Spur-winged Lapwing | Cyprus Birding Tours

July 12, 2014
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Oroklini Marsh this morning, 12th July 2014

There were two Eurasian Spoonbill on Oroklini Marsh this morning feeding with the nearly fifty Greater Flamingo spending the summer there. There must be at least forty Cattle Egret breeding in the tamarisks there with many nearly fully grown young visible. There were also a couple of Little Egret present. A couple of Slender-billed Gull were swimming among the Coots and a small Spur-winged Lapwing chick was feeding just in front of the hide. A Green Sandpiper was flying around the area.

Greater Flamingo Oroklini Marsh 12th July 2014 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

July 8, 2014
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More migrating waders 8th July 2014

Found migrating waders at Akhna Dam and Larnaca sites this morning. Single Collared Pratincole were at Akhna and flying over the Larnaca Airport fields. Also at Akhna were a couple of Common Greenshank, a Common Sandpiper, a Little Ringed Plover, a Common Redshank, four Green Sandpiper, a Ruff and several Black-winged Stilt and Spur-winged Lapwing. A quick visit to Oroklini produced a Slender-billed Gull and the chance to watch three young Spur-winged Lapwing feeding near the hide under the watchful eye of their parents. A Common Sandpiper was at Larnaca Sewage Works and on Spiros Beach nearly thirty Kentish Plover were roosting.

Collared Pratincole Akhna Dam 8th July 2014 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

July 4, 2014
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Zakaki Marsh late afternoon 3rd July 2014

As well as two small Black-winged Stilt chicks there were three slighty bigger ones and two that were almost adult size. A small Spur-winged Lapwing chick was feeding near the hide. There were two Black-tailed Godwit that spent most of the time fighting each other. A Little Tern was sitting on a mound and four adult Little Ringed Plover were feeding in the mud as were two juvenile birds. Also present were some Little Egret, a couple of Ruff, a Common Sandpiper and two Common Redshank, two adult Spur-winged Lapwing, a couple of Ferruginous Duck and Mallard, Coots and Little Grebe. Several Reed Warbler could be seen flitting around the base of the reeds and a male Black-headed Wagtail was also present.

Black-winged Stilt chick Zakaki Marsh 3rd July 2014 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

June 24, 2014
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Agia Napa Sewage Works and Akhna Dam this morning, 24th June 2014

Was at Agia Napa Sewage Works early this morning and found a couple of male Black-headed Bunting and a female. Not much else around as the heat of summer starts to take hold. Heard several Spectacled Warbler and there were nearly twenty Little Grebe on the sewage pools. Leaving the area an Eleonora’s Falcon flew over the road being mobbed by a Common Kestrel.

Knowing that there was still water in Akhna Dam and there had been some good sightings there recently I decided to pay it a visit. The first bird I saw there was a Eurasian Spoonbill which made the detour worthwhile. There were four Squacco Heron, twelve Black-winged Stilt, a Common Sandpiper, a Common Greenshank, a Little Egret and two Grey Herons as well as nearly twenty Spur-winged Lapwing. There were several juvenile Spur-winged Lapwing. Cattle Egret flew in while I was there and the seven adults had five young birds with them. Eurasian Reed Warbler were heard in the reeds and a European Roller flew over the area, rolling while trying to catch an insect which was not giving in easily. After the dry winter and spring it was good to visit an area with water in it for a change, even if there was no sign of the Black Tern that had been there last month.

Eurasian Spoonbill Akhna Dam 24th June 2014 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Black-winged Stilt, Akhna Dam 24th June 2014 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Cattle Egret, Akhna Dam 24th June (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Common Greenshank Akhna Dam 24th June 2014 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

June 17, 2014
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Larnaca area this morning 17th June 2014

Combining the monthly Waterbird Count and a Breeding Bird Atlas survey in Larnaca this morning produced a few interesting observations which included a couple of Turtle Doves, two juvenile and an adult Great Spotted Cuckoo, two young Black-winged Stilt with a few other adults around, incubating Spur-winged Lapwing, a couple of Ferruginous Duck, solitary Common Shelduck and male Northern Shoveler. There were plenty of juvenile Common Kestrel flying around the Larnaca Salt Lake area, Dromolaxia and Kiti. The whole area had an amazing number of House Sparrow – hundreds of adults and young birds in flocks feeding on the fields and in the built up areas as well.

Great Spotted Cuckoo 17th June 2014 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

April 19, 2014
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Birding around a rainy Larnaca 19th April 2014

Rainy weather in Larnaca but still managed to see a few interesting birds today. Plenty of Ruff on the Salt Lake as well as at least one pair of Spur-winged Lapwing near the old airport and possibly another on the roundabout nearby. There has been a big clear out of birds on the Sewage Pools although there are still a couple of Northern Shoveler there. Three Little Tern were flying around and five migrating Black-headed Gull were present together with twelve Squacco Heron and several Black-winged Stilt.

Ten more Black-winged Stilt flew in off the sea onto the nearby beach. Four Turtle Dove were on Spiros Pool as were two Whinchat and a Spotted Flycatcher. Nine Black-crowned Night Heron were flying over Petounta when I got there and on the rocky plateau were at least seven Whinchat and three female Black-eared Wheatear.

At Kivisilli there were at least sixteen Whinchat in an olive grove. Two Turtle Dove were also in the area. By the time I arrived it was raining hard but there were still up to six Lesser Kestrel feeding over the fields. More Kestrels were in the distance but it was impossible to see if they were Common or Lesser. Two female Red-footed Falcon were looking very bedraggled on the electricity lines. The bird of the morning though was a female Montagu’s Harrier that I found perched on a pile of soil and then watched as she caught and ate a grasshopper.

Spur-winged Lapwing Larnaca 19th April 2014 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Montagu’s Harrier Kivisilli Fields April 19th 2014 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

March 25, 2014
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Cyprus Birding Tours Trip Report – Day’s Guiding Paphos 24th March 2014

Picking up Pauline and Michael for the first of two days out we headed from Polis to the Paphos Archaeological site which we explored for more than two hours. Our highlights were a male Collared Flycatcher, a couple of Hoopoe, one maybe two male Subalpine Warbler, a male Rüppell’s Warber, several Lesser Whitethroat, a Common Whitethroat, two Common Nightingale, three Purple Heron and two Red-throated Pipit. The usual Isabelline and Northern Wheatear were around the ruins and in with the Yellow Wagtail flock we found a superciliaris form. Three Purple Heron were seen flying over.

Pauline was able to get quite close to the Cattle Egret and Spur-winged Lapwing at the Sewage Works and take photos of two of her day’s target species. While we ate lunch at Mandria a Eurasian Hoopoe flew in off the sea and gave more photo opportunities. We also found more Northern and Isabelline Wheatear as well as five Greater Short-toed Lark, a couple of Eurasian Skylark, several Meadow Pipit and Black- and Blue-headed Wagtail. A calling Black Francolin kept itself well hidden.

A late afternoon visit to Anarita Park produced a distant flying Long-legged Buzzard, a male and female Eastern Black-eared Wheatear, Cyprus Wheatear and a Little Owl. There was a flock of at least fifty Corn Bunting as well as many single singing birds. As we left I heard Great Spotted Cuckoo and we found a mating pair. One flew off while the other stayed feeding in a flower filled field ignoring the car from which Pauline managed to take many photos.

Our next day out will be in April and it will be interesting to see what different/extra species we will come across two weeks later into the spring migration period.

Total birds seen – fifty two:

Cattle Egret, Purple Heron, Common Buzzard, Long-legged Buzzard, Common Kestrel, Chukar, Black Francolin, Spur-winged Lapwing, Yellow-legged Gull, Common Woodpigeon, Eurasian Collared Dove, Great Spotted Cuckoo, Little Owl, Eurasian Hoopoe, Greater Short-toed Lark, Crested Lark, Eurasian Skylark, Barn Swallow, Common House Martin, Meadow Pipit, Red-throated Pipit, Blue-headed Wagtail, Black-headed Wagtail, superciliaris Yellow Wagtail form, White Wagtail, Common Nightingale, Western Black Redstart, Common Stonechat, Isabelline Wheatear, Northern Wheatear, Cyprus Wheatear, Eastern Black-eared Wheatear, Cetti’s Warbler, Zitting Cisticola, Subalpine Warbler, Sardinian Warbler, Ruppell’s Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat, Common Whitethroat, Eurasian Blackcap, Common Chiffchaff, Collared Flycatcher, Great Tit, Eurasian Magpie, Western Jackdaw, Hooded Crow, House Sparrow, Spanish Sparrow, European Greenfinch, European Goldfinch, Common Linnet, Corn Bunting.

November 9, 2013
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Cyprus Birding Tours Trip Report – Day’s guiding Paphos, November 8th 2013

On meeting Martin in Paphos and mentioning the fact that two Wallcreeper had been seen the day before in the Avgas Gorge we abandoned our day’s schedule and headed there. Three Chukar on a rock caught our attention on the way into the gorge – a new species for Martin, the first of five during the day. Sardinian Warbler, European Robin, Chiffchaff, Greenfinch, Song Thrush, Cetti’s Warbler, Stonechat and a large flock of Western Jackdaw didn’t detain us for long and we headed to the area where the Wallcreeper had been seen the day before. We located the site of yesterday’s sighting and waited. No joy for over an hour so I headed upstream to see if one was there. Again no joy – until we decided to leave. As if on cue one flew in and proceeded to fly all over the cliff face opposite us, feeding as it stopped. We had great views and Martin was able to take some photos until it flew upstream. We followed it and now it was even closer to us if very flighty – what a great bird. The showy Grey Wagtail that was also present was almost ignored.

After thirty minutes the bird flew off and we decided to rescue some of our previous plans and headed for Paphos Sewage Works. A late juvenile Red-backed Shrike was perched on a roadside bush as we approached. Spur-winged Lapwing was the target but first we checked through the birds feeding in the alfalfa fields and using a large puddle for bathing – White Wagtail, a few late Yellow Wagtail, Meadow, Water and Red-throated Pipit were all seen as were small group of Spanish Sparrow. Zitting Cisticola, Sardinian Warbler and Chiffchaff were in the road side vegetation and Eurasian Skylark flew over. As we walked along the road we found a Bluethroat drying its feathers in the sun. It completely ignored us and sat there letting Martin take plenty of photos. Our attention was distracted by some noisy Hooded Crows who were mobbing a Eurasian Sparrowhawk. A Common Snipe sat motionless on the field’s edge. The Spur-winged Lapwing were inside the Sewage Plant area but could still be photographed through the fence. Several Linnet and a couple of Serin together with two female Black Redstart, six Cattle Egret and plenty of Stonechat completed the species seen there.

We made a quick visit to the Asprokremmos Dam to try and find Cyprus Warbler and a male and female obliged us in the scrub behind the dam itself. We also saw a Little Owl in the area. We headed off for Anarita Park as the clouds closed in and the thunder rumbled in the distance. We were lucky that it didn’t rain hard there and the light rain didn’t hinder our views of a lovely male Finsch’s Wheatear on the rocks there. A flock of eleven Woodlark were not as obliging and flew away as quickly as they had arrived. A total of three Little Owl were in the area. I saw a male Blue Rock Thrush but unfortunately it flew off before Martin could see it.

We decided to make the most of the fading light at Mandria. A Common Ringed Plover was on the beach and nine Great Cormorant headed east offshore. We heard Skylark but with the last of the light we headed back to Paphos. A Barn Owl was sitting next to the greenhouses as we passed by and near the olive groves we could hear at least two Stone Curlew.

No doubting the bird of the day which probably caused us to miss several other target species but it had been worth it and we had still caught up with some other great birds and lifers for Martin.

Total species – 49

Great Cormorant, Cattle Egret, Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Common Kestrel, Chukar, Eurasian Stone Curlew, Spur-winged Lapwing, Common Ringed Plover, Common Snipe, Yellow-legged Gull, Common Woodpigeon, Eurasian Collared Dove, Barn Owl, Little Owl, Crested Lark, Woodlark, Eurasian Skylark, Meadow Pipit, Red-throated Pipit, Water Pipit, Yellow Wagtail, Grey Wagtail, White Wagtail, European Robin, Bluethroat, Western Black Redstart, Common Stonechat, Finsch’s Wheatear, Blue Rock Thrush, Song Thrush, Cetti’s Warbler, Zitting Cisticola, Sardinian Warbler, Cyprus Warbler, Common Chiffchaff, Great Tit, Wallcreeper, Red-backed Shrike, Eurasian Magpie, Western Jackdaw, Hooded Crow, House Sparrow, Spanish Sparrow, Common Chaffinch, European Serin, European Greenfinch, European Goldfinch, Common Linnet, Corn Bunting

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