Another scarce Cyprus passage migrant was briefly on Spiros Beach, Larnaca this morning.
Spur-winged Lapwing, Larnaca Sewage Works 9th August 2016 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Spur-winged Lapwing chick, Larnaca Sewage Works 9th August 2016 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Still some interesting waders on Larnaca Sewage Works pools with an adult and a juvenile Pied Avocet among them today.
Larnaca Sewage Works 7th August 2016 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
The juvenile can just be made out in this photo taken from a distance. Also present:
Black-tailed Godwit 1
Spotted Redshank 2
Temminck’s Stint 2+
Little Stint 40+
Little Ringed Plover 1
Dunlin 3
Curlew Sandpiper 6
Wood Sandpiper 2
Green Sandpiper 1
Ruddy Shelduck 1
Garganey 9
White-winged Tern 3
Ruff 6
Common Redshank 1
Marsh Sandpiper 1
Ferruginous Duck 3
Yellow-legged Gull 31
Sprios Pool
Yellow-legged Gull 92 (all juvs)
As well as this Sanderling on Spiros Beach, there were at least five Curlew Sandpiper, two Little Ringed Plover, a Black-tailed Godwit and three Marsh Sandpiper at Larnaca Sewage Works. Several Little Stint and a couple of Common Sandpiper were also present. Seven Greater Flamingo were feeding there and in among the Mallard were a couple of Garganey, a single Northern Shoveler, a Ruddy Shelduck and some Ferruginous Duck. Many Spur-winged Lapwing were around the edge of the pools and in the nearby fields and a couple of Black-winged Stilt were still present. No sign of the Eurasian Curlew I had seen there the day before.
A juvenile Greater Sand Plover was on Spiros Beach this morning.
Back out birding in the heat of Larnaca this morning and found the following:
Meneou Pool
Eurasian Stone Curlew 2
Spur-winged Lapwing 1 juvenile
Larnaca Sewage Works and surrounding fields
Spur-winged Lapwing 25
Little Tern 1
Greater Flamingo 12
Glossy Ibis 1
Common Sandpiper 6
Ruff 3
Little Ringed Plover 2
Spotted Redshank 1
Little Stint 17
Wood Sandpiper 1
Red-crested Pochard 4 fem/juv types
Ferruginous Duck 7
Green Sandpiper 1
Common Swift 5
Kentish Plover 3
Spiros Beach
Kentish Plover c60 ads and juvs post breeding flock
Larnaca Airport Coast
Common Kingfisher 1
Common Sandpiper 9
Larnaca Salt Lake – only water is near Kamares
Little Egret 2
Glossy Ibis 1
Spur-winged Lapwing 13
Yellow-legged Gull, Spiros Beach, 25th July 2016 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Apart from the usual Mallards, Little Grebe and Eurasian Coot, there was a Whiskered and a White-winged Tern at the Sewage Pools as well as breeding Spur-winged Lapwing, the long-staying Ruddy Shelduck and two Ferruginous Duck. A small group of Kentish Plover flew in while I was there. The majority of bird life on the main Salt Lake was in the north east corner where I found more breeding Spur-winged Lapwing, some Black-winged Stilt, a Grey Heron, two Little Egret, two Cattle Egret and a Squacco Heron. A pair of Black-headed Wagtail were at Spiros Pool and the reeds near the Kamares aqueduct were full of Eurasian Reed Warbler families.
Black-winged Stilt, Larnaca 13th June 2016 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Barn Swallow, Larnaca 13th June 2016 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
An odd mixture of birds this morning around the area to the south of Larnaca Airport including this adult Great Spotted Cuckoo who was feeding on caterpillars on the salt marsh – presumably getting ready to return to its wintering grounds in Africa. An Eleonora’s Falcon flew over the area from east to west. A Woodchat Shrike on the track to the Sewage Works hide was an odd find for June. On the Sewage Pools were three Slender-billed Gulls and a White-winged Tern. I heard a Eurasian Curlew and there were two Ferruginous Duck and the long staying Ruddy Shelduck on the water with the usual Mallard, Little Grebe and Eurasian Coot. One of the Spur-winged Lapwing had three small chicks.
Great Spotted Cuckoo, Spiros Pool, 4th June 2016
Laughing Dove, Aradippou, 20th May 2016 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Laughing Dove 2, Aradippou, 20th May 2016 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Good to get to do a European Roller survey for BirdLife Cyprus at one of my favourite places this morning. Found four European Roller, four European Bee-eater, an adult and five juvenile Great Spotted Cuckoo, two Eurasian Hoopoe, six male Cyprus Wheatear, five male Cyprus Warbler and a juvenile, a singing male Cretzschmar’s Bunting and two young Little Owl.
European Roller, Panagia Stazousa, 20th May 2016 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Young Little Owl, Panagia Stazousa, 20th May 2016 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Auduoin’s Gull, Spiros Beach, Larnaca, 17th May 2016
Breeding success in evidence this morning as I visited my Common Birds Monitoring transect at Mennogeia. I found family parties of Chukar, Cyprus Warbler, Zitting Cisticola, Crested Lark and best of all – three juvenile Great Spotted Cuckoo in a carob tree being called by their Hooded Crow foster parents who were flying above.
Cyprus Birding Tours 