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
A day out with Pat and Chris looking for regional specialties and migrants stared at Geroskippou where we found Isabelline Wheatear , Red-rumped Swallow and Eurasian Hoopoe. Moving on to Paphos Sewage Works, we quickly found our target species with at least eight Spur-winged Lapwing visible from the road. Offshore we found five Armenian Gull floating in the bay and a the first of the day’s many Corn Bunting were found when a large flock flew out of the reeds there. European Serin were plentiful flying around the area and we saw one, maybe two, Hawfinch flying with some Chaffinch while four Cattle Egret were feeding in the fields. Another Hawfinch was with a finch flock on the approach road to Asprokremmos Dam. In the area behind the dam we found two male Cyprus Warbler, several Sardinian and Spectacled Warbler, two Red-throated Pipit, at least two Eurasian Hoopoe, two Little Owl, four Eastern Black-eared Wheatear and some Chukar. Up to eight Alpine Swift were flying overhead with a group of hirundines which included many Barn Swallow and Common House Martin. A flock of ten migrating Grey Heron flew over the dam heading north.
Heading towards the sea at Mandria we stopped to look at a group of at least ten Red-rumped Swallow mixed with other hirundines and then found three more Hawfinch near an olive grove. Close to the beach we saw three Isabelline Wheatear and at least six Northern Wheatear. Two small flocks totalling around thirty Greater Short-toed Lark were feeding in the area as were Serin, Linnet, Goldfinch and Spanish Sparrow and a lone Little Ringed Plover. We spent some time trying to locate a calling Black Francolin but only saw it fly away from us together with a flock of nearly a hundred Corn Bunting.
As we headed to the last stop of the day at Anarita Park, we stopped just before Agia Varvara when a Great Spotted Cuckoo flew by. We were able to relocate it and watch it through the ‘scope before it flew out of sight. We rounded off a good day’s birding with some new species at Anarita Park – Ruppell’s Warbler, Cyprus Wheatear, Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush, Blue Rock Thrush, Lesser Whitethroat and Cretzschmar’s Bunting – as well as yet more Eastern Black-eared Wheatear, many more Corn Bunting and a great view of a Cetti’s Warbler unusually out in the open. As the sun set I returned Pat and Chris to their hotel after an enjoyable day’s birding.
Total number of species seen – 59
Great Cormorant, European Shag, Cattle Egret, Grey Heron, Common Kestrel, Chukar, Black Francolin, Spur-winged Lapwing, Little Ringed Plover, Yellow-legged 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, Barn Swallow, Red-rumped Swallow, Common House Martin, Meadow Pipit, Red-throated Pipit, White Wagtail, European Robin, Western Black Redstart, Common Stonechat, Isabelline Wheatear, Northern Wheatear, Cyprus Wheatear, Eastern Black-eared Wheatear, Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush, Blue Rock Thrush, Song Thrush, Cetti’s Warbler, Zitting Cisticola, Spectacled Warbler, Sardinian Warbler, Cyprus Warbler, Ruppell’s Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat, 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
The star bird on the Larnaca Sewage Pools this morning was a female/juvenile type White-headed Duck. A rare winter visitor, its a couple of years since one has been seen although that site is often favoured when one does appear. Also present were eight Greater White-fronted Geese, at least four Gadwall, several Eurasian Wigeon, a male Common Pochard, two Black-necked Grebe and the long staying lone Common Shelduck.
Around 150 Greater Flamingo were on Meneou Pool where a Western Marsh Harrier was on the mud with the remains of something it caught earlier. A Eurasian Curlew was on the coast near the airport and in the fields there were a couple of hundred Eurasian Skylark, some Meadow Pipit and Corn Bunting and at least one Red-throated Pipit.
But the morning got better when I got a tip off from a local birder of a juvenile Black-legged Kittiwake on Larnaca Sea front. It was still there when I arrived. Only six previous records of this bird in Cyprus. Great morning in Larnaca!
Black-legged Kittiwake Larnaca Sea Front 6th December 2014 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Western Marsh Harrier Meneou Pools 6th December 2014 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
There were several Common Greenshank at the Sewage Pools where there were also nearly 100 Greater Flamingo, a female Pintail and a couple of Black-necked Grebes. The flooded area of Spiros Pool had Dunlin, Little Stint and Common Ringed Plover. A Bluethroat and Red-backed Shrike were in the scrub near the Sewage Pools. Red-throated Pipit and Eurasian Skylark were in the fields.
White Wagtail, Spiros Pool 27th October 2014 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
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