Cyprus Bird Watching Tours - BIRD is the WORD - Paphos & Akrotiri 11/03/2018
Rüppell's warbler - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved
On the 11th I had the pleasure of guiding Rosy and Ann around the Paphos and Akrotiri sites. We started the day at the Sewage Works where we had a brief low flyby of a Eurasian Sparrowhawk on entrance, and also a Fox moving quickly across the field being mobbed by Hooded Crows.
We had fantastic views of Spur-winged Lapwings feeding in the freshly cut field and also one in the road. Plus there was huge numbers of Red-throated Pipits present, with one calling in a group on the wires overhead. A newly arrived Eurasian Hoopoe provided superb views, sometimes less than 4 meters close to the car. A nice surprise here was a male Ruppell's Warbler sitting in the top of a bramble bush, spotted by Rosy. It was very showy, sitting very close to the car for over 4 minutes.
We had fantastic views of Spur-winged Lapwings feeding in the freshly cut field and also one in the road. Plus there was huge numbers of Red-throated Pipits present, with one calling in a group on the wires overhead. A newly arrived Eurasian Hoopoe provided superb views, sometimes less than 4 meters close to the car. A nice surprise here was a male Ruppell's Warbler sitting in the top of a bramble bush, spotted by Rosy. It was very showy, sitting very close to the car for over 4 minutes.
 Red-throated Pipit - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved  Rough Poppy - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved |  Eurasian Hoopoe - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved |
We continued to Agia Varvara where we had a very close encounter with a Common Buzzard that didn't seem to mind us being close to it (that may have been concentrating more on the Chukar Partridge just up the road) and also many Sardinian Warblers and Blackcaps flitting around in the bushes. Here there was also a leaf warbler type with a darkish face, I put it down as being a slightly wet Common Chiffchaff, as quite a few of the Sardinian Warblers were also wet. Zitting Cisticola showed well here as usual, and Black Francolins called from the surrounding hills. We also came across some Rough Poppy's (Papaver Hybridum), one of my favourite species.
Next stop was Anarita Park where the Corn Buntings were in song, some meters from the car. A Blue Rock Thrush provided good scoped views for over 10 minutes and the Little Owl was on show also. A pair of Cyprus Warblers stole the show here, a male and female drying off after a bath in close proximity. We also managed to locate 2 more Male Cyprus Warblers, one was in display flight briefly. Many Endemic Paphos Blue butterflies were on the wing here as well as Wall Brown, Large White, Small White, Eastern Dappled White, Painted Lady, Swallowtail, Clouded Yellow and Orange Tip. We also saw a few an Endemic Chamomile (Tristhemis Tricolor) in flower too.
Next stop was Anarita Park where the Corn Buntings were in song, some meters from the car. A Blue Rock Thrush provided good scoped views for over 10 minutes and the Little Owl was on show also. A pair of Cyprus Warblers stole the show here, a male and female drying off after a bath in close proximity. We also managed to locate 2 more Male Cyprus Warblers, one was in display flight briefly. Many Endemic Paphos Blue butterflies were on the wing here as well as Wall Brown, Large White, Small White, Eastern Dappled White, Painted Lady, Swallowtail, Clouded Yellow and Orange Tip. We also saw a few an Endemic Chamomile (Tristhemis Tricolor) in flower too.
 Zitting Cisticola - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved  Cyprus Warbler - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved |  Cyprus Warbler - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved  Paphos Blue - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved |
Next stop was Mandria with a quick stop off for some ice cream. We quickly managed to locate some Laughing Dove and get very close, one was even laughing briefly.
There was quite a few Isabelline and Northern Wheatears present around the sand pit, as well as quite a few Tawny Pipit and the huge flock of Greenfinch that has been around for some time. A Bluethroat had been seen at the picnic site just before our arrival as well as an Eastern Subalpine Warbler, but unfortunately neither would show for us. A lone Shag was on the rocks out at sea and some Yellow-legged Gulls in the distance.
We then had a quick drive around Timi beach which had little to offer considering how busy it was with locals. A few Skylark were seen flying over as well as a Greater Short-toed Lark...plus a few yellow-legged Gull on rocks out at sea accompanied by a Caspian Gull.
There was quite a few Isabelline and Northern Wheatears present around the sand pit, as well as quite a few Tawny Pipit and the huge flock of Greenfinch that has been around for some time. A Bluethroat had been seen at the picnic site just before our arrival as well as an Eastern Subalpine Warbler, but unfortunately neither would show for us. A lone Shag was on the rocks out at sea and some Yellow-legged Gulls in the distance.
We then had a quick drive around Timi beach which had little to offer considering how busy it was with locals. A few Skylark were seen flying over as well as a Greater Short-toed Lark...plus a few yellow-legged Gull on rocks out at sea accompanied by a Caspian Gull.
 Laughing Dove - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved |  Common Kestrel - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved |
We then ventured to Akrotiri, first stop at Phassouri Marsh which was disappointing this time around with only Coot on the water and Penduline Tits calling in the distance. We did manage to find a small group of Serin at the entrance, one was in display flight but vanished quickly.
On the other side we were treated to another Hoopoe and another Greater Short-toed Lark flew over. Sadly no raptors on the ground here this time around.
The Gravel Pits held very little, though we did not cover much of it due to time management. We did have a quick look at the orchid patch which had our Endemic Ophrys Kotshyi, Endemic Ophrys Astarte, Ophrys Iricolor, Orchis Morio, Ophrys Umbilicata, Himantoglossum Robertinum and also some freshly emerging Orchis Fragrans.
We then moved on to Lady's Mile stopping on the salt flats on the way to see a small party of Kentish plover and a quick scope through the Greater Flamingos. Again there was not much on the lakes aside a small party of Black-winged Stilts. Near the port we was lucky that the gulls decided to land from the fish farm, a nice assortment of Black-headed Gulls, Caspian, Armenian, yellow-legged and a few juvenile and adult Slender-billed Gulls. We was rudely disturbed here by some locals who walked to the waters edge and flushed the gulls and so we did not stick around .. like the gulls. An unfortunate common occurrence here. A Hen Harrier was hunting near the salt lake and a few small flocks of Linnet and Greenfinch were feeding on the outskirts.
Zakaki marsh held very little so we did not spend much time here, as we departed the area back to Paphos we had some great views of a Marsh Harrier in flight.
A great tour with some superb views totaling 62 species.
On the other side we were treated to another Hoopoe and another Greater Short-toed Lark flew over. Sadly no raptors on the ground here this time around.
The Gravel Pits held very little, though we did not cover much of it due to time management. We did have a quick look at the orchid patch which had our Endemic Ophrys Kotshyi, Endemic Ophrys Astarte, Ophrys Iricolor, Orchis Morio, Ophrys Umbilicata, Himantoglossum Robertinum and also some freshly emerging Orchis Fragrans.
We then moved on to Lady's Mile stopping on the salt flats on the way to see a small party of Kentish plover and a quick scope through the Greater Flamingos. Again there was not much on the lakes aside a small party of Black-winged Stilts. Near the port we was lucky that the gulls decided to land from the fish farm, a nice assortment of Black-headed Gulls, Caspian, Armenian, yellow-legged and a few juvenile and adult Slender-billed Gulls. We was rudely disturbed here by some locals who walked to the waters edge and flushed the gulls and so we did not stick around .. like the gulls. An unfortunate common occurrence here. A Hen Harrier was hunting near the salt lake and a few small flocks of Linnet and Greenfinch were feeding on the outskirts.
Zakaki marsh held very little so we did not spend much time here, as we departed the area back to Paphos we had some great views of a Marsh Harrier in flight.
A great tour with some superb views totaling 62 species.
 Slender-billed Gull - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved Chukar Black francolin (h) Greater flamingo European shag Cattle egret Western Marsh harrier Hen harrier Eurasian sparrowhawk Common buzzard Common kestrel Common moorhen Eurasian coot Spur-winged lapwing Kentish plover Black-winged stilt Yellow-legged gull Caspian gull Armenian gull Black-headed gull Slender-billed gull Common Wood pigeon Eurasian Collared dove Laughing dove Little owl Common swift Eurasian Hoopoe Greater short-toed lark Crested lark Eurasian Skylark Barn swallow Common house martin White wagtail |  Slender-billed Gull - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved Tawny pipit Meadow pipit Red-throated pipit Song thrush Zitting cisticola Cetti's warbler Common Chiffchaff Eurasian blackcap Rüppell's warbler Sardinian warbler Cyprus warbler Blue rock thrush European robin (h) Western Black redstart Common stonechat Northern wheatear Isabelline wheatear Great tit Eurasian penduline tit (h) Magpie Eurasian jackdaw Hooded crow Corn bunting Common chaffinch European greenfinch European goldfinch Common linnet European serin House sparrow Spanish sparrow (h) 62 |
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