Cyprus Birding Tours

Offering guided bird watching tours around Cyprus


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Cyprus Birding Tours Trip Report – Day’s Guiding Akrotiri and Larnaca 31st August 2016

A good day out birding with Byron started at Akrotiri Salt Lake where we scanned the area for roosting Demoiselle Cranes. None were present but although we were unlucky with that species we had a successful day  enabling Byron to get many of his target species which included – Chukar, Black Francolin, Cyprus Warbler, Cyprus Wheatear, Spur-winged Lapwing, Kentish Plover, Broad-billed Sandpiper, Long-legged Buzzard, Eleonora’s Falcon, Slender-billed Gull, Spectacled Warbler, Pallid Swift and Masked Shrike.

Highlights per location visited:

Akrotiri Salt Lake – Lesser Grey Shrike, European Bee-eater, Red-backed Shrike

Akrotiri Gravel Pits – Greater Flamingo c20 along coast, European Honey Buzzard 3 gaining height over area 9.30 am, Black Francolin, Common Ringed Plover, Curlew Sandpiper, Little Stint, Broad-billed Sandpiper (thanks to local birder Tony who told us where the bird had moved to when it was absent from Lady’s Mile), Common Kingfisher, Tawny Pipit, Common Whitethroat, Northern Wheatear, Red-backed Shrike, Lesser Grey Shrike, Cretzschmar’s Bunting 2h and seen briefly

Lady’s Mile – Dunlin, Curlew Sandpiper, Common Greenshank, Common Ringed Plover, Kentish Plover, Eleonora’s Falcon (one over high up)

Phasouri Reed-beds – Western Marsh Harrier, Pallid Swift, Alpine Swift, European Roller, Eurasian Roller, Yellow Wagtail inc feldegg and thunbergii, Cattle Egret, Red-backed Shrike, Lesser Grey Shrike, Masked Shrike

Panagia Stazousa – Montagu’s Harrier 2m, Long-legged Buzzard, Peregrine Falcon, Whinchat, Cyprus Wheatear 3, Cyprus Warbler 2m, Lesser Whitethroat, Spotted Flycatcher, Red-backed Shrike, Lesser Grey Shrike, Masked Shrike

Larnaca Airport Pools South – European Bee-eater, Eurasian Stone Curlew

Larnaca Sewage Works – Glossy Ibis, Greater Flamingo, Montagu’s Harrier 1 juv, Ruff, Black-tailed Godwit, Black-winged Stilt, Ruddy Turnstone, Slender-billed Gull, Yellow-legged Gull, Whiskered Tern, White-winged Tern, Spur-winged Lapwing

Spiros Beach – Ruddy Turnstone 5

Petounta – Long-legged Buzzard

Agios Theodoros – Little Owl 2, Eurasian Scops Owl 1 h and seen, Black-crowned Night Heron 16 heading S

Total species – 79

Little Grebe, Black-crowned Night Heron, Cattle Egret, Grey Heron, Glossy Ibis, Greater Flamingo, Eurasian Teal, Mallard, Northern Shoveler, European Honey Buzzard, Western Marsh Harrier, Montagu’s Harrier, Long-legged Buzzard, Common Kestrel, Eleonora’s Falcon, Peregrine Falcon, Chukar, Black Francolin, Common Moorhen, Eurasian Coot, Black-winged Stilt, Eurasian Stone Curlew, Common Ringed Plover, Kentish Plover, Spur-winged Lapwing, Little Stint, Curlew Sandpiper, Dunlin, Broad-billed Sandpiper, Ruff, Black-tailed Godwit, Common Greenshank, Ruddy Turnstone, Slender-billed Gull, Yellow-legged Gull, Whiskered Tern, White-winged Tern, Common Woodpigeon, Eurasian Collared Dove, Eurasian Scops Owl, Little Owl, Common Swift, Pallid Swift, Alpine Swift, Common Kingfisher, European Bee-eater, European Roller, Eurasian Hoopoe, Crested Lark, Sand Martin, Barn Swallow, Tawny Pipit, Blue-headed, Black-headed and Grey-headed Wagtail, Whinchat, Northern Wheatear, Cyprus Wheatear, Cetti’s Warbler, Zitting Cisticola, Spectacled Warbler, Sardinian Warbler, Cyprus Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat, Common Whitethroat, Willow Warbler, Spotted Flycatcher, Great Tit, Red-backed Shrike, Lesser Grey Shrike, Masked Shrike, Eurasian Magpie, Western Jackdaw, Hooded Crow, House Sparrow, European Greenfinch, European Goldfinch, Common Linnet, Cretzschmar’s Bunting

Broad-billed Sandpiper, Akrotiri, 31st August 2016 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Broad-billed Sandpiper, Akrotiri, 31st August 2016 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

 


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Cyprus Birding Tours Trip Report: Morning’s guiding in Paphos, 28th March 2016

The fourth and final trip out with Ann and Peter this spring was back in Paphos for a four hour catch up with what was around. No Cyprus firsts today but we did have a good selection of migrants at Anarita Park although Mandria and Agia Varvara were quieter.

Two Lesser Kestrel greeted us as we entered the area and then we saw a female Woodchat Shrike and the first of five males. A couple of Tawny Pipit were feeding on one of the slopes and small groups of Tree Pipit were flying around. As we drove around the area we found two more Lesser Kestrel, a Little Owl, an Ortolan Bunting, several male and female Eastern Black-eared Wheatear, a couple of Northern and Isabelline Wheatear, a Great Spotted Cuckoo, two Whinchat and a male Blue Rock Thrush. We heard a male Eastern Subalpine Warbler singing from deep inside a bush but it did not emerge into the open. We did see a couple of Lesser and Common Whitethroat though as well as many of the resident Sardinian Warbler. We also heard a male Cyprus Warbler singing and found several Cyprus Wheatear setting up territory. Three Alpine Swift flew over as well as several Red-rumped Swallow.

It was quieter down at both Agia Varvara and Mandria although we did see a Common Quail come in off the sea and fly down into a barley field and find a Yellow Wagtail intergrade – superciliaris.

Total species -46

Common Buzzard, Lesser Kestrel, Common Kestrel, Black Francolin, Common Quail, Common Moorhen, Common Woodpigeon, Eurasian Collared Dove, Great Spotted Cuckoo, Little Owl, Common Swift, Alpine Swift, Crested Lark, Barn Swallow, Red-rumped Swallow, Common House Martin, Tawny Pipit, Tree Pipit, Meadow Pipit, Yellow Wagtail – superciliaris, White Wagtail, Whinchat, Isabelline Wheatear, Northern Wheatear, Cyprus Wheatear, Eastern Black-eared Wheatear 3m and 2f, Blue Rock Thrush, Cetti’s Warbler, Zitting Cisticola, Eastern Subalpine Warbler 1h, Sardinian Warbler, Cyprus Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat, Common Whitethroat, Eurasian Blackcap, Woodchat Shrike, Eurasian Magpie, Western Jackdaw, Hooded Crow, House Sparrow, Spanish Sparrow, European Serin h, European Greenfinch, European Goldfinch, Ortolan Bunting, Corn Bunting

Tawny Pipit, Anarita Park 28th March 2016 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Tawny Pipit, Anarita Park 28th March 2016 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Woodchat Shrike, Anarita Park 28th March 2016 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Woodchat Shrike, Anarita Park 28th March 2016 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours


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Migration getting underway 26th March

Spent two days on the Karpasia Peninsula and had a good variety of migrants including Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush, Pallid Harrier, Masked Shrike, Tawny Pipit, Greater Short-toed Lark, Northern, Isabelline and Eastern Black-eared Wheatear, Eastern Subalpine Warbler, Tree and Red-throated Pipit, an ‘eastern’ Stonechat (female), Purple Heron, a lone Demoiselle Crane, Wryneck, Common Redstart, Common and Lesser Whitethroat, Great Spotted Cuckoo, Whinchat, Eurasian Hoopoe, Common Nightingale, Lesser Kestrel, Cretzschmar’s Bunting and Common Quail.

Two record shots taken in the gloomy dust haze below:

Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush 2, Karpasia 26th March 2016 with signature

Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush, Karpasia 26th March 2016 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Demoiselle Crane, Kouklia Dam 25th March 2016 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Demoiselle Crane, Kouklia Dam 25th March 2016 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours


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Cape Greco and Larnaca area, Sunday 13th September 2015

A very different morning at Cape Greco today. Few birds around compared to yesterday, although I spent an hour checking out the football pitches at Agia Napa which were full of migrants feeding on the watered pitches:

Cape Greco 8.00am – 12.00pm

Black Kite 1
Montagu’s Harrier 1 ringtail
Marsh Harrier 6 (1 male)
European Honey Buzzard 9
European Hobby 1
European Bee-eater two flocks heard and another 17 seen
Ortolan Bunting 4
Ruff 15 migrating off shore
Lesser Whitethroat 1

Agia Napa Football Fields

European Bee-eater 17
Lesser Grey Shrike 2
Masked Shrike 3
Eurasian Hoopoe 6
Yellow Wagtail 50+
Isabelline Wheatear 3
Red-backed Shrike 4
Whinchat 1
Tawny Pipit 1
Cattle Egret 12
Spotted Flycatcher 1
Red-rumped Swallow 8

Protaras
Alpine Swift 8

Meneou Beach 6.00am
Red-rumped Swallow 50+
Barn Swallow 30+
Sand Martin 3
Red-backed Shrike 1
European Bee-eater c60

 Red-rumped Swallow Meneou Beach 13th September 2015 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Red-rumped Swallow Meneou Beach 13th September 2015 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Eurasian Hoopoe Agia Napa Football Fields 13th September 2015 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Eurasian Hoopoe Agia Napa Football Fields 13th September 2015 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours


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Terns and waders this evening 10th May 2015

Seventeen White-winged Tern and six Whiskered Tern were feeding over Larnaca Sewage Pools this evening as was a Little Gull. There was a good selection of wader on Spiros Pool – many of them in breeding plumage which we don’t often get the chance to see. There were single Red-necked Phalarope and Broad-billed Sandpiper, three Black-winged Godwit, several Curlew Sandpiper, five Dunlin, many Ruff and Little Stint, some Common Ringed Plover and Wood Sandpiper.

Two Collared Pratincole were on the Desalination Plant fields where more Wood Sandpiper and Ruff were feeding. It was good to see a small group of European Bee-eater and there was also a Whinchat and a Woodchat Shrike.

Whinchat Larnaca Desalination Plant 10th May 2015  (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Whinchat Larnaca Desalination Plant 10th May 2015 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours