Some good birds still around including an Icterine Warbler at Cape Greco this morning. Mixing Common Bird Monitoring transects with some birding afterwards!
Birds seen included:
Agia Napa Sewage Works – Black-headed Bunting 2m singing, Eurasian Turtle Dove 1, Cyprus Warbler 1m, Common Redstart 1f, Collared Flycatcher 2f, Laughing Dove 2
Photo below is of one of a pair of Laughing Dove near Agia Napa Sewage Works this morning. Wild birds are rare vagrants to Cyprus; this bird is from a small population established in the area by escapees from local collections. Others, again thought to be escapees, are now breeding in a couple of locations in Limassol.
Laughing Dove, Agia Napa Sewage Works May 9th 2015 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
A great day out with John and Madeleine for general bird watching around Paphos. We chose a different selection of sites than those visited together in May 2014. Migration is definitely slowing down but we still found some migrating waders and herons as well as many colourful migrant breeders setting up territories.
Highlights per location:
Agia Varvara: Squacco and Purple Heron, Spotted Redshank, European Roller, Red-backed Shrike
Early morning surveys in the Larnaca area provided some good birds which included several singing male Cyprus Warbler, Great Spotted Cuckoo, European Roller, Eurasian Hoopoe, Lesser Kestrel, Red-footed Falcon, Pallid Harrier, Little Owl, Calandra Lark, Woodchat and Red-backed Shrike, European Bee-eater and a calling Eurasian Scops Owl. The numbers of Greater Flamingo on the Salt Lake has decreased but there are still plenty of Ruff, Little Stint and Wood Sandpiper passing through as well as Black-winged Stilt, Little Tern, Spur-winged Lapwing and a Little Gull. Purple Heron, Glossy Ibis and Black-crowned Night Heron have been passing by the coast and in the fields there are still small numbers of Yellow Wagtail and Red-throated Pipit and an occasional Northern Wheatear.
Kentish Plover Petounta Point April 30th 2015 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Black-crowned Night Heron Larnaca Salt Lake 29th April 2015 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
The first stop of a day out with Peter and Marny was at Petra tou Romiou where we found two Eleonora’s Falcon – one unusually perched on a tree. A male Cyprus Wheatear was singing and we watched a Great Spotted Cuckoo fly over the area. At least nine Alpine Swift were around and a lone Little Egret flew in off the sea. A couple of male Sardinian Warbler were singing, trying to attract our attention. A Peregrine Falcon speeded past the car as we left the area. The river at the Kouklia Soakaways had a good flow of water and we spent some time watching four Wood Sandpiper feeding there.
We found a male and a female Cyprus Warbler near to the mast behind Asprokremmos Dam where there were also five Tawny Pipit, two Ortolan Bunting, a Whinchat, a Little Owl and a Sardinian Warbler family party. We were having a good day for raptors and here we saw a female Western Marsh Harrier, a male Montagu’s Harrier, an unidentified ring-tail harrier and two Bonelli’s Eagle. On the water were several Yellow-legged Gull and through the ‘scope we spotted one with a darker grey mantle which we identified as the ‘heuglin’ race of the Lesser Black-backed Gull. Mandria was very windy and disappointing bird-wise so we moved onto Paphos Sewage Works where we found eight Spur-winged Lapwing and three Cattle Egret in the fields. It took us some time to locate any Yellow Wagtail but we found several in a bare tree including Blue-headed flava and Black-headed feldegg, several females and a xanthophrys intergrade. Near the Ezousas river we saw a Eurasian Turtle Dove, a Squacco Heron and heard an Eastern Olivaceous Warbler singing.
At Agia Varvara we found a Woodchat Shrike, a Purple Heron and more Wood Sandpiper. Our last stop was Anarita Park where at least twelve Red-footed Falcon resting on a field was the sight that greeted us. The first of the five European Roller that we saw in the area joined them. Driving through the area we found at least twenty more Red-footed Falcon flying and feeding over the hills sides. Around ten Lesser Kestrel were also present as were several Common Kestrel. A Long-legged Buzzard flew in but two Western Jackdaw soon chased it away. Two male Montagu’s Harrier were also seen. An impressive array of raptors in a small area concluded a good day out.
Number of different birds seen – 57
Squacco Heron, Cattle Egret, Little Egret, Grey Heron, Purple Heron, Western Marsh Harrier, Montagu’s Harrier, Long-legged Buzzard, Bonelli’s Eagle, Lesser Kestrel, Common Kestrel, Red-footed Falcon, Eleonora’s Falcon, Peregrine Falcon, Chukar, Common Moorhen, Spur-winged Lapwing, Wood Sandpiper, Yellow-legged Gull, Heuglin’s Gull, Common Woodpigeon, Eurasian Collared Dove, Eurasian Turtle Dove, Great Spotted Cuckoo, Little Owl, Common Swift, Alpine Swift, European Roller, Crested Lark, Sand Martin, Barn Swallow, Common House Martin, Blue-headed Wagtail, Black-headed Wagtail, xanthophrys Yellow Wagtail, Common Nightingale, Whinchat, Northern Wheatear, Cyprus Wheatear, Cetti’s Warbler, Zitting Cisticola, Eurasian Reed Warbler, Eastern Olivaceous Warbler, Sardinian Warbler, Cyprus Warbler, Great Tit, Woodchat Shrike, Eurasian Magpie, Western Jackdaw, Hooded Crow, House Sparrow, Spanish Sparrow, European Greenfinch, European Goldfinch, Ortolan Bunting, Corn Bunting
Red-footed Falcon female Anarita Park 24th April 2015 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Today was the second morning out with Mike and Nancy and meant visits to Anarita Park, Agia Varvara and Minthis Hills. A quieter morning than that of last Thursday but with some excellent species seen. At Anarita Park we found two Great Spotted Cuckoo on the track in front of us as we drove in and later saw another pair and heard one more. There were at least five European Roller and more than ten Lesser Kestrel flying and feeding in the area. Three, maybe four, Red-footed Falcon headed north over the goat farm as did a female Montagu’s Harrier. We also had good views of a Little Owl, Red-rumped Swallow, two Spotted Flycatcher, a Woodchat Shrike and a Eurasian Hoopoe and spent some time watching a male Cyprus Wheatear singing. The area was full of Corn Bunting as well as several Ortolan Bunting and Whinchat.
At Agia Varvara we found another female Montagu’s Harrier migrating over and were able to compare a female with a male Cyprus Wheatear. Two Long-legged Buzzard flew to the north of Minthis Hills where we finished our morning out. Two singing male Cretzschmar’s Bunting brought the species total for the morning to thirty seven and that for our two mornings out to fifty seven. Quality rather than quantity!
Total species seen: 37
Little Egret, Montagu’s Harrier, Long-legged Buzzard, Lesser Kestrel, Common Kestrel, Red-footed Falcon, Chukar h, Common Woodpigeon, Eurasian Collared Dove, Great Spotted Cuckoo, Little Owl, Common Swift, European Roller, Eurasian Hoopoe, Crested Lark, Barn Swallow, Red-rumped Swallow, Whinchat, Cyprus Wheatear, Cetti’s Warbler, Zitting Cisticola, Sardinian Warbler, Eurasian Blackcap, Spotted Flycatcher, Great Tit, Woodchat Shrike, Eurasian Magpie, Western Jackdaw, Hooded Crow, House Sparrow, Spanish Sparrow, European Greenfinch, European Goldfinch, Common Linnet, Ortolan Bunting, Cretzschmar’s Bunting, Corn Bunting
As we left Paphos, seven Black-crowned Night Heron flew over the road outside Gareth’s hotel. On arrival at Phassouri we stopped to find several European Serin singing in the eucalyptus plantation and then a Black Francolin at the start of the reed beds. Two Squacco Heron, several Little Egret and a Purple Heron were feeding on the edge of the reeds where we could hear Eurasian Reed and Sedge Warbler singing. A large snipe flew out of the reeds and into some low vegetation near to us and we were delighted to realise it was a Great Snipe. To aid our ID a Common Snipe also flew over and the differences were obvious. In among the many Common Swift flying over we picked out at least three Pallid Swift and several Red-rumped Swallow were also seen. A male Common Redstart was in the plantations.
The pool near the deserted sheds was drying up and we found Little Stint, Little Ringed Plover, Wood Sandpiper, Ruff, Common Redshank and Dunlin feeding there. Two Woodchat Shrike were in the nearby tamarisks. On the Gravel Pits we found more than ten Whinchat and several Northern Wheatear as well as a singing Common Nightingale and a resting Common Buzzard. In the church gardens there were two Lesser Whitethroat, a Tree Pipit, an Ortolan Bunting, an Eastern Orphean Warbler, a couple of Willow Warbler and male and female Blackcap.
We could only find about fifteen Greater Flamingo on the Salt Lake and in the waterlogged area along the south side of the lake we saw a Black-tailed Godwit and several Glossy Ibis. A couple of Eastern Olivaceous Warbler could be heard singing. On Lady’s Mile we quickly found several Slender-billed Gull which had been one of Gareth’s targets. In the end we counted around 40 of these birds and also two Common Black-headed Gull, a couple of second calendar year Armenian Gull, a scruffy second calendar year Caspian Gull and several Yellow-legged Gull. A Spotted Redshank attaining its black breeding plumage was the star of the waders there which included Common Sandpiper, Common Greenshank, Marsh Sandpiper, Ruff and Kentish Plover.
We didn’t have to wait long in the Zakaki Marsh hide before we saw a male Little Crake and then a female also appeared to our right. Five Ferruginous Duck were on the water with two sleeping Northern Shoveler and a Green Sandpiper. Little Egret, Common Moorhen and Glossy Ibis were feeding on the mid between the reed stands where Sedge and Eurasian Reed Warbler were seen. Two Laughing Dove flew into the port area as we drove by but we couldn’t relocate them for better views.
We decided to make a quick visit to Kensington Cliffs on our way back to Paphos and Anarita Park. It proved to be a good decision as we found six Eleonora’s Falcon, newly arrived and flying around the area. Both Cyprus Wheatear and Cyprus Warbler were singing on bushes below us as was a Sardinian Warbler. After some searching we finally located at least two Alpine Swift. As we drove past Pissouri a Great Spotted Cuckoo flew across the motorway in front of us. We found another one on a rock at Anarita Park – our last location of the day. Here we found around ten Lesser Kestrel and a lone male Red-footed Falcon as well as three European Roller, a Common Whitethroat and two Tawny Pipit. Unfortunately only I managed to see a male Pallid Harrier flying low and then out of sight being followed by a couple of Hooded Crows. A good location at which to finish a great day’s birding.
Total number of species seen – 90
Black-crowned Night Heron, Squacco Heron, Cattle Egret, Little Egret, Purple Heron, Glossy Ibis, Greater Flamingo, Mallard, Northern Shoveler, Ferruginous Duck, Pallid Harrier, Common Buzzard, Lesser Kestrel, Common Kestrel, Red-footed Falcon, Eleonora’s Falcon, Chukar, Black Francolin, Little Crake, Common Moorhen, Eurasian Coot, Black-winged Stilt, Little Ringed Plover, Kentish Plover, Little Stint, Dunlin, Ruff, Great Snipe, Common Snipe, Black-tailed Godwit, Spotted Redshank, Common Redshank, Marsh Sandpiper, Common Greenshank, Green Sandpiper, Wood Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, Common Black-headed Gull, Slender-billed Gull, Baltic Gull,Yellow-legged Gull, Caspian Gull, Armenian Gull, Common Woodpigeon, Eurasian Collared Dove, Laughing Dove, Great Spotted Cuckoo, Common Swift, Pallid Swift, Alpine Swift, European Roller, Crested Lark, Barn Swallow, Red-rumped Swallow, Common House Martin, Tawny Pipit, Tree Pipit, Yellow Wagtail, White Wagtail, Common Nightingale, Common Redstart, Whinchat, Northern Wheatear, Cyprus Wheatear, Cetti’s Warbler, Zitting Cisticola, Sedge Warbler, Eurasian Reed Warbler, Eastern Olivaceous Warbler, Sardinian Warbler, Cyprus Warbler, Eastern Orphean Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat, Common Whitethroat, Eurasian Blackcap, Willow Warbler, Great Tit, Woodchat Shrike, Eurasian Magpie, Western Jackdaw, Hooded Crow, House Sparrow, Spanish Sparrow, Common Chaffinch, European Serin, European Greenfinch, European Goldfinch, Common Linnet, Ortolan Bunting, Corn Bunting
Red-footed Falcon Anarita Park 14th April 2015 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
A good day’s general bird watching in the Paphos area with Nicke where we managed to pick up some good sightings including the vagrant male Caspian Plover that has been at Mandria for the last two days.
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
Three days out with Alan and Marilyn gave a good opportunity to catch up with many different resident and migrant species. They wanted the chance to get as many photos as possible and although not all the birds we saw were photo-friendly we found a wide variety of species and ended up with a three day total of 107 different birds: 59 on 24th, 51 on 26th (when the afternoon was very quiet at the sites we visited) and 71 on 27th.
Mavrokolympos Dam – Long-legged Buzzard 2, Chukar 3+, Cyprus Wheatear 3, Lesser Whitethroat 1, Common Whitethroat 1
Akoursos Valley – Eurasian Scops Owl 1h, Common Nightingale 1h, Cyprus Warbler 2m
Cape Drepanum – Great Cormorant 4, European Shag 3, Yellow-legged Gull 30+, Greater Short-toed Lark 4, Barn Swallow 30+ migrating N along coast, Subalpine Warbler 1m
Friday 27th March:
Zakaki Marsh – Little Egret 1, Little Crake 1m, Eurasian Reed Warbler 2+h, Sedge Warbler 1h
Phassouri Reed Beds – Squacco Heron 2, Cattle Egret 1, Purple Heron 3, Western Marsh Harrier 1, Common Crane 3 flying over heading N, Black Francolin 1+h, Common Quail 1h, Black-winged Stilt 1, Spur-winged Lapwing 1, Common Nightingale 1, European Blackcap 3
Flooded Phassouri old rabbit farm area – Great Egret 1, Black-winged Stilt 1, Little Ringed Plover c10, Kentish Plover 1, Ruff c50, Common Snipe 1, Marsh Sandpiper 2, Sand Martin 1, Yellow Wagtail inc Black and Blue headed and ‘dombrowski’ intergrade, Masked Shrike 2
Akrotiri Gravel Pits and coast – Great Egret 3 in from sea over area, ‘Baltic’ Gull 1 migrating with 10 Yellow-legged Gull offshore, Common Black-headed Gull c60 in bay, Eurasian Hoopoe 4, Common Redstart 1f, Desert Wheatear 1m, Cyprus Warbler 1h, Masked Shrike 1, Ortolan Bunting 1
Bishop’s Pool – Black-crowned Night Heron 3, Ferruginous Duck 2
Lady’s Mile – Black-winged Stilt 29, Kentish Plover, Greater Sand Plover 1+ flew with flock of Kentish Plover, Marsh Sandpiper 1, Common Greenshank 4, Slender-billed Gull 8
Little Grebe, Great Cormorant, European Shag, Black-crowned Night Heron, Squacco Heron, Cattle Egret, Little Egret, Great Egret, Purple Heron, Eurasian Teal, Mallard, Ferruginous Duck, Western Marsh Harrier, Hen Harrier, Common Buzzard, Long-legged Buzzard, Bonelli’s Eagle, Lesser Kestrel, Common Kestrel, Chukar, Black Francolin, Common Quail, Little Crake, Common Moorhen, Eurasian Coot, Common Crane, Black-winged Stilt, Little Ringed Plover, Kentish Plover, Greater Sand Plover, Spur-winged Lapwing, Ruff, Common Snipe, Green Sandpiper, Marsh Sandpiper, Common Greenshank, Common Black-headed Gull, Slender-billed Gull, Yellow-legged Gull, ‘Baltic’ Gull (Lesser Black-backed Gull), Rock Dove, Common Woodpigeon, Eurasian Collared Dove, Great Spotted Cuckoo, Common Cuckoo, Eurasian Scops Owl h, Little Owl, Common Swift, Eurasian Hoopoe, Eurasian Wryneck, Greater Short-toed Lark, Crested Lark, Sand Martin, Barn Swallow, Red-rumped Swallow, Common House Martin, Tawny Pipit, Tree Pipit, Meadow Pipit, Red-throated Pipit, Blue-headed Wagtail, Black-headed Wagtail, ‘dombrowski’ Yellow Wagtail, White Wagtail, Common Nightingale, Western Black Redstart, Common Redstart, Common Stonechat, Isabelline Wheatear, Northern Wheatear, Cyprus Wheatear, Eastern Black-eared Wheatear, Desert Wheatear, Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush, Song Thrush, Cetti’s Warbler, Zitting Cisticola, Sedge Warbler h, Eurasian Reed Warbler, Spectacled Warbler, Subalpine Warbler, Sardinian Warbler, Cyprus Warbler, Rüppell’s Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat, Common Whitethroat, Eurasian Blackcap, Eastern Bonelli’s Warbler, Chiffchaff, Great Tit, Woodchat Shrike, Masked Shrike, Eurasian Magpie, Western Jackdaw, Hooded Crow, Common Starling, House Sparrow, Spanish Sparrow, Common Chaffinch, European Serin, European Greenfinch, European Goldfinch, Common Linnet, Hawfinch, Ortolan Bunting, Cretzschmar’s Bunting, Corn Bunting
Two days out with Pauline and Michael over again on holiday in Cyprus. Despite the two weeks difference between them, both days out were characterized by strong winds which affected the number of species seen. However, we managed a total of 53 on 6th March visiting Germasogeia Dam, the Akrotiri Peninsula, Petra tou Romiou and Kouklia Soakaways; and 54 on 20th March when we visited Cape Drepanum, Mavrokolympos Dam, Tsada Hills, Episkopi (Paphos), Mandria, Asprokremmos Dam and Anarita Masts. Over the two days we saw a total of 74 different species. The final bird we saw was a Eurasian Pied Flycatcher which surprised us as we said our goodbyes in the car park at Paphos Harbour!
Asprokremmos Dam area – Little Owl, Eurasian Hoopoe, Red-throated Pipit, Yellow Wagtail – feldegg, Eastern Black-eared Wheatear (dark throated form), Cyprus Warbler, Spectacled Warbler, Rüppell’s Warbler
Anartia Mast area – Montagu’s Harrier, Lesser Kestrel, Great Spotted Cuckoo, Tawny Pipit, Eastern Black-eared Wheatear (dark throated form), Blue Rock Thrush
Paphos Harbour carpark – Eurasian Pied Flycatcher
Total species seen – 74
Little Grebe, European Shag, Little Egret, Grey Heron, Greater Flamingo, Mallard, Western Marsh Harrier, Montagu’s Harrier, Common Buzzard, Long-legged Buzzard, Lesser Kestrel, Common Kestrel, Chukar, Black Francolin, Common Quail, Common Moorhen, Kentish Plover, Common Black-headed Gull, Yellow-legged Gull, Caspian Gull, Armenian Gull, Common Woodpigeon, Eurasian Collared Dove, Great Spotted Cuckoo, Little Owl, Common Swift, Alpine Swift, Eurasian Hoopoe, Greater Short-toed Lark, Crested Lark, Woodlark, Eurasian Skylark, Barn Swallow, Red-rumped Swallow, Common House Martin, Tawny Pipit, Meadow Pipit, Red-throated Pipit, Black-headed Wagtail, White Wagtail, European Robin, Western Black Redstart, Common Stonechat, Isabelline Wheatear, Northern Wheatear, Cyprus Wheatear, Eastern Black-eared Wheatear, Blue Rock Thrush, Eurasian Blackbird, Song Thrush, Cetti’s Warbler, Zitting Cisticola, Spectacled Warbler, Sardinian Warbler, Cyprus Warbler, Rüppell’s Warbler, Common Whitethroat, Eurasian Blackcap, Common Chiffchaff, Eurasian Pied Flycatcher, Great Tit, Eurasian Magpie, Western Jackdaw, Hooded Crow, Common Starling, House Sparrow, Spanish Sparrow, Common Chaffinch, European Serin, European Greenfinch, European Goldfinch, Common Linnet, Hawfinch, Corn Bunting
Visited Paphos Sewage Works, Mandria, Asprokremmos Dam and Anarita Park with Steve this morning and successfully found his target species of Cyprus Wheatear, Cyprus Warbler, Spur-winged Lapwing, Chukar and Red-throated Pipit all of which were lifers. We had no joy finding his other target the Long-legged Buzzard at those sites but our time out was limited. We found some other great birds though which included Lesser Kestrel, Great Spotted Cuckoo, Greater Short-toed Lark, Tawny Pipit, Hawfinch and Eastern Black-eared Wheatear.
Total number of species seen – 51
European Shag, Cattle Egret, Western Marsh Harrier, Common Buzzard, Lesser Kestrel, Common Kestrel, Chukar, Black Francolin (h), Spur-winged Lapwing, Common Woodpigeon, Eurasian Collared Dove, Great Spotted Cuckoo, Little Owl, Common Swift, Greater Short-toed Lark, Crested Lark, Woodlark, Barn Swallow, Tawny Pipit, Meadow Pipit, Red-throated Pipit, White Wagtail, Western Black Redstart, Common Stonechat, Isabelline Wheatear, Northern Wheatear, Cyprus Wheatear, Eastern Black-eared Wheatear, Blue Rock Thrush, Song Thrush, Cetti’s Warbler, Zitting Cisticola, Spectacled Warbler, Sardinian Warbler, Cyprus Warbler, Eurasian Blackcap, Common Chiffchaff, Great Tit, Eurasian Magpie, Western Jackdaw, Hooded Crow, House Sparrow, Spanish Sparrow, Common Chaffinch, European Serin, European Greenfinch, European Goldfinch, Common Linnet, Hawfinch, Cretzschmar’s Bunting, Corn Bunting
Great Spotted Cuckoo Anarita Park 18th March 2015 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
As soon as Richard, Lynda and I arrived at Phassouri Reed Beds, our attention was drawn to the small falcons in the trees and on the aerial wires in the distance. A flock of Red-footed Falcons of all sexes and ages; and in just ten minutes they stared to circle over the area and head southwards on their migration. A wonderful site and we had great views of them. Large raptors were thinner on the ground although we saw several Western Marsh Harrier (including an adult male), a few European Honey Buzzard, a couple of European Sparrowhawk and a Lesser Kestrel. European Bee-eater were passing over as were flocks of Barn Swallow. A surprise find was a Common Nightingale that flew out of a road side hedge and onto the road in front of us.
There were many Whinchat and Red-backed Shrike and we also found a European Stonechat and a large flock of White Wagtail – winter visitors that will soon be very common. A more elusive winter visitor was found in the reeds – a Bluethroat. A Common Kingfisher and Squacco Heron were also present. A couple of Tree Pipits were present, a late juvenile Masked Shrike was by the roadside and we had good views of Spotted Flycatcher and Zitting Cisticola. On the lake in the Gravel Pits area there was a Ruddy Turnstone – not a common bird to Cyprus.
We drove along Lady’s Mile where we found Spectacled Warbler, Northern Wheatear and yet more Whinchat in the scrub. On the mud flats were Kentish Plover, Dunlin and Little Stint. An adult and a juvenile Greater Flamingo were also there and we were able to watch the grey juvenile feeding. As we approached the hide at Zakaki I noticed a flock of egrets and was surprised to find when we got nearer that it was of eighteen Great Egrets and not the more usual Little Egrets. They were very flighty and soon disappeared further into the channel and out of sight from the hide. Also present were several Grey Heron, a couple of Little Egret and a very smart Eurasian Spoonbill. Mallard, Teal and Garganey were present. In the reeds we saw Cetti’s Warbler, another Bluethroat and a Great Reed Warbler. A couple of Yellow Wagtail were also around.
I decided to return to Phassouri to eat our lunch and watch for any more raptors passing over early in the afternoon. More Red-footed Falcon and Western Marsh Harrier were around as were European Bee-eater. But we were in the right place at the right time, as we were told by other local birders that a Lesser Spotted Eagle had been seen a few minutes earlier near the bee-hives. We headed there and joined them in watching the bird fly up from the eucalyptus plantation and continue its journey. We also found a Common Buzzard and saw a Steppe Buzzard migrating before we left to return to Paphos.
On the way back we visited Asprokremmos Dam where we found a flock of Spanish Sparrow and saw a Long-legged Buzzard being mobbed by a Hooded Crow. There were not many birds at Paphos Sewage Works other than White Wagtail in the alfalfa fields so we went to check out the Ezousas Soakaways. There were many Willow Warbler in the vegetation in the area but we also found two Common Snipe, a Garganey, a Squacco Heron, a female Blackcap and a Common Kingfisher. A Water Rail was heard and there were three Turtle Doves flying around as two Red-footed Falcon passed over.
Thanks to Richard and Lynda for a good day’s birding with a good variety of interesting raptors.
Total species seen – 65
Little Grebe, Squacco Heron, Cattle Egret, Little Egret, Great Egret, Grey Heron, Eurasian Spoonbill, Greater Flamingo, Eurasian Teal, Mallard, Garganey, European Honey Buzzard, Western Marsh Harrier, Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Common Buzzard, Steppe Buzzard, Long-legged Buzzard, Lesser Spotted Eagle, Lesser Kestrel, Common Kestrel, Red-footed Falcon, Eleonora’s Falcon, Black Francolin, Water Rail h, Common Moorhen, Eurasian Coot, Kentish Plover, Little Stint, Dunlin, Common Snipe, Ruddy Turnstone, Common Wood Pigeon, Eurasian Collared Dove, Eurasian Turtle Dove, Common Kingfisher, European Bee-eater, Crested Lark, Barn Swallow, Tree Pipit, Yellow Wagtail, White Wagtail, Bluethroat, Common Nightingale, Whinchat, European Stonechat, Northern Wheatear, Cetti’s Warbler, Zitting Cisticola, Great Reed Warbler, Spectacled Warbler, Sardinian Warbler, Eurasian Blackcap, Willow Warbler, Spotted Flycatcher, Great Tit, Red-backed Shrike, Masked Shrike, Eurasian Magpie, Western Jackdaw, Hooded Crow, House Sparrow, Spanish Sparrow, Common Chaffinch, European Goldfinch, Common Linnet
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