Tour Report

February 13th, 2019

13/2/2019

Cyprus Bird Watching Tours - BIRD is the WORD - Tour - Akrotiri 12/02/2019

On the 12th I guided Jane and Mike around the Akrotiri sites. We started at Zakaki where we was treated to decent views of the many Penduline Tits that were feeding on the reed seed. Moustached Warblers were moving around and we had good clear views of them at times as well as the Eurasian Reed Warbler that arrived early in Cyprus late last month. We also managed good views of Cetti's Warblers sitting still in the reeds and singing away for prolonged periods of time.
Moving on to Ladies Mile we had great views of a small group of Greater Flamingo, they were sleeping at first but were woken up by a helicopter passing over. There was hundreds of Black-headed Gulls on show but we couldn't find any slender-billed gulls among them, which was odd as there was an increase in numbers of them the previous day. Behind the restaurant we had great close views of Armenian and Caspian Gull plus a single Yellow-legged Gull.
Moving closer to the salt lake an Isabelline Wheatear showed well and a small group of Serin and Linnet were feeding on the ground next to it.

Our next site was Bishop's Pool. We was greeted by many song thrush and blackbird darting across the road at the entrance. As we approached the Lake a male Black Francolin edged out from the side of the path meters from the car and showed well for nearly a minute.
Species were thin on the lake, only Ferruginous Duck, Common Teal, Common Coot, Little Grebe and a few Mallard. A Water rail called and climbed up the bank showing very briefly. Reed Warbler and Moustached Warbler were moving in the reeds here.

Jane and Mike were interested in the flora too and was delighted to see Ophrys Flavomarginata here and enjoy some wild asparagus. I decided to show them the special area for orchids near here of which we saw Ophrys Sicula, Levantina, Elegans (Endemic) and Orchis Syriaca. Also plenty of Anemone Coronaria's and Romulea Tempsykana's (sand crocus) were growing here.
A quick check of the gravel pits didn't produce any birds but we did see many Himantoglossum Robertianum and Ophrys Iricolor here.
We decided to eat our lunch at the Phassouri Marsh hide as it was raining quite heavily at this point. There we saw many Teal and a Ferruginous duck as well as a Marsh Harrier and fleeting glimpse of a Common Kingfisher. Penduline Tits were calling but we couldn't manage to see any.
As we left the area we had a Common Buzzard perched eye level on a fence meters from the car which surprisingly didn't fly off straight away.
Our next destination was the Kensington Cliffs. As we arrived, a migrating flock of Great Cormorant were passing overhead. Shags were on the rocks and we managed scoped views of Griffon Vultures perched on the cliffs which were not flying much, probably due to the weather. We tried our luck going in land for Cyprus Warbler and hopefully some early migrants but the weather wasn't very accommodating and nothing was showing.
We finished the day with 56 species.

Species:

Chukar Partridge
Black Francolin
Mallard
Common Teal
Ferruginous Duck
Little Grebe
Greater Flamingo
Great Cormorant
European Shag
Common Kestrel
Griffon Vulture
Western Marsh Harrier
Common Buzzard
Water Rail (h)
Common Moorhen
Common Coot
Armenian Gull
Yellow-legged Gull
Caspian Gull
Black-headed Gull
Rock Dove
Common Wood-pigeon
Eurasian Collared-dove
Common Swift
Common Kingfisher
Eurasian Magpie
Eurasian Jackdaw
Hooded Crow
Great Tit
Eurasian Penduline tit
Crested Lark
Wood Lark
Eurasian Skylark
Barn Swallow
Common House-martin
Zitting Cisticola
Cetti's Warbler

Moustached Warbler
Eurasian Reed-warbler
Common Chiffchaff
Blackcap
Sardinian Warbler
Eurasian Blackbird
Song Thrush
European Robin (h)
Western Black Redstart
Common Stonechat
Isabelline Wheatear
House Sparrow
White Wagtail
Meadow Pipit
Common Chaffinch
European Serin
European Greenfinch
European Goldfinch
Common Linnet

56

Himantoglossum Robertianum
Anacamptis Collina
Orchis Syriaca
Ophrys Flavomarginata
Ophrys Sicula
Ophrys Levantina
Ophrys Elegans
Ophrys Iricolor
Romulea Tempsykana
Anemone Coronaria
Fagonia Cretica
Veined Sainfoin
Gagea Sp.
Rock Rose
Myrtle
Muscari inconstrictum
Fumaria judaica

February 11th, 2019

11/2/2019

Cyprus Bird Watching Tours - BIRD is the WORD - Tour - Paphos + Akrotiri 11/02/2019

On the 11th I guided Jimmy around the Paphos and Akrotiri Sites. We started out at the headland for Greater Sand Plover, one of the four present there before was starting to change into summer plumage which was nice to see, a Common Sandpiper showed well as did the European Golden plover though no sign of the Turnstone or long staying whimbrel. There seemed to be less numbers on the ground today, athough we still got good views of Crested, Eurasian Skylark, Meadow Pipit and Red-throated Pipit as well as many finches inc. Linnet. There seemed to be more Corn Bunting in the area singing as well as the large flock of Common Starling.
Heading through the Sewage Plant we saw many Spur-winged Lapwing with one providing great photo opportunities. The Grey wagtail was showing well too, as was a large group of various finches (chaffinch, greenfinch, goldfinch, serin and spanish sparrow) and a very showy woodlark singing away. We got a single cattle egret on the far western entrance.
Moving on to Anarita Park we located a Peregrine Falcon on a pylon, Little Owl on its nesting boulder and 2 male Finsch's Wheatear, the latter showing well quite close on some Spiny Shrub. We couldn't locate the Blue Rock Thrush but got cracking views of Cyprus Warbler, which showed out in the open often for long periods. There was a few more Cyprus Warblers that had arrived in the area since my last visit. Chukar Partridge were plenty calling away and sitting on nearby rocks throughout the site.

We then headed to Mandria after a quick detour to the entrance to Agia Vavara which produced a Long-legged Buzzard.
We were quick to find a Laughing Dove and a recently arrive Eurasian Hoopoe ... my first of the year. An Isabelline Wheatear was showing well near the picnic site, another lifer for Jimmy.
Our next site was Zakaki in Akrotiri. En-route we came across a few Common Buzzards along the motorway.
Arriving at Zakaki it seemed very devoid of life and the wind had picked up. I heard a few Eurasian Penduline Tit but we was unable to find them.
We moved on to Ladie Mile quickly where 4 Greater Flamingo were feeding and the large group of gulls were settled. We had quite a few Slender-billed Gulls among the Black-headed Gulls and a pair of young Mediterranean Gulls. Behind the restaurant we found quite a few Armenian Gulls of all ages but no Caspian Gulls this time around.
Our next stop was Phassouri Marsh where we ate our lunch in the hide and watched the Marsh Harriers hunting. I got a fleeting glimpse of a Common Kingfisher here but Jimmy didn't manage to get on it quick enough. A group of 5 Northern lapwings flew in from the east and landed in one of the concealed pools which held some Common Teal that were put up by the Marsh harriers from time to time.
After we finished our lunch we headed to the Kensington Cliffs where a Griffon Vulture was seen on entry. It landed in a pine tree and stripped a branch and carried it back to the nest. The only other bird of note here was some pure Rock Doves.

We had a bit of time left over and so Jimmy opted to visit one last site in Paphos. We went to Timi beach where 2 Isabelline Wheatear were showing well and provided good photo opportunities and a good way to wrap up the tour producing 67 Species for the day.

Species:

Chukar Partridge
Mallard
Common Teal
Little Grebe
Greater Flamingo
Cattle Egret
Great Cormorant
Common Kestrel
Peregrine Falcon
Griffon Vulture
Western Marsh Harrier
Common Buzzard
Long-legged Buzzard
Common Moorhen
Common Coot
Northern Lapwing
Spur-winged Lapwing
Eurasian Golden Plover
Greater Sand Plover
Common Sandpiper
Armenian Gull
Yellow-legged Gull
Black-headed Gull
Slender-billed Gull
Mediterranean Gull
Rock Dove
Common Wood-pigeon
Eurasian Collared-dove
Laughing Dove
Little Owl
Common Kingfisher
Eurasian Hoopoe
Eurasian Magpie

Eurasian Jackdaw
Hooded Crow
Great Tit
Eurasian Penduline tit (h)
Crested Lark
Wood Lark
Eurasian Skylark
Barn Swallow
Common House-martin
Zitting Cisticola
Cetti's Warbler (h)
Common Chiffchaff
Blackcap (h)
Sardinian Warbler
Cyprus Warbler
Common Starling
Song Thrush
European Robin (h)
Western Black Redstart
Common Stonechat
Finsch's Wheatear
Isabelline Wheatear
House Sparrow
Spanish Sparrow
White Wagtail
Grey Wagtail
Meadow Pipit
Red-throated Pipit
Common Chaffinch
European Serin
European Greenfinch
European Goldfinch
Common Linnet
Corn Bunting
67

February 10th, 2019

10/2/2019

Cyprus Bird Watching Tours - BIRD is the WORD - x3 Day Tour - Paphos, Akrotiri + Larnaca 07, 08, 09/02/2019

On the 7th I had the pleasure of guiding Ewelina on a 3 day tour around Paphos, Akrotiri and Larnaca. The weather wasn't always good, although we managed a decent bird count each day.
On the first day we started off at the Paphos Headland Coast for Greater Sand Plover driving through the harbour on the way which had many Great Cormorants and a few Yellow-legged Gulls on the breakers. We saw many birds on the ground leading up to the greater sand plovers including Eurasian Skylark, Crested Lark, Meadow Pipit, Red-throated Pipit, countless Common Stonechat and many Corn Bunting singing away. We even managed good views of a pair of recently arrived Isabelline wheatears. I had only discovered the first Isabelline Wheater to arrive in Cyprus this year 2 days prior, so we were very fortunate.
At the point the Greater Sand Plover all stood on the rocks in a row, sadly all in their winter plumage though a few just starting to change ... which is unusual in that this time previous years I had seem some of them almost half changed by this time. A group of Golden Plover were slightly to the right of them and had a lone Turnstone among them.
We then ventured to the Sewage Works here we saw a female Eurasian Sparrowhawk hunting and fly straight through an olive tree. Many Spur-winged Lapwing were showing including a pair very close to the car, and the Cattle Egrets were feeding in the alfalfa fields, chasing each other at times. Meadow Pipits were darting around in their hundreds and a Grey Wagtail showed well next to the car. We saw a small group of Ducks in flight land in one of the concealed pools, by size we assumed they must have been common teal. A Common Quail was calling from inside an alfalfa field, though we had no chance in locating it. There seemed to be a large number of Serin moving around the site that day of which we got great views of, but a disappointing number of Spanish Sparrows, just 1 in fact, though a nice male that posed meters from the car in some fennel.
As we left the site we checked an orchard for Stone Curlew, but unfortunately none were to be seen.
Our next stop was Timi beach which held very little so we moved on quickly to Mandria. Here we saw 7 Laughing Doves, great views of them on the wires (accompanied by recently arrived Barn Swallow) and also feeding close on the ground. We added 2 more Isabelline Wheatear here and then stopped for coffee.
We then checked Secret Valley for Chukar and waterfowl. On the lake we had Grey Heron and Little Egret, with a Great Cormorant perched at the top of a coniferous trees. Many Coot, Moorhen and Little Grebe were on the water and a single Teal.
We moved further up after to stopping to look at an endemic flower - Aphrodite's Spurge. Sure enough we found little groups of Chukar, unfortunately no Bonelli's Eagles hunting here today though and so we moved on.
We stopped at Anarita Mast on the way to Anarita Park which held no surprises. Anarita park produced a Little Owl, Finsch's Wheatear and a stunning male Blue Rock Thrush of which we had lengthy views of whilst we ate our lunch. We also heard a few Cyprus Warbler here and got lengthy views of a male moving among some spiny bush, which briefly did show clearly out of the bush thankfully.
We managed 55 species for the day.

On the second day we ventured to Akrotiri. The weather was very poor as we left Paphos and it rained heavy at times with very few sunny spells throughout the day in Akrotiri, making the birding difficult.
We started at Zakaki where we struggled to see the many Penduline Tits darting around and the many Moustached Warbler singing. We never managed good views of either unfortunately. We did get good views of Cetti's Warbler and a very early Eurasian Reed Warbler. Seeing a Siberian race of Common Chiffchaff was a treat. We had a flyover Green Sandpiper calling here and Water Rail calling from the dense reeds. A very small falcon flew over towards the salt lake, a Merlin!
The gulls were disturbed at ladies mile and so we drove down the strip to check some waders out. A small group of Little Stint show well very close to the car, as did many Greater Flamingo. As we returned we got to look through some settled gulls and found a Slender-billed Gull, Yellow Legged Gull, Caspian Gull and Armenian Gull among the Black-headed Gull. A group of 30+ Great Cormorant were migrating north.
Bishop's Pool was unfortunately locked but gave us time to visit a few sites that we missed in Paphos the previous day.
We checked out Phassouri Marsh of which Ewelina spotted and pointed out a Eurasian Wryneck sitting in a eucalyptus tree, a great spot! There was quite a few recently arrived Common Swift around here and Barn Swallow. We also saw a group of Woodlark sitting in a tree drying off from the rain.
Moving on to Kensington Cliffs we were treated to good close views of the griffon Vultures on arrival and then saw 7 of them sitting in a low pine tree very close to us for a lengthy time. Some of the best perched views I have ever had of our small population!

So with our extra time we headed back to Paphos and headed into the foothills of Episkopi to see the Peregrine Falcon site. Sure enough we saw one and then moments later the male flew in and they started copulating, minutes after we arrived. What great timing! We saw the female perched at various spots and patrolling the monlith edge many times.

We then drove through Minthis seeing a few Corn Bunting on the way and headed back through Armou of which we saw a Long-legged Buzzard in flight a few times and briefly perched close in the top of a coniferous tree.
Despite the bad weather it turned out to be a great day managing 63 species.

On our final day we headed to Larnaca, and the weather was great.
After the journey there we stopped for coffee at Menou. Over the road from us a Black Francolin was calling and some largish birds were moving every now and then through a field. Ewelina saw a white bar on the upper wing of one and so I suggested Stone Curlew. After we finished our coffee I took the car in for a closer inspection and they were indeed Stone Curlew, over 60 of them infact! An incredible start to the day!
Menou and Spiros Pools held little but Greater Flamingo. As we walked to the Sewage Pools hide we saw quite a few Spectacled Warbler in the flooded low shrubs. On the pools we had some water fowl but not the usual winter concentration.
A few Gadwall and Common Pochard, Mallard, Northern Shoveler and Common Teal were the most numorous species. We had 3 grebe species too: Little Grebe, Great Crested Grebe and over 40 Black-necked Grebe with some changing into summer plumage. Ewelina managed to spot a small group of Greater White Fronted Geese on a meadow behind the pools in the distance.
We searched around the desalination area and managed great close views of a lone Chukar. We also saw many Kentish plover on the beach accompanied by 2 Dunlin.
Then we headed to the Salt Lake. We was unsuccessful in finding a pair of Little Gull and a Ruddy Shelduck that had been seen here previous days, though we did see many Greater Flamingo, a very large flock of Black-headed and Slender-Billed Gulls and many Little Stint with a few Ringed Plover among them. There were some distant Common Shelduck halfway in and a few Spur-winged Lapwing around the edge.
Our next stop was the Kamares Aqueduct. There was many Water Pipit here at the start of the channel and a Grey Wagtail. A small group of Little Egret were further up and eventually flew over. As we walked up we flushed many Common Snipe and managed good views of one. A Green Sandpiper showed but was very nervous at times as was a Common Redshank. A pair of Common Kingfishers were chasing each other many times during our visit and the reed bed was full of Common Chiffchaff. Occasionally a Laughing Dove flew over and landed on some wires and as we returned to the start of the channel we was treated to lengthy close views of a Bluethroat which was very close to summer plumage. We had our first House Martin here also, accompanied by a Barn Swallow. A few Penduline tit and a Moustached warbler were calling from the reeds but we never managed to see them.
Next we headed to Oroklini. Here we got some Ferruginous Duck and Black-winged Stilt to add to the list and some good scoped views of perched Marsh Harrier, also seeing them hunting many times. The main hide got very busy and so we ventured to the second hide. Some Greater Flamingo were very close here, no surprises on this side though until we left the hide and another Bluethroat flew in and landed in a low tamarisk right next to us. This one was a drab female though.
We headed to the beach to look through the gulls. There was quite a few Cattle Egret feeding in the flooded fields and a few Spur-winged lapwings were meters from the car as we pulled up to some traffic lights. On the beach there were mainly Black-headed Gulls but we did manage a Mediterranean Gull among them as well as a few Sandwich Terns on the ground.
We managed 72 Species for the day bringing our today to 101 Species. A thoroughly enjoyable 3 day adventure with great company.

Species List:

Black Francolin (h)
Chukar Partridge (a.c.cypriotes)
Common Quail (h)
Greater White-fronted Goose
Common Shelduck
Gadwall
Mallard
Northern Shoveler
Common Teal
Common Pochard
Ferruginous Duck
Little Grebe
Great Crested Grebe
Black-necked Grebe
Greater Flamingo
Grey Heron
Cattle Egret
Little Egret
Great Cormorant
European Shag (p.a.desmarestii)
Common Kestrel
Merlin
Peregrine Falcon (f.p.brookei)
Eurasian Sparrowhawk
Griffon Vulture
Western Marsh Harrier
Common Buzzard
Long-legged Buzzard
Water Rail (h)
Common Coot
Common Moorhen
Eurasian Stone Curlew
Black-winged Stilt
Spur-winged Lapwing
Common Ringed Plover
Kentish Plover
Eurasian Golden Plover
Greater Sand Plover
Common Snipe
Common Redshank
Green Sandpiper
Little Stint
Dunlin
Ruddy Turnstone
Armenian Gull
Yellow-legged Gull
Caspian Gull
Black-headed Gull
Slender-billed Gull
Mediterranean Gull
Sandwich Tern
Rock Dove
Common Wood Pigeon

Eurasian Collared-dove
Laughing Dove
Common Swift
Common Kingfisher
Eurasian Wryneck
Little Owl
Eurasian Magpie
Eurasian Jackdaw
Hooded Crow
Great Tit (p.m.aphrodite)
Eurasian Penduline Tit
Crested Lark (g.c.cypriaca)
Wood Lark
Eurasian Skylark
Barn Swallow
Common House Martin
Zitting Cisticola
Cetti's Warbler
Moustached Warbler
Eurasian Reed Warbler
Common Chiffchaff (inc. P.c.tristis)
Blackcap
Sardinian Warbler
Cyprus Warbler
Spectacled Warbler
Common Starling
Eurasian Blackbird
Song Thrush
European Robin
Bluethroat
Western Black Redstart
Common Stonechat
Finsch's Wheatear
Isabelline Wheatear
Blue Rock-thrush
House Sparrow
Spanish Sparrow
White Wagtail
Grey Wagtail
Meadow Pipit
Red-throated Pipit
Water Pipit (a.s.coutelli)
Common Chaffinch
European Serin
European Greenfinch (c.c.muehlei)
European Goldfinch
Common Linnet
Corn Bunting

101 Species

January 27th, 2019

27/1/2019

Cyprus Bird Watching Tours - BIRD is the WORD - Tour - Akrotiri 26/01/2019

Juvenile Great White Pelican Cyprus Birding Birdwatching tours ecotours birdlife wildlife

On the 26th I guided Derek and Liz around the Akrotiri and Episkopi sites. The weather was clear and sunny making a refreshing change from what has been the wettest winter on record in Cyprus bringing a lengthy drought to an end.
We started out at Zakaki where many Eurasian Penduline Tits were flitting around though proving hard to spot and a few Common Reed Bunting though sadly no close views. The reeds had vastly grown since my last visit which obstructed any possibility of seeing into the lake or the newly arrived Eurasian Reed Warbler which was singing for much of our duration. We had a few glimpses of Cetti's Warbler as well as hearing many. There was surprisingly little else here and so we moved on to Ladies Mile. A few Greater Flamingo were still feeding here as were many gulls. We went to approach my usual spot and unfortunately someone scared all the gulls off, and so we went to another spot ... and then the same thing happened with a fisherman. It looked like it was going to be one of those days. So third time lucky we checked behind the Oasis and managed good views of Caspian, Yellow-legged and Armenian Gull as well as mainly Black-headed Gulls. We were fortunate to have a Slender-billed gull bathing in a puddle and saw a few more on the salt flats as we scanned through after checking the strip. Crested Larks were showing very well and we also had a close encounter with a Black Francolin out in the open which was a bonus!
Our next destination was bishop's pool, which didn't hold any surprises aside a part leucistic female Shoveler. We managed some great views of Ferruginous duck here and even saw an early emerged Black Whip Snake. A few Marsh Harriers were patrolling the edges.
We stopped at the environmental center on the way back and saw a distant flock of Common Starling. After unsuccessfully checking some of the salt lake water pockets from here for Common Shelduck and other waterfowl we headed back to the car and suddenly two Juvenile Pelicans shot straight infront of us and landed in a plowed field. I had heard a pair of exhausted Pelicans had been rehabilitated and released recently by the game fund, though I had heard they left, obviously not. We got fantastic views of them but kept a healthy distance so as not to disturb them. A great addition to our day.

A quick look around the gravel pits didn't produce anything other than Meadow Pipits, though we did see a Sardinian Warbler doing its display flight. Phassouri had quite a few Common Buzzards and Marsh Harriers and various finches. We stopped to eat our lunch here on the coastal part where we also had some great views of European Serin and Common Linnet feeding as well as a Hen Harrier hunting the coast. Some of the big groups of Anemone Coronarias were pleasant to see with their various colours.
Our next stop was Kensington Cliffs where the Griffon Vultures were seen on arrival as was some Chukar. We got to watch the Vultures for the duration of our stay, they flew very low overhead at times and provided some good views of them landing too. Plenty of Rock Doves were flying around but no sign of the Peregrines today. As we walked back to the car we came across plenty of Sand Crocos (Romulea tempskyana) and also our endemic Veined Sainfoin. Also a Small Copper butterfly was feeding on our endemic Hyacinthella millingenii.

Eurasian Griffon Vulture Cyprus Birding Birdwatching tours ecotours birdlife wildlife

European Goldfinch Cyprus Birding Birdwatching tours ecotours birdlife wildlife

Small copper butterfly hyacinthella millingenii flora endemic Cyprus Birding Birdwatching tours ecotours birdlife wildlife

Driving back to Paphos I pulled the car over just before Aphrodite's rock to identify two large raptors above us. One was a Common Buzzard that flew towards us and the other was a Long-legged Buzzard which sadly didn't come as close ... but provided a great comparison of the species. We also saw many Common Buzzard perched and in flight as we entered Kouklia.
We stopped at the Paphos Sewage Plant on the way back to see the Spur-winged Lapwings. We also managed to see a young male Bluethroat for a lengthy amount of time foraging through the mud in close proximity to a Grey Wagtail. The Cattle Egret and Northern Lapwing were strangely no-where to be seen.

Grey Wagtail Cyprus Birding Birdwatching tours ecotours birdlife wildlife

Bluethroat Cyprus Birding Birdwatching tours ecotours birdlife wildlife

We finished the day with 55 species.

Species List:

Chukar Partridge
Black Francolin
Northern Shoveler
Common Teal
Ferruginous Duck
Mallard
Little Grebe
Greater Flamingo
Great White Pelican
Common Kestrel
Griffon Vulture
Western Marsh Harrier
Hen Harrier
Common Buzzard
Long-legged Buzzard
Common Moorhen
Common Coot
Spur-winged Lapwing
Armenian Gull
Yellow-legged Gull
Caspian Gull
Black-headed Gull
Slender-billed Gull
Rock Dove
Common Wood-pigeon
Collared Dove
Eurasian Magpie
Eurasian Jackdaw

Hooded Crow
Great Tit
Eurasian Penduline tit
Crested Lark
Wood Lark
Zitting Cisticola
Cetti's Warbler
(h) Eurasian Reed-warbler
Common Chiffchaff
Blackcap
Sardinian Warbler
Common Starling
Eurasian Blackbird
Song Thrush
European Robin
Bluethroat
Common Stonechat
House Sparrow
White Wagtail
Grey Wagtail
Meadow Pipit
Common Chaffinch
European Serin
European Greenfinch
European Goldfinch
Common Linnet
Common Reed Bunting

55

December 22nd, 2018

22/12/2018

Cyprus Bird Watching Tours - BIRD is the WORD Tour - Akrotiri 21/12/2108

Griffon Vulture Cyprus Birding Birdwatching tours ecotours birdlife wildlife

On the 21st I guided Andy around the Akrotiri sites.
We started off at Zakaki where there were many Penduline Tits flitting around and calling, though due to their very flighty behaviour we never managed a good view of one sitting in a reed, though we got great flight views of well over 30 birds. Black-redstart and European Stonechat were showing at the entrance and a female Common Reed Bunting was showing infront of the hide at times. As we entered the hide a Common Starling flew out of the reeds, seemingly a roosting spot. Cetti's Warblers could be heard singing and calling all over and sometimes showing briefly, and a pair of Common Chiffchaff moved from reed to reed. At least 4 Moustached Warbler were heard in the area and at least 2 of those showed quite well, infact they sat on reeds preening for well over 5 minutes each which was fantastic given their usual low-down, skulky nature. Whilst tracking one of the Cettis warblers through the reeds a White-spotted Bluethroat jumped out and showed well but briefly, it then flew into a dense patch of reeds and sang for a few minutes.
There wasn't hardly any waterfowl on the lake itself, just coot, moorhen, shoveler, mallard and a few teal. A Common Kingfisher and Water Rail could be heard at times but neither showed for us.

Reed bunting Cyprus Birding Birdwatching tours ecotours birdlife wildlife

Across the road two Muskovy Duck sat on a wall basking in the sun. Inside the Port wall on a container sat a female Blue Rock Thrush which was a surprise bird for the day which provided great close views.
We then headed on to Ladies Mile, there was a lot of Greater Flamingos feeding on the pools here as well as many Black-headed Gulls. On the beach we had Caspian, Yellow-legged and Armenian Gulls and a surprise Great Crested Grebe. Crested Larks entertained in the car park and a few Corn Bunting flying over.

Great Crested Grebe Cyprus Birding Birdwatching tours ecotours birdlife wildlife

Greater Flamingo Cyprus Birding Birdwatching tours ecotours birdlife wildlife

Our next stop was Bishop's Pool. En route we came across a small party of Spanish Sparrows feeding in a bush. Just past the gate we were lucky enough to see a male and female Black Francolin (target species) at the side of the road, brief but good views. Bishop's Pool held poor numbers of waterfowl compared to previous years and sadly the toxic algae bloom was still prevailing at certain parts of the lake which may be a factor in reduced numbers of birds. Birds of note here were Ferruginous Duck and a Black-necked Grebe which we got pretty close views of. There was also a single Wigeon. A few Anemone Coronaria were blooming beside the pathway and also some Green Asparagus was fruiting already.
The reed area had a few Eurasian Reed Warbler, with one in song.
As we left the area we saw Robin, White wagtail, Chaffinch and Blackcap drinking from the puddles and also a Blackbird near the entrance. As I closed the gate I saw movement in the corner of my eye, A Hen Harrier shot across the scrub and concealed behind the line of acacia and so I asked Andy if he wanted to chase it. Ofcourse, it's a Hen Harrier. So we shot down to the salt pan for a clear view point and watched the Hen Harrier for a few minutes hunting over the shrub.
A quick visit to the Gravel Pits didn't provide much as the area was too wet to drive on so we had a quick look around the church. We came across many Sardinian Warbler and some European Serin. The star bird here though was a Cyprus Warbler seemingly lost. A small party of Woodlark landed in a wet shrubby area though we was unable to locate them.
We then headed to Phassouri Marsh to eat our lunch in the tower hide. As we entered the area we saw a Common Buzzard in a tree and at least 3 hunting over an agricultural field with a few calling. After watching the buzzards a small party of Woodlark flew in and landed next to the car and provided good views. A vineyard was full of finches feeding; Chaffinch, Serin, Goldfinch, Greenfinch etc.
As we ate our lunch we watched a Marsh Harrier gliding around infront of us for a long period of time, and a Common Kingfisher slowly edged closer to us providing great views.
The site was quite devoid of life though so we didn't spend much time here.

Common Kingfisher Cyprus Birding Birdwatching tours ecotours birdlife wildlife

We then headed to Kensington Cliffs for the Griffon Vultures. We scanned for Chukar Partridge on entry which was another target species, though unfortunately none were around. A Griffon Vulture was in flight on arrival and 2 were sitting on the cliff face. The pathway to the cliff face was full of newly emerged Ranunculus, possibly Ranunculus bullatus sbsp. cytheraeus given the time of year. After scoping the Griffons we looked around for other stuff. A Peregrine Shot across the sky as did many Rock Dove. 2 Heuglin's Gull flew in (which were very easy to identify from above) and landed on the far rocks with some European Shags. Looking down I noticed a Turtle (likely a Loggerhead) emerge from the water for air, I was just explaining to Andy where exactly it was when I saw some big shadows cast down. More Griffon Vultures arrived at the site until there was 10 in total. They passed us extremely close countless times, eye level, slightly above us, sometimes below us and sometimes so close we could have probably reached out and grabbed one. It was probably one of the best experiences I had had with them due to how much time we got to experience them so close. A second Peregrine entered the site and both tried to gain height over the vultures who in turn tried to gain height to prevent being mobbed. Eventually the Griffons came in to land one by one.

When heading back to the hotel we were treated to seeing a Cyprus Fox slowly crossing the road, a Song Thrush flying across the road and many Laughing Dove around the coastal road, a good end to a good tour totaling 63 species, which is a decent count for December.

Species List:
Black Francolin
Eurasian Wigeon
Mallard
Northern Shoveler
Common Teal
Ferruginous Duck
Muskovy Duck
Little Grebe
Great Crested Grebe
Black-necked Grebe
Greater Flamingo
European Shag
Common Kestrel
Peregrine Falcon
Griffon Vulture
Western Marsh Harrier
Hen Harrier
Common Buzzard
(h) Water Rail
Common Moorhen
Common Coot
Heuglin's (Siberian) Gull
Armenian Gull
Yellow-legged Gull
Caspian Gull
Black-headed Gull
Rock Dove
Common Wood-pigeon
Eurasian Collared-dove
Laughing Dove
Common Kingfisher

Eurasian Magpie
Eurasian Jackdaw
Hooded Crow
Great Tit
Eurasian Penduline tit
Crested Lark
Wood Lark
Cetti's Warbler
Moustached Warbler
Eurasian Reed-warbler
Common Chiffchaff
Blackcap
Sardinian Warbler
Cyprus Warbler
Common Starling
Eurasian Blackbird
Song Thrush
European Robin
Bluethroat
Western Black Redstart
Common Stonechat
Blue Rock-thrush
House Sparrow
Spanish Sparrow
White Wagtail
(h) Meadow Pipit
Common Chaffinch
European Serin
European Greenfinch
European Goldfinch
Corn Bunting
Common Reed Bunting

63 Species

November 01st, 2018

1/11/2018

Cyprus Bird Watching Tours - BIRD is the WORD, Tour Paphos & Akrotiri 29/10/2018

On Monday 29th October I guided Gwyneth and Dave around the Paphos and Akrotiri sites. There were no target species, just to see as many birds as was around.
We started out in Akrotiri at Zakaki for some wetland/marsh species. We was unfortunate in that the Penduline Tits, Moustached Warbler and Reed Buntings hadn't arrived at the site yet, but we did have some fantastic views of a few Water rails in the open for the duration of our visit and also a smart Bluethroat which was very close at times. The Bluethroat was the star bird of the tour for Gywneth, being a lifer.

A few Spanish Sparrow were drinking from the water near the hide on arrival, after they left a single bird flew down to the same area on some small reeds and sat on the ground behind the reeds. I initially though it was another spanish sparrow but got the scope on it. It was quite darkly streaked for a female spanish sparrow and I could see a hint of green/yellow on the wing though in the shade and also a very plain head. At this point I was convinced it was a Juvenile Common Rosefinch. It flew across the path and into the reeds, so I went down the steps for a better shot for record seeing as Common Rosefinch are vagrants in Cyprus. After I got my shots it moved a bit further into the reeds and I let it be. Probably not the most exciting bird especially in this plumage/age but still a Cyprus Rarity, being the 14th record if accepted.
There was a Yellow Wagtail under the hide that had a damaged tail and both Sedge and Reed Warbler were calling from the reeds. Common Kingfishers were showing at times and fishing in the marsh and further into the lake there was few waterfowl, just a pair of Northern Pintail. A Cetti's Warbler showed well briefly and Grey Heron flew overhead and a large flock of Black-headed Gulls came down to the water as we were leaving.
We then headed to Ladies Mile and had a look through large group of Gulls. We managed to see some Yellow-legged Gulls and a few recently arrived Armenian Gulls among them. Suddenly they all shot up, we looked around to see why ... and amusingly a female merlin shot across very low and headed towards the football stadium. Not the kind of raptor I would assume gulls to be scared of. We had seen a small falcon in the distance from the hide at Zakaki earlier being chased by a Hooded Crow, but too far to accurately identify, though I stated it to most likely be a merlin at the time.
We looked through some of the waders at Ladies Mile, some Kentish Plover, Little Stint, Dunlin and Ruff were present. I decided against driving to the salt lake due to the recent rains making the ground unstable, so unfortunately we missed out on the Greater Flamingo and also a juvenile Oystercatcher which was reported there a bit later in the day, which is a scarce bird in Cyprus.
We visited Bishop's Pool which was fairly quiet, with hardly any of the wintering waterfowl arrived. We didn't even manage to find any Ferruginous Duck here, though the Rock Doves were present.
Being as quiet as it was we didn't spend much time there before moving on. We drove through Phassouri Marsh in hope of a Black Francolin on show of which we had only heard earlier. We was unsuccessful, though we did see a Sparrowhawk and a few Serin in flight.
Next stop was Kensington Cliffs in hope fo catching some Eleonora's Falcons, though always a gamble seeing as they are all (or mostly all) gone by November. Unfortunately there was none in sight, and neither were the Griffon Vultures. We did see many European Shags on the rocks though and family party of Chukar scurrying close to the car and Lesser Whitethroat in a nearby bush.
We stopped at Mandria for Laughing Dove of which we found two, and around the fields we had many Skylark and Water Pipits. The Water Pipits posed nicely for us around a puddle and we also saw a large group of them on a freshly cut alfalfa field along with a single Red-throated Pipit. We also had a Northern Wheatear fairly close to the car on the potato fields.

Next we headed to Anarita Park in search of Finsch's Wheatear, en route we was treated to a Long-legged Buzzard perched on a pylon, a consistently used perch of recent weeks. As we arrived at one of their territories we had flight views of one which proceeded to land on a boulder quite high up and then losing the bird after a few minutes.
We sat here and ate our lunch hoping it would return to one of its normal perching spots but it didn't oddly enough.
Last stop was the Sewage Plant for Spur-winged Lapwing of which we got many. There wasn't much else to see here and so we ended the day picking some figs and pecan nuts. A thoroughly enjoyable tour with good results (despite the lack of many winter arrivals) and a Cyprus rarity managing 65 Species.

Species List:

Common teal
Mallard
Northern pintail
Northern shoveller
Chukar
(h) Black francolin
Little grebe
Grey heron
European Shag
Western marsh harrier
Eurasian sparrowhawk
Long-legged buzzard
Common kestrel
Merlin
Water rail
Common moorhen
Eurasian coot
Spur-winged lapwing
Little ringed plover
Kentish plover
Little stint
Dunlin
Ruff
Yellow-legged gull
Armenian gull
Black-headed gull
Rock dove
Common wood pigeon
Eurasian collared dove
Laughing dove
Common kingfisher
Crested lark

Eurasian Skylark
Barn swallow
White wagtail
Yellow wagtail
Red-throated pipit
Water pipit
Cetti's warbler
(h) Sedge warbler
Eurasian reed warbler
Common chiffchaff
Eurasian blackcap
Lesser whitethroat
Sardinian warbler
Spectacled warbler
European robin
Bluethroat
Western black redstart
European stonechat
Northern wheatear
Finsch's wheatear
Great tit
Red-backed shrike
Magpie
Eurasian jackdaw
Hooded crow
Common chaffinch
Common rosefinch
European greenfinch
European goldfinch
Common linnet
European serin
House sparrow
Spanish sparrow
65

October 05th, 2018

5/10/2018

Cyprus Bird Watching Tours - BIRD is the WORD - Paphos half-day tour 02/10/2018

On 02/10 I guided Barry and Pete on a half day tour around Paphos. Cyprus Warbler and Cyprus Wheatear were the target species but the light was a bit poor as we set out so we ventured around the Sewage Works first with a short stop to see the Stone Curlews at their usual spot. We saw many Stone Curlews very close to the car, though they were disturbed by our presence after a while.
At the Sewage Works the Spur-winged Lapwings weren't on the fields so we had to drive near the solid waste area to get good views of them of which we also saw one of this years young. A European Honey Buzzard must have roosted in the trees over night as it took up from a nearby area and forced thousands of Wood pigeons in the sky, as well as a Grey Wagtail that called out as it flew over. A Cattle Egret showed well perched on an irrigation machine, no doubt waiting for its morning shower :)
By the pomegranate orchards we had a Eurasian Hoopoe on the pathway, Whinchat, Red-backed Shrike, Spotted Flycatcher and Willow Warbler were in the roadside fennel. Blackcap called from the coniferous trees.
The Light was getting better now and so we ventured to Anarita Park passing Agia Varvara on the way. Sure enough we located a 1st winter Cyprus Wheatear sitting on the power lines and on the opposite side of the road a wild hare darted through some shrubs. There wasn't much to see at Anarita Park, seeing as it is more a spring site though I did manage to locate 2 young Cyprus Warblers which came close to the car at times.
After finishing up here we headed to Mandria as I had just gotten word that a Richard's Pipit was showing, probably the same one Colin Richardson had found there a few days prior. En route we stopped to view a few Laughing doves. We set the scope up at the recently cut field and scouted through the many yellow wagtails. I found it at the far back corner though as Barry got on the scope it had hid behind a dry clump of Alfalfa and didn't show itself.
As we ventured to the West fields we had a Western Marsh Harrier quite low. On the western fields there was at least 4 Red-footed Falcon, one adult female and an adult male on the wires nearby and a few juveniles hovering over the fields.
Despite the noisy generator next to us it was a nice end to the tour, with a quick glimpse at Asprokremnos Dam on the way back (of which we only saw a grey heron) which brought our total to 35 species for a half day.

Cattle Egret
Grey Heron
Common Kestrel
Red-footed Falcon
European Honey-buzzard
Western Marsh Harrier
Eurasian Stone Curlew
Spur-winged Lapwing
Common Wood-pigeon
Eurasian Collared-dove
Laughing Dove
European Bee-eater
Eurasian Hoopoe
Red-backed Shrike
Eurasian Magpie
Eurasian Jackdaw
Hooded Crow
Great Tit

Crested Lark
Barn Swallow
Zitting Cisticola
Cetti's Warbler (h)
Willow Warbler
Blackcap (h)
Sardinian Warbler
Cyprus Warbler
Whinchat
Cyprus Wheatear
Spotted Flycatcher
House Sparrow
Yellow Wagtail
Grey Wagtail (h)
Richard's Pipit
European Greenfinch
European Goldfinch

35 species

September 23rd, 2018

23/9/2018

Cyprus Bird Watching Tours - BIRD is the WORD Tour - Paphos + Akrotiri 14/09/201

On the 14th I guided Vernon and Lynn around Akrotiri and Paphos. We started at Akrotiri, on the way from Paphos we had a European Honey Buzzard fly very low over the car on the motorway, a good start!
Our first site was the Salt lake, as we approached the site through the salt flat shrubs a male Eastern Black-eared Wheatear showed incredibly well, a scarce autumn migrant. 2 Temminck's Stint showed very well close to the car accompanied by a small party of Little Stint, Ringed and Little Ringed Plover, Kentish Plover and Yellow Wagtail. A Citrine Wagtail called at one point but we was unable to locate it. There was many Marsh Harriers roosting on the Salt Lake and a single Montagu's Harrier.
There was a storm approaching from the north west and narrowly missed us, providing some dramatic scenery. Due to this many of European Honey Buzzards that must have roosted in the foothills were flying in low. We had some huge flocks pass over creating quite a spectacle (roughly just over 150 birds with 3 black kites among them them.)
The gravel pits held little and so we moved on to Bishop's pool which was also short on numbers, though a small party of Black-crowned Night Heron in the reeds provided good views. We wasted little time and checked out Kensington cliffs for close views of Eleonora's Falcons, of which didn't disappoint.
We then made our way back to Paphos, starting at the Sewage Works for Spur-winged Lapwing of which showed nicely. A recently arrived Tawny Pipit showed at the side of the road enabling good views. We then checked a nearby site for Eurasian Stone Curlew, one was showing quite close in the shade of an olive tree.
We then finished up at Mandria with a few Isabelline and Northern Wheatear and a European Shag on the rocks bringing our day total to 62 Species.

Species List:

Mallard
Garganey
Common Teal
Little Grebe
Black-crowned Night-heron
Cattle Egret
Grey Heron
Little Egret
European Shag
Common Kestrel
Eleonora's Falcon
Peregrine Falcon
European Honey-buzzard
Black Kite
Western Marsh Harrier
Montagu's Harrier
Water Rail (h)
Common Moorhen
Common Coot
Eurasian Stone Curlew
Spur-winged Lapwing
Common Ringed Plover
Little Ringed Plover
Kentish Plover
Common Greenshank
Wood Sandpiper
Little Stint
Temminck's Stint
Dunlin
Ruff

Yellow-legged Gull
Rock Dove
Common Wood-pigeon
European Turtle-dove
Eurasian Collared-dove
Laughing Dove
European Bee-eater
Red-backed Shrike
Lesser Grey Shrike
Eurasian Magpie
Eurasian Jackdaw
Hooded Crow
Great Tit
Greater Short-toed Lark
Crested Lark
Sand Martin
Barn Swallow
Common House-martin
Zitting Cisticola
Willow Warbler
Sardinian Warbler
Spectacled Warbler
Whinchat
Northern Wheatear
Eastern Black-eared Wheatear
Isabelline Wheatear
House Sparrow
Citrine Wagtail (h)
Yellow Wagtail
Tawny Pipit
European Goldfinch
62

September 19th, 2018

19/9/2018

Cyprus Bird Watching Tours - BIRD is the WORD 4 day Tour - Paphos, Larnaca + Agia Napa + Akrotiri x2. 7-10-13-17/09/2018

European Honey Buzzard Juvenile Cyprus Birding Birdwatching tours ecotours birdlife wildlife

Starting from 7th September I took Ray and Ann from the Shetlands on a 4 day tour.
Our first day was in Paphos where we managed short views of Eleonora's Falcon from the motorway to start the day off, first bird being a target species. Our first site was the Headland with Greater Sand plover being a target species. On arrival we was treated to a large
congregation of 6 Common Sandpiper all sitting together on a rock with the resident Whimbrel being incredibly confiding. A Raptor flew along the coast a bit out to sea which turned out to be an Osprey.
Further along the coastal path there was a Common Kingfisher that showed well and then even further up there was two kingfishers fighting on the blocks. The Greater Sand Plovers were all here at the corner and we managed exceptional views and photographic opportunities with them.

Whimbrel Cyprus Birding Birdwatching tours ecotours birdlife wildlife

Our next site was the Sewage Works which was very productive in terms of Shrikes including 3 Masked Shrike which was another target species. Many Spur-winged lapwing were showing well and Yellow Wagtail darted from field to field. A Single Cattle Egret and Glossy Ibis flew in. The Glossy Ibis flew very low and landed infront of the car providing great views.
We stopped at an orchard next which is well known for Eurasian Stone Curlew, we saw over 10 resting in the shade of the trees and managed some good shots from here. A Long-legged Buzzard flew fairly low across the road.
Mandria held little but an increase in Laughing Dove numbers and some decent flocks of European Bee-eater and Yellow Wagtails that fed meters from the car.
We then stopped in at Kouklia where the only body of water in Paphos is. Levels were very very low and the Green Sandpipers and Wood Sandpipers that were present previous days had gone, we did manage to see a juvenile Peregrine Falcon and Long-legged Buzzard here though and a few Red-rumped Swallow.
Heading up past Agia Varvara we were treated to a big movement of Black Kite, we counted 14 birds visible at any one time though there could have been a lot more as our vision was obstructed by a large hill to the left which was their flight path.

Black Kite over Paphos Cyprus Birding Birdwatching tours ecotours birdlife wildlife

For Cyprus this is a very large group to be seeing in one go and maybe even a record number.
Moving through Episkopi we managed a few Cyprus Wheatear squabbling, another target species and then passed through Armou Hills on the return to the motorway which produced a few Eurasian Hobby's, an obliging Masked Shrike and Ray managed to get on a Golden Oriole, a good finish to a great day which produced more than I thought it would in Paphos for this early in September; totaling 50 species.

Common Snipe Cyprus Birding Birdwatching tours ecotours birdlife wildlife

Our second day on the 10th was to be in Larnaca and Agia Napa. We started at the Menou area where we was treated to a pair of Turnstones on the beach very close to the car and a Sanderling, all of which are scarce birds in Cyprus.
On the incredibly dry spiros pools there was 12 Eurasian Stone Curlew sitting in the open providing mouth watering views ... even more so for the feral cat creeping up to them. Ray was absolutely amazed by how many Stone Curlews we had seen in 2 days, a species he had struggled with in quite a few countries to get decent views of. We saw a female black francolin and then on a further agricultural field a male, another target species acomplished and a favoured species
by Ray and Ann who marveled over this beautiful bird.
We then entered the hide and scouted through all the birds at the Sewage Works ... and there was a lot to go through! Marsh Sandpiper was a lifer for them both and there was at least 4 present and 2 greenshanks for comparison. Many Greater Flamingo were here with Whiskered, White-winged and Gull-billed terns flying low over their heads. A Whimbrel shot in and did a few close flybys. We all mistook it for a Curlew at first of which this area is a wintering ground for.
We took a quick visit to the Salt Lake to try to find a few rare butterflies as Ann was very keen on them. It didn't take long to find many Small Desert Blue butterflies and also a Little Tiger Blue near their host plants.
Oroklini had very little water and life, we did find a very obliging and photo friendly Common Snipe in a ditch.
Then we moved on to Achna Dam, which held some good birds but not the kind of numbers I was expecting for this time of year. White-winged Terns flew very close to us allowing breathtaking photo opportunities as did a Gull-billed Tern, a Marsh Harrier landed and stayed
on the ground for our duration and our star bird was a Spotted Redshank that we saw on the ground and in flight numerous times and heard the call.
Our last stop was at Cape Greco for Cyprus Warbler in particular. Sure enough we found at least 3 providing decent views, one was even in song and a great way to finish day 2 with an endemic species that is proving to be very scarce this autumn on their usual territories. We finished the day with 71 species.

Citrine Wagtail Cyprus Birding Birdwatching tours ecotours birdlife wildlife

Our 3rd day was on the 13th. I decided that two days in Akrotiri was best kept for the middle of the month so we could witness some raptor migration.
We started off at Zakaki where we had a Citrine Wagtail feeding very close.
Moving on to the salt lake we were treated to a few little flocks of Greater Short-toed lark flying in, Northern and Isabelline Wheatear in the scrub along with Red-backed shrike and Whinchats.
Spectacled Warbler showed well as did a large group of Little Stint and a Temminck's Stint was distant. 5 Marsh Harriers were on the ground and one flew in, also 3 Montagu's Harriers flew in which included a 2cy Male which was at times incredibly close to the car.
We managed over 10 European Honey Buzzard but they did not fly in low.
We decided to head to the Gravel Pits, on the way we saw a few Chukar and a few Honey Buzzards low over Bishop's Pool gate. The Gravel Pits had a few newly arrived Tawny Pipit, though we didn't manage any good photo opportunities with them as they were incredibly easily rattled.
We then moved on to Kensington cliffs to get better views of Eleonora's Falcon. We had one perched very close on the cliffs and many playing in the air at eye level.
At the Bee-hives on the way back there were many Bee-eaters and a male Lesser Kestrel overhead presumably with two female lesser kestrels though I didn't get enough time to identify them properly. Not quite as enthralling day as I had hoped considering the date but we still managed 65 species.

Spotted Crake Cyprus Birding Birdwatching tours ecotours birdlife wildlife

Our final day was on the 17th, and the raptor passage switch had most definitely had been clicked on! Throughout the day we recorded a staggering number of European Honey Buzzard that seemed to be coming from all angles! 650+ infact.
Our day started at the Salt Lake were a juvenile Collared Pratincole stood. It actually scurried up to us as we parked the car next to it allowing fantastic photo opportunities. Ray was really after some good photos of this species and so I couldn't have asked for a better moment. Most of the waders were still here, the Temminck's Stint were very close and provided excellent photo opportunities unlike during our last day.
3 Great Egret flew over head and landing with usual line of Grey Heron showing how tall they are! Water Rail could be heard but not seen. We decided to check Zakaki again as we was earlier this time with crakes in mind. We did infact see and photograph a Spotted Crake which was very obliging at times. A Great Reed Warbler showed well also.
After a while Honey Buzzards started flying over head and so we raced back to the Salt Lake. There was a small group resting on the salt flats which we got some good photo opportunities of. We continued round to the salt lake and scoped Honey Buzzards
on the ground as far as the eye could see. We also had some close and a Black Kite washing its feet. Honey Buzzards kept pouring in providing quite a spectacle, some high, some low, some kettling and a few coming in to land. A Juvenile bird actually landed some meters away from us providing incredible photo opportunities and views. We only managed to spot 1 Steppe Buzzard among them.

Great Reed Warbler Cyprus Birding Birdwatching tours ecotours birdlife wildlife

European Honey Buzzard Cyprus Birding Birdwatching tours ecotours birdlife wildlife

As we was leaving the site a Marsh Harrier was seen chasing a Black Francolin which planted itself in a small tuft of reeds.
On the Gravel Pits we managed to locate two Masked Shrike, one adult female which allowed very good close photo opportunities, something Ray had been after and was very happy with. The Honey Buzzards continued to stream over though nothing was landing at the
pools.
We then spent some time at the Phassouri Tower hide where watched Common Kingfisher, Great Reed Warbler, many Turtle Dove and Bee-eater and again many Honey Buzzards with some coming so close to the hide that they almost flew in it!

Western Marsh Harrier Cyprus Birding Birdwatching tours ecotours birdlife wildlife

Temminck's Stint Cyprus Birding Birdwatching tours ecotours birdlife wildlife

We had our lunch and then visited Kensington Cliffs again for Eleonora's Falcon. We had one perched in a tree, a Dark Morph and also one close on the Cliffs again. 3 Honey Buzzard flew in and the Eleonora's pushed them off, not quite as aggressively
as I was expecting. We saw a Griffon Vulture on approach to cliffs but sadly it was very high and moving away from us.
We then returned to Phassouri and spent some time watching and photographing the Bee-eaters which were landing close to the road and then raptor watching until it was time to leave. We had a few Hobby's here but unfortunately didn't
manage any red-footed falcon despite seeing a few the day before. A Bonelli's Eagle approaching its 3rd plumage showed well and the constant stream of Honey Buzzards and Marsh Harriers persisted the whole time with the odd Black Kite here and there.
A fantastic day showing the raptor migration in full swing and seeing 69 species.
We managed 111 species in total over the 4 days.

Masked Shrike Cyprus Birding Birdwatching tours ecotours birdlife wildlife

Species List:

Chukar Partridge
Black Francolin
Helmeted Guineafowl
Mallard
Northern Shoveller
Garganey
Common Teal
Ferruginous Duck
Muscovy Duck
Little Grebe
Greater Flamingo
Glossy Ibis
Black-crowned Night-heron
Cattle Egret
Grey Heron
Great Egret
Little Egret
European Shag
Lesser Kestrel
Common Kestrel
Eleonora's Falcon
Eurasian Hobby
Peregrine Falcon
Osprey
European Honey-buzzard
Black Kite
Griffon Vulture
Western Marsh Harrier
Montagu's Harrier
Eurasian Sparrowhawk
Steppe Buzzard
Long-legged Buzzard
Bonelli's Eagle
Water Rail
Spotted Crake
Common Moorhen
Common Coot
Eurasian Stone Curlew
Black-winged Stilt
Spur-winged Lapwing
Common Ringed Plover
Little Ringed Plover
Kentish Plover
Greater Sand Plover
Common Snipe
Whimbrel
Spotted Redshank
Common Redshank
Marsh Sandpiper
Common Greenshank
Wood Sandpiper
Common Sandpiper
Ruddy Turnstone
Sanderling
Little Stint

Temminck's Stint
Dunlin
Curlew Sandpiper
Ruff
Collared Pratincole
Yellow-legged Gull
Black-headed Gull
Gull-billed Tern
Whiskered Tern
White-winged Tern
Rock Dove
Common Wood-pigeon
European Turtle-dove
Eurasian Collared-dove
Laughing Dove
Common Swift
Common Kingfisher
European Bee-eater
Eurasian Hoopoe
Red-backed Shrike
Lesser Grey Shrike
Masked Shrike
Eurasian Golden Oriole
Eurasian Magpie
Eurasian Jackdaw
Hooded Crow
Great Tit
Greater Short-toed Lark
Crested Lark
Sand Martin
Barn Swallow
Red-rumped Swallow
Common House-martin
Zitting Cisticola
Cetti's Warbler
Sedge Warbler
Eurasian Reed-warbler
Great Reed-warbler
Willow Warbler
Blackcap
Common Whitethroat
Lesser Whitethroat
Sardinian Warbler
Cyprus Warbler
Spectacled Warbler
Whinchat
Northern Wheatear
Cyprus Wheatear
Isabelline Wheatear
House Sparrow
Spanish Sparrow
Citrine Wagtail
Yellow Wagtail (flava, feldegg)
European Greenfinch
European Goldfinch
Common Linnet
111 species

Butterflies:

Lang's Short-tail Blue (copulating)
African Grass Blue
Little Tiger Blue
Small Desert Blue
Common Blue
Clouded Yellow
Swallowtail
Bath White
Cyprus Meadow Brown
Mallow Skipper
Millet Skipper

Moths:
Crimson Speckled Flunky

Dragonflies:
Keeled Skimmer
Slender Skimmer
Red-veined Darter
Broad Scarlet
Lesser Emperor
Blue Emperor
Blue-tailed Damselfly

Flora
Sea Dafodil

Lizards
Schreiber's Fringe-fingered Lizard
Snake-eyed Lizard
Sling-tailed Agama

May 29th, 2018

29/5/2018

Cyprus Bird Watching Tours - BIRD is the WORD Tour - Paphos & Akrotiri 28/05/2018

On the 28th I had the pleasure of guiding Jayne and David around the Paphos foothills and Akrotiri sites. We started out in the foothills where we got some fantastic views of Black-headed Bunting singing and good views of a pair of Black Francolins in a vineyard.
Many Corn bunting were flying around and singing, even some young. A small mixed flock of House and Spanish Sparrow were feeding and also taking more nesting material from dead wood. Moving through to Minthis we failed to find any Cretzschmar's Bunting which was odd considering how many I saw there a few days prior. The fact they were not calling or singing didn't help. But we did see many Eurasian Hoopoe at their nesting grounds including one that caught a large grub and fed its young in an olive tree.
We cut through Episkopi (paphos) admiring many rollers on the way and also getting good views of a juvenile Great Spotted Cuckoo and then searched through Anarita Park. We was lucky to see a few Red-footed Falcons still present and also a male Lesser Kestrel still hanging around. A pair of little owls were on show, one perched on a small stick provided great photo opportunities. Two of their young were sitting on top of their nesting boulder adjusting their eyes. At one point one of the adults seemingly went to attack a Sling-tailed Agama lizard that was next to it, but missed...and ended up landing on the pathway we were to take. So I managed to park just meters from it.

We then searched for some Cyprus Warblers, of which we found an adult male who sat in the broom shrub next to the car for a lengthy amount of time. Unfortunately he wouldn't sit at the top and so despite nice close photos, none of them were clean.
Then we begun our journey to Akrotiri. As we arrived at Zakaki a Eurasian Hobby flew towards the car quite low on the dual carriageway, a nice welcome. We could only see Mallard at Zakaki and didn't spend too long at this vastly neglected site.

Moving on to the Salt Lake we managed to get great views and photos of Black-winged Stilt, Little Stint, Common Ringed Plover, Ruff and White-winged Tern. We briefly saw a few yellow wagtail but they quickly vanished into the shrub as well as a Black-winged Stilt chick. Many Sand
Martin were flying over here and we had a young Barn Swallow being fed by an adult on the ground very close to the car. Many Greater Flamingo were still present here of which we got great views of, a few Slender-billed Gulls were still present but distant. A huge flock of yellow-legged gulls took off on our arrival. Dissapointingly only one Eleonora's Falcon was seen here which is unusual considering it is one of their favoured hunting grounds.
Aside birds we came across a few pairs of Tiger Beetles copulating.

A quick check along lady's mile didn't produce anything, though the strip was incredibly busy due to being a public holiday.
We had our lunch on the way to Episkopi. A few Alpine Swift were darting around here, sometimes very low and a few Eleonora's Falcons were present but not the kind of numbers expected at this time of year. The Griffon Vultures sadly didn't show, though we did get a few close flyby's by a Peregrine Falcon ending the tour with 53 species which is not too bad considering the time of year.

Species:
Chukar Partridge
Black Francolin
Mallard
Greater Flamingo
Little Egret
European Shag
Lesser Kestrel
Common Kestrel
Red-footed Falcon
Eleonora's Falcon
Eurasian Hobby
Peregrine Falcon
Black-winged Stilt
Common Ringed Plover
Kentish Plover
Little Stint
Ruff
Yellow-legged Gull
Slender-billed Gull
White-winged Tern
Rock Dove
Common Wood-pigeon
(h) European Turtle-dove
Eurasian Collared-dove
Great Spotted Cuckoo
(h) Common Cuckoo

Little Owl
Common Swift
Pallid Swift
European Roller
Eurasian Magpie
Eurasian Jackdaw
Hooded Crow
Great Tit
Crested Lark
Sand Martin
Barn Swallow
Common House-martin
Zitting Cisticola
(h) Cetti's Warbler
Eurasian Reed-warbler
(h) Eastern Olivaceous Warbler
Sardinian Warbler
Cyprus Warbler
Cyprus Wheatear
House Sparrow
Spanish Sparrow
Yellow Wagtail
European Greenfinch
European Goldfinch
Common Linnet
Corn Bunting
Black-headed Bunting
53

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