Cyprus Bird Watching Tours - BIRD is the WORD - Paphos & Akrotiri 28/12/2019
On the 29th I guided Rita and Wilkie around Akrotiri and Paphos.
It was a much quieter day than the previous day although we still managed 53 species even though the tour was called short an hour due to bad weather.
We set out at the Paphos Headland with Greater Sand Plover in mind. On the corner point looking past the many Golden Plover there were three Greater Sand Plover that we managed good close views of. The only other birds of note were Common Sandpiper, Skylark and many Meadow Pipit as well as a fantastic murmuration of Starling.
We then ventured to the Sewage Plant and saw the Cattle Egrets and a few Spur-winged Lapwing of which numbers seem to be down.
Next stop was for the Finsch's Wheatear at Anarita Park of-which two showed quite nicely although there was not much else around of note aside Corn Bunting which were surprisingly already in song.
Mandria was the next stop where Laughing Dove and Red-throated Pipit showed well and also a Water Pipit, no sign of any Hen Harriers though unfortunately.
We then continued to Akrotiri stopping at Phassouri Marsh first which was fairly quiet and so we moved on to the Sylvania Restaurant spot to scope the Flamingos of which there was a small party displaying.
Zakaki held very little, the Bluethroat that was present yesterday didn't show and the gull selection at Ladies Mile was very limited in comparison although there did seem to have been a lot more Armenian Gulls present.
Driving to Kensington Cliffs we had a fly over Peregrine Falcon and at which point the weather turned for the worse and so we decided against visiting the site.
We finished with 53 Species.
It was a much quieter day than the previous day although we still managed 53 species even though the tour was called short an hour due to bad weather.
We set out at the Paphos Headland with Greater Sand Plover in mind. On the corner point looking past the many Golden Plover there were three Greater Sand Plover that we managed good close views of. The only other birds of note were Common Sandpiper, Skylark and many Meadow Pipit as well as a fantastic murmuration of Starling.
We then ventured to the Sewage Plant and saw the Cattle Egrets and a few Spur-winged Lapwing of which numbers seem to be down.
Next stop was for the Finsch's Wheatear at Anarita Park of-which two showed quite nicely although there was not much else around of note aside Corn Bunting which were surprisingly already in song.
Mandria was the next stop where Laughing Dove and Red-throated Pipit showed well and also a Water Pipit, no sign of any Hen Harriers though unfortunately.
We then continued to Akrotiri stopping at Phassouri Marsh first which was fairly quiet and so we moved on to the Sylvania Restaurant spot to scope the Flamingos of which there was a small party displaying.
Zakaki held very little, the Bluethroat that was present yesterday didn't show and the gull selection at Ladies Mile was very limited in comparison although there did seem to have been a lot more Armenian Gulls present.
Driving to Kensington Cliffs we had a fly over Peregrine Falcon and at which point the weather turned for the worse and so we decided against visiting the site.
We finished with 53 Species.
Species List: Black Francolin Mallard Common Teal Greater Flamingo Cattle Egret Grey Heron Little Egret Great Cormorant European Shag Common Kestrel Peregrine Falcon Western Marsh Harrier Water Rail Common Moorhen Common Coot Spur-winged Lapwing Eurasian Golden Plover Greater Sand Plover Green Sandpiper Common Sandpiper Armenian Gull Yellow-legged Gull Caspian Gull Black-headed Gull Common Wood-pigeon Eurasian Collared-dove | Laughing Dove Common Kingfisher Eurasian Magpie Eurasian Jackdaw Hooded Crow Great Tit Eurasian Penduline tit Crested Lark Eurasian Skylark Zitting Cisticola (h) Cetti's Warbler Common Starling (h) European Robin Western Black Redstart Common Stonechat Finsch's Wheatear House Sparrow White Wagtail Meadow Pipit Red-throated Pipit Water Pipit (*Caucasian Water Pipit) Common Chaffinch European Serin European Greenfinch European Goldfinch Common Linnet Corn Bunting 53 |