Cyprus Bird watching Tours - BIRD is the WORD Tour, Paphos, Akrotiri, Larnaca, Ayia Napa, Troodos 27-30/12/16
From the 27th to the 30th of December I had the pleasure of guiding Charles Kitchen around the sites in Paphos, Akrotiri, Larnaca, Troodos and Ayia Napa.
The weather was unseasonally cold and very wet, with conditions in Troodos so extreme (fog, snow, hail) that we had to bird the lower sites as a back up.
Charles had quite a few Target species: Finsch's Wheatear, Chukar, Spanish Sparrow, Armenian Gull, Black Francolin, Crested Lark, Cyprus Warbler, Audouin's Gull, Long-legged Buzzard, Dorothy's Short-toed Treecreeper, Spur-winged Lapwing, Greater Sand Plover, Spectacled Warbler and Ruddy Shelduck. Sadly due to the weather Cyprus Warbler was not possible, and also the fact that they may not have wintered this year. Audouin's Gull was not seen either despite trying very hard for it. The Ruddy Shelducks present at Larnaca must have moved on a few days before we visited the site as they were seen in the North by others. ... but all other targets were met with great lengthy views, aside 2 short views of female Black Francolins in flight. We sadly didn't break 100 species (though I did, Charles didn't manage to get on a Hawfinch at Platres car park), although considering the weather I think it turned out quite well. Charles stated the highlight of the tour was getting very close to a pair of Hen Harriers in Paphos ... we were able to get within 5 meters of a Male Hen Harrier hunting, providing astonishing views ... of which a female merlin took out a Skylark right behind it and then the Hen Harrier proceeded to mob the Merlin. Quite possibly the only time I have ever seen a Merlin being mobbed.
This was more of a birding tour than photography orientated, but I did snap the occasional shot, Charles spent most of his time scoping birds and doing a bit of digiscoping for record.
So another successful tour, despite the weather.
The weather was unseasonally cold and very wet, with conditions in Troodos so extreme (fog, snow, hail) that we had to bird the lower sites as a back up.
Charles had quite a few Target species: Finsch's Wheatear, Chukar, Spanish Sparrow, Armenian Gull, Black Francolin, Crested Lark, Cyprus Warbler, Audouin's Gull, Long-legged Buzzard, Dorothy's Short-toed Treecreeper, Spur-winged Lapwing, Greater Sand Plover, Spectacled Warbler and Ruddy Shelduck. Sadly due to the weather Cyprus Warbler was not possible, and also the fact that they may not have wintered this year. Audouin's Gull was not seen either despite trying very hard for it. The Ruddy Shelducks present at Larnaca must have moved on a few days before we visited the site as they were seen in the North by others. ... but all other targets were met with great lengthy views, aside 2 short views of female Black Francolins in flight. We sadly didn't break 100 species (though I did, Charles didn't manage to get on a Hawfinch at Platres car park), although considering the weather I think it turned out quite well. Charles stated the highlight of the tour was getting very close to a pair of Hen Harriers in Paphos ... we were able to get within 5 meters of a Male Hen Harrier hunting, providing astonishing views ... of which a female merlin took out a Skylark right behind it and then the Hen Harrier proceeded to mob the Merlin. Quite possibly the only time I have ever seen a Merlin being mobbed.
This was more of a birding tour than photography orientated, but I did snap the occasional shot, Charles spent most of his time scoping birds and doing a bit of digiscoping for record.
So another successful tour, despite the weather.
| Species Seen: Greater White-fronted Goose (7) Common Shelduck (100+) Eurasian Wigeon (15+) Gadwall (3) Common Teal (100+) Mallard (20+) Northern Pintail (4) Northern Shoveler (50+) Ferruginous Duck (4) Island Chukar (A.c.cypriotes) (5) Black Francolin (2) Little Grebe (10+) Great Crested Grebe (1) Black-necked Grebe (5) Greater Flamingo (1000+) Great Cormorant (200+) Grey Heron (5+) Little Egret (3) Cattle Egret (5) Griffon Vulture (6) Western Marsh Harrier (2) Hen Harrier (6) Eurasian Sparrowhawk (2) Common Buzzard (20+) Long-legged Buzzard (2) Bonelli's Eagle (1) Common Kestrel (50+) Merlin (2) Peregrine Falcon (1) Common Moorhen (20+) Eurasian Coot (20+) Eurasian Stone-curlew (6) Northern Lapwing (1) Spur-winged Lapwing (20+) European Golden Plover (200+) Grey Plover (1) Kentish Plover (80+) Greater Sand Plover (4) Common Snipe (1) Whimbrel (1) Common Redshank (4) Green Sandpiper (1) Common Sandpiper (3) Ruddy Turnstone (3) Dunlin (1) Little Stint (20+) Common Gull (2) Yellow-legged Gull Caspian Gull Armenian Gull (5+) Mediterranean Gull (1) Black-headed Gull (500+) Slender-billed Gull (9) Sandwich Tern (1) Common Wood Pigeon (1000+) Eurasian Collared Dove (10+) Little Owl (1) Common Kingfisher (4) Crested Lark (10+) Woodlark (5+) Eurasian Skylark (300+) Crag Martin (6) Barn Swallow (1) White Wagtail (50+) Grey Wagtail (2) Meadow Pipit (100+) Red-throated Pipit (1) Caucasian Water Pipit (A.s.coutellii) (1) Eurasian Blackbird (10) Song Thrush (10) Cetti's Warbler (3) Common Chiffchaff (10+) Eurasian Blackcap (2) Sardinian Warbler (6) Spectacled Warbler (5) Blue Rock Thrush (1) European Robin (2) Bluethroat (2) Western Black Redstart (4) European Stonechat (50+) Finsch's Wheatear (1) Coal Tit (P.a.cypriotes) (2) Great Tit (P.m.aphrodite) (1) Dorothy's Treecreeper (C.b.dorotheae) (1) Eurasian Jay (G.g.glazneri) (4) Eurasian Magpie Western Jackdaw Hooded Crow European Starling (8) Reed Bunting (2) Corn Bunting (10+) Common Chaffinch European Greenfinch Eurasian Siskin (60+) European Goldfinch Common Linnet European Serin House Sparrow Spanish Sparrow (30+) 99 species |  Common Kestrel - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved  Common Shelduck - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved  Eurasian Crag Martin - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved  Eurasian Griffon Vulture - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved  Eurasian Stone Curlew - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved  Greater White-fronted Geese (inc possible greenland race) - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved  Long-legged Buzzard - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved  Merlin - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved  Red-throated Pipit - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved |
Paphos, Mandria. Double Rainbow. Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved
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