Larnaca birding | Cyprus Birding Tours

August 31, 2020
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Larnaca area 31st August 2020

A very hot and humid early morning check around the Larnaca area saw a few interesting species including this Eurasian Stone Curlew and Dunlin (see photos). Also of note were a juvenile Collared Pratincole, two Isabelline Wheatear, an adult and two juv Ruddy Turnstone, at least 13 Curlew Sandpiper, a couple of Red-backed Shrikes, migrating Red-rumped Swallow and Northern House Martin, a juvenile Audouin’s Gull and the first Northern Shoveler of the autumn on the Sewage Works pools.

Dunlin, Larnaca 31st August 2020 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Eurasian Stone Curlew, Larnaca 31st August 2020 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

August 21, 2020
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Pervolia, Larnaca 21st August 2020

The fields around Pervolia this morning had migrants feeding there -four juvenile Collared Pratincole, at least 40 Western Yellow Wagtail (see photo), a female Masked Shrike and a lovely male Red-backed Shrike posing on a dried artichoke head (see photo).

Red-backed Shrike 4, Pervolia 21st August 2020 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours(

Red-backed Shrike, Pervolia 21st August 2020 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Western Yellow Wagtail 2, Pervolia 21st August 2020 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Western Yellow Wagtail, Pervolia 21st August 2020 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

August 19, 2020
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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

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

August 16, 2020
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Meneou Pool, Larnaca 10th – 16th August 2020

Meneou Pool is the only one of those scattered around Larnaca Salt Lake to have water in it at present and its muddy edges are just right for feeding waders. Since Monday I’ve been lucky enough to see several of the rarer waders to Cyprus there – a Red Knot on 11th & 13th August, two Sanderling on 10th and 11th and then three Broad-billed Sandpiper on 14th. None of them approachable for photos except this morning when one Broad-billed Sandpiper was close enough for me to get the cropped photo below. Also around in variable numbers each day were Common and Little Ringed Plover (also photographed today), Little and Temminck’s Stint, Ruff, Dunlin, Curlew Sandpiper, Common Greenshank, Common Redshank, Marsh Sandpiper, Collared Pratincole, Little Tern, White-winged Tern, Garganey, Black-headed Gull, Slender-billed Gull, Teal, Grey Heron, Glossy Ibis, Little Egret, Stone Curlew, Spur-winged Lapwing, Common Snipe, Common, Wood and Green Sandpiper and many Black-winged Stilt.

Broad-billed Sandpiper, Meneou Pool 16th August 2020 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Common Ringed Plover, Meneou Pool 16th August 2020 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Little Ringed Plover, Meneou Pool 16th August 2020 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

August 9, 2020
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Meneou this morning 9th August 2020

Some interesting birds at Meneou this morning including at least 230 Black-winged Stilt, plus much smaller numbers of Ruff, Common and Little Ringed Plover, Little Stint, Common and Green Sandpiper and Collared Pratincole. At least eight Little Tern and a juvenile White-winged Tern. Plenty of Yellow-legged Gull roosting on salt flats and flying around the Sewage Works including several juveniles (see photo).

Yellow-legged Gull, Larnaca Sewage Works 9th August 2020 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

July 17, 2020
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Larnaca area 17th July 2020

A surprise today around Larnaca in the shape of a female Red-necked Phalarope – bad record photo below – along with more usual birds in the shape of early passage migrants five Black-headed (see photo) and a Slender-billed Gull, a White-winged, two Common and four Little Tern; at least four Little Ringed Plover and Green and Wood Sandpiper and several breeding Spur-winged Lapwing (photo) and Black-winged Stilt.

Red-necked Phalarope, Larnaca 17th July 2020 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Spur-winged Lapwing. Larnaca Sewage Works, 17th July 2020 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Black-headed Gull, Larnaca Sewage Works, 17th July 2020 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

June 25, 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

June 7, 2020
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Black-winged Stilt, Larnaca 7th June 2020

The winter rain has created ideal conditions for breeding Black-winged Stilt this year. Many juveniles can be seen in the Larnaca area. This adult was at Meneou this morning.

Black-winged Stilt, Meneou 7th June 2020 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

March 24, 2020
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Larnaca area today 24th March 2020

Like many other local birders I was out trying to make the most of what could be last birding away from my garden for many weeks as we are now in lock down.

Some good birds around including my first Subalpine Warbler, Whinchat and Montagu’s Harrier of the year.

Meneou Pool
Mediterranean Gull 1
Slender-billed Gull 1
Garganey 3
Greater Flamingo c70
Little Egret 5
Common Sandpiper 1
Black-eared Wheatear 1m (see photo)

Larnaca Airport Pools South
Greater Flamingo c800
Northern Shoveler c120
Mediterranean Gull 5
Black-eared Wheatear 1m

Spiros Beach
Little Stint 10
Kentish Plover 2
Little Ringed Plover 1
Isabelline Wheatear 2

Spiros Pool
Spotted Redshank 4
Bluethroat 1
Garganey 50+
Ruff c30
Black-winged Stilt c40
Black-eared Wheatear 2m and 1f
Northern Wheatear 1m (see photo)
Ruppell’s Warbler 1m
Common Hoopoe 4
Masked Shrike 1m
Black-tailed Godwit 2
Subalpine Warbler 1m

Larnaca Airport Coast
Black-eared Wheatear 2m
Isabelline Wheatear 2
Common Nightingale 1

Softades
Northern Wheatear 1
Montagu’s Harrier 1m
Common Hoopoe 1m in off sea
Northern Wheatear 2

Kiti to Petounta road
Northern Wheatear 6

Petounta Point
Common Snipe 6
Little Ringed Plover 13 (see photo)
Citrine Wagtail 1f (see photo)
Black-headed Wagtail feldegg 12+
Blue-headed Wagtail flava 2
Grey-headed Wagtail thunbergi 1
Common Hoopoe 2
Kentish Plover 1
Northern Wheatear 3
Water Pipit 8+
Red-throated Pipit 1
Isabelline Wheatear 4
Black-eared Wheatear 5
Common Quail 1 in flight
Spur-winged Lapwing 1
Cyprus Wheatear 1f
Ruppell’s Warbler 1m
Common Redstart 2m

Kivisili fields
Black-eared Wheatear 4m
Cyprus Wheatear 1f
Isabelline Wheatear 1
Whinchat 2m
Common Hoopoe 3
Green Sandpiper 1

Black-eared Wheatear, Larnaca 24th March 2020 (Cyprus Birding Tours)

Female Citrine Wagtail, Petounta 24th March 2020 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Little Ringed Plover, Petounta 24th March 2020 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Northern Wheatear, Spiros Pool 24th March 2020 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

March 17, 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

March 8, 2020
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Petounta Point this morning 8th March 2020

A quick visit to Petounta east of Larnaca with my first feldegg Yellow Wagtail of the spring, three Water Pipits, a Common Snipe, two Kentish Plover, three Isabelline Wheatear and migrating Slender-billed Gulls offshore.