A drive around the south side of the Larnaca Salt Lake today dodging the showers produced some interesting species. The water in the pools is slowly receding meaning that the conditions are just right for migrating waders.
From Meneou to Airport coast 17.30pm – Common Swift 500+
Yesterday a quick drive through Panagia Stazousa gave good views of European Roller, Eurasian Hoopoe, Cyprus Warbler, Cretzschmar’s Bunting and Great Spotted Cuckoo.
Some good birds seen around the area of Larnaca Salt Lake both north and south of the airport today, which included the famous black Greater Flamingo which today was on the main Salt Lake. Waders of note included eight Pied Avocet, four Eurasian Dotterel, two Whimbrel flying offshore, three Red-necked Phalarope, more than thirty Common Greenshank and plenty of Black-winged Stilt. Several migrating Grey Heron and Little Egret were around and three Squacco Heron went east along the coast in the morning with a flock of sixteen Great Egret flying over the area just before 9 am. There were several Slender-billed Gull on the main Salt Lake where there was also a European Roller and four European Bee-eaters flew over heading north. Eight Garganey were on the Larnaca Sewage Pools and a few Eurasian Teal still remain from the winter.
The fields were full of Red-throated Pipit and Yellow Wagtail early in the morning with several Greater Short-toed Lark and I found one Eurasian Wryneck. I also saw two Western Marsh Harrier and a female Pallid Harrier.
Little Egret Larnaca Salt Lake 15th April 2015 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Picking Bob up in Limassol for a day’s birding in Larnaca we decided to check out Lady’s Mile and Zakaki Marsh before heading east. We found a Squacco Heron on the marsh together with at least six Little Egret, three Ferruginous Duck and a male Garganey. We could hear several Eurasian Reed Warbler singing in the reeds while at least two Sedge Warbler could be seen. On Lady’s Mile we found a selection of waders including Kentish Plover, Black-winged Stilt, Common Greenshank, Marsh Sandpiper and Little Stint.
On arrival at Oroklini we were pleased to receive a fly pass from a very pale Long-legged Buzzard. There were many Black-winged Stilt here as well, plus several Spur-winged Lapwing, a Common Snipe, some Little Stint, nearly fifty Ruff and a Wood Sandpiper. A male and female Northern Pintail were also present. The water was very deep on the main lake where we found a lone Greater Flamingo and some late Eurasian Teal and Northern Shoveler. A European Coot already had several quite large young.
The water level was also very high on the main Larnaca Salt Lake but in the north east corner we found nearly three hundred Greater Flamingo, at least eighteen Purple Heron, two Cattle Egret, around thirty Black-winged Stilt and three Spur-winged Lapwing. A flash of yellow moving between the mud and the reeds caught our eye and we were really pleased to find a male Citrine Wagtail. A Water Pipit and Woodchat Shrike were also seen and a Western Marsh Harrier quartered the area.
The other side of the airport close to the sea we found more Greater Flamingo and Black-winged Stilt as well as four Common Greenshank. Near to the coast a Gull-billed Tern was flying along the shore as were several migrating Barn Swallow. We found another Woodchat Shrike and plenty of Northern and Isabelline Wheatear on a ploughed field together with a small flock of Yellow Wagtail – both flava and feldegg races. As we were leaving the area we caught site of a Little Gull on the Airport Pool South and we spent some time watching it flying over the water – almost tern like.
We had had enough of the wind so headed inland to Kiti Dam. The trees there were quite quiet although we did manage to find at least three Eastern Bonelli’s Warbler and a Blackcap. A Little Egret also flew out of the trees much to our surprise and two Eurasian Hoopoe were feeding on the track as we drove up. Our final stop was Kivisilli fields where we were pleased to find at least three Lesser Kestrel (and a couple of Common) as well as the usual Isabelline and Northern Wheatear plus eight Tawny Pipit.
On our return to Limassol in failing light we made for the Zakaki Marsh hide again where we were treated to great views of one of the male Little Crake currently there. We may not have seen great numbers of birds but we had seen some quality species.
Number of different birds seen – 65
Little Grebe, Squacco Heron, Cattle Egret, Little Egret, Grey Heron, Purple Heron, Greater Flamingo, Eurasian Teal, Mallard, Northern Pintail, Garganey, Northern Shoveler, Ferruginous Duck, Western Marsh Harrier, Long-legged Buzzard, Lesser Kestrel, Common Kestrel, Black Francolin h, Little Crake, Common Moorhen, Eurasian Coot, Black-winged Stilt, Kentish Plover, Spur-winged Lapwing, Little Stint, Ruff, Common Snipe, Common Redshank, Marsh Sandpiper, Common Greenshank, Wood Sandpiper, Little Gull, Gull-billed Tern, Common Woodpigeon, Eurasian Collared Dove, Common Swift, Eurasian Hoopoe, Crested Lark, Barn Swallow, Red-rumped Swallow, Common House Martin, Tawny Pipit, Water Pipit, Blue-headed Wagtail (flava), Black-headed Wagtail (feldegg), Citrine Wagtail, White Wagtail, Isabelline Wheatear, Northern Wheatear, Cetti’s Warbler, Zitting Cisticola, Sedge Warbler, Eurasian Reed Warbler, Spectacled Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat, Eurasian Blackcap, Eastern Bonelli’s Warbler, Great Tit, Woodchat Shrike, Eurasian Magpie, Hooded Crow, House Sparrow, Spanish Sparrow, European Goldfinch, Corn Bunting
Kivisilli Fields 2nd April 2015 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Mixture of migrants and winter visitors around Larnaca today
Black-winged Stilt Meneou Pool 17th March 2015 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Meneou Pool – Black-winged Stilt 6
Larnaca Airport Pools South – Black-winged Stilt 13, Slender-billed Gull 49, Greater Flamingo 776, Black-headed Gull 215, Common Shelduck 42, Little Gull 1, Armenian Gull 2+, Caspian Gull 2
Larnaca Sewage Works – Green Sandpiper 2, Northern Shoveler 21, Eurasian Teal 111, Spur-winged Lapwing 6, Ferruginous Duck 2, Ruppell’s Warbler 1f, Great Cormorant c180 flying E at 17.15pm
Spiros Pool and Beach area – Wryneck 2, Temminck’s Stint 1, Little Stint 3
Larnaca Airport Pools North – Greater Flamingo 39
Larnaca Salt Lake – Greater Flamingo 2770, Slender-billed Gull 159, Little Ringed Plover 3, Northern Shoveler 313, Common Shelduck 44, Eurasian Wigeon 1m and 1f, Northern Pintail 1m and 1f, Black-necked Grebe 11, Eurasian Reed Warbler 6+heard singing, Eurasian Teal 38, Green Sandpiper 1, Black-winged Stilt 2, Spur-winged Lapwing 2, Common Redshank 21, Common Snipe 1, Ruff 3, Little Stint 54, Dunlin 4, Common Ringed Plover 1, Kentish Plover 11
Kiti Dam – Masked Shrike 1, Eurasian Coot 31, Northern Shoveler 3, Eastern Bonelli’s Warbler 1
Petounta Point – Eurasian Hoopoe 4, Isabelline Wheatear 2, Corncrake 1 (flew from side of track into cereal crop), Red-throated Pipit 3, Kentish Plover 2
Eurasian Hoopoe Petounta Point 17th March 2015 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Some movement of birds noted today around Larnaca. In the morning eighteen Mediterranean Gull in breeding plumage were a great sight on Larnaca Airport Pools near Meneou. There were also four Garganey together with Northern Shoveler, Eurasian Teal and some Common Shelduck as well as around two hundred Greater Flamingo and some Slender-billed Gull. A flock of fourteen Grey Heron flew over around 11.00 am and then in the late afternoon two flocks of around thirty Great Cormorant each headed east.
Very windy today at Larnaca where I did the water bird count. A lot of water on the Salt Lake so the Greater Flamingo were concentrated at the edges where the water is shallower. Best species was Little Gull – one on Meneou Pool and another on the Sewage Pools. A Eurasian Hoopoe and a Common Quail were seen on the track leading to the hide at the Sewage Pools.
Meneou Pool – Little Gull 1 first winter, Common Shelduck 3
Larnaca Airport Pools South – Greater Flamingo 245, Western Marsh Harrier 1, Caspian Gull 3, Common Black-headed Gull 107
Larnaca Sewage Pools – Barn Swallow 8, Mallard 73, Eurasian Teal 330, Black-necked Grebe 1, Northern Shoveler 13, Northern Pintail 1m, Gadwall 1m, Great Cormorant 1, Quail (in off sea), Eurasian Hoopoe 1, Little Gull 1
Spiros Pool/Beach – Spur-winged Lapwing 2, Greater Flamingo 67, Sandwich Tern 3, Golden Plover 11, Common Redshank 1
Larnaca Airport Pools North – Northern Shoveler 38, Greater Flamingo 82, Kentish Plover 12, Barn Swallow 2, Coot 3
Larnaca Salt Lake – Northern Shoveler 301, Common Shelduck 660, Greater Flamingo 3364, Barn Swallow c60, Green Sandpiper 1, Black-headed Gull c300, Caspian Gull c80, Armenian Gull c10, Western Marsh Harrier 1, Common Redshank 10, Common Ringed Plover 4, Dunlin 5, Little Stint 7, Kentish Plover 6
Out today doing the waterbird count around Larnaca Salt Lake area and Kiti Dam. Also visited Petounta Point. The highlight was a group of seventeen Black-necked Grebe on Larnaca Salt Lake which is full of water and had few waders as a result.
Highlights were:
Meneou Pool – Greater Flamingo 465
Spiros Pool & Beach area – Greater Flamingo 15, Golden Plover c300 flying over airport in distance, Dunlin 2, Little Stint 3, Green Sandpiper 1, Common Ringed Plover 12, Kentish Plover 89
Larnaca Airport Pools North – Greater Flamingo 24, Common Redshank 1
Larnaca Salt Lake – Black-headed Gull 108, Common Shelduck 607, Northern Shoveler 87, Greater Flamingo 1820, Black-necked Grebe 17, Reed Bunting 3, Common Snipe 2, Eurasian Teal 107, Common Redshank 3, Common Buzzard 1, Western Marsh Harrier 2, Water Pipit 1, Dunlin 4, Blackbird 1
Larnaca Airport Pools South – Greater Flamingo 123, Caspian Gull 50, Armenian Gull 12, Heuglin’s Gull 1 (maybe 2)
Kiti Dam (has water) – Western Marsh Harrier 1, Eurasian Teal 6, Black-headed Gull 54
Petounta Point – Sandwich Tern 2, Common Buzzard 1
Went to Larnaca to do the waterbird count and was pleased that the bad weather held off. A lot of the ducks on the Sewage Works pools seemed to be out of sight from the hide along the edge hidden from view. I couldn’t find the White-headed Duck from last weekend although it could have been along that edge.
A summary of the birds around:
Meneou Pool – Greater Flamingo 411, Black Francolin 2m calling
Larnaca Sewage Works – Greater Flamingo 59, Tufted Duck 3, Northern Shoveler 16 (probably more but other ducks were on edge not visible from hide), Eurasian Teal 227, Mallard 57, Gadwall 3, Greater White-fronted Goose 8, Eurasian Wigeon 7, Black-necked Grebe 5, Black-winged Stilt 2, Greater Cormorant 4
Did the waterbird count around the Larnaca area this morning. A good variety of wintering wildfowl at the Sewage Works although not any great numbers – Greater White-fronted Geese, Northern Shoveler, Common Pochard, Gadwall, Northern Pintail, Eurasian Wigeon, Black-necked Grebe, Northern Shoveler and Eurasian Wigeon. There are still two Black-winged Stilt there that look as if they may be going to over winter. The fields around have plenty of Eurasian Skylark and Meadow Pipit and there were hunting Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Hen Harrier and Western Marsh Harrier. Over a hundred Golden Plover were roosting on Spiros Pool.
On the main Salt Lake there were over nine hundred Greater Flamingo, plenty of Common Black-headed Gull and fifteen Common Shelduck. Flocks of waders around the edge included Dunlin, Common Ringed Plover, Kentish Plover, Little Stint and Common Redshank. A few Eurasian Stone Curlew were roosting in the Airport Pools and in the reeds on the eastern edge there were at least three Penduline Tit.
Western Black Redstart, Larnaca Sewage Works 22nd November 2014 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
A planned day’s guiding was spread over a day and a half in the end due to a flat car battery at Panagia Stazousa on Friday morning! The sort of morning that you couldn’t really make up – but Greg and I had good views of a late Cyprus Wheatear and were able to spend several hours listening and watching at least four male Cyprus Warbler while we waited for a jump start to the car. We also had plenty of European Robin, Eurasian Blackcap, Sardinian Warbler, Chiffchaff and Common Stonechat to watch and listen to. A Eurasian Sparrowhawk flew over as did at least two Long-legged Buzzard. We saw many Chukar and after a heavy rain storm at least ten Common Kestrel were flying over the area.
With my car restarted we decided to try again on Saturday and I went off to replace the battery. With Greg’s primary targets, the Cyprus endemics, well seen on Friday we aimed for some general birding and additions to his life list. We stopped at Oroklini Marsh on our way to Cape Greco where the numbers of Mallard, Northern Shoveler and Eurasian Teal are increasing after the recent rain. We heard a Water Rail and saw a couple of Common Redshank as well as five Northern Lapwing and several Spur-winged Lapwing. Stopping at Kermia Beach we were pleased to find two Greater Sand Plover.
At Cape Greco there were flocks of finches – Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Linnet – and a couple of Corn Bunting. Plenty of Spanish Sparrow were present and Eurasian Skylark and Meadow Pipit were flying over. We found a late migrating Northern Wheatear and at least four Blue Rock Thrush. The star birds, and the main reason for our visit there, were a male and female Finsch’s Wheatear that appeared to be competing for territory as we watched them.
A quick visit to Makronissos Beach found four Greater Sand Plover, a Little Egret and added Kentish Plover to Greg’s increasing world list. A Common Sandpiper was at Potamos Liopetri where two European Shag were fishing offshore. Arriving back in Larnaca we visited the northern edge of the Salt Lake where we found nearly three hundred Greater Flamingo were now on the Lake. At least fourteen Common Redshank were feeding at the edge as were five Common Ringed Plover and a Water Pipit. A flock of Kentish Plover could be seen in the distance. Just as we were leaving I spotted a larger bird behind the reeds and was surprised to find it was a White Stork. A Black-crowned Night Heron flew over as we returned to the car.
Another surprise, again in the reeds but this time at Spiros Pool, was a juvenile Purple Heron. On the flooded area there we had two more Northern Lapwing for the day and three Green Sandpiper flew over. A couple of Black Francolin flew allowing good views and two arguing Cetti’s Warbler squabbled in a stand of reeds and for once came well into the open. A lone Common Starling on a wire was our last new species for the day.
Some good birds seen over a day and a half and thanks to Greg for his patience during our enforced stay in the Panagia Stazousa valley.
Sixty two species
European Shag, Black-crowned Night Heron, Cattle Egret, Little Egret, Grey Heron, Purple Heron, White Stork, Greater Flamingo, Eurasian Teal, Mallard, Northern Shoveler, Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Long-legged Buzzard, Common Kestrel, Chukar, Black Francolin, Water Rail (h), Common Moorhen, Eurasian Coot, Common Ringed Plover, Kentish Plover, Greater Sand Plover, Spur-winged Lapwing, Northern Lapwing, Common Redshank, Green Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, Common Black-headed Gull, Yellow-legged Gull, Common Woodpigeon, Eurasian Collared Dove, Crested Lark, Eurasian Skylark, Meadow Pipit, Water Pipit, White Wagtail, European Robin, Western Black Redstart, Common Stonechat, Northern Wheatear, Cyprus Wheatear, Finsch’s Wheatear, Blue Rock Thrush, Cetti’s Warbler, Zitting Cisticola, Spectacled Warbler, Sardinian Warbler, Cyprus Warbler, Eurasian Blackcap, Common Chiffchaff, Great Tit, Eurasian Magpie, Western Jackdaw, Hooded Crow, Common Starling, House Sparrow, Spanish Sparrow, Common Chaffinch, European Greenfinch, European Goldfinch, Common Linnet, Corn Bunting.
Panagia Stazousa 31st October 2014 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Waterbird count time at Larnaca today. Everywhere still very dry so most birds were found at the Sewage Works. Garganey, Northern Shoveler and Eurasian Teal have joined the resident Mallard there and two Gull-billed Tern flew over towards the coast with a Whiskered Tern and two White-winged Tern feeding over the pools. Kentish Plover and Yellow-legged Gull were on Spiros Pool with a Common Kingfisher along the coast and sixteen Yellow Wagtail flying over the fields near the Desalination Plant.
Several Red-backed, Masked and a Lesser Grey Shrike were around the Salt Lake and three Pallid Swift were seen in with a small group of Barn Swallow.
Mixed bag of birds around Larnaca and Pervolia this morning. A Lesser Grey Shrike at Larnaca Airport Pools south; a flock of 16 Greater Flamingo flying over the Sewage Pools with another nine there feeding around the edges; also on the Sewage Pools were two eclipse Garganey, the long-staying Common Shelduck, five Ruff, a Common Sandpiper and a Little Stint. On the rocks of the Airport Coast ignoring the swimmers was a Common Kingfisher and in the fields at Pervolia near Cape Kiti were eight Collared Pratincole.
Greater Flamingo Larnaca Sewage Works 10th August 2014 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Cyprus Birding Tours 