Cyprus Birding Tours

Offering guided bird watching tours around Cyprus


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Cape Greco, 3rd September 2020

Change of scenery this morning with a trip to Cape Greco. Although it was really hot, a quick trip around the area produced a good selection of migrants including European Honey Buzzard, juvenile Pallid Harrier, Cretzschmar’s Bunting, Spotted Flycatcher, Whinchat (see photo), Red-backed and Masked Shrike, Isabelline Wheatear, Willow Warbler and Lesser Whitethroat. Still several Cyprus Wheatear around. At Macronissos Beach there were two Greater Sandplover and a couple of Tawny Pipit.

Whinchat, Cape Greco 3rd September (c) Cyprus Birding Tours


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Desert Wheatear, Mandria 10th March 2020

Desert Wheatear, Mandria 10th March 2020 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Desert Wheatear, Mandria 10th March 2020 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Pleased to find one at Avakas coast this morning and then this individual on the beach at Mandria late in the afternoon. Light rubbish but never mind – always a great bird even if the photo doesn’t do it justice.

Had these other sightings today around Paphos:

Lara Beach
Woodchat Shrike 1
Tawny Pipit 1
Greater Short-toed Lark 3
Isabelline Wheatear 8
Woodlark 3

Avakas Coast
Desert Wheatear 1m
Isabelline Wheatear 5

Anarita Park early pm
Blue Rock Thrush 1m
Cyprus Wheatear 1
Pallid Swift 3

Timi Beach
Northern Wheatear 1m and 1f
Isabelline Wheatear 5
Little Ringed Plover 1

Mandria late pm
Desert Wheatear 1m on beach
Isabelline Wheatear 15+


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Paphos and Lady’s Mile 16th April 2019

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.

Eurasian Spoonbill, Lady's Mile 16th April 2019. (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Eurasian Spoonbill, Lady’s Mile 16th April 2019. (c) Cyprus Birding Tours


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Paphos Headland 20th March 2019

First day out guiding with the Travelling Naturalist group currently in Cyprus. Day around Paphos Headland and Archaeological site. Highlights: Black-headed Wagtail, Long-legged Buzzard, Cretzschmar’s Bunting, Cyprus, Isabelline and Black-eared Wheatear, Tawny Pipit, Common Hoopoe, Great Spotted Cuckoo, Ruppell’s Warbler and Water Pipit. Photo of one of many Crested Lark.

Crested Lark, Paphos 20th March 2019 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Crested Lark, Paphos 20th March 2019 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours


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Oroklini, Achna Dam and Cape Greco today 10th April 2018

Managed to avoid most of the rain showers today and even had a good walk around Achna Dam – trying to find (and failing) the Pied Kingfisher that has been seen there on a couple of occasions over the last ten days. But despite that, at the three locations I visited I managed to see some good birds including Black-necked Grebe, Squacco Heron, Great Egret, Glossy Ibis, ‘Baltic’ Gull, Purple Heron, Marsh Sandpiper, Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Great Spotted Cuckoo, Black-winged Stilt, Temminck’s Stint, Garganey, Olivaceous Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat, Cyprus Wheatear and Warbler, Tawny Pipit, Black-eared Wheatear and Woodchat Shrike.


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Cape Greco area today 9th March 2018

Saw at least 18 Ruppell’s Warbler today at Cape Greco – mainly males although there were a couple of females. More seemed to arrive as the day went on.

Also seen:

Cape Greco area
Greater Short-toed Lark 30 in one flock
Tawny Pipit 2
Cyprus Warbler 5m and 1f with nesting material in bill
Grey Heron 1 flying E
Common Buzzard 2
Isabelline Wheatear 3
Ruppell’s Warbler (almost certainly an undercount) 16m and 2f
Long-legged Buzzard 2
Common Hoopoe 2
Northern Wheatear 1m and 1f

Agia Napa Sewage Works
Ruppell’s Warbler 1
Spur-winged Lapwing 1
Black-necked Grebe 5 (3 in breeding plumage)
Ferruginous Duck 1
Cretzschmar’s Bunting 4
Eurasian Blackcap 1m

Ruppell's Warbler,  Cape Greco 9th March 2018 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Ruppell’s Warbler, Cape Greco 9th March 2018 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Ruppell's Warbler female  Cape Greco 9th March 2018 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Ruppell’s Warbler female Cape Greco 9th March 2018 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Ruppell's Warbler,  Cape Greco 9th March 2018 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Ruppell’s Warbler, Cape Greco 9th March 2018 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours


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Cyprus Birding Tours Trip Report – Morning’s Guiding Paphos, 6th October 2017

A few hours out around Paphos with Robert and Jean started at Paphos Sewage Plant where our first birds were a pair of Grey Wagtail and then a lovely male Black Francolin who stood at the road side in front of us feeding for several minutes. Many Spur-winged Lapwing were feeding in the fields – it seems they had a successful breeding season at this location. We also found a Northern Wheatear, Spotted Flycatcher, Whinchat and several Willow Warbler – a few late migrants still around.

In the valley behind Agia Varvara we were treated to a flyby from two Long-legged Buzzard and came across a European Stonechat – one of the first of the autumn, soon they will be everywhere. More Willow Warbler and Whinchat were present as was a juvenile Red-backed Shrike. We found a small area of water and a Common Kingfisher was seen there.

We spent some time in the fields at Mandria where a small group of Red-footed Falcon were feeding and flying around. Suddenly they all took off and we watched them circling up as they gained height and soon were lost to sight and we assumed they migrated south. We then realised that a ring-tail harrier was being chased around the same fields by several Hooded Crows. Eventually we were able to get good views of the underparts and identified it as a female Montagu’s Harrier. There were a good number of both Yellow and White Wagtails in the fields as well as yet more Whinchat and Northern Wheatear.

We finished our time out around Asprokremmos Dam. We heard a Cyprus Warbler and had brief views of a female in flight but were disappointed not to see the male at all. An Eleonora’s Falcon was seen flying above us and another new bird for the day was a Tawny Pipit. A quiet morning at the end of migration but Robert and Jean had several lifers with the Long-legged Buzzard and Red-footed Falcons a special treat.

Red-footed Falcon, Mandria 6th October 2017 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Red-footed Falcon, Mandria 6th October 2017 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours


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Cyprus Birding Tours Trip Report – Day’s Guiding Larnaca area 3rd October 2017

David, Diane and I spent the day out birding around Larnaca visiting Achna Dam, Ormeidia, Oroklini, Larnaca Sewage Works area, Pervolia, Kivisili and Panagia Stazousa. We had a good selection of species including Greater Sandplover, the endemic Cyprus Wheatear and Cyprus Warbler, White-winged and Whiskered Tern, Red-footed Falcon, Montagu’s Harrier, Ferruginous Duck, Chukar and Spur-winged Lapwing.

Highlights per location:

Achna Dam – Squacco Heron, Great White Egret, Little Ringed Plover, Common Snipe, Whiskered Tern, Western Marsh Harrier, European Bee-eater, Common Kingfisher

Ormedeia Beach – Greater Sandplover, Kentish Plover, Whinchat, European Shag

Oroklini – Little Ringed Plover, Spur-winged Lapwing, Northern Lapwing

Meneou Pool – Eurasian Thick-knee, Masked Shrike

Larnaca Sewage Works area – Ferruginous Duck, Northern Pintail, Greater Flamingo, Black-winged Stilt, Grey Plover, Spur-winged Lapwing, Common Ringed Plover, Kentish Plover, Eurasian Curlew, Ruff, Wood Sandpiper, Marsh Sandpiper, White-winged Tern (inc 1 in breeding plumage), Whiskered Tern, Western Marsh Harrier, Red-backed Shrike, Sand Martin, Spotted Flycatcher, Western Yellow Wagtail

Pervolia area – Montagu’s Harrier 1 juv, Red-backed Shrike, Lesser Grey Shrike, Red-rumped Swallow, Sand Martin, Tawny Pipit, Northern Wheatear

Kivisilli fields – Common Hoopoe 1, Red-footed Falcon 1 juv, Tree Pipit, Northern Wheatear, Whinchat

Panagia Stazousa – Cyprus Warbler, Cyprus Wheatear, European Stonechat, European Bee-eater

Total number of species seen – 74

Chukar, Ferruginous Duck, Northern Shoveler, Mallard, Northern Pintail, Common Teal, Little Grebe, Greater Flamingo, Common Woodpigeon, Eurasian Collared Dove, Common Moorhen, Common Coot, Squacco Heron, Cattle Egret, Grey Heron, Great White Egret, Little Egret, European Shag, Eurasian Thick-knee, Black-winged Stilt, Grey Plover, Common Ringed Plover, Little Ringed Plover, Kentish Plover, Greater Sandplover, Northern Lapwing, Spur-winged Lapwing, Eurasian Curlew, Ruff, Dunlin, Little Stint, Common Snipe, Common Sandpiper, Common Redshank, Wood Sandpiper, Marsh Sandpiper, Yellow-legged Gull, Whiskered Tern, White-winged Tern, Western Marsh Harrier, Montagu’s Harrier, Common Hoopoe, European Bee-eater, Common Kingfisher, Common Kestrel, Red-footed Falcon, Red-backed Shrike, Lesser Grey Shrike, Masked Shrike, Eurasian Magpie, Eurasian Jackdaw, Hooded Crow, Great Tit, Crested Lark, Red-rumped Swallow, Barn Swallow, Sand Martin, Willow Warbler, Cetti’s Warbler, Cyprus Warbler, Sardinian Warbler, Spectacled Warbler, Spotted Flycatcher, Whinchat, European Stonechat, Northern Wheatear, Cyprus Wheatear, House Sparrow, Spanish Sparrow, Tawny Pipit, Tree Pipit, Western Yellow Wagtail, White Wagtail, European Greenfinch

Dunlin, Achna Dam 3rd October 2017 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Dunlin, Achna Dam 3rd October 2017 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours


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Cyprus Birding Tours Trip Report – Day’s Guiding Paphos Plain area 21st September 2017

Spent an enjoyable day out with Tony and Greta at several of the Paphos birding locations. We started at Paphos Sewage Plant where there were several Spur-winged Lapwing, including a couple of juveniles, feeding in the fields. A male Red-backed Shrike and a European Turtle Dove were sitting on wires and at the same time as a large flock of migrating European Bee-eater starting migrating over the area we also saw a juvenile Montagu’s Harrier, a European Honey Buzzard and a Western Marsh Harrier gaining height and heading out over the sea. In the fields were a couple of Whinchat, a covey of Chukar and a large flock of Western Yellow Wagtail. After watching a flock of Spanish Sparrow we then found a Long-legged Buzzard perched on the top of a pylon which we then saw dive down into the dry river bed nearby – it didn’t fly up while we were there so we guessed it had caught something and was eating it out of sight.

More European Bee-eaters were in the Agia Varvara valley as were juvenile Red-backed Shrike, Willow, Sardinian and Cetti’s Warbler, Whinchat and a Northern Wheatear. The best birds here though were two European Golden Oriole which flew into the same eucalyptus trees under whose shade we were taking a quick coffee break! On to Mandria and down near the coast at Lark Corner we watched some Greater Short-toed Lark, Whinchat, Nothern Wheatear and also a Tawny Pipit feeding. Behind us were three juvenile Collared Pratincole feeding in another field close to the water sprinklers. In another area we found three European Roller, a Lesser Grey Shrike and yet more European Bee-eater passing over.

The area near Anarita Mast behind Asprokremmos Dam was full of European Bee-eater as well and we found several Whinchat, more Yellow Wagtail, a Spotted Flycatcher, a Northern Wheatear, a couple of Tawny Pipit and another Lesser Grey Shrike all perched on the perimeter fence there. As we turned to leave a juvenile Montagu’s Harrier flew into view and we spent some time watching it quartering the area and feeding on at least one lizard that it caught as we watched – probably the day’s highlight. A pair of Cyprus Warbler were not so obliging and although we had very brief views of a male and a female they were disappointing. A Black-eared Wheatear close by was much easier to see.

We finished the day in and inland from Kouklia Village. We had good views of several Laughing Dove that now breed there and found another  Northern Wheatear. We then moved inland to see if we would have more luck with the other endemic – the Cyprus Wheatear. Things didn’t look promising even though we visited an area I had seen many a few weeks previously, until finally one flew across the road in front of us – another brief view but at least this time we could see it properly!

List of species seen –

Chukar, Common Woodpigeon, European Turtle Dove, Eurasian Collared Dove, Laughing Dove, Great Cormorant, European Shag, Spur-winged Lapwing, Collared Pratincole, Yellow-legged Gull, European Honey Buzzard, Western Marsh Harrier, Montagu’s Harrier, Long-legged Buzzard, European Bee-eater, European Roller, Common Kingfisher, Common Kestrel, Eurasian Golden Oriole, Red-backed Shrike, Lesser Grey Shrike, Masked Shrike, Eurasian Magpie, Eurasian Jackdaw, Hooded Crow, Great Tit, Greater Short-toed Lark, Crested Lark, Zitting Cisticola, Barn Swallow, Sand Martin, Willow Warbler, Cetti’s Warbler, Cyprus Warbler, Sardinian Warbler, Spotted Flycatcher, Whinchat, Northern Wheatear, Black-eared Wheatear, Cyprus Wheatear, House Sparrow, Spanish Sparrow, Tawny Pipit, Western Yellow Wagtail, European Goldfinch

Spur-winged Lapwing juvenile , Paphos Sewage Plant 21st September 2017 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Spur-winged Lapwing juvenile , Paphos Sewage Plant 21st September 2017 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours


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Cyprus Birding Tours Trip Report – Day’s Guiding Paphos, 4th April 2017

A day out around several Paphos sites with Rob who had the target species of Cyprus Warbler,  Black Francolin and Ortolan Bunting. We had two good views of singing male Cyprus Warbler and briefer views of two Ortolan Bunting but although we heard several Black Francolin they all remained firmly out of sight. We did see some other good species though including a pair of Bonelli’s Eagle, eight female Lesser Kestrel, a stunning male Common Redstart, a Masked Shrike and two Woodchat Shrike, a male Ruppell’s Warbler, five Tawny Pipit, several Eastern Black-eared, Isabelline and Cyprus Wheatear, a couple of Great Spotted Cuckoo, Cretzschmar’s Bunting at several locations, male Semi-collared, Collared and Pied Flycatcher, singing Common Whitethroat, an Eastern Bonelli’s Warbler, a Purple Heron and a Black-crowned Night Heron asleep in the pines of Asprokremmos Dam car park.

Highlights per location:

Agia Varvara – Purple Heron, Western Marsh Harrier, Common Buzzard, Tree Pipit, Great Spotted Cuckoo, Common Nightingale, Eastern Black-eared Wheatear, Masked Shrike, Eastern Bonelli’s Warbler, Collared Flycatcher, Cyprus Warbler

Anarita Park – Bonelli’s Eagle pair, Lesser Kestrel, Tawny Pipit, Common Redstart, Whinchat, Eastern Black-eared Wheatear, Cyprus Wheatear and Warbler, Ruppell’s Warbler, Lesser and Common Whitethroat, Ortolan and Cretzschmar’s Bunting

Asprokremmos Dam – Black-crowned Night Heron, Black-headed Wagtail, Eastern Black-eared Wheatear, Semi-collared, Collared and Pied Flycatcher, Woodchat Shrike, Eurasian Blackcap, Common Kingfisher, Cretzschmar’s Bunting

Mandria – Red-throated Pipit, Yellow Wagtail

Paphos Sewage Works – Spur-winged Lapwing, Meadow Pipit, Yellow Wagtail, Little Egret

Total species and forms seen – 67

Black-crowned Night Heron, Little Egret, Purple Heron, Western Marsh Harrier, Common Buzzard, Bonelli’s Eagle, Lesser Kestrel, Common Kestrel, Chukar, Black Francolin h, Common Moorhen, Spur-winged Lapwing, Ruff, Yellow-legged Gull, Common Woodpigeon, Eurasian Collared Dove, Great Spotted Cuckoo, Little Owl, Common Kingfisher, Common Swift, Crested Lark, Barn Swallow, Common House Martin, Tawny Pipit, Tree Pipit, Meadow Pipit, Red-throated Pipit, Yellow Wagtail, Black-headed Wagtail (feldegg race), White Wagtail, European Robin, Common Nightingale, Common Redstart, Whinchat, Isabelline Wheatear, Northern Wheatear, Cyprus Wheatear, Eastern Black-eared Wheatear, Cetti’s Warbler, Zitting Cisticola, Spectacled Warbler, Sardinian Warbker, Cyprus Warbler, Ruppell’s Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat, Common Whitethroat, Eurasian Blackcap, Eastern Bonelli’s Warbler, Common Chiffchaff, Semi-collared Flycatcher, Collared Flycatcher, Pied Flycatcher, Great Tit, Woodchat Shrike, Masked Shrike, Eurasian Magpie, Western Jackdaw, Hooded Crow, House Sparrow, Spanish Sparrow, European Serin, European Greenfinch, European Goldfinch, Common Linnet, Ortolan Bunting, Cretzschmar’s Bunting, Corn Bunting

Little Owl, Anarita Park, 4th April 2017 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Little Owl, Anarita Park, 4th April 2017 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours


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Cyprus Birding Tours Trip Report – Two Day’s Guiding around Larnaca, Paralimni and Cape Greco, 29th and 30th March 2017

Two days out with Ashley who was in Cyprus with the single purpose of seeing the Cyprus Warbler, Cyprus Wheatear and Black Francolin and then some general birding.

Wednesday 29th March

We started on Wednesday morning in the Panagia Stazousa valley where we soon heard the strange buzzing of a male Cyprus Wheatear on territory and got some great views of it while at the same time two Cyprus Warbler were singing and competing for territory nearby. We had excellent views of them as well and were two thirds of the way through our target before our first hour was over. In the end we saw at least four singing male Cyprus Wheatear and at least twelve male and a female Cyprus Warbler in the area. Very satisfying to see so many of the warblers. A singing Eastern Bonelli’s Warbler in the same area was an added bonus. We also saw four Great Spotted Cuckoo -two of whom were seem copulating while the male fed the female a caterpillar taken from the nest of a processionary moth caterpillar. We watched him trying to extract another one but the female had lost interest by the time he was successful. A Long-legged Buzzard flew over, a Eurasian Scops Owl called and we found five Cretzschmar’s Bunting. Two Eurasian Hoopoe flew into a pine while we were watching a group of European Serin in the same tree.

Driving through the fields beneath the village of Kivisilli we stopped to admire another Eurasian Hoopoe and eight Lesser Kestrel hunting over the fields and dropping down to catch insects. A small group of Greater Short-toed Lark were in a ploughed field. We heard several Black Francolin calling at Petounta Point but only saw one briefly in flight. We had better views of another Long-legged Buzzard and several Northern and Isabelline Wheatear as well as a Common Redstart. But driving towards Pervolia we had more luck and finally had a singing male Black Francolin out in the open and not too far away so that our views were ruined by heat haze. In the fields near Pervolia village we had close up views of five Calandra Lark, around 60 Yellow Wagtail, 20 Red-throated Pipit and 50+ Greater Short-toed Lark.

After a picnic lunch by the seaside we moved to the hide overlooking Larnaca Sewage Works. There were not many waterfowl left there now although there were two Ruddy Shelduck which were a lovely surprise. Lesser Whitethroat were in the bushes in front of the hide – they were present at all the locations we visited over the two days. A Purple Heron flew over but didn’t stop while another Great Spotted Cuckoo rested briefly in front of the hide. Spur-winged Lapwing, Black-winged Stilt, Little Stint, Common Ringed Plover, Common and Green Sandpiper fed around the water’s edge. Before leaving the area we found more Black-winged Stilt, a lone Greater Flamingo and 13 Slender-billed Gull on Meneou Pool.

A quick stop to scan the main Salt Lake gave us a few more Greater Flamingo, two breeding plumage Black-necked Grebe and more Slender-billed Gull. In the north east corner our best birds were a female Little Crake and a Spotted Crake as well as Marsh Sandpiper, Little Ringed Plover, Common Snipe, Ruff, Spur-winged Lapwing, Wood and Green Sandpiper, Bluethroat, Water Pipit, Yellow Wagtail and Eurasian Reed Warbler. We finished the day there with targets met and a total of 80 species seen.

Thursday 30th March

Our first stop today was Oroklini Marsh where we found a Glossy Ibis and a  Black-tailed Godwit, Ruff, Black-winged Stilt and Spur-winged Lapwing, three winter plumage Black-necked Grebe, a Ferruginous Duck, two male and a female Red-crested Pochard, Garganey, plenty of Cattle Egret and two Little Egret and an overflying male Pallid Harrier and a hunting female Western Marsh Harrier. Several Eurasian Reed Warbler and a single Sedge Warbler were singing. We found another Pallid Harrier, this time a sub-adult male, sitting on Paralimni Lake and another male flew over. Also there were two Eurasian Golden Plover, many Ruff, many wheatear – mainly Northern but also Isabelline, Eastern Black-eared and Cyprus, a couple of Little Ringed Plover and a Common Greenshank.

We ate our lunch at the picnic site at Cape Greco after a short walk that had us thinking there was nothing around having just heard a Common Nightingale and seen a couple of Lesser Whitethroat and Eurasian Blackcap. Then a male Pallid Harrier flew by as did five Alpine Swift. We had good views of a dark-throated and pale throated Eastern Black-eared Wheatear and two male Cyprus Warbler at a distance. A drive around the rest of the area was then more productive and we saw two Water Pipit, 12 Greater Short-toed Lark, several Cyprus Wheatear including a pair with the female collecting nest material, a showy Eurasian Wryneck sitting on a rock in the sun, five Tawny Pipit, a male Masked Shrike in the same bush as three male Subalpine Warbler and a male Ruppell’s Warbler. A quick visit to the Larnaca area produced our final birds which were another male Masked Shrike and 18 Baltic Gull migrating off shore.

Two great days out with Ashley with a wide variety of species.

Total species and forms seen – 101

Little Grebe, Black-necked Grebe, Cattle Egret, Little Egret, Grey Heron, Purple Heron, Glossy Ibis, Greater Flamingo, Ruddy Shelduck, Eurasian Teal, Mallard, Garganey, Northern Shoveler, Red-crested Pochard, Ferruginous Duck, Western Marsh Harrier, Pallid Harrier, Long-legged Buzzard, Lesser Kestrel, Common Kestrel, Chukar, Black Francolin, Common Quail, Spotted Crake, Little Crake, Common Moorhen, Eurasian Coot, Black-winged Stilt, Little Ringed Plover, Common Ringed Plover, Kentish Plover, Eurasian Golden Plover, Spur-winged Lapwing, Little Stint, Ruff, Common Snipe, Black-tailed Godwit, Marsh Sandpiper, Common Greenshank, Green Sandpiper, Wood Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, Slender-billed Gull, Baltic Gull, Yellow-legged Gull, Common Woodpigeon, Eurasian Collared Dove, Eurasian Scops Owl, Great Spotted Cuckoo, Common Swift, Alpine Swift, Eurasian Hoopoe, Eurasian Wryneck, Calandra Lark, Greater Short-toed Lark, Crested Lark, Barn Swallow, Common House Martin, Tawny Pipit, Meadow Pipit, Red-throated Pipit, Water Pipit, Blue-headed Wagtail (flava), Black-headed Wagtail (feldegg), superciliaris intergrade, White Wagtail, Common Nightingale h, Bluethroat, Common Redstart, Common Stonechat, Isabelline Wheatear, Northern Wheatear, Cyprus Wheatear, Eastern Black-eared Wheatear, Song Thrush, Cetti’s Warbler, Zitting Cisticola, Sedge Warbler h, Eurasian Reed Warbler, Spectacled Warbler, Subalpine Warbler, Sardinian Warbler, Cyprus Warbler, Ruppell’s Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat, Eurasian Blackcap, Eastern Bonelli’s Warbler, Common Chiffchaff, Great Tit, Masked Shrike, Eurasian Magpie, Western Jackdaw, Hooded Crow, House Sparrow, Spanish Sparrow, Common Chaffinch, European Serin, European Greenfinch, European Goldfinch, Cretzschmar’s Bunting, Corn Bunting


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Cyprus Birding Tours Trip Report – Day’s Guiding Paphos, 16th September 2016

Picking Bernie and Gill up in Latchi we headed for the Smygies/Agios Minas area behind Neochorio. We saw the first of many European Bee-eater there as well as two Cretzschmar’s Bunting, a Whinchat, a Cyprus Wheatear, a couple of Spotted Flycatcher and an adult Masked Shrike. A covey of ten Chukar kept us entertained especially as a juvenile tried to climb into an olive tree as we drove past.

At Arodes we found another Cyprus Wheatear and spent some time watching and checking the ID pointers of a female Eastern Black-eared Wheatear. We also saw a male Spanish Sparrow, several Sardinian and Willow Warbler and juvenile Red-backed and Masked Shrike. The sound and sight of more European Bee-eater dominated the area. Driving from Kathikas through Arkoudaleia and Miliou we saw a male Eastern Black-eared Wheatear and a Lesser Grey Shrike.

We spent some time at the shallow end of Evretou Dam. There were many Yellow Wagtail, Barn Swallow and a couple of Sand Martin, yet more European Bee-eater as well as one each of Black-winged Stilt, Dunlin, Little Stint, Ruff and Common Kingfisher. Here we also saw a Long-legged Buzzard and more unexpectedly a Common Kestrel noisily mobbing an adult Northern Goshawk. The latter spectacle interrupted our lunch as we sat and ate our sandwiches in a small olive grove. We weren’t complaining though!

On the south coast outside Paphos we visited the Sewage Works and Mandria. Here we enjoyed Spur-winged Lapwing, Eurasian Stone Curlew, Western Marsh Harrier, more than 300 Yellow Wagtail, three European Roller, three Tawny Pipit, at least thirty Greater Short-toed Lark, Isabelline and Northern Wheatear and a couple more Whinchat, Lesser Grey and Red-backed Shrike.

A good day out with a mixture of species seen. European Bee-eaters provided the soundtrack of the day with the Northern Goshawk and the European Rollers providing the birding moments of the day.

Full list of birds seen – European Shag, Western Marsh Harrier, Northern Goshawk, Long-legged Buzzard, Common Kestrel, Chukar, Black-winged Stilt, Eurasian Stone Curlew, Spur-winged Lapwing, Little Stint, Dunlin, Ruff, Common Sandpiper, Common Black-headed Gull, Common Woodpigeon, Eurasian Collared Dove, European Turtle Dove, Common Kingfisher, European Bee-eater, European Roller, Greater Short-toed Lark, Crested Lark, Sand Martin, Barn Swallow, Tawny Pipit, Yellow Wagtail races – flava, feldegg, thunbergii, Whinchat, Isabelline Wheatear, Northern Wheatear, Cyprus Wheatear, Eastern Black-eared Wheatear, Zitting Cisticola, Sardinian Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat, Willow Warbler, Spotted Flycatcher, Great Tit, Red-backed Shrike, Lesser Grey Shrike, Masked Shrike, Eurasian Magpie, Western Jackdaw, Hooded Crow, House Sparrow, Spanish Sparrow, European Greenfinch, European Goldfinch, Common Linnet, Cretzschmar’s Bunting.

mandria-16th-september-2016-1-of-1

Mandria, 16th September 2016 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours