Cyprus Bird Watching Tours - BIRD is the WORD Tour - Akrotiri 07/05/2018
Little Tern - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved
On the 7th I had the pleasure of guiding Antonis, Holly and Wendy around the Akrotiri peninsular. The morning was a little overcast with Black-crowned Night Herons flying in and out of Zakaki Marsh, and many Reed Warblers flitting around the reeds.
We headed for the Salt Lake. Only a few Temminck's Stints were present among the Little Stints before the lake itself, along with 3 Collared Pratincoles. Holly managed to spot a Rufous-tailed Rock thrush sitting in a low shrub which provided excellent lengthy views.
We headed for the Salt Lake. Only a few Temminck's Stints were present among the Little Stints before the lake itself, along with 3 Collared Pratincoles. Holly managed to spot a Rufous-tailed Rock thrush sitting in a low shrub which provided excellent lengthy views.
 Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved |  Rufous-tailed Rock thrush - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved |
On the salt lake itself we browsed through the many waders spotting a Ruddy Turnstone in Summer plumage and a Grey Plover in winter plumage, over 5 Curlew Sandpipers and the usuals with Ruff and Little Stint the most abundant. The part melanistic Greater Flamingo was showing well again among the large flock that were displaying, we also spotted a fair sized flock flying in to the salt lake. A few female Pintail were the only waterfowl.
Moving on to lady's mile we was treated to seeing a Grey Plover in summer plumage, a pair of Black-winged Stilts copulating briefly and many Little Tern diving meters from the car with one even presenting a fish to its mate ... though this moment was short lived as a grounded Little Tern nearby was not in the mood for seeing this happen a few meters from him and chased them off. We didn't have many great photo opportunities during this tour aside the Little Terns, Temminck's and Little Stint and Eleonora's Falcon.
Moving on to lady's mile we was treated to seeing a Grey Plover in summer plumage, a pair of Black-winged Stilts copulating briefly and many Little Tern diving meters from the car with one even presenting a fish to its mate ... though this moment was short lived as a grounded Little Tern nearby was not in the mood for seeing this happen a few meters from him and chased them off. We didn't have many great photo opportunities during this tour aside the Little Terns, Temminck's and Little Stint and Eleonora's Falcon.
 Grey Plover - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved |  Little Tern - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved |
Bishop's pool held small numbers of birds, many Ferruginous duck were present though which was the target here. We stopped here to have our lunch.
Next destination was the gravel pits where we had good views of Woodchat Shrike, Red-backed Shrike and Winchat.
We stopped at Phassouri which held very little and then ventured to Kensington Cliffs where we had great views of many Eleonora's Falcons and Alpine Swift, though sadly the Griffon Vultures didn't show.
We decided to check the Salt Lake for a second time, driving past bishops pool I spotted a Golden Oriole land in one of the trees, also a few bee-eaters were about now.
We didn't see much else on the Salt Lake aside a Spotted Flycatcher and ended up with 70 species.
Next destination was the gravel pits where we had good views of Woodchat Shrike, Red-backed Shrike and Winchat.
We stopped at Phassouri which held very little and then ventured to Kensington Cliffs where we had great views of many Eleonora's Falcons and Alpine Swift, though sadly the Griffon Vultures didn't show.
We decided to check the Salt Lake for a second time, driving past bishops pool I spotted a Golden Oriole land in one of the trees, also a few bee-eaters were about now.
We didn't see much else on the Salt Lake aside a Spotted Flycatcher and ended up with 70 species.
Little Tern Courtship - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved
| Species: (h) Black Francolin Mallard Northern Pintail Garganey Ferruginous Duck Little Grebe Greater Flamingo Glossy Ibis Black-crowned Night-heron Squacco Heron Cattle Egret Grey Heron Little Egret European Shag Common Kestrel Eleonora's Falcon Common Moorhen Common Coot Black-winged Stilt Grey Plover Common Ringed Plover Little Ringed Plover Kentish Plover Marsh Sandpiper Common Greenshank Wood Sandpiper Ruddy Turnstone Little Stint Temminck's Stint Curlew Sandpiper Ruff Collared Pratincole Yellow-legged Gull Little Tern Rock Dove | Common Wood-pigeon European Turtle-dove Eurasian Collared-dove Alpine Swift Common Swift Pallid Swift European Bee-eater Red-backed Shrike Woodchat Shrike Eurasian Golden Oriole Eurasian Magpie Eurasian Jackdaw Hooded Crow Great Tit Crested Lark Barn Swallow Common House-martin Zitting Cisticola Cetti's Warbler Eurasian Reed-warbler (h) Sedge Warbler (h) Eastern Olivaceous Warbler Blackcap Sardinian Warbler Spectacled Warbler Whinchat Northern Wheatear Cyprus Wheatear Rufous-tailed Rock-thrush Spotted Flycatcher House Sparrow White Wagtail European Greenfinch European Goldfinch Common Linnet 70 species |
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