October 07th, 2019

7/10/2019

Cyprus Bird Watching Tours - BIRD is the WORD - Akrotiri, Paphos, Famagusta + North, Troodos 4 Day Tour 29+30/09 + 01+3/10/2019

On the 29th I guided Janet and Edward on a 4 day tour across Cyprus
The first day we set out to Akrotiri, at Phassouri Marsh where we got great views of Glossy Ibis, Cattle Egret, Great Egret, Little Egret, Common Kingfisher and also brief views of Common Snipe and Black Francolin. Many ducks were flying in and out and I managed to spot an odd one in the crowd which turned out to be a female wood duck! Obviously an escapee.

Moving on to the Gravel pits we had a few Marsh Harrier on the ground and an Osprey flying low over us. At the oasis was a lone Ruddy Turnstone, a scarce species in Cyprus but no sign of the Bar-tailed Godwit that had been hanging around.

Moving into the Eucalyptus woodland we had a Honey Buzzard in a low tree, probably the same one seen before.
The salt lake held great numbers of Greater Flamingo and the Eleonora's Falcons were hunting here again. Slender-billed Gulls were showing again too.
Ladies Mile held small numbers of waders, Little Stint and Ringed Plover.
Bishop's Pool was unfortunately locked being a Sunday and so we ventured to the tower hide which was fairly quiet aside some groups of Honey Buzzard flying over and a lone Steppe Buzzard.

We did get a Pallid harrier fly in close to the hide. Also present was a Blue Emperor and a Large Marsh Horsefly. We had our lunch here and then ventured to Kensington Cliffs where we had great views of Eleonora's Falcon and Griffon Vulture plus the Green Turtle still showing in the bay.

Then we finished up the day at the Bee-hives where we saw Lesser Kestrel, Red-footed Falcon, more Honey Buzzards and a Black Kite.
We managed 61 species for the day.

The second day we ventured to Paphos. We started at the Headland where the Whimbrel showed well and many flocks of Spanish Sparrow. A few Honey Buzzards flew in off the sea right where we were and also a Squacco Heron flew in close along the coast. The Greater Sand Plover was at the usual spot and we had great views and photo ops with it. The Kingfisher was hanging around again too.

We then ventured to the Sewage Works where we got great close views of Spur-winged Lapwing.
Our next stop was Mandria where we saw some Stone Curlew and a Black Francolin. We also got great views of Laughing Dove.

Moving up to Agia Varvara we stopped for a special butterfly species as Edward was keen on butterflies (so I added many stops to accommodate as many species), the smallest Butterfly in Europe, the Grass Jewel. None of the Little Owls were on show at Anarita Park though we did see a 1st Plumage Bonelli's Eagle. Moving through Episkopi we saw Cyprus Wheatear and at Minthis we had a Hobby hunting dragonflies very low and close.
Next we went up to Arodes where we saw Long-legged Buzzard. We searched this site for Levantine Leopard though was unsuccessful in finding this rare butterfly. Our last stop was to see Egyptian Fruit bats at a secret cave.
We got 50 species for the day.

On our third day we headed to the East of the island starting at Oroklini. Here we had a fair few sightings, a Marsh Harrier flew right up to the hide and on the water we had lots of Snipe, Garganey, Pintail, Shoveler, Teal, Mallard and a Temminck's Stint being the star bird. A Whiskered Tern was also feeding over the water.

Then we ventured to the north side of the island to Kukla Wetlands, an incredibly productive site this year, maybe the best on the island. At Kukla we had a Pallid Harrier on entry low over the fields and then later seen perched at the waters edge which we managed to get very close to. The usual waders were around the edge (Little Stint, Wood Sandpiper, Curlew Sandpiper), we also had many Greater Flamingo up close to the waters edge providing incredible views though sadly a few people walked close to our car and inevitably disturbed them.

There was a large flock of Spoonbill present and also an Osprey came and fished right next to the car though sadly towards the sun.

Red-footed Falcon were on the ground close as well as Collared Pratincole. A lone Common Shelduck and Golden Plover were present and large numbers of Marsh Harrier were close at times. We even saw a young Bonelli's Eagle being mobbed by many lesser kestrel dive a Grey Heron without success. A few Northern Lapwings were still present as well as Whiskered and White Winged Tern .... getting the former close on the ground, at least one Great Crested Grebe was still present too and a young Peregrine Falcon though the Pelicans and Black Stork had left. A newly arrived flock of Red-throated pipit showed nice and close on the ground near us.

Maybe our greatest sightings here though were 3 Common Cranes and then 2 White Storks which were happy to feed meters from the car.

Wandering Glider dragonflies were in abundance here and also a few Vagrant Emperors, Slender Skimmers, a surprise Southern Skimmer and also a pair of Lesser Emperors mating. Small Desert Blue's were here in good numbers and a few Crimson-speckled Moth. We also saw an Oriental Hornet cannibalize another. As we left a dust devil formed.

We visited the Larnaca Salt Lake on the way back for Little Tiger Blue butterflies ... though we were too late, though we did get Lesser Fiery Copper.
We managed 76 species for the day.

Our last day was a trip up to the mountains. We started in Platres in hope of seeing a Cardinal butterfly nectaring, though we only got flight views. We had many sightings of Cyprus Grayling though and a small party of Coal Tit and Dorothy's Short-toed Treecreeper, Blackbird and a high flying Peregrine Falcon. We then headed to Trooditissa seeing a Griffon Vulture on the way and a few Cyprus Wheatear. At the picnic site we had many more Cyprus Grayling and also Brown Argus, no sign of Purple Hairstreak. A Goshawk flew over briefly and also a Jay showed well. A Migrant Hawker was present.
Prodromos was quite dissapointing for both birds and Butterflies, though we did get a Hobby here.
We then headed to Livadi tou passia where we ate our lunch. Sadly there was a group of motorcross people here and very little wildlife.
At the next picnic site we had a small group of Crossbill in a tree but flushed due to a car going past fast, we also had a single one sitting high in a tree. Willow Warbler were showing and we had fleeting glimpses of Wren and a Sylvia warbler type that went down as unknown but likely a lesser whitethroat. A tree pipit showed quite well in a tree for a decent period.
We visited the Botanical Garden where we had great views and photo ops with many Hummingbird Hawkmoths.

We then headed to Tzelefelos Venetian Bridge seeing a Sparrowhawk dive for prey and on the ground for a while. At the bridge we saw Catocala coniuncta sat on my foot and many Grey Wagtail attacked their reflection in the car side mirrors.
Our day total was a low count of 30 species. Bringing our 4 day tour to 112 Species.

Species List:

Chukar Partridge (a.c.cypriotes)
Black Francolin
Mallard
Northern Shoveler
Northern Pintail
Common Shelduck
Common Teal
Garganey
*Wood Duck
Little Grebe
Great Crested Grebe
Greater Flamingo
White Stork
Eurasian Spoonbill
Glossy Ibis
Cattle Egret
Grey Heron
Great Egret
Little Egret
Squacco Heron
Great Cormorant
European Shag (p.a.desmarestii)
Lesser Kestrel
Common Kestrel
Red-footed Falcon
Eleonora's Falcon
Eurasian Hobby
Peregrine Falcon (f.p.brookei)
Osprey
European Honey-buzzard
Black Kite
Griffon Vulture
Western Marsh Harrier
Pallid Harrier
Eurasian Sparrowhawk
Northern Goshawk
Long-legged Buzzard
Steppe Buzzard
Bonelli's Eagle
Water Rail
Common Coot
Common Moorhen
Black-winged Stilt
Eurasian Stone Curlew
Common Crane
Northern Lapwing
Spur-winged Lapwing
Common Ringed Plover
Eurasian Golden Plover
Greater Sand Plover
Whimbrel
Common Snipe
Common Redshank
Common Greenshank
Marsh Sandpiper

Wood Sandpiper
Ruddy Turnstone
Little Stint
Temminck's Stint
Curlew Sandpiper
Collared Pratincole
Yellow-legged Gull
Slender-billed Gull
Whiskered Tern
White-winged Tern
Common Wood-pigeon
European Turtle-dove
Eurasian Collared-dove
Laughing Dove
Common Swift
Alpine Swift
European Roller
Common Kingfisher
European Bee-eater
Red-backed Shrike
Eurasian Jay (g.g.glaszneri)
Eurasian Magpie
Eurasian Jackdaw
Hooded Crow
Great Tit (p.m.aphrodite)
Coal Tit (p.a.cypriotes)
Greater Short-toed Lark
Crested Lark (g.c.cypriaca)
Sand Martin
Barn Swallow
Red-rumped Swallow
Zitting Cisticola
Cetti's Warbler
(h)Eurasian Reed-warbler
Willow Warbler
Blackcap
Sardinian Warbler
Whinchat
Spotted Flycatcher
Northern Wheatear
Cyprus Wheatear
Eurasian Blackbird
House Sparrow
Spanish Sparrow
Eurasian Wren (t.t.cypriotes)
White Wagtail
Yellow Wagtail (*Flava)
Black-headed Wagtail
Grey Wagtail
Dorothy's Short-toed Treecreeper (c.b.dorothea)
Tree Pipit
Red-throated Pipit
Common Chaffinch
European Greenfinch (c.c.muehlei)
European Goldfinch
Red Crossbill (c.c.guillemardi)
Corn Bunting
112

Blue-tail Damselfly
Common Darter
Red-veined Darter
Red-veined Dropwing
Broad Scarlet
Slender Skimmer (copula)
Southern Skimmer
Lesser Emperor (copula)
Blue Emperor
Vagrant Emperor
Wandering Glider
Migrant Hawker

Common Blue
Long-tailed Blue
Small Grass Blue
Grass Jewel
African Grass Blue
Small Desert Blue
Brown Argus
Lesser Fiery Copper
Large White
Small White
Clouded Yellow
Wall Brown
Cyprus Meadow Brown
Oriental Meadow Brown
Wall Brown
Speckled Wood
Painted Lady
Swallowtail
Cleopatra
Cardinal
Cyprus Grayling
Eastern Rock Grayling
Pygmy Skipper

Crimson-speckled Flunky/moth
Catocala coniuncta
Hummingbird Hawk Moth

Drimia aphylla
Pygmy Carlina
Sternbergia lutea
European Plumbago
Colchicum Troodi

Tiger beetle - Calomera littoralis winkleri

Large Marsh Horsefly
Deerfly - Chrysops relictus
Oriental Hornet Cannibalism
Antlion sp.

Large Black Whip Snake
Sling-tailed Agama Lizard
Snake-eyed Lizard
Troodos Lizard
Schreiber's Fringe-fingered Lizard

Green Turtle

October 07th, 2019

Cyprus Bird Watching Tours - BIRD is the WORD - Akrotiri, Paphos, Famagusta + North, Troodos 4 Day Tour 29+30/09 + 01+3/10/2019

Bird is the Word

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