Cyprus Bird Watching Tours - BIRD is the WORD - Tour - Paphos 06/04/201
Spotted Crake - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved
On the 6th I guided Ewelina on a tour around Paphos. I had previously done a 3-day tour for Ewelina in February where we managed a few early spring migrants ... but Ewelina wanted to see Cyprus well into spring so planned another trip.
It was slightly overcast and humid but that didn't stop us finding the birds. Our first site was Timi (we had a small migrating flock of Black-crowned night Heron enroute and a Marsh Harrier) where we was greeted with a party of Greenshank and a few Marsh Sandpiper. A Common Kingfisher showed well on the coast and throughout our visit flew from the shore to the lake. Plenty of Yellow Wagtail of various races were feeding in the meadow providing excellent views, a few were catching Painted Lady butterflies which are still going through their extraordinary migration from Arabia to Spain via Cyprus in their billions. A few Northern and Black-eared Wheatears were still kicking around. A small flock of Garagney were moving across the sea as well as a small group of Slender-billed Gulls.
It was slightly overcast and humid but that didn't stop us finding the birds. Our first site was Timi (we had a small migrating flock of Black-crowned night Heron enroute and a Marsh Harrier) where we was greeted with a party of Greenshank and a few Marsh Sandpiper. A Common Kingfisher showed well on the coast and throughout our visit flew from the shore to the lake. Plenty of Yellow Wagtail of various races were feeding in the meadow providing excellent views, a few were catching Painted Lady butterflies which are still going through their extraordinary migration from Arabia to Spain via Cyprus in their billions. A few Northern and Black-eared Wheatears were still kicking around. A small flock of Garagney were moving across the sea as well as a small group of Slender-billed Gulls.
Greenshank - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved
On the lake were many Glossy Ibis, Cattle Egret, Little Egret, Ruff, Greenshank, Little Ringed Plover and Marsh Sandpiper. We also managed to spot a Wood Sandpiper too and a Green Sandpiper briefly in flight calling.
Further into the site we found many Lesser and Common Whitethroat, a beautiful male Eastern Subalpine Warbler, Blackcap and a male Ruppell's Warbler that showed well at the top of a shrub for a decent amount of time.
A Masked Shrike also showed well. Further along the coast a group of Caspian Gulls were on the shore and a pair of Stone Curlew took off alerted to our presence. We also managed to get great views of an Ortolan Bunting, my first of spring. As we left the site a Cyprus Wheatear and Eastern Black-eared Wheatear perched on the road infront of us.
Further into the site we found many Lesser and Common Whitethroat, a beautiful male Eastern Subalpine Warbler, Blackcap and a male Ruppell's Warbler that showed well at the top of a shrub for a decent amount of time.
A Masked Shrike also showed well. Further along the coast a group of Caspian Gulls were on the shore and a pair of Stone Curlew took off alerted to our presence. We also managed to get great views of an Ortolan Bunting, my first of spring. As we left the site a Cyprus Wheatear and Eastern Black-eared Wheatear perched on the road infront of us.
Masked Shrike - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved
Our next stop was Anarita Park. There was little around until we got to the quarry. The little owls weren't on show but we got incredible views of many Great Spotted Cuckoos and many Hoopoes.
Due to the lack of life around we headed up into Episkopi (seeing an Eastern Bonelli's Warbler enroute, and many Cyprus Wheatear) to see the Peregrine Falcons that we had both seen copulating in February. We witnessed a food pass and lengthy views of both the male and female in flight and perched.
Due to the lack of life around we headed up into Episkopi (seeing an Eastern Bonelli's Warbler enroute, and many Cyprus Wheatear) to see the Peregrine Falcons that we had both seen copulating in February. We witnessed a food pass and lengthy views of both the male and female in flight and perched.
Peregrine Falcon - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved
Peregrine Falcon - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved
Moving further into the foothills we watched a Cyprus Scops Owl at a roost site, a target species (as well as Cyprus Wheatear and Great Spotted Cuckoo). A we left, 2 large raptors were soaring over us, and so I proceeded to chase their flight path. They were 2 adult Bonelli's Eagles, and although the light was poor we could see the detail underneath.
Cyprus Scops Owl - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved
We then headed to Asprokremnos dam for our lunch, here we managed to spot a Wood Warbler and a Semi-collared Flycatcher, though brief views.
A quick browse through Mandria held little aside the Laughing Doves and a shock Caspian Tern.
We finished up at Agia Varvara where we saw 7 (minimum) Little Crakes and a Spotted Crake. I thought we had a Baillon's though the light was poor and it was distant so I didn't mark it down, though having revisited the pool the next morning I saw and photographed a Baillon's so it was most likely that species. A Savi's Warbler was reeling in the corner of one of the pools but well concealed. Sadly we never managed to actually see a Black Francolin which was a target species, though we heard many. Our bird count was 80 species, a very enjoyable tour in Paphos.
A quick browse through Mandria held little aside the Laughing Doves and a shock Caspian Tern.
We finished up at Agia Varvara where we saw 7 (minimum) Little Crakes and a Spotted Crake. I thought we had a Baillon's though the light was poor and it was distant so I didn't mark it down, though having revisited the pool the next morning I saw and photographed a Baillon's so it was most likely that species. A Savi's Warbler was reeling in the corner of one of the pools but well concealed. Sadly we never managed to actually see a Black Francolin which was a target species, though we heard many. Our bird count was 80 species, a very enjoyable tour in Paphos.
| Species List: Chukar Partridge (h)Black Francolin Garganey Little Grebe Glossy Ibis Black-crowned Night-heron Cattle Egret Little Egret European Shag Common Kestrel Peregrine Falcon Western Marsh Harrier Bonelli's Eagle Little Crake Spotted Crake Common Moorhen Eurasian Stone Curlew Spur-winged Lapwing Little Ringed Plover Marsh Sandpiper Common Greenshank Green Sandpiper Wood Sandpiper Common Sandpiper Ruff Yellow-legged Gull Caspian Gull Slender-billed Gull Caspian Tern Common Wood-pigeon Eurasian Collared-dove Laughing Dove Great Spotted Cuckoo (h)Common Cuckoo Cyprus Scops Owl Alpine Swift Common Swift Common Kingfisher Eurasian Hoopoe Masked Shrike Eurasian Magpie | Eurasian Jackdaw Hooded Crow Great Tit Crested Lark Sand Martin Barn Swallow Red-rumped Swallow Common House-martin Zitting Cisticola Cetti's Warbler (h)Savi's Warbler Eurasian Reed-warbler Common Chiffchaff Eastern Bonelli's Warbler Wood Warbler Blackcap Common Whitethroat Lesser Whitethroat Ruppell's Warbler Sardinian Warbler Eastern Subalpine Warbler (h)Common Nightingale Northern Wheatear Eastern Black-eared Wheatear Cyprus Wheatear Isabelline Wheatear Semi-collared Flycatcher House Sparrow Spanish Sparrow White Wagtail Yellow Wagtail (*Flava) Black-headed Wagtail Sykes Wagtail Tree Pipit Red-throated Pipit European Greenfinch European Goldfinch Common Linnet Corn Bunting Ortolan Bunting 80 |
RSS Feed
