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April 30th, 2017

30/4/2017

 

Cyprus Bird watching Tours - BIRD is the WORD Tour, Paphos & Akrotiri 24+25/04/17

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
On the 24th and 25th of April I guided Ian Norris around the Paphos and Akrotiri sites on a strictly photography tour, so species count was never going to be high as we'd be spending lots of time with each species. I was using a borrowed car as mine was in for repairs. Being in a new car (hybrid) I found it was actually harder to approach birds, maybe due to it being white. Started the day at the Paphos Sewage Plant for good photo ops with Black Francolin and Spur-winged Lapwing. The Black francolin was very close but always staying partly concealed on the edge of a wheat field, and the Spur-winged Lapwing performed well as usual. A perched Red-rumped Swallow was an added bonus. We passed through Agia Varvara for Chukar and European Turtle Dove. The Chukar was quite close on a rock but sadly towards the sun and the Turtle Dove did not stick around for long. Aside from some close photo ops with Spotted Flycatchers Mandria was quite poor so we quickly headed on to Asprokremnos Dam, this provided good photo opportunities with Tree Pipit and Wryneck though due to a few mistakes we both walked away without photos of these species. Then to Anarita Park which provided great photo opportunities of Little Owl, Red-footed Falcon and Lesser Kestrel hunting and Cyprus warbler. Nata ford provided good photo opportunities only with Wood Sandpiper. We then headed into the Paphos Foothills where we observed Peregrine Falcon at their nesting site and up to Minthis for very close photo ops with Cretzschmar's Bunting on territory. We continued to Kathikas in hope of some early Black-headed Buntings but failed to find any, though we did come across a stunning Golden Oriole.

Spotted Flycatcher Cyprus Birding Birdwatching tours ecotours birdlife wildlife
Spotted Flycatcher - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved
The second day consisted of a visit to Akrotiri, though Ian wasn't interested in photographing waders as only Marsh Sandpiper would be a new species ... which we did manage to see but sadly too distant for photographs. We started the day at Zakaki where we had immense views and photo opportunities with Baillon's Crake out in the open ... something that very rarely happens! We even managed to see it catch and eat a small fish though with quite a few obstructions. A Female Little Crake was out for a while as was a Water Rail and a few Little Bittern with quite a few Little Bittern flying too and many sounding their mating call. Squacco Herons were putting on a show too perching on the reeds. We had a brief look at Lady's Mile and the Salt Lake which had a group of Gull-billed Terns, Little Terns and a single White-winged Tern. Just before Akrotiri Village we came upon Turtle Dove coming down for water, various waders and also a Great Snipe quite close probing the ground. We then headed to the Gravel Pits which was unusually empty and so wasted no time in continuing to Kensington cliffs. Here we had good photo opportunities with Cyprus wheatear and warbler, passing Eleonora's Falcon and Griffon Vulture. Two Eleonora's Falcons were caught in each others talons in freefall at one point. The remainder of the day was spent in Paphos trying to improve photo opportunities with some earlier species. Also a trip to Mandria to get good shots of Red-throated Pipit, in which we did within 5 meters distance. At Anarita Park we witnessed to Magpies near a Cyprus Warbler at its nest, the male Cyprus Warbler emerged from a broom shrub after we had flushed the Magpies, the Cyprus Warbler had a chick in it bill and no doubt was transporting it to another nest ... a very odd observation that I have never come across before.
The species list is what I observed around us for those days.
Mallard
Ferruginous duck
Chukar
Black francolin
Greater flamingo
European shag
Grey heron
Purple heron
Little egret
Squacco heron
Cattle egret
Little bittern
Glossy ibis
Eurasian Griffon Vulture
Western Marsh harrier
Lesser kestrel
Common kestrel
Red-footed falcon
Eleonora's falcon
Peregrine falcon
Water rail
Little crake
Baillon's crake
Common moorhen
Eurasian coot
Eurasian Stone curlew (h)
Spur-winged lapwing
Little ringed plover
Kentish plover
Black-winged stilt
Great snipe
Marsh sandpiper
Common greenshank
Wood sandpiper
Common sandpiper
Little stint
Curlew sandpiper
Ruff
Yellow-legged gull
Black-headed gull
Gull-billed tern
Little tern
White-winged tern
Rock dove
Common Wood pigeon
European turtle dove
Eurasian Collared dove
Little owl
Alpine swift
Common swift
Pallid swift
Eurasian Hoopoe
Common kingfisher (h)
European bee-eater (h)
Eurasian wryneck
Greater short-toed lark
Crested lark
Sand martin
Barn swallow
Red-rumped swallow
House martin
White wagtail
Yellow wagtail
Tawny pipit
Tree pipit
Red-throated pipit
Zitting cisticola
Cetti's warbler
Savi's warbler (h)
Sedge warbler
Eurasian reed warbler 
Great reed warbler
Eastern olivaceous warbler (h)
Eurasian blackcap
Whitethroat
Sardinian warbler
Cyprus warbler
Spectacled warbler
Spotted flycatcher
Common redstart
Whinchat
Cyprus wheatear
Eastern Black-eared wheatear
Great tit
Eurasian golden oriole
Magpie
Eurasian jackdaw
Hooded crow
Cretzschmar's bunting
Corn bunting
European greenfinch
European goldfinch
Common linnet
House sparrow
Spanish sparrow

95
Picture
Baillon's Crake - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved
Baillon's Crake feeding Cyprus Birding Birdwatching tours ecotours birdlife wildlife
Baillon's Crake with fish - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved
Curlew Sandpiper Cyprus Birding Birdwatching tours ecotours birdlife wildlife
Curlew Sandpiper - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved
Eurasian Golden Oriole Cyprus Birding Birdwatching tours ecotours birdlife wildlife
Eurasian Golden oriole - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved
Grey heron Cyprus Birding Birdwatching tours ecotours birdlife wildlife
Grey Heron - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved
White-winged Gull-billed Tern Cyprus Birding Birdwatching tours ecotours birdlife wildlife
Gull-billed & White-winged Tern - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved
Little Crake Cyprus Birding Birdwatching tours ecotours birdlife wildlife
Little Crake - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved
White-winged Tern Cyprus Birding Birdwatching tours ecotours birdlife wildlife
White-winged Tern - 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
Glossy Ibis Cyprus Birding Birdwatching tours ecotours birdlife wildlife
Glossy Ibis - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved

April 29th, 2017

29/4/2017

 

Cyprus Bird watching Tours - BIRD is the WORD Tour, Paphos. Tailored Night Tour (half tour) 22/04/17

On the 22nd I led a tailored field trip for Michael Booker and group specifically to see and photograph the Cyprus Scops Owl. On our way to my Scops Owl site we stopped at a rock face know for nesting Peregrine Falcons, Western jackdaw and Barn Owl. We had brief views of Barn Owl which were heard much more than seen. The Peregrine Falcon was on show and so was a Little Owl though very distant. A few Egyptian Fruit Bats and Western Jackdaw would fly around and many Cyprus Scops Owls heard.
From here we went to the site, a small woodland area where I have often had them eye level on low branches. After 5-10 minutes a couple were located and provided amazing views and photo opportunities for over 30 minutes.
After the group were satisfied we moved on up to a water crossing, here we saw a pipistrelle bat flying around, Cyprus Water Frogs, Endangered European Eels and to our surprise Fresh Water Crabs. We also came across a Cyprus Scorpion and a Mole Cricket.  
Cyprus Scops Owl Cyprus Birding Birdwatching tours ecotours birdlife wildlife
Cyprus Scops Owl - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved
Cyprus Scops Owl Cyprus Birding Birdwatching tours ecotours birdlife wildlife
Cyprus Scops Owl - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved
Picture
Fresh Water Crab - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved
As I only took a few quick shots from a distance and mostly left the owls to the group, I returned 3 nights to better reflect the photographic opportunities that the group had had of our Endemic Cyprus Scops Owl.
Cyprus Scops Owl Cyprus Birding Birdwatching tours ecotours birdlife wildlife
Cyprus Scops Owl - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved
Cyprus Scops Owl Cyprus Birding Birdwatching tours ecotours birdlife wildlife
Cyprus Scops Owl - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved

April 20th, 2017

20/4/2017

 

Cyprus Bird watching Tours - BIRD is the WORD Tour, Paphos & Akrotiri 17/04/17

Black Francolin Cyprus Birding Birdwatching tours ecotours birdlife wildlife
Black Francolin - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved
On the 17th I guided Tomino around the sites at Paphos and Akrotiri. We started at the Sewage works for Spur-winged Lapwing of which most were out on the fields very close. On arrival we had very lengthy and close views of a Male Black Francolin, European Turtle Dove, and good views of a Great Reed Warbler which really set the foundation of the tour. We had a HUGE swarm of Yellow Wagtails (mixed flava and feldegg mostly) that was being closely watched by an obliging Woodchat Shrike and a few flocks of Black-winged Stilts flying over the sea. We then moved on to Anarita Park where we were greeted with close views of Great Spotted Cuckoo and Lesser Kestrel, plus many great close views of Ortolan Bunting, Cyprus Wheatear and Whinchat. A Collared Flycatcher was showing but distant. A Common Nightingale, Wryneck, Woodchat Shrike and Cyprus Warbler all in the same shrubby area was a treat to see. 
Little Owl Spiny Mouse Cyprus Birding Birdwatching tours ecotours birdlife wildlife
Little Owl - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved
On to Nata Ford where we had a Night Heron and Stone Curlew fly over, Great Reed Warbler, Eurasian Reed Warbler and Sedge Warbler in the Orchard plus a Great Tit bringing food into a nest. Little Egret, Wood Sandpiper, White Wagtail and Little Ringed Plover were on the water plus Red-rumped Swallows coming down to collect mud for their nests. We had a quick browse through Mandria where the only birds on offer seemed to be Greater Short-toed Lark, Northern Wheatear and an Isabelline Wheatear. Our first stop at Akrotiri was Zakaki Marsh which has become vastly overgrown with reeds again. Here we did not spend long, we managed a very brief view of Little Bittern and some Mallard were right at the back. Lady's Mile was teeming with waders, very large numbers of Ruff, also plenty of Little Stint. Further up we even managed two Little Terns and a big flock of migrating flamingo. We managed cracking views of a Wryneck perched in a bush infront of the car on the way to the salt lake and on Salt lake itself was more or less the same as Lady's Mile aside a late Greater Sand Plover in winter plumage (obviously not a breeder this year). 
Purple Heron Cyprus Birding Birdwatching tours ecotours birdlife wildlife
Purple Heron - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved
On the Salt Flats to the south we found 3 Purple Heron on the ground. We checked the Gravel Pits and came across two Masked Shrike, a Spotted Flycatcher, Ortolan Bunting, Tree Pipit and an Eastern Bonelli's Warbler all in close proximity. Tomino was in awe at the sheer beauty of the masked shrikes. We made a quick pass through Phassouri marsh for Marsh Harrier and Glossy Ibis of which there were many plus the first European Bee-eater I had seen of the year, then we continued to Kensington Cliffs. Here we had an incredibly close encounter with Cyprus Warbler, a Griffon Vulture, two Peregrine falcon and plenty of Pallid, Common and Alpine Swifts flying at head height! We also managed a newly arrived Eleonora's Falcon and a surprise fly past of a female merlin to wrap the day up! An exciting way to end the tour, managing 90 Species in total! ​​
Wryneck Cyprus Birding Birdwatching tours ecotours birdlife wildlife
Eurasian Wryneck - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved
Species:
Mallard
Chukar
Black Francolin
Greater Flamingo
Purple Heron
Little Egret
Squacco Heron
Cattle Egret
Black-crowned Night Heron
Little Bittern
Glossy Ibis
Griffon Vulture
Western Marsh Harrier
Long-legged Buzzard
Lesser kestrel
Common Kestrel
Eleonora's Falcon
Merlin
Peregrine Falcon
Common Moorhen
Eurasian Coot
Eurasian Stone Curlew
Spur-winged Lapwing
Little Ringed Plover
Kentish Plover
Greater Sand Plover
Black-winged Stilt
Common Snipe
Marsh Sandpiper
Wood Sandpiper
Common Sandpiper
Little Stint
Ruff
Yellow-legged Gull
Little Tern
Common Wood-pigeon
European Turtle Dove
Eurasian Collared Dove
Great Spotted Cuckooo
Little Owl
Alpine Swift
Common Swift
Pallid Swift
Eurasian Hoopoe
European Bee-eater
Eurasian Wryneck
Greater Short-toed lark
Crested Lark
Sand Martin
House Martin
Barn Swallow
Red-rumped Swallow
White Wagtail
Yellow Wagtail (Feldegg + Flava)
Tree Pipit
Zitting Cisticola
Cetti's Warbler
Sedge Warbler
Eurasian Reed Warbler
Great Reed Warbler
Eastern Olivaceous Warbler
Eastern Bonelli's Warbler
Eurasian Blackcap
Common Whitethroat
Lesser Whitethroat
Sardinian Warbler
Cyprus Warbler
Spectacled Warbler
Spotted Flycatcher
Collared Flycatcher
Nightingale
Common Redstart
Whinchat
Northern Wheatear
Cyprus Wheatear
Eastern Black-eared Wheatear
Isabelline Wheatear
Great Tit
Masked Shrike
Woodchat Shrike
Magpie
Eurasian Jackdaw
Hooded Crow
Ortolan Bunting
Corn Bunting
European Greenfinch
European Goldfinch
Common Linnet
House Sparrow
Spanish Sparrow

90 species
Eleonora's Falcon Cyprus Birding Birdwatching tours ecotours birdlife wildlife
Eleonora's Falcon - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved
Alpine Swift Cyprus Birding Birdwatching tours ecotours birdlife wildlife
Alpine Swift - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved
Griffon Vulture Cyprus Birding Birdwatching tours ecotours birdlife wildlife
Eurasian Griffon Vulture - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved
Griffon Vulture Cyprus Birding Birdwatching tours ecotours birdlife wildlife
Eurasian Griffon Vulture - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved
Wryneck Cyprus Birding Birdwatching tours ecotours birdlife wildlife
Eurasian Wryneck - 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
Kentish Plover Cyprus Birding Birdwatching tours ecotours birdlife wildlife
Kentish Plover - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved
Little Stint Cyprus Birding Birdwatching tours ecotours birdlife wildlife
Little Stint - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved
Ortolan Bunting Cyprus Birding Birdwatching tours ecotours birdlife wildlife
Ortolan Bunting - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved
Spur-winged Lapwing Cyprus Birding Birdwatching tours ecotours birdlife wildlife
Spur-winged Lapwing - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved
    Mostly all photos are taken with a
    - Canon 7D mkii (older photos with mk1)
    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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    Bird is the Word



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