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
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
My first for spring 2020. One of my favourite birds.
Cretzschmar’s Bunting, Larnaca 5th March 2020 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Cretzschmar’s Bunting, Larnaca 5th March 2020 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
A Bluethroat in front of hide at Larnaca Sewage Works this morning 10th December 2019 distracting me while I was doing the Waterbird Count!
Bluethroat , Larnaca Sewage Works,10th December 2019 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Bluethroat , Larnaca Sewage Works,10th December 2019 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Evidence that winter visitors have been arriving at our wetlands the last few weeks with large numbers of Northern Shoveler (see photo), Greater Flamingo and Common Teal at the Salt Lake and Sewage Works. Also two each of Greater White-fronted Goose and Black-necked Grebe as well as four Common Pochard, a Eurasian Wigeon and two Northern Pintail. A small flock of Eurasian Golden Plover is already present as are good numbers of Eurasian Skylark and Meadow Pipit.
Northern Shoveler, Larnaca 18th November 2019 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Good morning out around Larnaca in the sunshine. Not a great variety of birds but already good numbers of ducks and flamingos around plus a few more unusual species.
Spiros Pool
Eurasian Golden Plover 18
Larnaca Sewage Works
Common Teal c500
Northern Shoveler 300+
Black-necked Grebe 1
Great Crested Grebe 3
Northern Pintail 1
Armenian Gull 12
Common Shelduck 1
Spur-winged Lapwing 2
Larnaca Salt Lake
Greater Flamingo 1200+
Common Crane 1
Kamares, Larnaca
Bluethroat 1 (see photo)
Black Redstart 1
Eurasian Penduline Tit 1h
Common Kingfisher 1
Common Redshank 1
Green Sandpiper 1
Common Snipe 2
Spur-winged Lapwing 3
Water Pipit 1
Eurasian Sparrowhawk 1 over being mobbed by Jackdaws
Little Egret 2
Panagia Stazousa/Pyrga
Long-legged Buzzard 1
European Serin 30+
Cyprus Warbler 2
Woodlark 7 (see photo)
Eurasian Blackbird 1
Bluethroat, Larnaca 9th November 2019 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Woodlark, Pyrga 9th November 2019 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Another disappointing waterbird count in the Larnaca area this morning. Best birds were three Common Pochard, four Common Snipe (see photo) and the long-staying Mediterranean Gull.
Other birds seen:
Meneou Pool
Little Stint 1
Kentish Plover 2
Larnaca Sewage Works
Grey Heron 3
Common Coot 5
Mallard 122
Common Teal 51
Northern Shoveler 4
Spur-winged Lapwing 6
Common Pochard 2m and 1f
Great Cormorant 7
Western Marsh Harrier 1
Northern Pintail 2f
Common Shelduck 1
Red-throated Pipit 1h
Common Redshank 1h
Red-backed Shrike 1 juv
Common Whitethroat 1
Spiros Beach
Mediterranean Gull 1 (long-staying bird)
Larnaca Salt Lake
Barn Swallow 1
Greater Flamingo 40 juv and 83 ads
Kentish Plover 40
Common Snipe 3
Water Rail 1h
Kamares area
Common Snipe 1
Green Sandpiper 1
Common Redshank 1
Spur-winged Lapwing 5
Little Egret 2
Common Snipe, Larnaca 15th October 2019 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
After a very wet day yesterday and yet more rain overnight, I was pleased that the today was much better as I did an early February Waterbird Count around Larnaca. There were several Isabelline Wheatear on the coast and a flock of Common Swift, Barn Swallow and Northern House Martin to remind me that spring is on its way. Highlights were 26 Black-necked Grebe, a Ruddy Shelduck, two Little Gull, more than 2500 Greater Flamingo, some smart male Common Pochard, two Bluethroat and at least three Reed Bunting feeding on seed heads in the reeds. An adult Mediterranean Gull at Oroklini Beach was a good end to the day.
Isabelline Wheatear, Spiros Pool, 7th February 2019 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Mediterranean Gull, Oroklini Beach 7th February 2019 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Visited Larnaca today where there was evidence of very heavy overnight rain in the fields and around the salt lake.
Highlights:
Meneou Pool
Greater Flamingo 26
Larnaca Airport Pools South
Pied Avocet 3
Greater Flamingo 3
Armenian Gull 4+
Black-headed Gull 3+
other white-headed gulls – probably Caspian – but distant 11
Pervolia
Calandra Lark 2 in flight
Larnaca Sewage Works
Common Shelduck 8
Greater White-fronted Goose 6
Black-necked Grebe 14+
Eurasian Wigeon 2
Northern Pintail 4+
Common Redshank 1
Ferrruginous Duck 32
Armenian Gull 2 imm
Spiro Beach
Sandwich Tern 2 on buoys
Spiros Pool
Eurasian Golden Plover 26
Larnaca Salt Lake
Greater Flamingo 700+
Slender-billed Gull 1 imm
Kamares aquaduct
Western Marsh Harrier 1
Little Egret 1
Spur-winged Lapwing 5
Common Snipe 2 (see photo)
Water Pipit 3
Green Sandpiper 1
Common Redshank 2
Eurasian Penduline Tit 1h
Oroklini Marsh
Spur-winged Lapwing 34 (most in fields on other side of motorway)
Common Redshank 1
Cattle Egret 20
Peregrine Falcon 1
Western Marsh Harrier 1
Northern Shoveler c300
Black-winged Stilt 4
Water Pipit 1h
Common Snipe, Larnaca 5th December 2018 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Plenty of the usual wintering ducks around – Northern Shoveler, Common Teal for example. Interesting birds seen during the count included: Greater White-fronted Goose (see photo), Black-necked Grebe, Ferruginous Duck, Tufted Duck, Northern Pintail, Eurasian Wigeon, Common Redshank (see photo), young Baltic Gull and Slender-billed Gull, adult Citrine Wagtail, Grey Wagtail, Water Pipit, Bluethroat (see photo), Common Snipe, Northern Lapwing, Spur-winged Lapwing, Water Rail, Reed Bunting and a feeding male Penduline Tit (see photo).
Bluethroat, Larnaca Sewage Works, 19th November 2018 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Penduline Tit, Larnaca Salt Lake, 19th November (C) Cyprus Birding Tours
Common Redshank, Larnaca Salt Lake, 19th November 2018 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Greater White-fronted Goose, Larnaca Sewage Works, 19th November 2018 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
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
Greater Flamingo, Larnaca Sewage Works 15th September 2018 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Did the waterbird count this morning around Larnaca. Most of the birds were at the Sewage Works – Greater Flamingo, Little and Cattle Egret, Grey and Purple Heron, Glossy Ibis, Kentish and Common Ringed Plover, Little Stint, Sanderling, Ruff, Marsh Sandpiper, Curlew Sandpiper, Black-winged Stilt, Spur-winged Lapwing, Common Redshank, Northern Shoveler, Common Teal, Garganey, Ferruginous Duck. Plus migrating Montagu’s and Pallid Harrier, lots of European Bee-eater, an Isabelline and Northern Wheatear, Red-backed (see photo), Masked and Lesser Grey Shrike. Good morning’s birding.
Red-backed Shrike, Larnaca 15th September 2018 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Cyprus Birding Tours 