Went to Achna for first time in several weeks to see if I could find the Pied Kingfisher that had been seen there on Thursday. Surprisingly it was the first bird I saw when I arrived – it called and flew in front of me as it headed to another part of the dam. Later on I saw two in that area – I assume one of those was the one I had seen earlier. No chance of anything other than a record flight shot as they were flying around the area and then disappearing! But it was a great morning’s birding with other birds seen including a Spotted Crake, Little Bittern, Great Crested Grebe, Western Marsh and Montagu’s Harrier, lots of Red-backed and Masked Shrike, many Common Hoopoe, Spur-winged Lapwing, Common Ringed Plover, Wood, Green and Common Sandpiper, Dunlin, Common Snipe, Purple and Squacco Heron, Olivaceous and Willow Warbler.
Achna Dam, 14th September 2020 (c) Cyprus Birding BirdsSpotted Crake, Achna Dam, 14th September 2020 (c) Cyprus Birding ToursDistant flight photo of one of Pied Kingfisher, Achna Dam 14th September 2020 (c) Cyprus Birding ToursSpur-winged Lapwing, Achna Dam, 14th September 2020 (c) Cyprus Birding ToursMasked Shrike, Achna Dam, 14th September 2020 (c) Cyprus Birding ToursCommon Hoopoe, Achna Dam, 14th September 2020 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
I don’t remember as much water in Achna Dam before as I found today . But even so I managed to have a good walk in several areas and found some interesting birds. Its getting hotter though now so I guess walks of an hour or more will soon be out of the question!
Birds seen included:
Glossy Ibis 13
Squacco Heron 8
Gull billed Tern 12
Spur winged Lapwing 8
Great Cormorant 2
Grey Heron 3
Great Crested Grebe 1 ad
European Roller 1
Cattle Egret 2 (one with stick in bill)
Little Egret 2
Little Bittern 1f
Purple Heron 1
Common Hoopoe 4
Black winged Stilt 2
Headed towards Paphos yesterday for first day here without a lock down and restrictions on movement. Spent some time in the Akamas where I found plenty of European Roller, a Woodchat Shrike, several Black-headed Bunting, two Cretzschmar’s Bunting (see photo of female), European Turtle Dove, Red-rumped Swallow and Cyprus Wheatear. On the way home I visited Agia Varvara soakaways where there is still some water and spent time watching a Little Bittern and a Squacco Heron (see photo) fishing.
Cretzschmar’s Bunting, Akamas 21st May 2020 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Out for an hour before sunset in the Meneou/Spiros Pool area. A few birds seem to have been put down by the heavy storms in the area during the afternoon. Interesting species seen were:
Larnaca Airport Pools South
Little Tern 2
Squacco Heron 1 (see photo)
Spiros Pool
Little Bittern 1m
Northern Pintail 1m
Eurasian Wryneck 1
Little Tern 4
Common Redstart 1f
Black-tailed Godwit 1
Common Whitethroat 2
Spiros Beach
Dunlin 1
Little Stint c40 (See photo)
Eurasian Stone Curlew 2 (See photo)
Kentish Plover c30
Common Ringed Plover 3
Northern Wheatear 1m and 1f
Eurasian Stone Curlew, Larnaca 19th April 2019 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Little Stint, Larnaca 19th April 2019 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Squacco Heron, Larnaca, 19th April 2019 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Out again guiding for Birdwatching Breaks – today trying to dodge the heavy rain around Paphos with some success. Good views of a very mobile flock of Greater Short-toed Lark at Mandria with Eurasian Turtle Dove, Tawny Pipit, Western Yellow Wagtail and Squacco Heron also seen there. Several Collared Flycatcher seen at Timi as were a couple of Laughing Dove at Kouklia. Ending the day at Lady’s Mile and Zakaki Marsh we saw several Spotted Flycatcher, three Eurasian Spoonbill (see photo), a male Little Bittern and a Great Reed Warbler.
A great day out around Paphos guiding for Birdwatching Breaks. Starting with Little Bittern and Baillon’s Crake at Agia Varvara we then saw a singing male Cyprus Warbler and at least seven Great Spotted Cuckoo (one photographed). We had European Bee-eater over our heads in off the sea at Mandria, while we were searching for the female Caspian Plover seen there earlier. We caught up with the Caspian Plover after lunch and then moved onto Timi where we found two male and a female Citrine Wagtail. The day finished with good views of a Scops Owl.
Great Spotted Cuckoo, Anarita Park, 14th April 2019 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Continuing October’s run of either being out of the country when they are around or dipping on the month’s rarities, today was no exception! No sign of the Eurasian Oystercatcher, Common Rosefinch or even the Eurasian Bittern, found by local birders Ian & Kate Bloomer and Matt Smith today at Akrotiri, by the time I got there.
So instead I spent some time just sitting in the hide at Phasouri Reed-beds watching this juvenile Little Bittern hunting through the reeds.
Little Bittern, Phasouri 29th October 2018 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Little Bittern, Phasouri 29th October 2018 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Little Bittern, Phasouri 29th October 2018 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
No sign today of the Black-winged Kite that was seen at Phasouri Reed-beds yesterday morning which was disappointing. Spent some time watching this female Common Kingfisher which cheered me up (See photo). Elsewhere around Akrotiri I found Spotted Crake, Water Rail, Little Bittern, Great Reed Warbler, Red-throated Pipit, Bluethroat, Common Crane, a Western Marsh and a Hen Harrier, two European Honey Buzzard, four Eleonora’s Falcon and a few Eurasian Sparrowhawk so I can’t really complain!
Common Kingfisher, Zakaki, 19th October 2018 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Spent the morning around Akrotiri where it was quiet with the best birds at least three Little Bittern at Zakaki Marsh, a group of a couple of hundred Greater Flamingo still on the Salt Lake where there were also Little Tern, Black-winged Stilt and Slender-billed Gull.
Akrotiri Salt Lake/Zakaki Run off
Greater Flamingo 300+
Slender-billed Gull 6
Little Tern 6+
Black-winged Stilt 21
Little Egret 2
Grey Heron 2
Little Stint c40
Ruff 8
Yellow Wagtail 1 in flight
Lady’s Mile
Little Egret 6 inc grey morph
Phasouri Reed-beds
Squacco Heron 2
European Turtle Dove 2
But the best part of the day was the two hours I spent at Prastio Kellakiou in the late afternoon. Full of migrant breeders – Eurasian Hoopoe, Cretzschmar’s Bunting, Masked Shrike, Eastern Olivaceous Warbler, European Turtle Dove and Cyprus’ endemic sub-species Coal Tit and Jay. But the star was the hardworking male Black-headed Bunting who was kept busy feeding two fledglings in the shade of some olive trees (see the photo below that was taken at a distance). At least four other Black-headed Bunting males and one female were also in the area.
A great day’s birding around Akrotiri with some good birds at Zakaki, Lady’s Mile, the Salt Lake and Phasouri.
Sightings included:
Zakaki Marsh 8.45am
Little Bittern 1f seen at least one other heard
Black-crowned Night Heron 1 juv and 1 ad
Water Rail 1 seen
European Bee-eater 40+ heading N at 17.30
Lady’s Mile
Curlew Sandpiper 12
Little Ringed Plover 2
Litttle Tern 4
Common Greenshank 1
Common Cuckoo 1
Ruff 90+
Little Stint 30+
Red-footed Falcon 1m (in morning)
Bar-tailed Godwit 1 (in afternoon)
Black-winged Stilt 2
Great White Egret 2 over
Akrotiri Salt Lake and Zakaki run off
Ruff c300+
Kentish Plover c25
Little Stint 50+
Common Ringed Plover 4
Black-winged Stilt 30+
Little Tern 3
White-winged Tern 17
Broad-billed Sandpiper 5
Greater Flamingo 200+
Red-throated Pipit h
Western Marsh Harrier 1
Bar-tailed Godwit 1 flying over am
Akrotiri Gravel Pits
Spotted Flycatcher 1
European Turtle Dove 1h
Eurasian Pied Flycatcher 1m and 1f
Common Whitethroat 1
Common Redstart 1m
Wood Sandpiper 1
Cyprus Birding Tours 