Cyprus Bird Watching Tours - BIRD is the WORD - Tour - Paphos + Akrotiri 13/05/2019
Long-legged Buzzard - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved
On the 13th I guided Nigel around the Paphos and Akrotiri sites for his 50th Birthday. Nigel is a regular to Cyprus and wanted to see some of the lesser known sites and also an Egyptian Fruit Bat cave.
We started out in the Foothills of Paphos, at a Bonelli's Eagle Territory. Surely the Bonelli's Eagles didn't disappoint, though they were a bit more distant than usual and not on their favoured perches. Nigel gave me permission to use some of his stunning photos that he managed to get below:
We started out in the Foothills of Paphos, at a Bonelli's Eagle Territory. Surely the Bonelli's Eagles didn't disappoint, though they were a bit more distant than usual and not on their favoured perches. Nigel gave me permission to use some of his stunning photos that he managed to get below:
Bonelli's Eagle - Nigel Bell ©
 Bonelli's Eagle - Nigel Bell © |  Bonelli's Eagle - Nigel Bell © |
Bonelli's Eagle - Nigel Bell ©
European Serin were showing well here and also a young Long-legged Buzzard flew in, which we went in for a close look due to its unusual stance, laying on the ground. Through the photos we could not see any sign of injury however on evaluating the shots when I got home it did show a minor injury likely to be from another raptor, but definitely not something that would hamper its flight or survival.
Long-legged Buzzard - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved
We moved down to Episkopi where we had a glance of a young Great Spotted Cuckoo and plenty of Cyprus Wheatear. The Cyprus Scops Owls were not at their roost and seemed to have moved on, possibly a failed nesting attempt. A recently fledged Peregrine Falcon was showing quite low on the rocks, but we didn't get to see the adults.
We then moved up to Kathikas for Black-headed Bunting. We got to see many, mostly in song.
We then moved up to Kathikas for Black-headed Bunting. We got to see many, mostly in song.
Black-headed Bunting - Nigel Bell ©
We had a quick look around Pano Arodes where we was treated to many European Rollers on the wires and many hawking insects up high which is something I had not witnessed before. We dipped into a gorge as it was a site Nigel wanted to see for future reference. Cyprus Wheatears and Long Legged Buzzards were showing well here, plus a fly-by from an Eleonora's Falcon. We had good views of a male Red-backed shrike on the way out and a few Spotted Flycatcher.
Red-backed Shrike - Nigel Bell ©
Spotted Flycatcher - Nigel Bell ©
Lastly we visited Minthis Hills for Creztschmar's Bunting. They were not being very showy but we got good views of one and good views of Corn Bunting. We visited the Lake also which has changed vastly due to construction of buildings and tarmac roads. We found a Night Heron roosting in its usual tree and some Hoopoe en-route and then we visited the Egyptian fruit bat cave at the undisclosed site.
Egyptian Fruit Bats - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved
Egyptian Fruit Bats - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved
Then we headed to Akrotiri. We visited the Rabbit shed Pools which is mostly dry now. There we had Common Sandpiper, Wood Sandpiper, Greenshank, Black-winged stilt and Spur-winged Lapwing. The only thing of note at the Salt Lake run-off was a group of Greater Flamingo close over the mound, with one seemingly building a nest mound with an egg.
Our last stop was Ladies Mile where quite a few Broad-billed Sandpipers were showing well with the Little Stint and Common Ringed Plovers plus a small party of Little Tern bringing our total to 66 Species.
Our last stop was Ladies Mile where quite a few Broad-billed Sandpipers were showing well with the Little Stint and Common Ringed Plovers plus a small party of Little Tern bringing our total to 66 Species.
| Species List: Chukar Partridge (A.c.cypriotes) (h) Black Francolin Greater Flamingo Glossy Ibis Black-crowned Night-heron Squacco Heron Cattle Egret Grey Heron Little Egret Common Kestrel Eleonora's Falcon Peregrine Falcon (F.p.brookei) Long-legged Buzzard Bonelli's Eagle Common Moorhen Black-winged Stilt Spur-winged Lapwing Common Ringed Plover Kentish Plover Common Greenshank Wood Sandpiper Common Sandpiper Little Stint Curlew Sandpiper Broad-billed Sandpiper Ruff Yellow-legged Gull Black-headed Gull Little Tern Rock Dove Common Wood-pigeon European Turtle-dove Eurasian Collared-dove | Great Spotted Cuckoo (h)Little Owl Alpine Swift Common Swift European Roller European Bee-eater Eurasian Hoopoe Red-backed Shrike Eurasian Magpie Eurasian Jackdaw Hooded Crow Great Tit (P.m.aphrodite) Crested Lark (G.c.cypriaca) Sand Martin Barn Swallow Red-rumped Swallow Common House-martin Zitting Cisticola (h)Cetti's Warbler Eastern Olivaceous Warbler Sardinian Warbler Cyprus Wheatear Spotted Flycatcher House Sparrow Spanish Sparrow (h)Common Chaffinch European Serin European Greenfinch (C.c.muehlei) European Goldfinch Common Linnet Corn Bunting Cretzschmar's Bunting Black-headed Bunting 66 |
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