Cyprus Bird Watching Tours - BIRD is the WORD - Tour - Akrotiri 12/02/2019
Greater Flamingo - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved
On the 12th I guided Jane and Mike around the Akrotiri sites. We started at Zakaki where we was treated to decent views of the many Penduline Tits that were feeding on the reed seed. Moustached Warblers were moving around and we had good clear views of them at times as well as the Eurasian Reed Warbler that arrived early in Cyprus late last month. We also managed good views of Cetti's Warblers sitting still in the reeds and singing away for prolonged periods of time.
Moving on to Ladies Mile we had great views of a small group of Greater Flamingo, they were sleeping at first but were woken up by a helicopter passing over. There was hundreds of Black-headed Gulls on show but we couldn't find any slender-billed gulls among them, which was odd as there was an increase in numbers of them the previous day. Behind the restaurant we had great close views of Armenian and Caspian Gull plus a single Yellow-legged Gull.
Moving closer to the salt lake an Isabelline Wheatear showed well and a small group of Serin and Linnet were feeding on the ground next to it.
Moving on to Ladies Mile we had great views of a small group of Greater Flamingo, they were sleeping at first but were woken up by a helicopter passing over. There was hundreds of Black-headed Gulls on show but we couldn't find any slender-billed gulls among them, which was odd as there was an increase in numbers of them the previous day. Behind the restaurant we had great close views of Armenian and Caspian Gull plus a single Yellow-legged Gull.
Moving closer to the salt lake an Isabelline Wheatear showed well and a small group of Serin and Linnet were feeding on the ground next to it.
Eurasian Penduline Tit - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved
Moustached Warbler - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved
Eurasian Reed Warbler - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved
Our next site was Bishop's Pool. We was greeted by many song thrush and blackbird darting across the road at the entrance. As we approached the Lake a male Black Francolin edged out from the side of the path meters from the car and showed well for nearly a minute.
Species were thin on the lake, only Ferruginous Duck, Common Teal, Common Coot, Little Grebe and a few Mallard. A Water rail called and climbed up the bank showing very briefly. Reed Warbler and Moustached Warbler were moving in the reeds here.
Species were thin on the lake, only Ferruginous Duck, Common Teal, Common Coot, Little Grebe and a few Mallard. A Water rail called and climbed up the bank showing very briefly. Reed Warbler and Moustached Warbler were moving in the reeds here.
 Black Francolin - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved |  Black Francolin - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved |
Jane and Mike were interested in the flora too and was delighted to see Ophrys Flavomarginata here and enjoy some wild asparagus. I decided to show them the special area for orchids near here of which we saw Ophrys Sicula, Levantina, Elegans (Endemic) and Orchis Syriaca. Also plenty of Anemone Coronaria's and Romulea Tempsykana's (sand crocus) were growing here.
A quick check of the gravel pits didn't produce any birds but we did see many Himantoglossum Robertianum and Ophrys Iricolor here.
We decided to eat our lunch at the Phassouri Marsh hide as it was raining quite heavily at this point. There we saw many Teal and a Ferruginous duck as well as a Marsh Harrier and fleeting glimpse of a Common Kingfisher. Penduline Tits were calling but we couldn't manage to see any.
As we left the area we had a Common Buzzard perched eye level on a fence meters from the car which surprisingly didn't fly off straight away.
Our next destination was the Kensington Cliffs. As we arrived, a migrating flock of Great Cormorant were passing overhead. Shags were on the rocks and we managed scoped views of Griffon Vultures perched on the cliffs which were not flying much, probably due to the weather. We tried our luck going in land for Cyprus Warbler and hopefully some early migrants but the weather wasn't very accommodating and nothing was showing.
We finished the day with 56 species.
A quick check of the gravel pits didn't produce any birds but we did see many Himantoglossum Robertianum and Ophrys Iricolor here.
We decided to eat our lunch at the Phassouri Marsh hide as it was raining quite heavily at this point. There we saw many Teal and a Ferruginous duck as well as a Marsh Harrier and fleeting glimpse of a Common Kingfisher. Penduline Tits were calling but we couldn't manage to see any.
As we left the area we had a Common Buzzard perched eye level on a fence meters from the car which surprisingly didn't fly off straight away.
Our next destination was the Kensington Cliffs. As we arrived, a migrating flock of Great Cormorant were passing overhead. Shags were on the rocks and we managed scoped views of Griffon Vultures perched on the cliffs which were not flying much, probably due to the weather. We tried our luck going in land for Cyprus Warbler and hopefully some early migrants but the weather wasn't very accommodating and nothing was showing.
We finished the day with 56 species.
| Species: Chukar Partridge Black Francolin Mallard Common Teal Ferruginous Duck Little Grebe Greater Flamingo Great Cormorant European Shag Common Kestrel Griffon Vulture Western Marsh Harrier Common Buzzard Water Rail (h) Common Moorhen Common Coot Armenian Gull Yellow-legged Gull Caspian Gull Black-headed Gull Rock Dove Common Wood-pigeon Eurasian Collared-dove Common Swift Common Kingfisher Eurasian Magpie Eurasian Jackdaw Hooded Crow Great Tit Eurasian Penduline tit Crested Lark Wood Lark Eurasian Skylark Barn Swallow Common House-martin Zitting Cisticola Cetti's Warbler | Moustached Warbler Eurasian Reed-warbler Common Chiffchaff Blackcap Sardinian Warbler Eurasian Blackbird Song Thrush European Robin (h) Western Black Redstart Common Stonechat Isabelline Wheatear House Sparrow White Wagtail Meadow Pipit Common Chaffinch European Serin European Greenfinch European Goldfinch Common Linnet 56 Himantoglossum Robertianum Anacamptis Collina Orchis Syriaca Ophrys Flavomarginata Ophrys Sicula Ophrys Levantina Ophrys Elegans Ophrys Iricolor Romulea Tempsykana Anemone Coronaria Fagonia Cretica Veined Sainfoin Gagea Sp. Rock Rose Myrtle Muscari inconstrictum Fumaria judaica |
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