Cyprus Bird Watching Tours - Paphos & Akrotiri 16/09/2020
Eurasian Hoopoe - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved
On the 16th I guided Ian around the Akrotiri and Paphos sites. We started at Phassouri Marsh where we was greeted with many European Bee-eaters on the trees, feeding in-flight and bathing and we also flushed a female Black Francolin as we approached the tower hide. At the first hide we had a pair of Common Kingfisher and at the flooded part near the entrance we was treated to another pair and also Garganey, Glossy Ibis, Wood Sandpiper, Cattle and Little Egret.
Garganey - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved
A Sedge Warbler flitted around the reeds and a Little Bittern and Water rail called from deep in the reeds and unfortunately not seen. A small party of 4 Black-tailed Godwit flew overhead as well as many flocks of Little and Great White Egret. We put up a few Snipe here.
There wasn't much to be seen at the second hide so we didn't stay long. There was a lot of activity on the far fields, over 70 Glossy Ibis, Yellow Wagtails everywhere, Squacco Herons and also a juvenile Black Stork took the spotlight.
There wasn't much to be seen at the second hide so we didn't stay long. There was a lot of activity on the far fields, over 70 Glossy Ibis, Yellow Wagtails everywhere, Squacco Herons and also a juvenile Black Stork took the spotlight.
Black Stork & Glossy Ibis - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved
Moving round to the gravel pits we saw quite a few Whinchat, Red-backed Shrike and a Spotted Flycatcher. At the pools there was a pair of Curlew Sandpiper.
We then headed to the salt lake to see the Greater Flamingo of which we got great views of. There wasn't much else around here aside Black-winged Stilt and some Eleonora's Falcon hunting. Just as we was leaving a European Honey Buzzard flew in and landed nearby.
Next we scouted ladies mile that held no surprises and on to Bishop's pool. Here we saw Shoveler, a Pochard, Ferruginous Duck and many Garganey. The best birds of note was a Peregrine Falcon and a very rare Saker Falcon as well as maybe over 50 European Turtle Dove.
We decided to give the Gravel Pits another go as it seemed the better destination for the wave of Honey Buzzards that were imminent and although most were quite high we got just that. Over 100 including 5 Black Kite soared over us. We also managed to add Masked Shrike to our day list.
After stopping off at Kensington Cliffs for Eleonora's Falcons and seeing a Green Turtle in the bay we made our way back to Paphos stopping at Mandria Picnic site for lunch.
We then headed to the salt lake to see the Greater Flamingo of which we got great views of. There wasn't much else around here aside Black-winged Stilt and some Eleonora's Falcon hunting. Just as we was leaving a European Honey Buzzard flew in and landed nearby.
Next we scouted ladies mile that held no surprises and on to Bishop's pool. Here we saw Shoveler, a Pochard, Ferruginous Duck and many Garganey. The best birds of note was a Peregrine Falcon and a very rare Saker Falcon as well as maybe over 50 European Turtle Dove.
We decided to give the Gravel Pits another go as it seemed the better destination for the wave of Honey Buzzards that were imminent and although most were quite high we got just that. Over 100 including 5 Black Kite soared over us. We also managed to add Masked Shrike to our day list.
After stopping off at Kensington Cliffs for Eleonora's Falcons and seeing a Green Turtle in the bay we made our way back to Paphos stopping at Mandria Picnic site for lunch.
Green Turtle - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved
At Mandria we managed to locate an Isabelline Wheatear and many Whinchat and Greater Short-toed Lark as well as a Tawny Pipit.
Moving to Agia Varvara we was greeted with the long staying White Storks which provided amazing views and photo opportunities.
Our last stop was the Sewage Works where we got very close to Spur-winged Lapwing, Cattle Egret, Yellow Wagtail, Lesser Grey Shrike and quite a few Hoopoes finishing the day with 76 Species in total.
Moving to Agia Varvara we was greeted with the long staying White Storks which provided amazing views and photo opportunities.
Our last stop was the Sewage Works where we got very close to Spur-winged Lapwing, Cattle Egret, Yellow Wagtail, Lesser Grey Shrike and quite a few Hoopoes finishing the day with 76 Species in total.
White Stork - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved
| Species List: Black Francolin Mallard Northern Shoveler Garganey Common Pochard Ferruginous Duck Little Grebe Greater Flamingo Black Stork White Stork Glossy Ibis Squacco Heron (h)Little Bittern Cattle Egret Grey Heron Great Egret Little Egret European Shag Common Kestrel Eleonora's Falcon Saker Falcon Peregrine Falcon European Honey-buzzard Black Kite Western Marsh Harrier Common Moorhen Common Coot (h)Water Rail Black-winged Stilt Spur-winged Lapwing Common Ringed Plover Kentish Plover Common Snipe Black-tailed Godwit Wood Sandpiper Little Stint Dunlin | Curlew Sandpiper Yellow-legged Gull Rock Dove Common Wood-pigeon European Turtle-dove Eurasian Collared-dove Laughing Dove European Roller Common Kingfisher European Bee-eater Eurasian Hoopoe Red-backed Shrike Lesser Grey Shrike Masked Shrike Eurasian Magpie Eurasian Jackdaw Hooded Crow Great Tit Greater Short-toed Lark Crested Lark Sand Martin Barn Swallow Red-rumped Swallow Zitting Cisticola Cetti's Warbler Sedge Warbler Eurasian Reed-warbler Willow Warbler Lesser Whitethroat Sardinian Warbler Whinchat Isabelline Wheatear Spotted Flycatcher House Sparrow Yellow Wagtail (*Flava) Black-headed Wagtail Tawny Pipit European Greenfinch European Goldfinch 76 |
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