Cyprus Bird Watching Tours - BIRD is the WORD - Akrotiri 09/09/2019
Demoiselle Crane - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved
On the 9th I guided Dennis around Akrotiri.
We started out at the entrance to Phassouri tower hide where Bee-eaters were flying over-head and Lesser Whitethroat were showing in the bushes. A Wood Sandpiper called from a distance.
On the Salt Lake we managed to find an adult Demoiselle Crane at the waters edge and got fantastic views of that. A probable Pallid Harrier was a little way away but spooked as we tried to get in closer to get an accurate ID. We also flushed a few Greater Short-toed Lark here, saw a Hoopoe and heard a Sectacled Warbler nearby.
We then headed round to the run-off. The Curlew wasn't in sight but the Flamingo's were there as usual and the small party of Glossy Ibis. In the distance there was a big line of Grey Heron and a giant mixed flock of little and cattle Egret with a small party of Black-winged Stilt. There was a few Mallard and Garganey on the water as well as a small party of coot. Yellow Wagtail were flitting around and we had a fly-over Montagu's Harrier and many Marsh Harrier.
Next we continued around to ladies mile, seeing a female Black-francolin en-route (A target species). There was plenty of Lesser Grey Shrike here and one had even caught a Scorpion.
We started out at the entrance to Phassouri tower hide where Bee-eaters were flying over-head and Lesser Whitethroat were showing in the bushes. A Wood Sandpiper called from a distance.
On the Salt Lake we managed to find an adult Demoiselle Crane at the waters edge and got fantastic views of that. A probable Pallid Harrier was a little way away but spooked as we tried to get in closer to get an accurate ID. We also flushed a few Greater Short-toed Lark here, saw a Hoopoe and heard a Sectacled Warbler nearby.
We then headed round to the run-off. The Curlew wasn't in sight but the Flamingo's were there as usual and the small party of Glossy Ibis. In the distance there was a big line of Grey Heron and a giant mixed flock of little and cattle Egret with a small party of Black-winged Stilt. There was a few Mallard and Garganey on the water as well as a small party of coot. Yellow Wagtail were flitting around and we had a fly-over Montagu's Harrier and many Marsh Harrier.
Next we continued around to ladies mile, seeing a female Black-francolin en-route (A target species). There was plenty of Lesser Grey Shrike here and one had even caught a Scorpion.
Lesser Grey Shrike + Cyprus Scorpion - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved
A few Red-backed Shrike were also knocking about here as well as a few Northern Wheatear. On the small puddles of water we got Common Ringed Plover and Little Stint, but the majority of birds here were Kentish Plover aside two young Black-winged Stilt and a single Glossy Ibis very close. We heard a Common Kingfisher call out near zakaki though we did not see it.
A quick drive around the Gravel Pits produced a Tawny Pipit, a few Whinchat, many European Rollers and a few Turtle Doves in flight.
A quick drive around the Gravel Pits produced a Tawny Pipit, a few Whinchat, many European Rollers and a few Turtle Doves in flight.
Tawny PIpit - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved
We checked Phassouri and found another female Black Francolin, there wasn't much infront of the hide due to the reeds being vastly overgrown, though we ventured around the side to get a view of the scrape where a pair of Little Ringed Plovers and a Greenshank were, and also 3 Spur-winged Lapwing and a Spotted Flycatcher a bit further down.
Our next stop was Bishop's Pool and at the entrance we saw a kettle of around 80 Honey Buzzards, mostly adults not too high up.
Our next stop was Bishop's Pool and at the entrance we saw a kettle of around 80 Honey Buzzards, mostly adults not too high up.
European Honey Buzzard - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved
We stopped to have our lunch at Bishop's Pool and the only other birds of note here was a Purple Heron, Green Sandpiper Calling out and a White-winged Tern. Cetti's and Willow Warbler called from the trees and another Montagu's Harrrier flew over as well as some more Honey Buzzard and Marsh Harrier. I got a txt about 20 Spoonbill just arriving on the salt lake, but Dennis wasn't too fussed to see them and so we ventured to Kensington Cliffs. We got great views of Eleonora's Falcon here, mostly in flight but some perching on the cliffs and trees. We also saw 3 Griffon Vultures, though they did not fly in close.
Eleonora's Falcon - Cyprus Bird Watching Tours Bird is the Word © Matt Smith All Rights Reserved
On the drive back a Long-legged Buzzard was low over the motorway and that brought our total to 69 Species.
| Species List: Black Francolin Mallard Garganey Little Grebe Greater Flamingo Glossy Ibis Cattle Egret Grey Heron Purple Heron Little Egret European Shag Common Kestrel Eleonora's Falcon European Honey-buzzard Griffon Vulture Western Marsh Harrier (prob)Pallid Harrier Montagu's Harrier Long-legged Buzzard (h)Water Rail Common Moorhen Common Coot Demoiselle Crane Black-winged Stilt Spur-winged Lapwing Common Ringed Plover Little Ringed Plover Kentish Plover Common Greenshank (h)Green Sandpiper (h)Wood Sandpiper Little Stint Yellow-legged Gull Slender-billed Gull White-winged Tern Rock Dove Common Wood-pigeon European Turtle-dove Eurasian Collared-dove European Roller (h)Common Kingfisher European Bee-eater Eurasian Hoopoe Red-backed Shrike | Lesser Grey Shrike Eurasian Magpie Eurasian Jackdaw Hooded Crow Great Tit Greater Short-toed Lark Crested Lark Sand Martin Barn Swallow Zitting Cisticola (h)Cetti's Warbler Eurasian Reed-warbler (h)Willow Warbler Lesser Whitethroat Sardinian Warbler (h)Spectacled Warbler Whinchat Northern Wheatear Spotted Flycatcher House Sparrow Yellow Wagtail (*Flava) Black-headed Wagtail Tawny Pipit European Greenfinch European Goldfinch 69 Large Whipsnake Schreiber's Fringe-fingered Lizard African Grass Blue Painted Lady Tiger Beetle Blue Emperor Lesser Emperor Slender Skimmer Wandering Glider Red-veined Darter Violet Dropwing Cyprus Scorpion Sea Daffodil |
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