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
Several male Black-headed Bunting seen singing on territories Friday and Saturday around Droushia and Neo Chorio. Also seen were Golden Oriole, Masked and Woodchat Shrike, Cretzschmar’s Bunting, Collared Flycatcher, Eurasian Hoopoe, Red-rumped Swallow, European Hobby and European Roller.
The weather was completely different today from recent visits to Akrotiri. The sea was calm with only the slightest breeze. Gloria, Stephen and I started at Kensington Cliffs where we watched several Eleonora’s Falcon flying out at sea and roosting on the Cliffs. Two Griffon Vulture briefly rose above the cliffs before flying round the promontory to Tunnel Beach. Several male Sardinian Warbler were singing; we heard some Chukar and watched two European Shag and Yellow-legged Gull down on the sea. We moved on to Phassouri where we found a couple of European Serin in the eucalyptus plantation and tried to locate a singing Eastern Olivaceous Warbler – a feat that was to be repeated several times during the day until we finally saw one – albeit briefly at our last location.
Squacco Heron, Cattle and Little Egret, Purple Heron and Glossy Ibis were all at the Reed Beds where we also found Common Snipe, a single Ruff and several Wood Sandpiper. We stopped to watch a Woodchat Shrike, both a female and a male Red-backed Shrike. Both Eurasian Reed Warbler, Eastern Olivaceous Warbler and Cetti’s Warbler were calling/singing in the reeds. The water on the area near the old rabbit farm has nearly all gone but we found a couple of Wood Sandpiper, a single Dunlin, three Little Stint, three Kentish Plover, a Common Redshank and a Spur-winged Lapwing. I had received info that a Rose-coloured Starling had been seen in Akrotiri Village early in the morning so we decided to head there and see if we could relocate it. We had no luck with that but were very pleased to see two male Golden Oriole in the trees there.
Heading back to the Akrotiri Gravel Pits we found more shrikes – four Woodchat and a male Red-backed, a male and a female Common Redstart, a couple of Winchat, a rather pale Northern Wheatear and a Common Cuckoo. We ate our lunch near the Reed Beds but the only birds on view were a large number of Common Swift. Driving to Lady’s Mile along the south edge of the Salt Lake we saw several Greater Flamingos in the distance – a pink blob in the heat haze. Our persistence in checking out all the doves we saw also paid off when we finally found a Eurasian Turtle Dove. The sun was against us at Lady’s Mile but there was an interesting selection of waders including Black-winged Stilt, Ruff, Common Greenshank, Curlew Sandpiper, Wood Sandpiper and Little Stint. We also found a Black-tailed Godwit and then a breeding plumaged Bar-tailed Godwit (unusual for Cyprus).
At Zakaki Marsh we found a Common Sandpiper and, especially interesting, two Temminck’s Stint. A couple of Glossy Ibis, two female Yellow Wagtail, several Wood Sandpiper, two Spur-winged Lapwing, some Mallard and two Northern Shoveler could be seen from the hide. Finally a single Ferruginous Duck came into view allowing better views that the three in flight that we had seen at Phassouri earlier.
To finish the day we headed inland to Prastio Kellakiou where we saw some completely different birds. Five Red-rumped Swallow were the first to greet us as we got out of the car. We could hear two singing Black-headed Bunting – one each side of the track and we spent some time watching them. Two Cretzschmar’s Bunting flew down to drink from a small puddle as did a male Serin, a male Spanish Sparrow and several Goldfinch. We could hear Eurasian Turtle Dove purring. There were at least two pairs of Masked Shrike and finally we located a couple of singing male Cyprus Warbler. Stephen had a fly-by Eurasian Hoopoe but we couldn’t find it again, although we finally had a brief look at an Eastern Olivaceous Warbler as we left the area.
Stephen and Gloria had asked to see a wide variety of birds and we certainly had that on an enjoyable day out.
Total number of species seen: 75
European Shag, Squacco Heron, Cattle Egret, Little Egret, Purple Heron, Glossy Ibis, Greater Flamingo, Mallard, Northern Shoveler, Ferruginous Duck, Eurasian Griffon Vulture, ‘ring-tailed’ Harrier, Common Buzzard, Common Kestrel, Eleonora’s Falcon, Chukar, Black Francolin, Common Moorhen, Eurasian Coot, Black-winged Stilt, Kentish Plover, Spur-winged Lapwing, Little Stint, Temminck’s Stint, Curlew Sandpiper, Dunlin, Ruff, Common Snipe, Black-tailed Godwit, Bar-tailed Godwit, Common Redshank, Common Greenshank, Wood Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, Common Black-headed Gull, Yellow-legged Gull, Common Woodpigeon, Eurasian Collared Dove, Eurasian Turtle Dove, Common Cuckoo, Common Swift, Eurasian Hoopoe, Crested Lark, Sand Martin, Red-rumped Swallow, Common House Martin, Yellow Wagtail, Common Redstart, Whinchat, Northern Wheatear, Cetti’s Warbler, Zitting Cisticola, Eurasian Reed Warbler, Eastern Olivaceous Warbler, Sardinian Warbler, Cyprus Warbler, Eurasian Blackcap, Great Tit, Eurasian Golden Oriole, Red-backed Shrike, Woodchat Shrike, Masked Shrike, Eurasian Magpie, Western Jackdaw, Hooded Crow, House Sparrow, Spanish Sparrow, Common Chaffinch, European Serin, European Greenfinch, European Goldfinch, Common Linnet, Cretzschmar’s Bunting, Black-headed Bunting
Prastio Kellakiou 28th April 2015 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Some good birds around the Larnaca area seen on both an early morning and later afternoon ‘drive around’. I thought the days highlight would be a male Golden Oriole I found when doing my Common Bird Survey at Mennogeia until I found a Eurasian Dotterel on the Larnaca Airport Fields late in the day.
Larnaca Airport Pools South – Little Gull 1, Red-necked Phalarope 3, Common Greenshank 7, Marsh Sandpiper 2, Black-winged Stilt 50+, Greater Flamingo c120 (all pink!)
Meneou Pool – Whiskered Tern 1
Alaminos – European Roller 1, Red-rumped Swallow 3
Mennogeia – Cyprus Warbler 2m and 1f, Great Spotted Cuckoo 2, Golden Oriole 1m, Masked Shrike 1, Common Nightingale 1 singing
Having been confined to Nicosia over the last few days I was pleased to find some interesting migrants on both my local patch and a bit further afield:
March 30th and 31st: Manglis Lake – Cretzschmar’s Bunting 1 singing male, two Tree Pipit and a Cattle Egret
April 1st: Agios Sozomenos – Woodchat Shrike 1, Masked Shrike 1, Eastern Black-throated Wheatear 2 dark throated males, Eastern Bonelli’s Warbler 2 singing in eucalyptus trees, Eurasian Hoopoe 1, Tree Pipit 3, Yellow Wagtail c10, Eurasian Reed Warbler 2+h. Also there were two Little Owl, some singing male Spectacled Warbler (one seen carrying food into probable nest site), and both Western Jackdaw and Spanish Sparrow seen carrying nesting material.
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
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
A relief to find the day seemed cooler than last week as Paul and I set off for Asprokremmos Dam early this morning. A Common Kingfisher was the first bird of note sitting by the canal as we then headed to the area behind the dam. There we had good views of a male Cyprus Warbler (and heard another), several Spectacled and Sardinian Warbler, a Little Owl, around ten Chukar, a couple of Northern Wheatear and a Cyprus Wheatear. We were pleased to find the Cyprus Wheatear as they are moving off island now and getting harder to locate. As has been the case the last week island-wide, there were several Lesser Grey, Red-backed (mainly female) and Masked Shrike around. A Spotted Flycatcher was found in the pines of the utility area.
A single Glossy Ibis was a strange bird to find in one of the alfalfa fields near the Paphos Sewage Plant. With it were eight Spur-winged Lapwing – including a couple of juvenile. Three Cattle Egret were nearby and in total around 100 Yellow Wagtail were flying around and feeding in the fields. There were yet more shrikes and we had good views of a couple of Zitting Cisticola, Willow Warbler and three Whinchat. Sitting on hay bales near to the Ezousas Soakaways was a European Roller and yet more Lesser Grey Shrike on the wires and bales.
Finding the water filled Soakaways we disturbed a juvenile Black-crowned Night Heron and a Garganey, and a Eurasian Hoopoe also flew up. Several Eurasian Reed Warbler were flitting around at the base of the reeds together with a Sedge Warbler and we heard a Water Rail. A Eurasian Turtle Dove was on the wires above the area. More Yellow Wagtail could be heard flying around.
We finished the morning driving over Minthis Hills where we had good views of an adult Bonelli’s Eagle and two European Hobby. A few Sardinian Warbler were flying around but we could not find much else there – well there were obviously some Lesser Grey Shrike!! A good variety of species in just a few hours and Paul was especially pleased to have had good views of both the Cyprus endemics.
Forty two species seen:
Black-crowned Night Heron, Cattle Egret, Glossy Ibis, Garganey, Bonelli’s Eagle, Common Kestrel, Eurasian Hobby, Chukar, Water Rail (heard), Common Moorhen, Spur-winged Lapwing, Common Woodpigeon, Eurasian Collared Dove, Eurasian Turtle Dove, Little Owl, Common Kingfisher, European Roller, Eurasian Hoopoe, Crested Lark, Barn Swallow, Common House Martin, Yellow Wagtail, Whinchat, Northern Wheatear, Cyprus Wheatear, Zitting Cisticola, Sedge Warbler, Eurasian Reed Warbler, Spectacled Warbler, Sardinian Warbler, Cyprus Warbler, Willow Warbler, Spotted Flycatcher, Great Tit, Red-backed Shrike, Lesser Grey Shrike, Masked Shrike, Eurasian Magpie, Western Jackdaw, Hooded Crow, House Sparrow, European Goldfinch
Two early starts on Monday and Wednesday in order to take out Simon who was staying in Latchi. That way we managed to beat the worse of the late August heatwave and caught up with several good species as well. On Monday 25th August we started behind Neo Chorio near the Smygies picnic site and had great views of around seven Cretzschmar’s Bunting. One even sang on the top of a pine tree in front of us – a lifer for Simon that I had not been optimistic of finding. We also found several Cyprus Wheatear, a male Red-backed Shrike and a couple of Masked Shrike. Willow Warbler, Lesser and Common Whitethroat were around but the best warbler was an Eastern Orphean in a carob tree. Several Red-rumped Swallow were migrating over the area during our time there and a flock of nearly 50 Purple Heron flew over heading SW. We were pleased to pick out a Little Owl in the distance as we were searching the some noisy Chukar who were not so easy to see.
Visiting the area behind Arodes village we were treated to the first of the many Lesser Grey Shrike we saw on both mornings. We had six of them sitting in a group together on some electricity wires. A great sight. More were seen on the road between Kathikas and Akoursos. Another male Red-backed Shrike was at Akoursos where we had brief glimpses of a male Cyprus Warbler skulking in the bushes.
To get a better view of the Cyprus Warbler we headed straight to Asprokremmos Dam on the Wednesday morning where we found at least one male – which Simon was able to get a record shot of – and yet more Lesser Grey Shrike and several female Red-backed Shrike. A Whinchat was also present and two male Ortolan Bunting flew in and landed in front of us before flying off again. It was good to be able to compare them with the Cretzschmar’s we had seen on Monday. Finally Simon got good views of Chukar here with at least five perched on a ridge in full view. There were several Eurasian Hoopoe in the trees near the car park and two Spectacled Warbler were near the mast.
We made a quick detour to Petra tou Romiou and were treated to a couple of minutes fly-past from two Eleonora’s Falcon and then we headed inland over Minthis Hills towards Tsada and then over to Evretou Dam. Two Long-legged Buzzard were flying over Minthis Hills and yet more shrikes were perched on scattered bushes.
It was very hot by the time we reached Evretou Dam – our last point of call. Single Little Egret, Glossy Ibis and Green Sandpiper were on the water’s edge and an adult European Roller was flying around. At least two Yellow Wagtail were feeding on the drying mud. The orchards held many Willow Warbler with double figures in one carob tree alone.
I drove Simon back to Latchi pleased that we had managed to see most of his target species – Black Francolin let us down. Two enjoyable mornings’ birding.
Full species list – 41
Little Egret, Grey Heron, Purple Heron, Glossy Ibis, Long-legged Buzzard, Common Kestrel, Eleonora’s Falcon, Chukar, Green Sandpiper, Common Woodpigeon, Eurasian Collared Dove, Little Owl, European Roller, Eurasian Hoopoe, Crested Lark, Barn Swallow, Red-rumped Swallow, Yellow Wagtail, Whinchat, Cyprus Wheatear, Zitting Cisticola, Spectacled Warbler, Sardinian Warbler, Cyprus Warbler, Eastern Orphean Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat, Common Whitethroat, Willow Warbler, Great Tit, Red-backed Shrike, Lesser Grey Shrike, Masked Shrike, Eurasian Magpie, Western Jackdaw, Hooded Crow, House Sparrow, European Greenfinch, European Goldfinch, Common Linnet, Ortolan Bunting, Cretzschmar’s Bunting
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.
An early morning visit to the area around the Agia Napa Sewage Works this morning produced a male and female Red-backed Shrike, a Woodchat and Lesser Grey Shrike and a juvenile Masked Shrike. There were several Eastern Orphean Warbler in the bushes and I was pleased to get a good view of a male out in the open for a few seconds. Other warblers around included a couple of Cyprus Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat and plenty of Eastern Olivaceous Warbler. A larger warbler skulking deep inside an olive tree was probably a juvenile Barred Warbler but wouldn’t cooperate to allow a definite ID.
Another Woodchat Shrike was at the Agia Napa Football Fields as was a Common Cuckoo, two Eurasian Hoopoe and a Common Whitethroat.
A few hours around a couple of Paphos sites on a hot and humid Cyprus summer morning with Rob and Helen produced twenty five different species. We had good views of two of Rob’s target species – Eleonora’s Falcon and Long-legged Buzzard. We were unable to find any Cretzschmar’s Bunting that may have still have been hanging around for his third. Despite checking out a couple of their breeding locations they all appear to have moved out. Plenty of Masked Shrike around and a couple of Turtle Dove still at Kannaviou while a Eurasian Hobby flew over the road in front of us outside Stroumbi.
Locations visited with some of the more interesting species seen there:
Petra tou Romiou: European Shag, Eleonora’s Falcon, Chukar, Cyprus Wheatear
Minthis Hills: Long-legged Buzzard, European Roller, Sardinian Warbler, Masked Shrike
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