Army Ornithological SocietyCyprus Weekly
Birding Highlights for the Week Ending 6 Apr 14
Red-necked Phalarope at Larnaca Airport Pool North on 3 Apr
Alone again treading a lonely path. With the AOS tour departed, on Monday, the last day of the month, I decided to get back in the saddle and visit Paralimni Lake. There wasn’t much about but I was greeted by a fly-through male Pallid Harrier. Many Lesser Whitethroats were present with an Eastern Bonelli’s Warbler. On the quickly reducing flash, a Redshank, Ruff, Wood Sand, 3 Little Stints and 4 Little Ringed Plovers. As I searched the dried out lake for a possible Caspian Plover, there wasn’t one, I did find a perched male Peregrine. I flushed a Purple Heron and a Kingfisher and that was the last bird of the month. My highest total ever, with 170 for a month, thanks to thrashing about with the AOS for a week, which delivered some great and unexpected birds.
The first of the month and a JUMBO outing – why not? Stopping at Dolphin Rocks, an adult Baltic Gull loafed with a 1st winter Caspian and Yellow-legged. 7 Black-headed Gulls remained and 3 migrant Little Egrets perched on the rocks. After dropping Deb, I visited the now famous JUMBO drain. No Little Crake this time but 3 Citrine Wagtails – 2 males and a female, a Common Sandpiper and a few other common birds. Onward to Oroklini Marsh where the Spotted Redshank, 2 Black-tailed Godwits and a Marsh Sandpiper remained whilst the Red-crested Pochards looked resplendent and a lone Shelduck was amongst the increased 15 Greater Flamingos. Home via Akhna Dam, a flyby Cuckoo, another 2 Citrine Wagtails and the Cormorant remains, providing a good “tick” for April – It’s all about “The List”. A Marsh Harrier drifted lazily by and 9 Ruffs were on the ponds.
On Wednesday afternoon I visited the Cape Greco area. Stopping first at the small pine plantation, on the left before you enter the cape proper, migrants were everywhere. As is the norm for this time of the year and following a bird tour, the next, different tranche of migrants come through. A couple of Eastern Bonelli’s Warblers were present as they continue to pass in reasonable numbers and they were joined by my first busy Wood Warbler of the year. As I walked around, I connected with 3 Common Redstarts*, a male Collared Flycatcher, and 2 Pied Flycatchers- a male and female. Try as I might, I couldn’t find a Semi-collared. Continuing to walk a Cuckoo flushed, followed by the bird of the day…… a Long-eared Owl, which was consequently harassed by Corvids. The Cape held Isabelline, Northern and Cyprus* Wheatears but nothing rarer; I’d hoped that the Hooded Wheatear might still have been about, but I should’ve known better. At Cape Greco Picnic Site the area was alive with the song of Nightingales*, as 2 chased each other, 1 sat up and sang allowing me to get an unlikely, reasonable shot of this usually skulking migrant. At Ayia Napa Sewage Works, I met Joe and John the 2 Irish birders who put me onto another male Collared Flycatcher*, there ended up being 2 present with another 2 Wood Warblers, Eastern Bonelli’s Warbler, Chiffchaff and a Willow Warbler – FULL HOUSE! A couple of Red-rumped Swallows drifted overhead and as we were leaving a male Eastern Black-eared Wheatear posed atop a bush, a male Pallid Harrier hawked the scrub and a Cuckoo flew away from it. Finally, at Paralimni Lake, a Glossy Ibis, 15 Kentish Plover and a flyover, calling Red-throated Pipit – but once again no lurking Caspian Plover – the search continues……..
With the month list off to a flyer, I decided on a change of tack and dropping Deb into Larnaca for a change, I visited the local sites on Thursday afternoon. Joe and John (the visiting Irish birders) had tipped me off regarding a Red-necked Phalarope in the Larnaca area so I thought I’d give it a whirl. On the small pool, opposite the main salt lake and to the left of the VIP terminal, there it was, a Red-necked Phalarope*, along with c80 Ruffs, a Marsh Sandpiper, 2 Black-winged Stilts and 2 Kentish Plover – a good year “tick”. The sewage works retained its 3 Ferruginous Ducks, a couple of Shovelers, and about 80 Black-winged Stilts but little else. Spriro’s Pool had a Northern Wheatear on it and offshore a Baltic Gull migrated. Picking Debs up laden down with “Kippling Bags” – whatever they are, I drove home and as I passed Akhna Dam a cracking male Pallid Harrier flew over the road.
Cape Greco again on Friday afternoon, with Deb for a Cyprus Sandwich – excellent. As it was being cooked I walked around the Pines. Nightingales* were out in force and I saw my first Wood Warbler of the year with an Eastern Bonelli’s for good measure. A pair of Redstarts were present with good numbers of Chiffchaffs and Lesser Whitethroats. I flushed a Tawny, Tree Pipit and Hoopoe and proceeded to the Picnic Area. A pair of Cyprus Warblers sang, a couple of Cyprus Wheatears with Northerns, but it was pretty quiet. At Ayia Napa Sewage Works along the fence line, more Chiffchaffs, a couple of Eastern Bonelli’s Warblers and another Nightingale. A Masked Shrike was present as I left the area and at Vrysoulles on the way home a Little Owl remained faithful to its roost.
On Saturday morning I drove across Paralimni Lake in the hope of finding a Caspian Plover – without luck, there was however, and Isabelline and Eastern Black-eared Wheatear present. Later at Cape Greco Pines, it was very quiet and this was the case generally in the whole area. At the Picnic Site I caught a glimpse of a male Pallid Harrier as it made its way north. Whilst doing so, in my bins in the distance I saw 2 White Storks, very high gliding north-west. I paused to photograph an Eastern Orphean Warbler* which, unusually had perched on top of a bush for a while. On route to Ayia Napa Sewage Works I stopped to photograph a Cuckoo* perched on a telegraph wire and continued to the sewage works where a couple of Woodchat Shirkes, a Masked Shrike, another Cuckoo, Eastern Orphean Warbler and a male Blue Rock Thrush were the highlights. Onward to Akhna Dam where a couple of Cormorants remained and I photographed a female Eastern Black-eared Wheatear* amongst the Yellow Wagtails. Of the waders 2 Marsh Sandpipers with 3 Wood Sandpipers, 3 Little Ringed Plovers and 4 Snipe was all that could be found. In the afternoon, over to the barbers in the north for the regular love-in and a brief stop at the Fresh Water Lake South, brought 23 Little Egrets, 4 Grey Herons and 2 Glossy Ibises. As I attended my “enforced fun” belated Birthday Party, c25 Glossy Ibises passed over the house in “V” formation heading north east.
On Sunday, I visited Petounta Point and it was very quiet save for a couple of Nightingales and a male Eastern Black Eared Wheatear. I photographed some Black-headed* and Blue-headed Wagtails* however. Before reaching Petounta I’d stopped at Larnaca Sewage Works where the usual Black Francolins were seen and waders consisted of Marsh, Wood, Green and Common Sandpipers with Redshanks and Greenshanks also appearing. Black-winged Stilts look set to breed with c80 being present. Slender-billed Gulls were outnumbered by Black-heads but there wasn’t that much to talk about. At Pervolia, I engaged in the usual “drive-by” Calandra Lark sightings with 1 in display flight and a female Marsh Harrier was being mobbed by Crows. The small pond adjacent to the airport had good numbers of waders present again but the Red-necked Phalarope had moved on. JUMBO drain was a bit of a disappointment for a change and Oroklini Marsh had 5 pairs of Red-crested Pochards and a lone male present with 35 Greater Flamingos and a single Black-tailed Godwit. Having had news of Lesser Kestrels moving through I finished the day at Paralimni Lake which is usually a good place for the passage of the species. I arrived and saw 7 Kestrels feeding actively and most were females, however I got a cracking male in the scope complete with blue wing panels in the median coverts and an elongated black centre tail feather – so a good year tick. I moved along the raised banks and found a Wood Warbler and Eastern Bonell’s Warbler but I also managed to see the first Little Bittern of the year as a Sedge Warbler fed actively nearby. So ended the week, which despite me singing “I’m so Ronrey, in a Team America type style, went quite well.
Highlights of the Week: A Long-eared Owl at Cape Greco Pines is always a good find and the arrival of spanking Wood Warblers is always a good find. An earlyish Red-necked Phalarope was a bonus, it’s always good to get that one under your belt and a male Lesser Kestrel is always good to see
If you are planning a visit or require more info please feel free to contact me at: birder639@yahoo.com
Mark Easterbrook
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