Cyprus Bird Watching Tours - BIRD is the WORD, Paphos 06/10/2017
Steppe Grey Shrike (photo taken previous day) - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved
On the 6th I had the pleasure of guiding Stephen Allcock and group around the sites of Paphos. I met them days before at Akrotiri where we saw many great birds like Little and Spotted Crake, Bluethroat and Little Swift. Impressed with my knowledge of birds and wildlife they decided to book a day out with me in Paphos, despite me warning them that the birdlife there has been quite poor recently.
Coming from Polis I decided the Paphos foothills would be a good place to start. Cyprus Warbler and Black Francolin were the target species. On arrival of our first site we were greeted with incredible views of many Chukar getting within 3 meters of them at times as passing them by. There were many birds around the water, a flock of Garganey flying around, a Grey wagtail and a single Grey Heron on the waters edge. Corn Bunting were abundant in the area. I noticed a warbler type flitting around in the Cyprus Spiny Bush, it was a juvenile Cyprus Warbler with a few speckles. We had around 4 minutes viewing of this target species which given the habitat in the area was actually very good.
Coming from Polis I decided the Paphos foothills would be a good place to start. Cyprus Warbler and Black Francolin were the target species. On arrival of our first site we were greeted with incredible views of many Chukar getting within 3 meters of them at times as passing them by. There were many birds around the water, a flock of Garganey flying around, a Grey wagtail and a single Grey Heron on the waters edge. Corn Bunting were abundant in the area. I noticed a warbler type flitting around in the Cyprus Spiny Bush, it was a juvenile Cyprus Warbler with a few speckles. We had around 4 minutes viewing of this target species which given the habitat in the area was actually very good.
 Cyprus Warbler (juv) - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved |  Cyprus Warbler (juv) - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved |
As we left the site a female Black Francolin was sitting at the side of the road feeding. Targets out of the way at one site I asked if the group wanted to go for a rarity located nearby, A Steppe Grey Shrike. The group had seen Steppe Grey Shrike in Cyprus before at the Paphos Headland but were happy to go on this twitch. On the way we saw great numbers of birds, mainly Whinchat, Spanish Sparrow and a large group of European Bee-eater rising. A few Red-backed Shrike and a Cyprus Wheatear were highlights here aside the Steppe Grey Shrike sitting still on top of a hawthorn tree for a while and a pair of adult Bonelli's Eagles hunting low and later joined by a Eurasian Hobby. Breathtaking stuff!
Black Francolin (fem, photographed through windscreen) - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved
Bonelli's Eagle - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved
Bonelli's Eagle & Eurasian Hobby - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved
We proceeded to Agia Varvara where I showed them a small pool I had been maintaining. Sadly the Common Kingfisher that is always present was actually absent, though a Water Rail showed and more than made up for that.
We continued through Agia Varvara and came upon a Black Kite flying very low and eventually landing. We went to get better views of it perched but on the way it was spooked by some locals performing some maintenance to their farming equipment. Still we had incredible views of it in flight.
We continued through Agia Varvara and came upon a Black Kite flying very low and eventually landing. We went to get better views of it perched but on the way it was spooked by some locals performing some maintenance to their farming equipment. Still we had incredible views of it in flight.
Black Kite - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved
Next stop was Mandria taking a cut through Timi. This road has become quite legendary for me over the years. Today it was quiet aside a Steppe Buzzard flying low with 3 Red-footed Falcon high above.
Steppe Buzzard - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved
I took the group to a reliable field for Red-footed Falcon in Autumn. There were 4 birds on arrival, 2 Juveniles, a 2nd year female and a 2nd year Male ... the male was quite distant compared to the others that were pretty close. We continued to larks corner where there were many White and Yellow Wagtails, Whinchat, an obliging female Common Redstart and a few Red-throated Pipit that we managed to get incredibly close to whilst they bathed in a puddle and dried off. An adult and a juvenile.
 Common Redstart - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved |  Red-throated Pipit - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved |
We then headed to the Paphos headland with a stop at the sewage plant on the way for Spur-winged Lapwing ... of which there was a Northern lapwing amongst them. The group had an interest in butterflies and were happy to see the Syrian Swallowtail, Common Blue and African Grass Blue butterflies that were around.
Northern & Spur-winged lapwing - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved
The Headland held the usual Greater Sand Plovers and the long staying Whimbrel. 3 Common Kingfishers were present along the coast but not a Gull in sight.
Spanish Sparrow - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved
A pretty good tour that was enjoyed by everyone, with a decent species count considering how quiet it had been of late. Somehow managed to miss out on a few common species like Long-legged Buzzard and Zitting Cisticola, but that's birding ... but I think the Cyprus rarity more than made up for that.
*The tour wasn't very photography orientated and so I only took a few record shots.
*The tour wasn't very photography orientated and so I only took a few record shots.
| Species list: Garganey Island Chukar Black Francolin Little Grebe Mediterranean Shag Grey Heron Steppe Buzzard Bonelli's Eagle Black Kite Common kestrel Lesser Kestrel Eurasian Hobby Eleonora's Falcon Red-footed Falcon Water Rail Common moorhen Northern Lapwing Spur-winged lapwing Greater Sand Plover Whimbrel Common wood pigeon Eurasian Collared Dove Common Kingfisher European Bee-eater Crested Lark Greater Short-toed lark Barn Swallow White Wagtail Yellow Wagtail (flava + Feldegg) Grey wagtail Red-throated Pipit Tree Pipit Cetti's Warbler Eurasian Reed Warbler Willow Warbler Sardinian Warbler Cyprus Warbler Spotted Flycatcher Common Redstart Whinchat Northern Wheatear Cyprus Wheatear Great Tit Red-backed Shrike Steppe Grey Shrike Magpie Eurasian Jackdaw Hooded Crow Corn Bunting European Greenfinch European Goldfinch Common Linnet House Sparrow Spanish Sparrow 54 | Minthis Hills 1 Cyprus Warbler 8+ Willow warbler Sardinian Warbler 7 Garganey Little Grebe 1 Moorhen 1 Grey Heron 20 Corn Bunting 1 Grey Wagtail 30+ Chukar 1 Black Francolin (f) 2 Common Kestrel 1 Northern Wheatear Armou Hills Corn Bunting Spanish Sparrow Great Tit 1 Spotted Flycatcher 2 Whinchat 2 Red-backed Shrike 1 Eurasian Hobby 2 Bonelli's Eagle 1 Steppe Grey Shrike 1 Cyprus Wheatear Common Linnet Greenfinch Goldfinch Europen Bee-eater Willow Warbler Agia Varvara Eurasian Reed Warbler (h) 1 Water Rail 5 Moorhen Willow Warbler 2 Common Kestrel Spanish Sparrow 1 Eleonora's Falcon 1 Black Kite 1 Spotted Flycatcher 2 Red-backed Shrike Cetti's Warbler (h) Agia Varvara - Timi 1 Steppe Buzzard 3 Red-footed Falcon Mandria 1 Tree Pipit (h) 3 Red-throated Pipit Yellow Wagtail 10+ White Wagtail 1 European Shag 2 Common Kestrel 6 Lesser Ketrel 4 Red-footed Falcon Northern Wheatear Whinchat Spanish Sparrow 1 Greenfinch 1 Common Redstart Crested Lark 20+ Greater Short Toed Lark (passing flock) Paphos Sewage Plant 20+ Spur-winged lapwing 1 Northern Lapwing Red-throated Pipit (h) Crested Lark Yellow Wagtail Paphos Headland 3 Common Kingfisher 3 Greater Sand Plover 1 Whimbrel 2 Northern Wheatear Spanish Sparrow 1 Whinchat Common Kestrel |
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