, Ruff, Olivaceous Warbler, Black-headed Wagtail 1m, European Serin

Akrotiri Salt Lake – Greater Flamingo, Great Spotted Cuckoo, Common Cuckoo, Black-winged Stilt, Grey Plover, Common Ringed Plover, Kentish Plover, Ruff, Broad-billed Sandpiper, Curlew Sandpiper, Collared Pratincole, Little Tern, White-winged Tern, Hen Harrier 1f, European Bee eater, Eleonora’s Falcon, Peregrine Falcon

Lady’s Mile – Little Egret, Common Ringed Plover, Ruff, Bar-tailed Godwit, Curlew Sandpiper, Little Stint, Common Greenshank, Marsh Sandpiper, Little Tern

Zakaki Marsh – European Bee-eater, Squacco Heron

Total species seen – 75

Black Francolin, Ferruginous Duck, Mallard, Little Grebe, Greater Flamingo, Common Woodpigeon, European Turtle Dove, Eurasian Collared Dove, Laughing Dove, Common Swift, Great Spotted Cuckoo, Common Cuckoo, Common Moorhen, Common Coot, Glossy Ibis, Squacco Heron, Cattle Egret, Grey Heron, Little Egret, Black-winged Stilt, Grey Plover, Common Ringed Plover, Kentish Plover, Bar-tailed Godwit, Ruff, Broad-billed Sandpiper, Curlew Sandpiper, Temminck’s Stint, Little Stint, Common Greenshank, Wood Sandpiper, Marsh Sandpiper, Collared Pratincole, Black-headed Gull, Yellow-legged Gull, Little Tern, White-winged Tern, Hen Harrier, Montagu’s Harrier, Long-legged Buzzard, European Bee-eater, European Roller, Lesser Kestrel, Common Kestrel, Red-footed Falcon, Eleonora’s Falcon, Peregrine Falcon, Eurasian Magpie, Eurasian Jackdaw, Hooded Crow, Great Tit, Crested Lark, Zitting Cisticola, Olivaceous Warbler, Eurasian Reed Warbler, Northern House Martin, Barn Swallow, Red-rumped Swallow, Willow Warbler, Cetti’s Warbler, Eurasian Blackcap, Lesser Whitethroat, Cyprus Warbler, Sardinian Warbler, Spotted Flycatcher, European Pied Flycatcher, Cyprus Wheatear, House Sparrow, Spanish Sparrow, Black-headed Wagtail, European Greenfinch, Common Linnet, European Goldfinch, European Serin, Corn Bunting

Glossy Ibis, Phasouri 5th May 2017 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Glossy Ibis, Phasouri 5th May 2017 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours