Cyprus Bird Watching Tours - BIRD is the WORD - 1/2 day tour - Akrotiri 27/04/2018
Temminck's Stint - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved
On the 27th I had the pleasure of guiding Jack and Eric around Akrotiri for a half day tour. Cyprus Warbler and Cyprus Wheatear were the only targets so we headed inland a bit. At our first site our first bird was a Cyprus Wheatear singing on top of a juniper tree and then a male Montagu's Harrier flew over low. A good start! Further up the track we came across many Sardinian Warblers and also a few Rollers, one perched in a tree and another in flight. A Great Spotted Cuckoo called though we could not find it in the dense woodland. The Cyprus Warblers were not at their territory so I recommended that we move on to another site nearby where I knew that they will be present. On the way out a big group of Golden oriole flew over with some landing in the Junipers and pines. Serin and Chaffinch could be heard.
At the next site we were greeted by a large group of Alpine Swift being very noisy and eventually flying very low. The next bird we saw was a Cyprus Warbler sitting on top of a tree quite close, it then flew towards us and landed in a bush meters away.
Then he vanished but was seen again later chasing a Sardinian Warbler around and providing incredible views in a low bush just meters away from us. A surprise bird here was a lone Greater Short-toed Lark that landed infront of the car.
Two Griffon Vultures were on the cliff and a small group of Eleonora's Falcons were in flight but quite far away.
We headed to the other side to get better views of Cyprus Wheatear of which we did.
Next destination was Phassouri Marsh. A Large flock of Glossy Ibis were flying over as we entered the site and two Serin were on the ground very close to the car. Black Francolin were calling all around and Marsh Harriers were hunting.
On the water we had a few Squacco Heron, Little Egret, Cattle Egret, Garganey, mallard and ducklings, Moorhen and some Glossy Ibis.
Moving on to the gravel pits we came across Lesser Grey Shrike and Red-backed Shrike in close proximity to each other. Two Great Egret flew in from the sea and landed on some pools. The church only had a Spotted Flycatcher.
Heading to Lady's Mile we had a Chukar in the road near bishop's pool, with eastern olivaceous warbler singing in the acacia and a Pied Flycatcher darted across the road.
Lady's Mile held plenty of waders, mostly Marsh Sandpiper, Ruff and black-winged stilt with Little Stint and little terns. The highlight here was an Avocet.
Moving on to the salt lake we was treated to many Temminck's Stint very close to the car ... a very productive site but sadly we didn't get to spend much time here. We totaled 68 species for the half day tour!
At the next site we were greeted by a large group of Alpine Swift being very noisy and eventually flying very low. The next bird we saw was a Cyprus Warbler sitting on top of a tree quite close, it then flew towards us and landed in a bush meters away.
Then he vanished but was seen again later chasing a Sardinian Warbler around and providing incredible views in a low bush just meters away from us. A surprise bird here was a lone Greater Short-toed Lark that landed infront of the car.
Two Griffon Vultures were on the cliff and a small group of Eleonora's Falcons were in flight but quite far away.
We headed to the other side to get better views of Cyprus Wheatear of which we did.
Next destination was Phassouri Marsh. A Large flock of Glossy Ibis were flying over as we entered the site and two Serin were on the ground very close to the car. Black Francolin were calling all around and Marsh Harriers were hunting.
On the water we had a few Squacco Heron, Little Egret, Cattle Egret, Garganey, mallard and ducklings, Moorhen and some Glossy Ibis.
Moving on to the gravel pits we came across Lesser Grey Shrike and Red-backed Shrike in close proximity to each other. Two Great Egret flew in from the sea and landed on some pools. The church only had a Spotted Flycatcher.
Heading to Lady's Mile we had a Chukar in the road near bishop's pool, with eastern olivaceous warbler singing in the acacia and a Pied Flycatcher darted across the road.
Lady's Mile held plenty of waders, mostly Marsh Sandpiper, Ruff and black-winged stilt with Little Stint and little terns. The highlight here was an Avocet.
Moving on to the salt lake we was treated to many Temminck's Stint very close to the car ... a very productive site but sadly we didn't get to spend much time here. We totaled 68 species for the half day tour!
 Eurasian Blackcap - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved Species: Chukar Partridge (h) Black Francolin Mallard Garganey Greater Flamingo Glossy Ibis Squacco Heron Cattle Egret Great Egret Little Egret Common Kestrel Eleonora's Falcon Peregrine Falcon Griffon Vulture Western Marsh Harrier Montagu's Harrier Common Moorhen Black-winged Stilt Pied Avocet Little Ringed Plover Marsh Sandpiper Common Greenshank Wood Sandpiper Common Sandpiper Little Stint Temminck's Stint Ruff Little Tern Rock Dove Common Wood-pigeon European Turtle-dove Eurasian Collared-dove Common Cuckoo (h) Great Spotted Cuckoo Alpine Swift |  Glossy Ibis - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved Common Swift European Roller Red-backed Shrike Lesser Grey Shrike Eurasian Golden Oriole Eurasian Magpie Eurasian Jackdaw Hooded Crow Great Tit Greater Short-toed Lark Crested Lark Sand Martin Barn Swallow Common House-martin Zitting Cisticola (h) Cetti's Warbler Sedge Warbler Eurasian Reed-warbler (h) Eastern Olivaceous Warbler Blackcap Sardinian Warbler Cyprus Warbler Cyprus Wheatear Spotted Flycatcher European Pied Flycatcher House Sparrow White Wagtail Yellow Wagtail (flava) (h) Common Chaffinch European Serin European Greenfinch European Goldfinch Common Linnet 68 |
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