Cyprus Bird Watching Tours - BIRD is the WORD - Paphos half-day tour 02/10/2018
On 02/10 I guided Barry and Pete on a half day tour around Paphos. Cyprus Warbler and Cyprus Wheatear were the target species but the light was a bit poor as we set out so we ventured around the Sewage Works first with a short stop to see the Stone Curlews at their usual spot. We saw many Stone Curlews very close to the car, though they were disturbed by our presence after a while.
At the Sewage Works the Spur-winged Lapwings weren't on the fields so we had to drive near the solid waste area to get good views of them of which we also saw one of this years young. A European Honey Buzzard must have roosted in the trees over night as it took up from a nearby area and forced thousands of Wood pigeons in the sky, as well as a Grey Wagtail that called out as it flew over. A Cattle Egret showed well perched on an irrigation machine, no doubt waiting for its morning shower :)
By the pomegranate orchards we had a Eurasian Hoopoe on the pathway, Whinchat, Red-backed Shrike, Spotted Flycatcher and Willow Warbler were in the roadside fennel. Blackcap called from the coniferous trees.
The Light was getting better now and so we ventured to Anarita Park passing Agia Varvara on the way. Sure enough we located a 1st winter Cyprus Wheatear sitting on the power lines and on the opposite side of the road a wild hare darted through some shrubs. There wasn't much to see at Anarita Park, seeing as it is more a spring site though I did manage to locate 2 young Cyprus Warblers which came close to the car at times.
After finishing up here we headed to Mandria as I had just gotten word that a Richard's Pipit was showing, probably the same one Colin Richardson had found there a few days prior. En route we stopped to view a few Laughing doves. We set the scope up at the recently cut field and scouted through the many yellow wagtails. I found it at the far back corner though as Barry got on the scope it had hid behind a dry clump of Alfalfa and didn't show itself.
As we ventured to the West fields we had a Western Marsh Harrier quite low. On the western fields there was at least 4 Red-footed Falcon, one adult female and an adult male on the wires nearby and a few juveniles hovering over the fields.
Despite the noisy generator next to us it was a nice end to the tour, with a quick glimpse at Asprokremnos Dam on the way back (of which we only saw a grey heron) which brought our total to 35 species for a half day.
At the Sewage Works the Spur-winged Lapwings weren't on the fields so we had to drive near the solid waste area to get good views of them of which we also saw one of this years young. A European Honey Buzzard must have roosted in the trees over night as it took up from a nearby area and forced thousands of Wood pigeons in the sky, as well as a Grey Wagtail that called out as it flew over. A Cattle Egret showed well perched on an irrigation machine, no doubt waiting for its morning shower :)
By the pomegranate orchards we had a Eurasian Hoopoe on the pathway, Whinchat, Red-backed Shrike, Spotted Flycatcher and Willow Warbler were in the roadside fennel. Blackcap called from the coniferous trees.
The Light was getting better now and so we ventured to Anarita Park passing Agia Varvara on the way. Sure enough we located a 1st winter Cyprus Wheatear sitting on the power lines and on the opposite side of the road a wild hare darted through some shrubs. There wasn't much to see at Anarita Park, seeing as it is more a spring site though I did manage to locate 2 young Cyprus Warblers which came close to the car at times.
After finishing up here we headed to Mandria as I had just gotten word that a Richard's Pipit was showing, probably the same one Colin Richardson had found there a few days prior. En route we stopped to view a few Laughing doves. We set the scope up at the recently cut field and scouted through the many yellow wagtails. I found it at the far back corner though as Barry got on the scope it had hid behind a dry clump of Alfalfa and didn't show itself.
As we ventured to the West fields we had a Western Marsh Harrier quite low. On the western fields there was at least 4 Red-footed Falcon, one adult female and an adult male on the wires nearby and a few juveniles hovering over the fields.
Despite the noisy generator next to us it was a nice end to the tour, with a quick glimpse at Asprokremnos Dam on the way back (of which we only saw a grey heron) which brought our total to 35 species for a half day.
| Cattle Egret Grey Heron Common Kestrel Red-footed Falcon European Honey-buzzard Western Marsh Harrier Eurasian Stone Curlew Spur-winged Lapwing Common Wood-pigeon Eurasian Collared-dove Laughing Dove European Bee-eater Eurasian Hoopoe Red-backed Shrike Eurasian Magpie Eurasian Jackdaw Hooded Crow Great Tit | Crested Lark Barn Swallow Zitting Cisticola Cetti's Warbler (h) Willow Warbler Blackcap (h) Sardinian Warbler Cyprus Warbler Whinchat Cyprus Wheatear Spotted Flycatcher House Sparrow Yellow Wagtail Grey Wagtail (h) Richard's Pipit European Greenfinch European Goldfinch 35 species |
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