Cyprus Bird Watching Tours - BIRD is the WORD - Half day Tour - Paphos 03/04/2019
Crested Lark - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved
On the 3rd I guided Francesca and Mark around the Paphos sites for a half day tour.
We started mid-day so the birdlife wasn't to be at its greatest, and hearing that the Hooded Wheatear had moved on from the headland we decided to skip that site and start at Timi Beach.
On arrival we had a few Wood Warbler and Chiffchaff in the Eucalyptus tree very close and on the water was some Greenshank, Marsh Sandpiper and a Little Ringed Plover. A Spur-winged Lapwing was showing well through the flooded picnic area.
We then ventured around the coastal side and here we saw many Purple Herons taking off from the trees and a few Night Heron. Glossy Ibis and Little Egret were plenty on the water. Common Nightingales were calling and singing. Common and Wood Sandpiper were showing here also as well as a Hoopoe on the path meters from us.
We started mid-day so the birdlife wasn't to be at its greatest, and hearing that the Hooded Wheatear had moved on from the headland we decided to skip that site and start at Timi Beach.
On arrival we had a few Wood Warbler and Chiffchaff in the Eucalyptus tree very close and on the water was some Greenshank, Marsh Sandpiper and a Little Ringed Plover. A Spur-winged Lapwing was showing well through the flooded picnic area.
We then ventured around the coastal side and here we saw many Purple Herons taking off from the trees and a few Night Heron. Glossy Ibis and Little Egret were plenty on the water. Common Nightingales were calling and singing. Common and Wood Sandpiper were showing here also as well as a Hoopoe on the path meters from us.
Wood Warbler - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved
A couple of Eastern Subalpine Warbler were showing well in some low shrub as well as Lesser and Common Whitethroat. We nearly stepped on a Quail that shot off despite sitting meters from us for a good few minutes. We caught glimpses of a Wryneck take off from the path and show low in an acacia bush and eventually fled. There was many Yellow Wagtails on show in the meadows, mainly Black-headed.
Our next stop was Anarita Park where a male Marsh Harrier was showing well at the entrance putting on a show. We had some close encounters with Great Spotted Cuckoo (1 flew meters from us ... right at us) and good views of Common Cuckoo, a Cretzschmar's Bunting showed nicely also as well as many Corn Bunting both in song. Tawny Pipits were everywhere, with some Tree Pipits flying over ... but sadly no sign of the Common Rockthrush which has been seen over the past few days.
We managed great views of Red-rumped Swallow and Eastern Black-eared Wheatear plus decent views of Cyprus Warbler and a brief glimpse of a Long-legged Buzzard. The weather took a turn here, more rain; in what is turning out to be one of the wettest years on record. We had brief views of Cyprus Wheatear as we exited the site. Then we had a quick sweep around Mandria in the rain which produced little aside a female Blue Rock thrush sitting on a wooden pole getting very wet and a few Laughing Dove.
We finished with 55 species.
Our next stop was Anarita Park where a male Marsh Harrier was showing well at the entrance putting on a show. We had some close encounters with Great Spotted Cuckoo (1 flew meters from us ... right at us) and good views of Common Cuckoo, a Cretzschmar's Bunting showed nicely also as well as many Corn Bunting both in song. Tawny Pipits were everywhere, with some Tree Pipits flying over ... but sadly no sign of the Common Rockthrush which has been seen over the past few days.
We managed great views of Red-rumped Swallow and Eastern Black-eared Wheatear plus decent views of Cyprus Warbler and a brief glimpse of a Long-legged Buzzard. The weather took a turn here, more rain; in what is turning out to be one of the wettest years on record. We had brief views of Cyprus Wheatear as we exited the site. Then we had a quick sweep around Mandria in the rain which produced little aside a female Blue Rock thrush sitting on a wooden pole getting very wet and a few Laughing Dove.
We finished with 55 species.
Eastern Subalpine Warbler - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved
| Species List: Chukar Partridge Common Quail Glossy Ibis Black-crowned Night-heron Purple Heron Little Egret Common Kestrel Western Marsh Harrier Long-legged Buzzard Spur-winged Lapwing Little Ringed Plover Marsh Sandpiper Common Greenshank Wood Sandpiper Common Sandpiper Yellow-legged Gull Common Wood-pigeon Eurasian Collared-dove Laughing Dove Great Spotted Cuckoo Common Cuckoo Common Swift Common Kingfisher Eurasian Hoopoe Eurasian Wryneck Eurasian Magpie Eurasian Jackdaw | Hooded Crow Great Tit Crested Lark Barn Swallow Red-rumped Swallow Common House-martin (h)Cetti's Warbler Common Chiffchaff Wood Warbler Common Whitethroat Lesser Whitethroat Sardinian Warbler Cyprus Warbler Eastern Subalpine Warbler (h)Common Nightingale Northern Wheatear Eastern Black-eared Wheatear Cyprus Wheatear Blue Rock-thrush House Sparrow White Wagtail Yellow Wagtail (*Flava) Black-headed Wagtail Tawny Pipit Tree Pipit Common Linnet Corn Bunting Cretzschmar's Bunting 55 |
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