Cyprus Birding Tours

Offering guided bird watching tours around Cyprus

Tag Archives: Gull-billed Tern


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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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Terns, Larnaca 25th June 2020

Three species of tern fishing this morning at Larnaca Sewage Works: two Common Tern, at least two Gull-billed Tern (photo) and several Little Tern.

Gull-billed Tern, Larnaca Sewage Works, 25th June 2020 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Gull-billed Tern, Larnaca Sewage Works, 25th June 2020 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours


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Achna Dam morning 6th June 2020.

Achna Dam 6th June 2020 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Achna Dam 6th June 2020 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

I don’t remember as much water in Achna Dam before as I found today . But even so I managed to have a good walk in several areas and found some interesting birds. Its getting hotter though now so I guess walks of an hour or more will soon be out of the question!

Birds seen included:
Glossy Ibis 13
Squacco Heron 8
Gull billed Tern 12
Spur winged Lapwing 8
Great Cormorant 2
Grey Heron 3
Great Crested Grebe 1 ad
European Roller 1
Cattle Egret 2 (one with stick in bill)
Little Egret 2
Little Bittern 1f
Purple Heron 1
Common Hoopoe 4
Black winged Stilt 2


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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


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Terek Sandpiper, Oroklini Marsh this morning 28th August 2018

While doing the waterbird count at Larnaca Sewage Works this morning, I remarked to another birder there that this time last year a Terek Sandpiper had been found at the Sewage Works. An hour later at Oroklini Marsh the first bird I saw from the hide was this Terek Sandpiper! Not annual here this would be the 15th Cyprus record of the species since 2000 if accepted. Sorry for the awful photos but it was just too far for anything decent.

Terek Sandpiper, Oroklini Marsh 28th August 2018 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Terek Sandpiper, Oroklini Marsh 28th August 2018 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Also seen this morning in the Larnaca area:

Meneou Beach
Laughing Dove 1
Barn Swallow 3

Larnaca Airport Pools South
Eurasian Thick-knee 4
Grey Heron 4 over flying W

Larnaca Sewage Works
Black Kite 2 flying low heading W 7:35
Greater Flamingo 418 inc 67 juvs
Black-winged Stilt 30
Northern Shoveler 33
Little Stint 29
Common Ringed Plover 6
Dunlin 6
White-winged Tern 4
Gull-billed Tern 2
Spur-winged Lapwing 7
Marsh Sandpiper 3+
Curlew Sandpiper 1
Ruff 3
Black-headed Gull 2
Yellow-legged Gull 30
Common Kingfisher 1
Ferruginous Duck 1
Common Sandpiper 1
Whiskered Tern 1
Kentish Plover 2
Garganey 1
Common Teal 9

Larnaca Airport Coast
Common Sandpiper 1

Spiros Beach
Yellow-legged Gull 24
Kentish Plover 2

Spiros Pool
Western Marsh Harrier 1f

Larnaca Salt Lake
Spur-winged Lapwing 2
Black-headed Wagtail 1m
Laughing Dove 2

Oroklini Marsh
Terek Sandpiper 1
Curlew Sandpiper 4
Spur-winged Lapwing 107
Black-winged Stilt 8
Common Redshank 4
Marsh Sandpiper 4
Little Stint 5
Common Ringed Plover 2
Little Ringed Plover 6
Whiskered Tern 1


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Polis Chrysochou Bay 11th August 2018

Sea watching at Polis Chrysochou this morning 6.30 – 8.30 am produced good numbers of migrating Glossy Ibis plus Purple, Grey and Squacco Heron, Cattle and Little Egret, Black-winged Stilt (see photo), Garganey, Gull-billed Tern, Common Sandpiper and Kingfisher and European Bee-eater.

Black-winged Stilt, Polis Chrysochou Bay 11th August 2018 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Black-winged Stilt, Polis Chrysochou Bay 11th August 2018 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours


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Akrotiri today 8th August 2018

The area is drying out but along with Larnaca Sewage Works, it is still probably the best birding location on the island at the moment. Plenty of Little Ringed Plover (see photo), Kentish Plover and Little Stint along with Glossy Ibis, Slender-billed Gull, a Broad-billed Sandpiper, a Spotted Redshank, Common Greenshank, Common Snipe, two Collared Pratincole, a Temminck’s Stint and a Gull-billed Tern. A female Western Marsh Harrier is putting the birds up frequently as she quarters the area and Elenora’s Falcon fly over from time to time.

Little Ringed Plover juv, Akrotiri 8th August 2018 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Little Ringed Plover juv, Akrotiri 8th August 2018 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours


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Larnaca area this morning 30th July 2018

Migration slowly getting busier with c50 Collared Pratincole in the fields near Larnaca Sewage Works and a group of 13 Common Sandpiper resting on the rocks on the nearby coast this morning. Feeding on the Sewage Pools were Gull-billed, Whiskered and White-winged Tern. A couple of Slender-billed and Black-headed Gull were present as were more than 100 Greater Flamingo, a couple of Black-winged Stilt, 23 Ferruginous Duck, a Common Greenshank, six Grey Heron and six Cattle Egret, plenty of Spur-winged Lapwing and both the long-staying unseasonable Great Crested Grebes.

Ferruginous Duck, Larnaca Sewage Works, 30th July 2018 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Ferruginous Duck, Larnaca Sewage Works, 30th July 2018 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Gull-billed Tern, Larnaca Sewage Works, 30th July 2018 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Gull-billed Tern, Larnaca Sewage Works, 30th July 2018 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours


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Larnaca area this morning 25th July 2018

One of several juvenile Yellow-legged Gull currently to be found along Spiros Beach and Larnaca Sewage Works. Also in the area today were an Eleonora’s Falcon, Little and Gull-billed Tern, Temminck’s and Little Stint, Dunlin, Ruff, Little Ringed Plover and Greater Flamingo.

Yellow-legged Gull, Spiros Beach, 25th July 2018 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Yellow-legged Gull, Spiros Beach, 25th July 2018 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours


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Migrants on Larnaca Sewage Works this morning 15th August 2017

Some interesting waders on the Sewage Pools today although the Broad-billed Sandpipers that were there on Saturday seem to have moved on. Today I found an adult Ruddy Turnstone still in breeding plumage and a Eurasian Curlew – both of which are never common here. Also several Dunlin, Curlew Sandpiper, Common Ringed Plover, Little Ringed Plover, Ruff, Wood Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper and four Collared Pratincole (inc a juv). Still several Black-winged Stilt around as well as c30 Spur-winged Plover and at least 14 Kentish Plover.

In addition to four Greater Flamingo (photo) there were 11 Ferruginous Duck with Northern Shoveler numbers now up to 17. Six Garganey were preening and roosting as was at least one Common Teal.

Ten juvenile Yellow-legged Gull flew in and single juvenile White-winged Tern and Gull-billed Tern were feeding over the water. A Squacco Heron flew over heading east and two Pallid Swift flew over in with many Barn Swallow.

Greater Flamingo. Larnaca Sewage Works 15th August 2017 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Greater Flamingo. Larnaca Sewage Works 15th August 2017 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours


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Larnaca Sewage Pools this morning, 11th July 2017

Gull-billed Tern, Larnaca Sewage Works 11th July 2017 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Gull-billed Tern, Larnaca Sewage Works 11th July 2017 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

A record photo of one of four Gull-billed Terns at the Sewage Pools this morning. Three other tern species also present – seven Little Tern, one Whiskered and one White-winged Tern. Black-winged Stilt and Spur-winged Lapwing had chicks of varying sizes. On the water there were five Ferruginous Ducks in with the Mallard and around the edge there was a Little Ringed Plover, a Common and Green Sandpiper and some Kentish Plover. I only saw the best bird as I drove up to the hide – a Osprey was being chased over the area by Hooded Crows and heading east. A juvenile had been reported there towards the end of June and I guess it may well be the same bird.