Cyprus Birding Tours

Offering guided bird watching tours around Cyprus

Tag Archives: Slender-billed Gull


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Waterbird count Larnaca area 18th August 2020

Two flocks of 220 and 60 White Storks were the highlight of the waterbird count around Larnaca this morning. Numbers of Black-winged Stilts on Meneou Pool are slowly dropping as they start to leave (see photo of a juvenile there).
Black-winged Stilt, Meneou 18th August 2020 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Black-winged Stilt, Meneou 18th August 2020 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Interesting sightings included:
Meneou Pool
Black-winged Stilt 133
Common Ringed Plover 10 (incl six that flew out to sea)
Kentish Plover 3
Little Stint 111
Ruff 20
Grey Heron 6
Greater Flamingo 4 (1 juv)
Glossy Ibis 1
Common Sandpiper 10
Green Sandpiper 6
Little Ringed Plover 4
Western Yellow Wagtail 1h
Slender-billed Gull 2
Black-headed Gull 1
Temminck’s Stint 1
Curlew Sandpiper 2 (1 ad and 1 juv)
Little Egret 2
Larnaca Airport Pools South
White Stork 218 roosting at 08:15.
Spur-winged Lapwing 1
Larnaca Sewage Works
Spur-winged Lapwing 33
Mallard 236
Great Cormorant 1
Ruff 9
Common Coot 4
Grey Heron 4
Greater Flamingo 1 juv
Common Sandpiper 2
Common Shelduck 1
Larnaca Salt Lake
Greater Flamingo 3 juvs
Masked Shrike 2 juv
Red-backed Shrike 1 m
White Stork c60 gaining height and moving SE N of Tekke Mosque at 10:15
Cattle Egret 7
Spur-winged Lapwing 11
Little Egret 9
Wood Sandpiper 1
Common Kingfisher 1


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Meneou Pool, Larnaca 10th – 16th August 2020

Meneou Pool is the only one of those scattered around Larnaca Salt Lake to have water in it at present and its muddy edges are just right for feeding waders. Since Monday I’ve been lucky enough to see several of the rarer waders to Cyprus there – a Red Knot on 11th & 13th August, two Sanderling on 10th and 11th and then three Broad-billed Sandpiper on 14th. None of them approachable for photos except this morning when one Broad-billed Sandpiper was close enough for me to get the cropped photo below. Also around in variable numbers each day were Common and Little Ringed Plover (also photographed today), Little and Temminck’s Stint, Ruff, Dunlin, Curlew Sandpiper, Common Greenshank, Common Redshank, Marsh Sandpiper, Collared Pratincole, Little Tern, White-winged Tern, Garganey, Black-headed Gull, Slender-billed Gull, Teal, Grey Heron, Glossy Ibis, Little Egret, Stone Curlew, Spur-winged Lapwing, Common Snipe, Common, Wood and Green Sandpiper and many Black-winged Stilt.
Broad-billed Sandpiper, Meneou Pool 16th August 2020 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Broad-billed Sandpiper, Meneou Pool 16th August 2020 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Common Ringed Plover, Meneou Pool 16th August 2020 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Common Ringed Plover, Meneou Pool 16th August 2020 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Little Ringed Plover, Meneou Pool 16th August 2020 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Little Ringed Plover, Meneou Pool 16th August 2020 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours


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Larnaca area 17th July 2020

A surprise today around Larnaca in the shape of a female Red-necked Phalarope – bad record photo below – along with more usual birds in the shape of early passage migrants five Black-headed (see photo) and a Slender-billed Gull, a White-winged, two Common and four Little Tern; at least four Little Ringed Plover and Green and Wood Sandpiper and several breeding Spur-winged Lapwing (photo) and Black-winged Stilt.

Red-necked Phalarope, Larnaca 17th July 2020 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Red-necked Phalarope, Larnaca 17th July 2020 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Spur-winged Lapwing. Larnaca Sewage Works, 17th July 2020 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Spur-winged Lapwing. Larnaca Sewage Works, 17th July 2020 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Black-headed Gull, Larnaca Sewage Works, 17th July 2020 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Black-headed Gull, Larnaca Sewage Works, 17th July 2020 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours


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Larnaca area 16th March 2020

Out around Larnaca yesterday morning doing the waterbird count. Still more than 2000 Greater Flamingos plus several hundred Slender-billed Gull, 23 Little Gull, three Mediterranean Gull, more than 50 Black-winged Stilt, nine Pied Avocet, a male Tufted Duck, three Great Crested Grebe, some Little and Common Ringed Plover, Ruff, Kentish Plover, some Northern and Isabelline Wheatear, a couple of Common Hoopoe (see photo), lots of Common Chiffchaff, Lesser Whitethroat and Western Yellow and White Wagtail and a Woodchat Shrike.

Common Hoopoe, Larnaca 16th March 2020 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Common Hoopoe, Larnaca 16th March 2020 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours


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Petounta Point this morning 8th March 2020

A quick visit to Petounta east of Larnaca with my first feldegg Yellow Wagtail of the spring, three Water Pipits, a Common Snipe, two Kentish Plover, three Isabelline Wheatear and migrating Slender-billed Gulls offshore.

Isabelline Wheatear, Petounta 8th March 2020 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Isabelline Wheatear, Petounta 8th March 2020 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Water Pipit, Petounta 8th March 2020 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Water Pipit, Petounta 8th March 2020 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

 


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Limassol area 21st January 2020

A lovely sunny day around Limassol visiting Germasogeia, the Akrotiri sites and Curium. Highlight was finally catching up with
one of the Booted Eagles that is around Phasouri at the moment. Also good to see a newly arrived Great Spotted Cuckoo at Akrotiri Gravel Pits and six Eurasian Crag Martin at Germasogeia.

List of interesting sightings:

Germasogeia Dam
Eurasian Crag Martin 6
Common Sandpiper 2
Western Marsh Harrier 1
European Serin 60+

Lady’s Mile
Slender-billed Gull 2 (see photo of immature)
Armenian Gull 20+
Caspian Gull 1

Zakaki Marsh
Eurasian Penduline Tit 2

Akrotiri Marsh (Phasouri Reed-beds)
Booted Eagle 1 dark morph to north of area being mobbed by Hooded Crows
Common Buzzard 3
Western Marsh Harrier 2
Great White Egret 3
Water Pipit 1
Western Water Rail 1h
Hawfinch 2+ (One seen and 1+ h)
Common Snipe 40
Woodlark 7
Eurasian Blackbird 1m
Cattle Egret 4 (see photo)

Akrotiri Gravel Pits
Great Spotted Cuckoo 1
Sandwich Tern 1 along coast
Common Buzzard 1
Meadow Pipit 50+

Kourio Stadium
Cyprus Warbler 2m

Cattle Egret, Phasouri, 21st January 2020 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Cattle Egret, Phasouri, 21st January 2020 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Slender-billed Gull, Lady's Mile 21st January 2020 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Slender-billed Gull, Lady’s Mile 21st January 2020 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours


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Larnaca area 10th December 2019

Out doing the waterbird count today but the best bird was an immature Audouin’s Gull at Oroklini Beach which I visited after I’d finished (see heavily cropped photo).

Audouin's Gull, Oroklini Beach 10th December 2019 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Audouin’s Gull, Oroklini Beach 10th December 2019 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Other sightings included:

Meneou Pool
Common Ringed Plover 1

Larnaca Airport Pools South
Grey Plover 1
Armenian Gull c10
Caspian Gull 8+
Heuglin’s Gull 2 ad
Baltic Gull 1 juv

Larnaca Sewage Works
Great Cormorant 431
Bluethroat 1
Common Teal 417
Northern Shoveler 180
Greater White-fronted Goose 2
Eurasian Wigeon 3m and 2f
Great Crested Grebe 1
Northern Pintail 8
Common Shelduck 1
Western Marsh Harrier 1
Armenian Gull 20+
Caspian Gull 30+
Yellow-legged Gull 5
Black-headed Gull 68+

Spiros Pool
Common Ringed Plover 1
Eurasian Golden Plover 175

Larnaca Airport Pools North
Black-headed Gull 35
Slender-billed Gull 3 ad
Common Redshank 43
Dunlin 6

Larnaca Salt Lake
Greater Flamingo 946
Common Shelduck 6
Kentish Plover 2
Common Ringed Plover 5
Spanish Sparrow 10+
Corn Bunting 4
Cattle Egret 3
Black-headed Gull 77

Larnaca Salt Lake north east corner
Water Pipit 1
Common Snipe 29+
Western Water Rail 1h

Kamares area
Jack Snipe 1
Common Snipe 1
Water Pipit 2
Common Kingfisher 2
Western Water Rail 1 seen

Oroklini Beach
Audouin’s Gull 1 imm
Black-headed Gull c150
Little Egret 1
Caspian Gull 4
Armenian Gull 7
Great Cormorant c50 heading E offshore

Oroklini Marsh
Northern Lapwing c60
Northern Pintail 5m
Bluethroat 1h
Spur-winged Lapwing 36+
Little Egret 3
Northern Shoveler 200+
Common Teal 130+
Common Starling c30
Red-crested Pochard 1m and 1f
Greater Flamingo 26
Cattle Egret 32
Ferruginous Duck 1
Common Pochard 2f


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Limassol area 22nd November 2019

Spent the morning at Germasogeia Dam where I found at least three Bluethroat which were great to watch although not keen to have their photo taken! A trip around the Akrotiri sites later produced three more Bluethroats, a couple of Common Kingfisher, a large flock of Dunlin and Little Stint, three Temminck’s Stint, some Water Pipit and Woodlark, a Hen Harrier and several Western Marsh Harrier, three Water Rail and at least two Eurasian Penduline Tit.

Photo of a juv Slender-billed Gull with a Black-headed Gull behind taken at Lady’s Mile.

Slender-billed Gull, Lady's Mile, 22nd November 2019 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Slender-billed Gull, Lady’s Mile, 22nd November 2019 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours


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Polis Chrysochou Bay 26th August 2019

More sea watching today and some good waders around – Eurasian Oystercatcher moving very quickly west close to shore, flock of 14 Common Redshank, another of 28 Ruff, a juvenile Collared Pratincole and single Ruddy Turnstone and Little Ringed Plover. Also small flocks of Grey and Purple Heron and Glossy Ibis, single Cattle Egret and Black-crowned Night Heron, Garganey, a lone Elenora’s Falcon heading east and two Slender-billed Gull. The photos are the best of a bad bunch of photos taken today – blame the speed of the birds, the harsh light and of course the photographer!

Ruddy Turnstone, Polis Chrysochou Bay, 26th August 2019 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Ruddy Turnstone, Polis Chrysochou Bay, 26th August 2019 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Common Redshank, Polis Chrysochou Bay, 26th August 2019 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Common Redshank, Polis Chrysochou Bay, 26th August 2019 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours


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Akrotiri area 16th March 2019

As well as the Demoiselle Cranes at Akrotiri on 16th March I also found several Great Spotted Cuckoo (photo), a Common Hoopoe, Water Pipit, Baltic and Slender-billed Gull, some Little Ringed Plover (photo) and a Purple Heron.

Great Spotted Cuckoo, Phasouri, 16th March 2019 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Great Spotted Cuckoo, Phasouri, 16th March 2019 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Purple Heron, Phasouri, 16th March 2019 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Purple Heron, Phasouri, 16th March 2019 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Little Ringed Plover, Phasouri, 16th March 2019 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Little Ringed Plover, Phasouri, 16th March 2019 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours


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East of the island 18th January 2019

Finally a sunny day with not a lot of wind and no rain coincided with a day I was free to go out. Went to the east again and checked out Oroklini, Achna, Paralimni Lake and the rocky coasts. A good collection of birds including Greater Flamingo, Greater Sandplover, Grey Plover, Slender-billed Gull, Audouin’s Gull, Blue Rock Thrush, Peregrine Falcon, several Western Marsh Harrier, Great Crested Grebe, Northern and Spur-winged Lapwing and Black-winged Stilt.

Photos of one of the Grey Plover and Greater Sandplover that were at Agia Trias, Paralimni

Greater Sandplover, Agia Trias 18th January 2019 (C) Cyprus Birding Tours

Greater Sandplover, Agia Trias 18th January 2019 (C) Cyprus Birding Tours

Greater Sandplover, Agia Trias 18th January 2019 (C) Cyprus Birding Tours

Greater Sandplover, Agia Trias 18th January 2019 (C) Cyprus Birding Tours

Grey Plover, Agia Trias, 18th January 2019 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Grey Plover, Agia Trias, 18th January 2019 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours


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Larnaca 5th December 2018

Visited Larnaca today where there was evidence of very heavy overnight rain in the fields and around the salt lake.

Highlights:
Meneou Pool
Greater Flamingo 26

Larnaca Airport Pools South
Pied Avocet 3
Greater Flamingo 3
Armenian Gull 4+
Black-headed Gull 3+
other white-headed gulls – probably Caspian – but distant 11

Pervolia
Calandra Lark 2 in flight

Larnaca Sewage Works
Common Shelduck 8
Greater White-fronted Goose 6
Black-necked Grebe 14+
Eurasian Wigeon 2
Northern Pintail 4+
Common Redshank 1
Ferrruginous Duck 32
Armenian Gull 2 imm

Spiro Beach
Sandwich Tern 2 on buoys

Spiros Pool
Eurasian Golden Plover 26

Larnaca Salt Lake
Greater Flamingo 700+
Slender-billed Gull 1 imm

Kamares aquaduct
Western Marsh Harrier 1
Little Egret 1
Spur-winged Lapwing 5
Common Snipe 2 (see photo)
Water Pipit 3
Green Sandpiper 1
Common Redshank 2
Eurasian Penduline Tit 1h

Oroklini Marsh
Spur-winged Lapwing 34 (most in fields on other side of motorway)
Common Redshank 1
Cattle Egret 20
Peregrine Falcon 1
Western Marsh Harrier 1
Northern Shoveler c300
Black-winged Stilt 4
Water Pipit 1h

Common Snipe, Larnaca 5th December 2018 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Common Snipe, Larnaca 5th December 2018 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours