A big clearout of all the passerines from last night – not even a Spotted Flycatcher around. Just one Whinchat. There were several Turtle Doves and I heard European Bee-eaters passing over. A Marsh Harrier was putting the House Sparrows up from the surrounding fields.
On the Sewage Pools there were over 80 Ruff, some Little Stint, a Common Greenshank, Wood Sandpiper and Common Sandpiper. More interesting were a single Ruddy Turnstone, two Ferruginous Duck, a male Garganey, a male Northern Shoveler and a Common Shelduck. A Little Tern was fishing offshore.
A quick drive around Larnaca Sewage Works area once the rain stopped this afternoon. Lovely male Red-backed Shrike and Woodchat Shrike, nearly twenty Spotted Flycatcher, two female Northern Wheatear, one male and two female Common Redstart, three Common Redstart, two Turtle Dove, three Whinchat, a Black-crowned Night Heron, many Common Ringed Plover and Little Stint, and five Common Sandpiper on the beach.
Spent the morning doing survey work in the Larnaca area. Migrating waders were thin on the ground for the time of year but wherever there was some remaining water there were Ruff, Little Stint, Dunlin and Wood Sandpiper. There were several Kentish Plover on Meneou Pool and one pair had two small chicks. Black-winged Stilt were only on the Sewage Works Pools which also had a pair of Garganey as well as the resident Mallard, Little Grebe and Coot.
A flock of Little Egret with one Cattle Egret among them flew along the coast at Spiros Pool and there were six Sguacco Heron on the beach. Two Common Tern flew over and a Little Tern was fishing offshore. On the north shore of the main Salt Lake, there was a Spotted Crake and many singing Reed Warbler.
A couple of Eastern Olivaceous Warbler were heard during the morning and other birds of interest included a male Northern Wheatear, several male Black-headed Wagtail, a male Common Redstart, two Woodchat Shrike and a male Red-backed Shrike. Two Great Spotted Cuckoo and a couple of Turtle Dove were in the Meneou area and some European Bee-eater were heard passing over there. Other Bee-eaters were seen at Kiti Dam and Cape Kiti. A couple of Spotted Flycatcher and a female Collared Flycatcher were also at Kiti Dam.
Rainy weather in Larnaca but still managed to see a few interesting birds today. Plenty of Ruff on the Salt Lake as well as at least one pair of Spur-winged Lapwing near the old airport and possibly another on the roundabout nearby. There has been a big clear out of birds on the Sewage Pools although there are still a couple of Northern Shoveler there. Three Little Tern were flying around and five migrating Black-headed Gull were present together with twelve Squacco Heron and several Black-winged Stilt.
Ten more Black-winged Stilt flew in off the sea onto the nearby beach. Four Turtle Dove were on Spiros Pool as were two Whinchat and a Spotted Flycatcher. Nine Black-crowned Night Heron were flying over Petounta when I got there and on the rocky plateau were at least seven Whinchat and three female Black-eared Wheatear.
At Kivisilli there were at least sixteen Whinchat in an olive grove. Two Turtle Dove were also in the area. By the time I arrived it was raining hard but there were still up to six Lesser Kestrel feeding over the fields. More Kestrels were in the distance but it was impossible to see if they were Common or Lesser. Two female Red-footed Falcon were looking very bedraggled on the electricity lines. The bird of the morning though was a female Montagu’s Harrier that I found perched on a pile of soil and then watched as she caught and ate a grasshopper.
Spur-winged Lapwing Larnaca 19th April 2014 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Picking up Reem and Paul from Nicosia we headed straight to Oroklini. It was their first visit there since the hide and information point had been installed. We used both of these to give us a good view over the whole area and got the day off to a good start with Red-crested Pochard, Black-winged Stilt, Greater Flamingo, Spur-winged Lapwing, Black-tailed Godwit and Black-crowned Night Heron. Moving onto the Salt Lake we found a few areas with water where many Ruff, Little Stint and Dunlin were feeding. There were a couple of Glossy Ibis on the north eastern edge and we spotted calling Black Francolin. Near Tekke Mosque we found a couple of Woodchat Shrike and in the fennel plants we spotted an Eastern Bonelli’s Warbler. A Spectacled Warbler was singing and a male and female Common Redstart were in the eucalyptus trees.
More Black-winged Stilt were on the Sewage Work Pools together with more Ruff, a Common Greenshank, Wood Sandpiper and a Little Tern. Lesser Whitethroat and a Wood Warbler were in the tamarisks and several Whinchat were on the fence. A Black Francolin perched on the perimeter fence for a while so better views wre obtained of that species and a couple of Chukar flew over. A great find was a male Ruppell’s Warbler near Spiros Pool and there were also some male feldegg Yellow Wagtail. As we left we found a striking male Eastern Black-eared Wheatear.
We ate our lunch in the wooded area of Kiti Dam and were able to see two female Collared Flycatcher, a male and female Common Redstart, a Willow Warbler and two Spotted Flycatcher. On the dam itself were many Ruff, three Common Sandpiper, five Black-winged Stilt and eight Glossy Ibis. In the distance we could see a European Roller. We had heard the call of a Great Spotted Cuckoo and found a pair near the church trying to fool a pair of Magpies. It seemed as if they were succeeding. Another pair was seen on our way back into Kiti village.
We continued to the fields near the village of Kivisilli. There we found yet more Whinchat, an Isabelline Wheatear and two Hoopoe. We were looking for raptors especially harriers and Lesser Kestrel. There were over twenty Kestrel flying around but most appeared to be Common Kestrel. Finally though after careful searching we found three Lesser Kestrel. At the same time a juvenile Pallid Harrier came into view and then a male Montagu’s Harrier which was even better and came quite close enabling us to see all its ID features and really appreciate it.
Finishing the day around Panagia Stazousa our first birds were also raptors – a juvenile Bonelli’s Eagle flew over the valley and then we found two Long-legged Buzzard. Stopping to drink a final cup of tea we were pleased to see the two European Bee-eater we had heard calling as well as watch a singing male Cyprus Warbler while another Great Spotted Cuckoo was flying around, several Cyprus Wheatear were around and a Scops Owl was calling.
A good number of species in a relatively small geographical radius. Thanks to Paul and Reem for their company.
Species seen – 78
Little Grebe, Black-crowned Night Heron, Little Egret, Glossy Ibis, Greater Flamingo, Eurasian Teal, Mallard, Northern Shoveler, Red-crested Pochard, Western Marsh Harrier, Pallid Harrier, Montagu’s Harrier, Long-legged Buzzard, Bonelli’s Eagle, Lesser Kestrel, Common Kestrel, Chukar, Black Francolin, Common Moorhen, Eurasian Coot, Black-winged Stilt, Spur-winged Lapwing, Little Stint, Dunlin, Ruff, Black-tailed Godwit, Common Greenshank, Green Sandpiper, Wood Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, Common Black-headed Gull, Yellow-legged Gull, Little Tern, Common Woodpigeon, Eurasian Collared Dove, Great Spotted Cuckoo, Eurasian Scops Owl (heard), Little Owl, Common Swift, European Bee-eater, European Roller, Eurasian Hoopoe, Crested Lark, Barn Swallow, Common House Martin, Tree Pipit, Black-headed Wagtail, Common Redstart, Whinchat, Isabelline Wheatear, Northern Wheatear, Cyprus Wheatear, Eastern Black-eared Wheatear, Cetti’s Warbler, Zitting Cisticola, Sedge Warbler, Eurasian Reed Warbler, Eastern Olivaceous Warbler (heard), Spectacled Warbler, Cyprus Warbler, Rueppell’s Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat, Eurasian Blackcap, Eastern Bonelli’s Warbler, Wood Warbler, Willow Warbler, Spotted Flycatcher, Collared Flycatcher, Great Tit, Woodchat Shrike, Eurasian Magpie, Western Jackdaw, Hooded Crow, House Sparrow, European Greenfinch, European Goldfinch, Corn Bunting
Did some leisurely birding around Larnaca this morning. Not a lot around the Sewage Works side of the Salt Lake, which is virtually dry, though did find a Greater Sand Plover, two Eurasian Stone Curlew, a Masked Shrike and a Common Nightingale in the area as well as three Ferruginous Duck, eighty Black-winged Stilt and over fifty Slender-billed Gull on the Sewage Pools. A female Pallid Harrier and second calendar year male Western Marsh Harrier were migrating over.
Petounta Point was also almost dry. I had another migrating Marsh Harrier as well as a Eurasian Hoopoe, a flava Yellow Wagtail and several Isabelline, Northern and Black-eared Wheatear. I decided to go to Kivisilli fields on the spur of the moment and was glad I did. A female Marsh Harrier was resting on a recently harvested field and a male Pallid Harrier flew over as soon as I drove in. Heading inland I saw several Kestrels around – most of those though were Common. Around 12.15pm a small group of birds gaining height caught my eye – at least ten Lesser Kestrel were in the group together with three female Pallid Harrier, another two female Marsh Harrier and best of all an immature Lesser Spotted Eagle. Was lucky to be in the right place at the right time. In the distance more Kestrels could be seen but it was now too hazy to tell if they were Common or Lesser.
Also in the fields were at least fifteen Greater Short-toed Lark, an Isabelline Wheatear, two Tree Pipit and two Tawny Pipit, a Hoopoe, a Masked Shrike and a Common Nightingale.
Greater Sand Plover Meneou Pool April 5th 2014 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Another rainy day although I managed to get the waterbird count done without getting wet. The numbers of Northern Shoveler, Teal, Mallard, Little Grebe and Coot were much lower with just over three hundred Shoveler and less than a hundred each of the others. There were no gulls on the Sewage Pools but there was a male Garganey, a male Northern Pintail, two Ferruginous Duck and a single Black-necked Grebe in breeding plumage. Eight Spur-winged Lapwing were around the edge and two were mating. The best birds at the Sewage Works though were not on the water – a male Subalpine Warbler and a Common Whitethroat were in the bushes in front of the hide together with some singing male Spectacled Warbler and several Red-throated Pipit flying around.
After a tip off from another birder I checked the Desalination fields for four Whimbrel he had seen there. I located them along the coast near the airport perimeter fence but they flew off eastwards as a patrol car drove close to them. A female Northern Wheatear was looking very bedraggled and several Kentish Plover were on the beach.
A surprise awaited me on the main Salt Lake – there were just under a thousand Greater Flamingo present – in February I had found just 69. There are still around 200 Common Shelduck present and over seven hundred Common Black-headed Gull were on the water. Also on the water were over 250 Slender-billed Gull – nearly all adults with a pinkish tinge and looking very smart. On the east side of the lake there was a Heuglin’s Gull as well as tens of Dunlin, Kentish Plover and Little Stint feeding on the mud. In the reeds I saw at least four Reed Bunting and the same number of Reed Warbler. As the clouds got lower and darker many Common Swift, Barn Swallow and House Martin flew into the area together with at least ten Red-rumped Swallow.
After the rain cleared I went to Kiti Dam which also had a good number of Swifts and Swallows as well as two Green Sandpiper. But again it was a warbler that was the best bird. There was an Eastern Bonelli’s Warbler calling from the trees and it took me some time to finally see it. One of my favourite birds!
Greater Flamingo Larnaca Salt Lake March 13th 2014 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Some evidence of migration this morning around the coastal area south of Larnaca airport. There were two Black-winged Stilt on Meneou Pool together with three juvenile Greater Flamingo and two Isabelline Wheatear in the scrub. In front of the Sewage Works hide there was a small flock of around twenty Red-throated Pipit – some of them in breeding plumage and sporting red throats. On Spiros Pool there was a flock of over forty Ruff feeding with around twenty Golden Plover. There were also a few Kentish Plover, Dunlin and Little Stint.
A small group of eleven Great Cormorant flew east along the coast at Spiros Beach but a much larger one of over 100 flew over the fields south of Pervolia village while I was looking for the Steppe Grey Shrike. It had last been seen on Wednesday in one of the many fields of artichokes there. I had no luck finding it today but did find a ploughed field which had many Eurasian Skylark, at least one Calandra Lark, three Isabelline Wheatear, a male Northern Wheatear and a male dark throated Eastern Black-eared Wheatear.
Black Francolin Larnaca Sewage Works 2nd March 2014 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Ruff and Golden Plover Spiros Pool 2nd March 2014. (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Out around Larnaca doing the February Waterbird Count. Started the day in sunshine and luckily just finished before a thunder storm with hail and strong winds hit the area.
I only found one Greater Flamingo on the Salt Lake but just around eighty were on Meneou Pool together with five Stone Curlew and a few Armenian Gull. Two male Black Francolin were having a standoff in a corner of the pool but one of them was frightened off by a male Hen Harrier which flew over. The other celebrated by calling loudly.
The number of ducks on the Sewage Works was much reduced from last month and neither the Greater White-fronted Geese nor the single Greylag Goose were there – maybe they were out on the fields somewhere but I didn’t see them. There were just over five hundred Northern Shoveler, two hundred and thirty Common Teal, a hundred or so Mallard and around 160 Little Grebe. The Coot numbers were up – four hundred and eighty. The Black-necked Grebe (eighteen in total) were with the Little Grebe near to the hide so I could got great views of them – at least four are now in full breeding plumage and the others are acquiring it. There was a single Northern Pintail, five Eurasian Wigeon and two female Gadwall. Three Black-winged Stilt were feeding around the edge.
No water birds on Spiro’s Pool although a Bluethroat flew to the top of a bush briefly and I could make out two Sandwich Tern on the offshore buoys. There were still plenty of Common Shelduck on the main Salt Lake – around 700, together with many Common Black-headed Gull, some Armenian Gull and a few Caspian Gull. There were also five Slender-billed Gull. Kentish Plover, Dunlin, Little Stint and a few Common Ringed Plover were around the edge of the water. A couple of Marsh Harrier were quartering the area and two Little Owl were near Tekke Mosque. In that area there were also many Linnet, Corn Bunting and European Goldfinch.
At Kiti Dam there was a lone Green Sandpiper and twelve Barn Swallow and around twenty House Martin were feeding over the water.
Two very different days this weekend weatherwise. On Saturday I had been to Akrotiri on the BirdLife Cyprus field trip there. The number of Common Buzzard and Harriers in the area was notable – more than six Common Buzzard, at least four Western Marsh Harrier and two Hen Harrier. I arrived too late to see the Bittern, Eurasian Curlew and Bluethroat at Phassouri but caught up with a couple of Water Pipit there and then several Ferruginous Duck, a female Common Pochard and two female Northern Pintail at Bishop’s Pool.
I went to Kensington Cliffs late in the afternoon and enjoyed a fly-pass of two Griffon Vulture who were then joined in the air by a third and a Peregrine Falcon who was vying for attention. The sun shone and the sea was calm.
Completely different at Larnaca this morning. Rough sea and strong wind meant three Western Marsh Harriers were seen battling against the wind over the Sewage Works pools being mainly ignored by the hundreds of Northern Shoveler and Common Teal, the Mallard, Common Coot and Little Grebe which were there as usual. The Greylag Goose is still present as are the thirteen Greater White-fronted Geese. In with the other birds I found two Gadwall, five Wigeon and at least twelve Black-necked Grebe: two of which are now acquiring breeding plumage.
A flock of around a hundred Golden Plover flew over the area and as well as a single Heuglin’s Gull and eight Armenian Gull I also found three Eurasian Stone Curlew on the Airport Pools.
After a stormy night it was still windy and showery around Larnaca this morning as I did the Waterbird Count. Nearly a thousand Northern Shoveler on the Sewage Pools and over 500 Common Teal with plenty of Mallard, Coot, Little Grebe and Black-headed Gull. Thirteen Greater White-fronted Geese have arrived as have four Black-necked Grebe and four Common Shelduck. Among the ducks I found one Northern Pintail and one Ferruginous Duck. Four Black-winged Stilt were feeding around the edges together with a Bar-tailed Godwit, three Sanderling and some Common Redshank, a Greenshank, five Ruff and a few Little Stint. I found one adult Caspian Gull, two Armenian Gull and several Yellow-legged Gull.
On Spiro’s Pool there were over forty Golden Plover but no water. At the Kamares area of the main Salt Lake there is some water and an interesting selection of birds included 100 Kentish Plover, a couple of Common Ringed Plover, some Dunlin, Little Stint and Common Redshank as well as a Jack Snipe. There were a couple of Water Pipit and at least one Penduline Tit and two Reed Bunting in the reed beds. Two Marsh Harriers were overflying as was a Eurasian Sparrowhawk.
Plenty of overwintering passerines around – Eurasian Skylark, Meadow Pipit, Linnet, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, European Robin and Song Thrush.
Golden Plover Spiro’s Pool 18th November 2013 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Cyprus Birding Tours 