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October 18th, 2017

18/10/2017

Cyprus Bird Watching Tours - BIRD is the WORD Tour, Paphos & Akrotiri 17/10/2017

On the 17th I had the pleasure of guiding Krzysztof around the sites at Paphos and Akrotiri. I decided after a recon trip the day before that it would be better to start in Akrotiri and spend the majority of our time there as Paphos had seen a clear out.
It was definitely the right choice as the first birds we came across in Akrotiri was a small party of Common Cranes sitting on the salt flats which we managed to get great close views of with a dazzling mountainous backdrop.

Common Crane Cyprus Birding Birdwatching tours ecotours birdlife wildlife

We continued to the Salt Lake after checking Ladies Mile where there was nothing unusual. On the salt lake there was a Montagu's Harrier hunting and the normal party of Grey Heron. Many White Wagtails flitting around and a few waders on the outlet, but fairly quiet for this time of year. We spent little time here and moved on to Zakaki Marsh where we had superb views of Spotted Crake, Water Rail and a Bluethroat. There was a very large group of Grey Heron that were put up at one point creating quite a spectacle. Also there was a small group of Little Egret flying low around the port. As we were leaving the site I noticed a flock of Common Crane flying in along the coast. We saw a few small groups of cranes whilst driving to Bishop's pool.

Crested Lark singing song Cyprus Birding Birdwatching tours ecotours birdlife wildlife

Spotted Crake Cyprus Birding Birdwatching tours ecotours birdlife wildlife

Bluethroat Cyprus Birding Birdwatching tours ecotours birdlife wildlife

At Bishop's pool Common Teal, Garganey and a few Shoveler were present, also a Ferruginous duck was showing. We had a Western Marsh Harrier hunting what looked to be an injured or sick Common Teal for long periods. The site was a bit dissapointing raptor wise, we only had a few Eurasian Sparrowhawk flying overhead with no passage of Honey or Steppe Buzzard.
We then headed to the Gravel Pits were we heard but could not locate Red-throated Pipits. We saw a juvenile Common Crane land nearby, then we saw a decent flock of Common Cranes fly out to sea which was being followed by a Bonelli's Eagle which unfotunately gave up the chase early and didn't come as close as we would have liked. There was a few raptors here very high up but impossible to make out, also we had a small migrating flock of Northern Lapwing here.

Common Crane juvenile Cyprus Birding Birdwatching tours ecotours birdlife wildlife

Northern Lapwing Cyprus Birding Birdwatching tours ecotours birdlife wildlife

Then we headed to Kensington Cliffs as although we got distant views of Eleonora's Falcon at the Salt Lake, we wanted to see them a bit closer and also hopefully some Griffon Vultures. Sadly the Griffon's weren't about but the Eleonora's Falcons put on a show for us.

Eleonora's Falcon Cyprus Birding Birdwatching tours ecotours birdlife wildlife

On to Paphos we checked Mandria which was pretty devoid of life aside Wheatears, Stonechats and Spanish Sparrow. Heard the call of a Tree Pipit but couldn't find it.

Spanish Sparrow Cyprus Birding Birdwatching tours ecotours birdlife wildlife

The Sewage Works held an impressive 30+ Spur-winged Lapwing, many of which must have been migrants considering the population there was around 14 last year and only 3 eggs reported this spring. Among them was a small group of Northern Lapwing too which was great to see side by side. There were many White wagtails feeding in the recently cut field, among them were some Yellow Wagtails whose numbers seem to be less by the day. Round some of the Orchards we located a female Red-backed Shrike which was our first and only shrike of the day as well as finding 3 Whinchats which was lucky considering the others in Paphos must have migrated over night.
Last stop was the Paphos headland for Greater Sand Plover of which there was 2 of and enabled us to get close for some great views and photos. Sadly the Whimbrel and Turnstones were no-where to be seen.

Greater Sand Plover Cyprus Birding Birdwatching tours ecotours birdlife wildlife

Yellow Legged Gull feeding food fish Cyprus Birding Birdwatching tours ecotours birdlife wildlife

Still though, we managed 64 species:

Chukar Partridge
Mallard
Northern Shoveler
Garganey
Common Teal
Ferruginous Duck
Little Grebe
Grey Heron
Little Egret
European Shag
Common Kestrel
Eleonora's Falcon
Western Marsh Harrier
Montagu's Harrier
Eurasian Sparrowhawk
Long-legged Buzzard
Bonelli's Eagle
Water Rail
Spotted Crake
Common Moorhen
Common Coot
Common Crane
Northern Lapwing
Spur-winged Lapwing
Kentish Plover
Greater Sand Plover
Common Ringed Plover
Common Sandpiper
Little Stint
Dunlin
Yellow-legged Gull
Black-headed Gull
Rock Dove
Common Wood-pigeon
Eurasian Collared-dove
European Roller
Common Kingfisher
Red-backed Shrike
Eurasian Magpie
Eurasian Jackdaw
Hooded Crow
Great Tit
Crested Lark
Barn Swallow
Zitting Cisticola
Cetti's Warbler (h)
Eurasian Reed-warbler (h)
Willow Warbler
Common Chiffchaff
Blackcap (h)
Sardinian Warbler
Bluethroat
Whinchat
European Stonechat
Northern Wheatear
Spotted Flycatcher
House Sparrow
Spanish Sparrow
White Wagtail
Yellow Wagtail
Tree Pipit (h)
Red-throated Pipit (h)
European Goldfinch
Common Linnet
64

October 07th, 2017

7/10/2017

Cyprus Bird Watching Tours - BIRD is the WORD, Paphos 06/10/2017

Steppe Grey Shrike rarity Cyprus Birding Birdwatching tours ecotours birdlife wildlife

On the 6th I had the pleasure of guiding Stephen Allcock and group around the sites of Paphos. I met them days before at Akrotiri where we saw many great birds like Little and Spotted Crake, Bluethroat and Little Swift. Impressed with my knowledge of birds and wildlife they decided to book a day out with me in Paphos, despite me warning them that the birdlife there has been quite poor recently.

Coming from Polis I decided the Paphos foothills would be a good place to start. Cyprus Warbler and Black Francolin were the target species. On arrival of our first site we were greeted with incredible views of many Chukar getting within 3 meters of them at times as passing them by. There were many birds around the water, a flock of Garganey flying around, a Grey wagtail and a single Grey Heron on the waters edge. Corn Bunting were abundant in the area. I noticed a warbler type flitting around in the Cyprus Spiny Bush, it was a juvenile Cyprus Warbler with a few speckles. We had around 4 minutes viewing of this target species which given the habitat in the area was actually very good.

Cyprus Warbler juvenile Cyprus Birding Birdwatching tours ecotours birdlife wildlife

As we left the site a female Black Francolin was sitting at the side of the road feeding. Targets out of the way at one site I asked if the group wanted to go for a rarity located nearby, A Steppe Grey Shrike. The group had seen Steppe Grey Shrike in Cyprus before at the Paphos Headland but were happy to go on this twitch. On the way we saw great numbers of birds, mainly Whinchat, Spanish Sparrow and a large group of European Bee-eater rising. A few Red-backed Shrike and a Cyprus Wheatear were highlights here aside the Steppe Grey Shrike sitting still on top of a hawthorn tree for a while and a pair of adult Bonelli's Eagles hunting low and later joined by a Eurasian Hobby. Breathtaking stuff!

Black Francolin female Cyprus Birding Birdwatching tours ecotours birdlife wildlife

Bonelli's Eagle Eurasian Hobby Cyprus Birding Birdwatching tours ecotours birdlife wildlife

We proceeded to Agia Varvara where I showed them a small pool I had been maintaining. Sadly the Common Kingfisher that is always present was actually absent, though a Water Rail showed and more than made up for that.
We continued through Agia Varvara and came upon a Black Kite flying very low and eventually landing. We went to get better views of it perched but on the way it was spooked by some locals performing some maintenance to their farming equipment. Still we had incredible views of it in flight.

Black Kite Cyprus Birding Birdwatching tours ecotours birdlife wildlife

Next stop was Mandria taking a cut through Timi. This road has become quite legendary for me over the years. Today it was quiet aside a Steppe Buzzard flying low with 3 Red-footed Falcon high above.

Steppe Buzzard Cyprus Birding Birdwatching tours ecotours birdlife wildlife

I took the group to a reliable field for Red-footed Falcon in Autumn. There were 4 birds on arrival, 2 Juveniles, a 2nd year female and a 2nd year Male ... the male was quite distant compared to the others that were pretty close. We continued to larks corner where there were many White and Yellow Wagtails, Whinchat, an obliging female Common Redstart and a few Red-throated Pipit that we managed to get incredibly close to whilst they bathed in a puddle and dried off. An adult and a juvenile.

Common redstart female Cyprus Birding Birdwatching tours ecotours birdlife wildlife

Red throated Pipit Cyprus Birding Birdwatching tours ecotours birdlife wildlife

We then headed to the Paphos headland with a stop at the sewage plant on the way for Spur-winged Lapwing ... of which there was a Northern lapwing amongst them. The group had an interest in butterflies and were happy to see the Syrian Swallowtail, Common Blue and African Grass Blue butterflies that were around.

Northern Lapwing Spur-winged Cyprus Birding Birdwatching tours ecotours birdlife wildlife

The Headland held the usual Greater Sand Plovers and the long staying Whimbrel. 3 Common Kingfishers were present along the coast but not a Gull in sight.

A pretty good tour that was enjoyed by everyone, with a decent species count considering how quiet it had been of late. Somehow managed to miss out on a few common species like Long-legged Buzzard and Zitting Cisticola, but that's birding ... but I think the Cyprus rarity more than made up for that.

*The tour wasn't very photography orientated and so I only took a few record shots.

Species list:
Garganey
Island Chukar
Black Francolin
Little Grebe
Mediterranean Shag
Grey Heron
Steppe Buzzard
Bonelli's Eagle
Black Kite
Common kestrel
Lesser Kestrel
Eurasian Hobby
Eleonora's Falcon
Red-footed Falcon
Water Rail
Common moorhen
Northern Lapwing
Spur-winged lapwing
Greater Sand Plover
Whimbrel
Common wood pigeon
Eurasian Collared Dove
Common Kingfisher
European Bee-eater
Crested Lark
Greater Short-toed lark
Barn Swallow
White Wagtail
Yellow Wagtail (flava + Feldegg)
Grey wagtail
Red-throated Pipit
Tree Pipit
Cetti's Warbler
Eurasian Reed Warbler
Willow Warbler
Sardinian Warbler
Cyprus Warbler
Spotted Flycatcher
Common Redstart
Whinchat
Northern Wheatear
Cyprus Wheatear
Great Tit
Red-backed Shrike
Steppe Grey Shrike
Magpie
Eurasian Jackdaw
Hooded Crow
Corn Bunting
European Greenfinch
European Goldfinch
Common Linnet
House Sparrow
Spanish Sparrow
54

Minthis Hills
1 Cyprus Warbler
8+ Willow warbler
Sardinian Warbler
7 Garganey
Little Grebe
1 Moorhen
1 Grey Heron
20 Corn Bunting
1 Grey Wagtail
30+ Chukar
1 Black Francolin (f)
2 Common Kestrel
1 Northern Wheatear

Armou Hills
Corn Bunting
Spanish Sparrow
Great Tit
1 Spotted Flycatcher
2 Whinchat
2 Red-backed Shrike
1 Eurasian Hobby
2 Bonelli's Eagle
1 Steppe Grey Shrike
1 Cyprus Wheatear
Common Linnet
Greenfinch
Goldfinch
Europen Bee-eater
Willow Warbler

Agia Varvara
Eurasian Reed Warbler (h)
1 Water Rail
5 Moorhen
Willow Warbler
2 Common Kestrel
Spanish Sparrow
1 Eleonora's Falcon
1 Black Kite
1 Spotted Flycatcher
2 Red-backed Shrike
Cetti's Warbler (h)

Agia Varvara - Timi
1 Steppe Buzzard
3 Red-footed Falcon

Mandria
1 Tree Pipit (h)
3 Red-throated Pipit
Yellow Wagtail
10+ White Wagtail
1 European Shag
2 Common Kestrel
6 Lesser Ketrel
4 Red-footed Falcon
Northern Wheatear
Whinchat
Spanish Sparrow
1 Greenfinch
1 Common Redstart
Crested Lark
20+ Greater Short Toed Lark (passing flock)

Paphos Sewage Plant
20+ Spur-winged lapwing
1 Northern Lapwing
Red-throated Pipit (h)
Crested Lark
Yellow Wagtail

Paphos Headland
3 Common Kingfisher
3 Greater Sand Plover
1 Whimbrel
2 Northern Wheatear
Spanish Sparrow
1 Whinchat
Common Kestrel

October 18th, 2017

Cyprus Bird Watching Tours - BIRD is the WORD Tour, Paphos & Akrotiri 17/10/2017

October 07th, 2017

​Cyprus Bird Watching Tours - BIRD is the WORD, Paphos 06/10/2017

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Cyprus Bird Watching Tours - BIRD is the WORD, Paphos 06/10/2017