Cyprus Bird Watching Tours - Paphos & Akrotiri 14/09/2020
White Stork - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved
On the 14th I guided Luis around the Paphos and Akrotiri sites for my first tour of the year (due to the covid madness).
We started in the foothills of Paphos for Bonelli's Eagle, a target species. We was unfortunate not seeing one at their territory although I got a fleeting view of one low from behind, we managed to spot many Cyprus Wheatear here which were also a target species and also a single whinchat. We moved on to Minthis Hills where many Little Grebe and Garganey were on the drainage pool. Warblers were flitting around everywhere around the ornamental lake, here we got Common and Lesser Whitethroat, Willow Warbler, Sardinian Warbler and Cyprus Warbler, another target species. In the hills we had great views of a Pallid and Montagu's Harrier as well as a few European Honey Buzzards riding the thermals.
Next stop was Episkopi for Cyprus Scops Owl which were not to be seen at their day roost. We continued to Agia Varvara where the many White Storks were still present, coming in to land at the pools enabling great views, in the air we counted over 50 of them, at one point they was accompanied by a Long-leggged Buzzard and some time later a 1st plumaged Bonelli's Eagle shot past.
On the water we had sedge warbler and some reed warblers calling out. We had a brief view of Black Francolin here in flight, another target species.
Moving on to the sewage plant we had fantastic views of Lesser Grey Shrike lining the trees around an Alfalfa field which held many Spur-winged Lapwing, Yellow Wagtail and Glossy Ibis, we also managed to spot a Red-backed Shrike here and also a Black Francolin crossing the road. Many Cattle Egret were also present in the area.
We started in the foothills of Paphos for Bonelli's Eagle, a target species. We was unfortunate not seeing one at their territory although I got a fleeting view of one low from behind, we managed to spot many Cyprus Wheatear here which were also a target species and also a single whinchat. We moved on to Minthis Hills where many Little Grebe and Garganey were on the drainage pool. Warblers were flitting around everywhere around the ornamental lake, here we got Common and Lesser Whitethroat, Willow Warbler, Sardinian Warbler and Cyprus Warbler, another target species. In the hills we had great views of a Pallid and Montagu's Harrier as well as a few European Honey Buzzards riding the thermals.
Next stop was Episkopi for Cyprus Scops Owl which were not to be seen at their day roost. We continued to Agia Varvara where the many White Storks were still present, coming in to land at the pools enabling great views, in the air we counted over 50 of them, at one point they was accompanied by a Long-leggged Buzzard and some time later a 1st plumaged Bonelli's Eagle shot past.
On the water we had sedge warbler and some reed warblers calling out. We had a brief view of Black Francolin here in flight, another target species.
Moving on to the sewage plant we had fantastic views of Lesser Grey Shrike lining the trees around an Alfalfa field which held many Spur-winged Lapwing, Yellow Wagtail and Glossy Ibis, we also managed to spot a Red-backed Shrike here and also a Black Francolin crossing the road. Many Cattle Egret were also present in the area.
Glossy Ibis - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved
Glossy Ibis - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved
Many shrikes later and a lone Tree Pipit we ventured to Akrotiri stopping at Kensington Cliffs on the way fro Eleonora's Falcon, another target species. Luis said this was the highlight of the trip as not only did we get fantastic flight views but Luis managed a photo of a dark morph on the cliff just less than 10 meters away. We also had views of one feeding a recently fledged youngster. Unfortunately the Griffon Vultures didn't show.
Eleonora's Falcon - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved
Next stop was Bishop's Pool for ferruginous duck, another target, we had around 3-4 here and also a Common Pochard and an out of place Great Cormorant. We stopped here to have lunch.
After a brief visit to the Salt lake run-off and Ladies Mile where we saw many waders; Kentish and Common Ringed Plover, Little and Temmincks stint etc we brushed past the Gravel Pits, only seeing a lone Tawny Pipit and enteretd Phassouri marsh where there was an abundance of Great White, Little and Cattle Egret as well as Glossy Ibis, Squacco Heron and Grey Heron feeding in the marshes. At the first hide we had a fleeting glimpse of a female Little Crake running into the reeds and European Bee-eaters were everywhere. Quite a few European Rollers were about of which there was also some on the wires at Ladies Mile providing good photo opportunities.
The tower hide was fairly unfruitful aside a few Common Kingfishers, we finished up the tour at the bee-hives raptor migration spot which produced many Marsh Harriers and some Honey Buzzards as well as a Hobby. We finished the day with 76 Species.
After a brief visit to the Salt lake run-off and Ladies Mile where we saw many waders; Kentish and Common Ringed Plover, Little and Temmincks stint etc we brushed past the Gravel Pits, only seeing a lone Tawny Pipit and enteretd Phassouri marsh where there was an abundance of Great White, Little and Cattle Egret as well as Glossy Ibis, Squacco Heron and Grey Heron feeding in the marshes. At the first hide we had a fleeting glimpse of a female Little Crake running into the reeds and European Bee-eaters were everywhere. Quite a few European Rollers were about of which there was also some on the wires at Ladies Mile providing good photo opportunities.
The tower hide was fairly unfruitful aside a few Common Kingfishers, we finished up the tour at the bee-hives raptor migration spot which produced many Marsh Harriers and some Honey Buzzards as well as a Hobby. We finished the day with 76 Species.
| Species List: (h)Chukar Partridge Black Francolin Mallard Northern Shoveler Garganey Common Pochard Ferruginous Duck Little Grebe Greater Flamingo White Stork Glossy Ibis Squacco Heron Cattle Egret Grey Heron Great Egret Little Egret Great Cormorant European Shag Common Kestrel Eleonora's Falcon Eurasian Hobby European Honey-buzzard Western Marsh Harrier Pallid Harrier Montagu's Harrier Long-legged Buzzard Bonelli's Eagle Little Crake Common Moorhen Common Coot Spur-winged Lapwing Common Ringed Plover Kentish Plover Common Snipe Green Sandpiper Little Stint Temminck's Stint Yellow-legged Gull | Slender-billed Gull Rock Dove Common Wood-pigeon European Turtle-dove Eurasian Collared-dove Laughing Dove European Roller Common Kingfisher European Bee-eater Red-backed Shrike Lesser Grey Shrike Eurasian Magpie Eurasian Jackdaw Hooded Crow Great Tit Crested Lark Sand Martin Barn Swallow Zitting Cisticola Cetti's Warbler Sedge Warbler (h)Eurasian Reed-warbler Eastern Olivaceous Warbler Willow Warbler Common Whitethroat Lesser Whitethroat Sardinian Warbler Cyprus Warbler Spectacled Warbler Whinchat House Sparrow Yellow Wagtail (*Flava) Black-headed Wagtail Tawny Pipit Tree Pipit European Greenfinch European Goldfinch Common Linnet 76 |
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