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March 31st, 2017

31/3/2017

 

Cyprus Bird watching Tours - BIRD is the WORD Tour, Paphos & Akrotiri 29/03/17

On the 29th I guided Sian around the sites of Paphos and Akrotiri. It gradually became harder to find birds throughout the day concerning the winds picking up speed but started off well enough for that not to matter. We started at the Sewage Works, en-route checking out the lower Ezousas river area of which we managed to spot European Turtle Dove in flight and also sitting on a wire and 2 Squacco Herons in a tree. All the usual's were at the Sewage Works. Anarita Park was booming with life, here we got exceptional views of Wryneck, Creztschmar's and Ortolan Bunting, Lesser Kestrels, Great Spotted Cuckoos, Tawny Pipits, Chukar, Northern, Isabelline, Eastern Black-eared and Cyprus Wheatears, Little Owl which Sian was particularly fond of, plus a young Bonelli's Eagle showed up just as we were leaving. Then on to Mandria where we had an extremely close encounter with a Male Hen Harrier and ridiculously close views of Eurasian Hoopoe probing and feeding on caterpillars next to the car which was the highlight of the tour. In Akrotiri, we stayed at Zakaki marsh for no more than 10 minutes due to how poor it was ... which was a bit of a let down concerning my past 3 visits there being so fruitful. We scouted Lady's Mile and the Salt Lake which again had a large amount of Waders on and finally some Slender-billed Gulls way in the distance. The Curlew seen there on the previous tour seemed to have been joined by two others, due to time management we didn't manage to scout through all of the waders, that and waders were Sian's least priority on the tour (aside Greater Flamingo of which there was no shortage of - of which we ate our lunch infront of). Whilst heading back to Paphos we stopped in at Kensington Cliffs for the Griffon Vultures, sadly none showed up, though we had good views of a Long-legged Buzzard and Peregrine Falcon in the area and some fleeting views of Cyprus Warbler singing whilst floating around in the air. A great tour providing great memories and another great species count - 80 (which I feel could have been much higher had it not been so windy).
Species:
​

Mallard
Chukar
Black Francolin (heard)
Greater Flamingo
European Shag
Little Egret
Squacco Heron
Cattle Egret
Hen Harrier
Common Buzzard
Long-legged Buzzard
Bonelli's Eagle
Lesser Kestrel
Common Kestrel
Peregrine Falcon
Common Moorhen
Eurasian Coot
Spur-winged Lapwing
Little Ringed Plover
Kentish Plover
Black-winged Stilt
Eurasian Curlew
Green Sandpiper
Wood Sandpiper
Little Stint
Dunlin
Ruff
Yellow-legged Gull
Caspian Gull
Armenian Gull
Baltic Gull
Black-headed Gull
Slender-billed Gull
Common Wood Pigeon
European Turtle Dove
Eurasian Collared Dove
Great Spotted Cuckoo
Little Owl
Alpine Swift
Common Swift
Eurasian Hoopoe
Eurasian Wryneck
Greater Short-toed Lark
Crested Lark
Barn Swallow
Red-rumped Swallow
House Martin
White Wagtail
Yellow Wagtail (Feldegg)
Tawny Pipit
Tree Pipit
Meadow Pipit
Red-throated Pipit 
Water Pipit (Heard)
Zitting Cisticola
Cetti's Warbler
Common Chiffchaff
Eurasian Blackcap
Lesser Whitethroat
Sardinian Warbler
Cyprus Warbler
Spectacled Warbler
Nightingale (heard)
European Stonechat
Northern Wheatear
Cyprus Wheatear
Eastern Black-eared Wheatear
Isabelline Wheatear
Great Tit
Magpie
Eurasian Jackdaw
Hooded Crow
Ortolan Bunting
Cretzschmar's Bunting
Corn Bunting
European Greenfinch
European Goldfinch
Common Linnet
European Serin (Heard)
House Sparrow
80
Lesser Kestrel Cyprus Birding Birdwatching tours ecotours birdlife wildlife
Lesser Kestrel - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved
Tawny Pipit - Cyprus Birding Birdwatching tours ecotours birdlife wildlife
Tawny Pipit - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved
Little Owl Cyprus Birding Birdwatching tours ecotours birdlife wildlife
Little Owl - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved
Eastern Black-eared Wheatear Common Linnet Cyprus Birding Birdwatching tours ecotours birdlife wildlife
Eastern Black-eared Wheatear + Common Linnet - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved
Eurasian Hoopoe Cyprus Birding Birdwatching tours ecotours birdlife wildlife
Eurasian Hoopoe - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved
Greater Flamingo Cyprus Birding Birdwatching tours ecotours birdlife wildlife
Greater Flamingo - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved
Eurasian Hoopoe Cyprus Birding Birdwatching tours ecotours birdlife wildlife
Eurasian Hoopoe with catch - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved
Eastern Black-eared Wheatear Cyprus Birding Birdwatching tours ecotours birdlife wildlife
Eastern Black-eared Wheatear - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved

March 28th, 2017

28/3/2017

 

Cyprus Bird watching Tours - BIRD is the WORD Tour, Akrotiri 26/03/17

On the 26th I had the pleasure of guiding Eleanor around the sites of Akrotiri and Episkopi. Eleanor was happy to go with the flow and enjoy the birding with no target species aside Glossy Ibis of which unusually none have been seen so far this year. We started out at Zakaki and results were similar to the previous tour, only with Baillon's Crake staying out in the open for much longer and a fly by of the first reported Sand Martin of the year. There wasn't any Yellow Wagtails present but we saw many at the Salt Lake, where there was a very large number of waders, Dunlin, Little Stint, Kentish, Little and Common Ringed plovers, Ruff, Green and Wood Sandpiper, a Greenshank and a lone Eurasian Curlew a bit further out. Spectacled warblers were singing in the shrubs, and there was many Greater Flamingos on the Lake. In the distance towards the masts a small party of Gull-billed Terns flew across. At Lady's Mile a Hoopoe entertained along with an assortment of Pipits (Red-throated, Tree and Meadow) in a relatively small area. Baltic, Armenian, Caspian and Black-headed Gull were present, the Med gulls weren't in sight and yet again no slender-billed gulls nor any sign of the Marsh Sandpiper. We had very close views of a male Black Francolin that actually flew towards us in the car, possibly the best views I've ever had of the species ... within 5 meters! Bishops Pools provided great views of Black-crowned Night Heron and Squacco Heron of which we sat and ate our lunch infront of. The Gravel Pits was a little quieter than on the previous tour though we did find two Eastern Black-eared Wheatears that I missed previously, A Bimaculated Lark was singing for a short period, though couldn't be found on the ground nor in the sky. We then proceeded to Kensington cliffs where many Cyprus Warblers were singing and 3 Griffon Vultures flew over low on arrival. Then a quick trip into the foothills to get great views of Cyprus Warbler and Cyprus Wheatear. Here we observed a European Serin in display flight, something I have never seen before (so was naturally the highlight of the tour for me). At this site we also managed to see orchids such as Orchis Syriaca and the "hard to find" Ophrys Israelitica (and we saw our Endemic Orchid "Ophrys Kotschyi" at the Gravel Pits earlier that day). So 80 species of bird, another successful tour with great company. 
Species:
Common Teal
Mallard
Garganey
Northern Shoveller
Ferruginous Duck
Black Francolin
Little Grebe
Greater Flamingo
Great Cormorant
Grey Heron
Little Egret
Squacco Heron
Black-crowned Night Heron
Western Marsh Harrier
Common Kestrel
Water Rail (heard)
Little Crake
Baillon's Crake
Common Moorhen
Eurasia Coot
Common Ringed Plover
Little Ringed Plover
Kentish Plover
Eurasian Curlew
Common Greenshank
Green Sandpiper
Wood Sandpiper
Little Stint
Dunlin
Ruff
Baltic Gull
Yellow-legged Gull
Caspian Gull
Armenian Gull
Black-headed Gull
Gull-billed Tern
Common Wood Pigeon
Eurasian Collared Dove
Common Swift
Eurasian Hoopoe
Bimaculated Lark (heard)
Crested Lark
Sand martin
Barn Swallow
Red-rumped Swallow
House Martin
White Wagtail
Yellow Wagtail (Black-headed)
Tree Pipit
Meadow Pipit
Red-throated Pipit
Song Thrush
Zitting Cisticola
Cetti's Warbler
Sedge Warbler (Heard)
Eurasian Reed Warbler
Common Chiffchaff
Eurasian Blackcap
Lesser Whitethroat
Eastern Orphean Warbler
Ruppell's Warbler
Sardinian Warbler
Cyprus Warbler
Spectacled Warbler
Common Nightingale (heard)
European Stonechat
Cyprus Wheatear
Eastern Black-eared Wheatear
Great Tit
Eurasian Penduline Tit
Magpie
Eurasian Jackdaw
Hooded Crow
Cretzschmar's Bunting
Common Chaffinch
European Greenfinch
European Goldfinch
Common Linnet
European Serin
House Sparrow
80
Baillon's Crake Cyprus Birding Birdwatching tours ecotours birdlife wildlife
Baillon's Crake - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved
Baillon's Crake Cyprus Birding Birdwatching tours ecotours birdlife wildlife
Baillon's Crake - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved
Black-crowned Night Heron Cyprus Birding Birdwatching tours ecotours birdlife wildlife
Black-crowned Night Heron - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved
Black-winged Stilt Cyprus Birding Birdwatching tours ecotours birdlife wildlife
Black-winged Stilt - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved
Crested Lark Cyprus Birding Birdwatching tours ecotours birdlife wildlife
Crested Lark - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved
Ruff Cyprus Birding Birdwatching tours ecotours birdlife wildlife
Ruff - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved
​Site's visited:
Zakaki Marsh, Lady's Mile, Akrotiri Salt Lake, Bishop's Pool, Akrotiri Gravel Pits, Kesington Cliffs, Souni Hills. 
Black-crowned Night Heron Cyprus Birding Birdwatching tours ecotours birdlife wildlife
Black-crowned Night Heron - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved
Ophrys Kotschyi Endemic Orchid Cyprus Birding Birdwatching tours ecotours birdlife wildlife
Ophrys Kotschyi - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved

March 25th, 2017

25/3/2017

 

Cyprus Bird watching Tours - BIRD is the WORD Tour, Akrotiri & Troodos 24/03/17

On the 24th March I had the pleasure of guiding Tomas Hedmark around the Akrotiri and Troodos Sites, a great day providing 88 Species and a good laugh too. It was a lovely clear and hot day, perfect for birding. We started at Zakaki where our first birds were a Baillon's and Little Crake, plus Penduline Tit, Garganey and Ferruginous Duck (the latter being one of Tomas' target species). Not a bad start to the tour which only picked up further when (I believe) the first Squacco Heron of the year turned up. There was unfortunately an absense of Slender-billed Gulls at Lady's Mile, and the Marsh Sandpipers present had obviously moved on ... but a stunning adult Baltic Gull kept following us around. A quick look on the Salt Lake provided great views of a heated conflict between two Isabelline Wheatears, the winner was observed eating a caterpillar on the way back. There was a small group of Greater Short-toed larks in the air but we didn't manage any views of them on the ground. Then we was treated to a male Pallid Harrier hunting the salt lake shrub and then joined up with a Female near the masts. A trip around the Gravel Pits provided an Ehrenberg's Redstart (Eastern Common Redstart), a Eurasian Hoopoe, plenty of Cretzschmar's Bunting, an Eastern Bonelli's Warbler hover hunting over a shrub and some excellent close views of Eastern Subalpine Warbler. A visit to the foothills of Akrotiri provided great views of Cyprus Warbler and Cyprus Wheatear in song. Troodos was exceptional , the snow had just melted with a few patches here and there, and all the sites were open to the public. We had exceptional views of a Dorothy's (Short-toed) Treecreeper in song with plenty of others around and also our Coal Tit. We heard the calls of a Goshawk, and pursued ... only to find a pair of Jays mimicking! We managed to find plenty of Siskin, Hawfinch and to our surprise ... the Countries 9th Pine Bunting! A stunning male bird on the ground, not too far away from the (1of2) endemic Crocusses (Crocus Cyprius) that are abundent at this site. A great way to wrap the tour up with a Cyprus Rarity.
Baltic Gull Cyprus Birding Birdwatching tours ecotours birdlife wildlife
Baltic Gull - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved
Cretzschmar's Bunting Cyprus Birding Birdwatching tours ecotours birdlife wildlife
Cretzschmar's Bunting - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved
Picture
Crocus Cyprius - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved
Picture
Crocus Cyprius - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved
Hawfinch Cyprus Birding Birdwatching tours ecotours birdlife wildlife
Eurasian Hawfinch - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved
Species:
Common Teal
Mallard
Garganey
Ferruginous Duck
Chukar (A.c.cypriotes)
Black Francolin (Heard)
Little Grebe
Greater Flamingo
Grey Heron
Little Egret
Squacco Heron
Great Bittern (roadkill)
Pallid Harrier
Common Buzzard
Common Kestrel
Water Rail (heard)
Little Crake
Baillon's Crake
Common Moorhen
Eurasian Coot
Common Ringed Plover
Little Ringed Plover
Kentish Plover
Black-winged Stilt
Common Snipe
Green Sandpiper
Little Stint
Dunlin
Ruff
Baltic Gull
Yellow-legged Gull
Caspian Gull
Armenian Gull
Mediterranean Gull
Black-headed Gull
Common Wood Pigeon
European Turtle Dove
Eurasian Collared Dove
Common Swift
Pallid Swift
Eurasian Hoopoe
Crested Lark (G.c.cypriaca) 
Greater Short-toed Lark
Barn Swallow
House Martin
White Wagtail
Yellow Wagtail (Black-headed)
Tree pipit
Meadow Pipit
Water Pipit
Eastern Mediterranean Winter Wren (heard) (T.t.cypriotes)
Eurasian Blackbird
Song Thrush
Zitting Cisticola
Cetti's Warbler (heard)
Sedge Warbler
Eurasian Reed Warbler
Common Chiffchaff
Eastern Bonelli's Warbler
Eurasian Blackcap
Lesser Whitethroat
Eastern Subalpine Warbler
Sardinian Warbler
Cyprus Warbler
Spectacled Warbler
Nightingale
Western Black Redstart
Common Redstart (P.p.samamisicus )
European Stonechat
Cyprus Wheatear
Isabelline Wheatear
Coal Tit (P.a.cypriotes)
Great Tit (P.m.aphrodite)
Dorothy's Treecreeper (C.b.dorotheae)
Eurasian Penduline Tit
Eurasian Jay (G.g.glazneri)
Magpie
Eurasian Jackdaw
Hooded Crow
Pine Bunting
Cretzschmar's Bunting
Corn Bunting (heard)
Common Chaffinch
European Greenfinch
Eurasian Siskin
European Goldfinch
Common Linnet
Hawfinch
House Sparrow
88
Dorothy's SHort-toed Treecreeper Cyprus Birding Birdwatching tours ecotours birdlife wildlife
Dorothy's (Short-toed) Treecreeper - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved
Eastern Subalpine Warbler Cyprus Birding Birdwatching tours ecotours birdlife wildlife
Eastern Subalpine Warbler - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved
Eurasian Reed Warbler Cyprus Birding Birdwatching tours ecotours birdlife wildlife
Eurasian Reed Warbler - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved
Ferruginous Duck Cyprus Birding Birdwatching tours ecotours birdlife wildlife
Ferruginous Duck - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved
Garganey Cyprus Birding Birdwatching tours ecotours birdlife wildlife
Garganey - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved
Pallid Harrier Cyprus Birding Birdwatching tours ecotours birdlife wildlife
Pallid Harrier - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved
Pallid Harrier Cyprus Birding Birdwatching tours ecotours birdlife wildlife
Pallid Harriers - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved
Sites Visited:
​Zakaki Marsh, Lady's Mile, Akrotiri Salt Lake, Bishop's Pool, Akrotiri Gravel Pits, Phassouri Reedbeds, Souni Hills, Troodos Square, Livadi Tou Passia, Amiantos/Giant Junipers.
Little Crake Cyprus Birding Birdwatching tours ecotours birdlife wildlife
Little Crake (fem) - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved
Pine Bunting Cyprus Birding Birdwatching tours ecotours birdlife wildlife
Pine Bunting (9th Cyprus Record) - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved
Squacco Heron Cyprus Birding Birdwatching tours ecotours birdlife wildlife
Squacco Heron - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved

March 19th, 2017

19/3/2017

 

Cyprus Bird watching Tours - BIRD is the WORD Tour, Paphos 18/03/17

On the 18th March I had the good fortune of guiding Brian Bone around Paphos. Brian is a well traveled birder, who concentrates on bird watching and videography so the tour was needing to be a slightly different style to allow for good video moments. Brian was a big fan of studying bird behaviour and the irony of that was the birds were acting very strange that day. Blue Rock Thrush were following us around, a chukar was tip-toeing across the road, a Cyprus Warbler would fly a mile away and leave its territory and return amongst many other strange occurrences, which provided great observation and quite a laugh too. 
Brian had a lot of target species, many of which were not possible at this time but all others met aside Cyprus Wheatear, Long-legged Buzzard and Bonelli's Eagle oddly enough.
Highlights were coming across a staggering 19 Eurasian Hoopoe with some very very close encounters, my first Eastern Subalpine Warbler of the year, We had 3 male Ruppell's Warblers, A Western Marsh Harrier at nearly every site providing superb views, A Male Hen Harrier hunting a newly cut field, A Common Buzzard being viciously mobbed by Hooded Crows and also superb views of Cyprus Warbler, 4 Great Spotted Cuckoo, 4 Blue Rock Thrush, A Peregrine Falcon on territory, a Slender Billed Gull perched near Black-winged Stilts at the beach and 2 Eastern Black-eared Wheatears. 

 
Species:

Island Chukar
Common Quail (heard)
Common Buzzard
Western Marsh Harrier
Hen Harrier
Eurasian Sparrowhawk
Common kestrel
Peregrine Falcon
Common Moorhen
Spur-winged Lapwing
European Golden Plover
Black-winged Stilt
Green Sandpiper
Yellow-legged Gull
Slender-billed Gull
Common Wood pigeon
Eurasian Collared Dove
Great Spotted Cuckoo
Alpine Swift
Common Swift
Eurasian Hoopoe
Crested Lark
Woodlark
Barn Swallow
Red-rumped Swallow
Common house Martin
White Wagtail
Yellow Wagtail
Meadow Pipit
Red-throated pipit
Water Pipit
Song Thrush
Zitting Cisticola
Cetti's Warbler
Common Chiffchaff
Eurasian Blackcap
Lesser Whitethroat
Ruppell's Warbler
Eastern Subalpine Warbler
Sardinian Warbler
Cyprus Warbler
Spectacled Warbler
Blue Rock Thrush
European Robin
Common Nightingale
Bluethroat
Western Black redstart
European Stonechat
Northern Wheatear
Eastern Black-eared Wheatear
Finsch's Wheatear
Isabelline Wheatear
Great Tit
Woodchat Shrike
Magpie
Eurasian Jackdaw
Hooded Crow
Cretzschmar's Bunting
Corn Bunting
Common Chaffinch
European Greenfinch
Eurasian Siskin
European Goldfinch
Common Linnet
European Serin
House Sparrow
Spanish Sparrow
68
Black Headed Wagtail Yellow Cyprus Birding Birdwatching tours ecotours birdlife wildlife
Black-headed Wagtail - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved
Eurasian Hoopoe Cyprus Birding Birdwatching tours ecotours birdlife wildlife
Eurasian Hoopoe - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved
Eurasian Hoopoe Cyprus Birding Birdwatching tours ecotours birdlife wildlife
Eurasian Hoopoe - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved
Great Spotted Cuckoo Cyprus Birding Birdwatching tours ecotours birdlife wildlife
Great Spotted Cuckoo - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved
Hen Harrier Cyprus Birding Birdwatching tours ecotours birdlife wildlife
Hen Harrier - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved
Lesser Whitethroat Cyprus Birding Birdwatching tours ecotours birdlife wildlife
Lesser Whitethroat - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved
Sites Visited:
Anarita Park, Agia Varvara, Paphos Sewage Plant, Timi Beach, Episcopi Paphos, Asprokremnos Dam, Anarita Masts, Mandria, Kouklia.

Ruppell's Warbler Cyprus Birding Birdwatching tours ecotours birdlife wildlife
Ruppell's Warbler - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved
Western Marsh Harrier Cyprus Birding Birdwatching tours ecotours birdlife wildlife
Western Marsh Harrier - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved
Woodchat Shrike Cyprus Birding Birdwatching tours ecotours birdlife wildlife
Woodchat Shrike - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved
Eurasian Hoopoe Cyprus Birding Birdwatching tours ecotours birdlife wildlife
Eurasian Hoopoe - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved

March 19th, 2017

19/3/2017

 

Cyprus Bird watching Tours - BIRD is the WORD Tour, Paphos + Akrotiri. 17/03/17

On the 17th I had the pleasure of guiding Tony Doyle around the Paphos and Akrotiri Sites. Tony being a friend of one of my previous clients/friends made the day just a little bit better.

Tony was not fussed about target species and opted for a good variety of species of which we most certainly managed.

The weather was not great, quite overcast with a few sunny spells and so I only lifted the camera a few times. We managed amazing views of nearly every species we came across, which was a lot of species. In fact it was a tour record count of 90 species.

Highlights were a (red spotted) Bluethroat 3.5 meters from the car singing, a male grey wagtail in breeding plumage which is seldom seen in Cyprus, Marsh Sandpiper feeding, 5 Species of Wheatear, Alpine Swift flying head height within 10 meters, a mammoth passage of Common Swift at the beach which was a sight to behold and Lastly a male Laughing Dove having a good laugh. Also stopped to help a stunned Cyprus Endemic Long-eared hedgehog across the road at Phassouri Marsh.

A fantastic way to start Cyprus Bird Watching Tours - BIRD is the WORD's spring tours.


Picture
Anothony Doyle - Mandria. With large passage of Common Swifts feeding above the field behind.
Species:

Common Teal
Chukar
Black Francolin (heard)
Common Quail (heard)
Little Grebe
Greater Flamingo
European Shag
Grey Heron
Little Egret 
Cattle Egret
Western Marsh Harrier
Griffon Vulture
Common Kestrel
Common Moorhen
Eurasian Coot
Spur-winged Lapwing
European Golden Plover
Little Ringed Plover
Kentish Plover
Greater Sand Plover
Black-winged Stilt
Common Snipe
Marsh Sandpiper
Green Sandpiper
Common Redshank
Little Stint
Ruff
Baltic Gull
Yellow-legged Gull
Caspian Gull
Armenian Gull
Mediterranean Gull
Black-headed Gull
Slender-billed Gull
Sandwich Tern
Rock Dove
Common Wood Pigeon
Eurasian Collared Dove
Laughing Dove
Great Spotted Cuckoo
Little Owl
Alpine Swift
Common Swift
Eurasian Hoopoe
Greater Short-toed lark
Crested Lark
Woodlark
Barn Swallow
Red-rumped Swallow
Common House Martin
White Wagtail
Yellow Wagtail (heard)
Grey Wagtail
Tree Pipit
Red-throated Pipit (heard)
Meadow Pipit
Water Pipit
Song Thrush
Zitting Cisticola
Cetti's Warbler
Sedge Warbler
Eurasian Reed Warbler
Common Chiffchaff
Eurasian Blackcap
Lesser Whitethroat
Sardinian Warbler
Cyprus Warbler
Blue Rock Thrush
European Robin
Bluethroat
Western Black Redstart
European Stonechat
Northern Wheatear
Finsch's Wheatear
Cyprus Wheatear
Eastern Black-eared Wheatear
Isabelline Wheatear
Great Tit
Woodchat Shrike
Magpie
Eurasian Jackdaw
Hooded Crow
Corn Bunting
Common Chaffinch
European Greenfinch
European Goldfinch
Common Linnet
European Serin
House Sparrow
Spanish Sparrow
90
Bluethroat Cyprus Birding Birdwatching tours ecotours birdlife wildlife
Bluethroat - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved
Blue Rock Thrush Cyprus Birding Birdwatching tours ecotours birdlife wildlife
Blue Rock Thrush - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved
Cyprus Wheatear Cyprus Birding Birdwatching tours ecotours birdlife wildlife
Cyprus Wheatear (female) - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved
Laughing Dove Cyprus Birding Birdwatching tours ecotours birdlife wildlife
Laughing Dove - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved
Picture
European Serin -Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved
Baltic Gull Black-headed Gull Cyprus Birding Birdwatching tours ecotours birdlife wildlife
Baltic Gull - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved
Slender Billed gull black headed gull Cyprus Birding Birdwatching tours ecotours birdlife wildlife
Slender-billed Gull (Black-headed Gull in foreground). Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved
Picture
Little Stint, Ruff and Little Ringed plover - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved
Sites Visited:
Acheleia Resevoir, Paphos Sewage Plant, Agia Varvara, Anarita Park, Mandria, Kensington Cliffs, Phassouri Marsh, Akrotiri Gravel Pits, Zakaki Marsh, Lady's Mile.


Picture
Ophrys Kotshchyi - Endemic Bee Orchid of Cyprus. Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved
    Mostly all photos are taken with a
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    and a
    - Canon 400mm Ef-s USM l f5.6 Lens. 
    - no teleconverter.

    Macro: 
    Tamron sp 90mm f017
    (older: Canon sx50 HS)


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    • Fat Birder

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