Cyprus Weekly

Birding Highlights for the Week Ending 15 Feb 15

House Martin at Paralimni Lake on 11 Feb

9 Ruddy Shelducks were amongst c230 Greater Flamingos at Parllimni Lake late on Monday afternoon.  Little Egrets had increased to at least 10 with 1 Great White and several Grey Herons.  28 Ruffs were present with 1 Wood Sandpiper and a Greenshank.  Swallows numbered at least 200 and a female Marsh Harrier cruised over the Lake.  I awoke on Tuesday morning to find a Serin singing in the garden on my way to the gym – shock, horror – yes it does happen!

On Tuesday, I invested time at Gulserin Pond in the hope of finding a Common Gull.  Without luck, the things you invest time in whilst in Cyprus – remarkable!  Anyway as I watched the hundreds of Black-headed Gulls coming to roost, an Audouin’s Gull flew in briefly and 2 Yellow-legged Gulls rested.  2 Penduline Tits emerged from the reeds and 8 Black-winged Stilts were flushed.  4 Pintails remained but there wasn’t much else happening.  Of interest amongst the 20 or so migrating Swallows were a couple showing characters of the Levantine Sssp transitive – a liitle larger and redder on the underside.

With a gale force wind blowing on Wednesday, I headed to Cape Greco, but even in this blow nothing was doing.   A Sandwich Tern fished in heavy seas and a couple of Yellow-legged and Caspian Gulls drifted by.  At Paralimni Lake on the way home c300 Barn Swallows were present with c250 Greater Flamingos, however the Ruddy Shelducks appear to have moved on.  On the wires amongst the Swallows were my first House Martins* of the year.  21 Ruffs, 3 Redshanks and a Black-winged Stilt were on the north side of the lake, where a Black Francolin could be heard calling.

In the morning as I walked around camp, a Serin sang from some conifers, a Black Redstart quivered on the tennis court fence and I flushed at least 4 Wood Larks as I headed down to the admin office.  The weekly JUMBO excursion provided me a little time in the Oroklini area.  At JUMBO Drain, 8 Spur-winged Plovers had taken residence, with a Moorhen and several Black-headed Gulls.  The site may be coming into its own again but it’s still a far cry from the excellent site it was a year ago.  At Oroklini Marsh, at least 8 Chiffchaffs were very active and above me an influx of at least 50 Common Swifts with some hirundines mixed in provided the next year tick.  A pair of Red Crested Pochards were in the reeds as 2 female Marsh Harriers cruised above them.  A male Pintail remained and at least 10 Armenian Gulls* were present amongst the Black-heads with a 3 winter Yellow-legged Gull*.  89 Greater Flamingos were still present and a lone Black-winged Stilt was with the Spur-winged Plovers.  At the coast 2 adult Mediterranean Gulls were loafing at the back of a raft of Black-heads and were complete with black hoods.

A Serin sang once more outside the house on Friday morning as I went to work.  I didn’t manage to get out on Friday afternoon and with Valentine’s Night in the Mess in the evening, I stayed in and watched the Rugby on Saturday.  On Sunday I visited Cape Greco in the hope of some early migrants – which failed.  However, a female Finsch’s Wheatear was with a cracking male, 2 Blue Rock Thrushes were in the area with several Black Redstarts, but perhaps the surprise were 2 Mistle Thrushes with the commoner Song Thrushes.  A Long-legged Buzzard headed off the cape and out to sea whilst a Yellow-legged Gull loafed offshore.  I moved onto Ayias Trias where 9 Grey Plovers were on the rocks with a Little Egret.

Paralimni Lake held 9 Ruddy Shelducks once more amongst the c250 Flamingos and a pair of Avocets was a surprise.  In the afternoon we headed to the north where the highlight was an Audouin’s Gull at Clapsides Beach.  I returned home early as there was not much occurring and watched the rugby.

Highlights of the Week:  The arrival of Swifts and House Martins but migration seems to be a bit behind last year perhaps because of the unsettled weather in the last week.

If you are planning a visit or require more info please feel free to contact me at:  birder639@yahoo.com

Mark Easterbrook


Comments

  1. Tim Drew | 22nd Feb 2015 01:53 PM

    Hi Mark,
    I will be heading to Cyprus in early March and staying at Paphos. I was wondering if it was still possible to enter the headland through the fence before 8am as I was hoping to be doing my birding there early morning before my wife gets up.

    Kind regards

    Tim

     
  2. Smitha832 | 13th Jul 2015 07:26 PM

    Im grateful for the blog article.Much thanks again. Cool.

     

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