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March 23rd, 2019

23/3/2019

 

Cyprus Bird Watching Tours - BIRD is the WORD - Tour - Akrotiri + Paphos 22/03/201

Picture
Tawny Pipit - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved
On the 22nd I guided Terry Thomas around the Akrotiri and Paphos sites. We started out early at Akrotiri, visiting Zakaki Marsh first. The birds were tough work here aside a large group of Little Egret roosting in the tall eucalyptus trees at the back. We had brief views of Eurasian reed Warbler and Sedge Warbler, a few penduline Tits called though we was unable to find them. Cetti's warbler and Lesser Whitethroat showed briefly in a tamarisk bush and a Common Swift was feeding above the hide. As we left the site a Common Kingfisher swooped in a showed nice and close but was reluctant to perch. As we approached the car a Savi's Warbler sounded from across the road, but it wouldn't show. 
Ladies Mile must had seen a huge clear out over night as there was literally only 4 gulls in the area, all Armenian with a single Black-headed Gull hiding near the port. 2 Greater Flamingo were on the pools and a few Little Egret, but that was all. We saw a large flock of Greater Flamingo flying along the coast as well as a small group of Grey Heron in the distance. 
By the port we had excellent views of a Tawny Pipit and a small party of Greater Short-toed Lark. Also we watched a stunning male Black Francolin which was a target species. Also a few Hoopoes showed very well close to the car. 
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Greater Short-toed Lark - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved
Many Lesser Whitethroats later (and a brief view of a Common Whitethroat) we headed for the Gravel Pits where we had lengthy views of another Black Francolin and brief flight views of a male and female. Along the coastal point there was huge rafts of a mixed flock of Garganey, Pintail, Northern Shoveler and a few Mallard. The numbers of the flocks must have exceeded 7-8,000 easy! And to the left we got to witness some of the best of the Painted Lady migration currently in progress, seeing hundreds at a time swarm low continuously. What a spectacle!
Along this stretch we had a few Northern and Isabelline Wheatears along with a Cyprus Wheatear.
At a wetland area nearby we was treated to some waders. Many Green Sandpiper, Marsh Sandpiper, a single Wood Sandpiper and Greenshank and maybe over 15 Common Snipe with plenty of Little Ringed Plover being very vocal and displaying.
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Eurasian Griffon Vulture - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved
Kensington Cliffs was the next destination where we had amazing views of Alpine Swift swooping near our heads. 3 Griffon Vultures were showing well on the cliff and we had another come in and land, which had obviously just been feeding as its face was blood-stained. 
Our next site was to be Anarita Park as Finsch's Wheatear was the other target species. Sadly they had left, likely the night before (with the winter clearout) but we had great views of Cretzschmar's Bunting, Corn Bunting, Northern, Isabelline, Cyprus and Eastern Black-eared Wheatear, Little Owl, Cyprus Warbler (both male and female) and 2 Great Spotted Cuckoos harrassing the Magpies. A pair of Red-rumped Swallow were hanging around their nesting tunnel providing incredible views. 
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Red-rumped Swallow - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved
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Eastern Black-eared Wheatear - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved
Our last stop was Mandria where we saw a few Laughing Doves, another Black Francolin showing well, A Stone Curlew and many Yellow Wagtails including the "superciliaris" intergrade. No sign of the Lesser Short-toed Lark and Bimaculated Lark that I had found the previous days. 
Despite the winter clearout we still managed 80 species for the day, but very unfortunate with the Finsch's Wheatear. 
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Laughing Dove - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved
Species List:
   
Black Francolin    
(h) Common Quail 
Northern Shoveler
Northern Pintail
Mallard
Garganey   
Greater Flamingo
Cattle Egret
Grey Heron
Great Egret
Little Egret
European Shag  
Common Kestrel   
Griffon Vulture
Western Marsh Harrier  
(h)Water Rail
Common Moorhen  
Common Coot
Eurasian Stone Curlew 
Spur-winged Lapwing
Little Ringed Plover 
Common Snipe 
Marsh Sandpiper 
Common Greenshank 
Green Sandpiper 
Wood Sandpiper 
Armenian Gull 
Yellow-legged Gull 
Black-headed Gull 
Rock Dove 
Common Wood-pigeon   
Eurasian Collared-dove
Laughing Dove
Great Spotted Cuckoo
Little Owl
Alpine Swift   
Common Swift
Pallid Swift   
Common Kingfisher
Eurasian Hoopoe 
Eurasian Magpie    
Eurasian Jackdaw   
Hooded Crow
Great Tit
(h)Eurasian Penduline tit
Greater Short-toed Lark
Crested Lark  
Barn Swallow 
Red-rumped Swallow   
Common House-martin    
Zitting Cisticola  
Cetti's Warbler
(h)Savi's Warbler
Sedge Warbler
Eurasian Reed-warbler
Common Chiffchaff 
Blackcap 
Common Whitethroat
Lesser Whitethroat 
Sardinian Warbler
Cyprus Warbler 
Song Thrush   
Common Stonechat
Northern Wheatear 
Eastern Black-eared Wheatear
Cyprus Wheatear
Isabelline Wheatear
House Sparrow 
Spanish Sparrow    
White Wagtail
Yellow Wagtail (*Flava, *Superciliaris)
Black-headed Wagtail 
Tawny Pipit  
Meadow Pipit 
Red-throated Pipit
European Greenfinch    
European Goldfinch
Common Linnet
Corn Bunting
Cretzschmar's Bunting 

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