Cyprus Bird Watching Tours - BIRD is the WORD - Half-day Tour - Paphos 17/04/2019
Woodchat Shrike - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved
On the 17th I guided Jenny and Elizabeth around the Paphos sites for a half day.
We started out at the Paphos Sewage Plant where many hirundines were feeding above the fields. We had great views of Barn and Red-rumped Swallow, Sand Martin in flight and sitting close on the wires. Also Common, Pallid and Alpine Swift were flying low. Many Tree Pipits and Spanish Sparrows were in the trees and moving around. A pair of Spur-winged Lapwings were foraging for food meters from the car and along the ezousas river we had a Marsh Harrier hunting along the edge. A Sedge Warbler sang on top of a shrub next to the road as we left.
We started out at the Paphos Sewage Plant where many hirundines were feeding above the fields. We had great views of Barn and Red-rumped Swallow, Sand Martin in flight and sitting close on the wires. Also Common, Pallid and Alpine Swift were flying low. Many Tree Pipits and Spanish Sparrows were in the trees and moving around. A pair of Spur-winged Lapwings were foraging for food meters from the car and along the ezousas river we had a Marsh Harrier hunting along the edge. A Sedge Warbler sang on top of a shrub next to the road as we left.
Spur-winged Lapwing - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved
Our next stop was Agia Varvara. As we entered the site a Woodchat shrike sat in a bush very close to the car enabling brilliant views and we had flight views of a Black Francolin. The pools weren't as productive as previous days though there were still many Little Crakes showing nicely and a Little Bittern briefly before crawling into the reeds and out of view. A Great Reed Warbler sang continuously right next to where we parked but never showed. Quite a few Whinchat were showing nicely in the area as were Common Whitethroat. The Common Kingfisher made an appearance landing in dry sticks not far from where we were standing and a Corn Bunting also perched very near to us.
As we left the site we had a brief view of a Black Francolin sitting on a concrete block and then flew right infront of the car, probably the same one we saw on the way in. In the orchard there was a few Spotted Flycatcher and many more Whinchat.
We continued on to Asprokremnos Dam car park. At the entrance a small group of European Bee-eater were sitting on the wires, a target species for the day. Our other target was Golden oriole but sadly none were showing in the car park or the previous sites that we had visited where they usually turn up, though we did see many Wood Warbler and a pair of Collared Flycatcher. A European Turtle Dove was sitting at the top of some distant trees.
As we left the site we had a brief view of a Black Francolin sitting on a concrete block and then flew right infront of the car, probably the same one we saw on the way in. In the orchard there was a few Spotted Flycatcher and many more Whinchat.
We continued on to Asprokremnos Dam car park. At the entrance a small group of European Bee-eater were sitting on the wires, a target species for the day. Our other target was Golden oriole but sadly none were showing in the car park or the previous sites that we had visited where they usually turn up, though we did see many Wood Warbler and a pair of Collared Flycatcher. A European Turtle Dove was sitting at the top of some distant trees.
Ruppell's Warbler - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved
Our last stop was at Timi where we had great views of a male Pied Flycatcher and many Cattle and Little Egrets. Wood sandpiper, Little Ringed Plover and a single Little Stint were on the water and a showy Ruppell's Warbler meters from us. We finished the half day with 53 species.
Cattle Egret - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved
| Species List: Black Francolin Little Bittern Cattle Egret Little Egret Common Kestrel Western Marsh Harrier Little Crake Common Moorhen Spur-winged Lapwing Little Ringed Plover Wood Sandpiper Little Stint Yellow-legged Gull Common Wood-pigeon European Turtle-dove Eurasian Collared-dove Alpine Swift Common Swift Pallid Swift Common Kingfisher European Bee-eater Woodchat Shrike Eurasian Magpie Eurasian Jackdaw Hooded Crow Great Tit | Crested Lark Sand Martin Barn Swallow Red-rumped Swallow Zitting Cisticola (h)Cetti's Warbler Sedge Warbler (h)Great Reed-warbler (h)Eastern Olivaceous Warbler Wood Warbler Blackcap Common Whitethroat Ruppell's Warbler Sardinian Warbler (h)Common Nightingale Whinchat Spotted Flycatcher European Pied Flycatcher Collared Flycatcher House Sparrow Spanish Sparrow White Wagtail Yellow Wagtail Tree Pipit European Greenfinch European Goldfinch Corn Bunting 53 |
RSS Feed
