Army Ornithological SocietyArmy Ornithological Society Blog
Cyprus Weekly
Birding Highlights for the Week Ending 27 Oct
Penduline Tit at Akhna Dam on 21 Oct
* Indicates that a photo of the species is included please visit Flickr site to view or click on the link.
A day off on Monday and I attempted unsuccessfully to see a Knot at Akrotiri – a rare bird in Cyprus although I have seen one previously. As I searched a Gull-billed Tern and 2 Shelduck were over the salt lake with a couple of Marsh Harriers but amongst the thousands of Greater Flamingos there was little else. Search complete and with only Dunlins, Little Stints and Kentish Plovers noted I headed to Lady’s Mile for more of the same. At Zakaki Marsh where there is a large amount of construction work taking place, a huge area has now been opened making the marsh visible for the first time since I’ve been here. Anyway, 2 Wood Sandpipers, an immature White-winged Black Tern, 3 Kingfishers, a Grey Heron and 2 Stonechats graced the area. I moved on back towards the Larnaca area and visited the sewage works where I heard and saw my first 4 Skylarks of the winter. The first Caspian Gulls had arrived along with an adult Baltic Gull. All things being equal – it was pretty dull.
In the afternoon I went for a shave and haircut, which was its usual unique experience and visited the Fresh Water Lake South in Famagusta where a Great White Egret was obvious and 2 Redstarts were very active. A couple of Black-winged Stilts, a Spotted Redshank and a Common Sandpiper added to the numbers and as I left a female Blackcap chased a Redstart. In the evening I made for Akhna Dam where 5 Penduline Tits were present, a Reed Warbler lingered and I caught up with the Black-necked Grebe which was a new bird for the site. A Sedge Warbler was late as was a female Whinchat and Chiffchaff numbers appear to be increasing as Willow Warblers dwindle. Stopping at Vrysoulles on the way home, the Barn Owl remained faithful to its roost site.
On Tuesday, a quick visit to Akhna Dam, where patience and persistence were rewarded with a not bad picture of a male Penduline Tit*. 3 Greenshank and a late Squacco Heron flushed and the Reed Warbler* was again very showy at the top of a reed. A single Bluethroat was difficult but obvious to see, a Spotted Crake flew away into the reeds and a single Cormorant sat on a dead snag in the water. A Sparrowhawk did a fly through flushing what remained of the passage waders. In the fields above the dam, Corn Bunting numbers are increasing and a single Red- throated Pipit was visible in the furrows of a ploughed field. I stopped opposite Dhekelia Fire Station where Stone Curlew numbers had increased to 38 and a Robin was seen, meanwhile at Dhekelia Power Station, 7 Shags were present. After dropping Deb off, I returned home in the dark without further observations. It is now dark by 1810 and once the clocks go back, birding in the evening will be all but over.
After 3 Dotterel being found at Akrotiri yesterday, I headed off to the fields surrounding Larnaca Airport, a likely place for the species – in any event it was without success. However, on the Sewage Works lagoons, a Spoonbill and Greater Flamingos had increased to 41. At least 4 Armenian Gulls had arrived with Black-headed numbers rising by the day and another Baltic Gull loafed by the lagoons. Few waders were seen, although a single Yellow Wagtail is getting late and 2 Common Cranes passed high overhead. As I drove to the Larnaca Airport Fields area I saw a Wheatear on the dried out Spiro’s Pool which after investigation turned out to be a female Desert Wheatear* and another was in the stubble fields further along. A Red-throated Pipit was also there and a couple of Skylarks called as they took off. In the general area, I flushed a couple of male Black Francolins. I stopped at Oroklini Marsh on the way to Akhna Dam and at least 5 Redshanks and 4 Snipe were present with a reduced number of smaller waders. I then found a couple of Little Stints and at the end of the channel the Terek Sandpiper was still present entering its 3rd week of residence, a Common Sandpiper also flushed from the same area. My arrival at Akhna Dam was greeted by a perched, fly catching male Black Redstart – my first for the winter. Much was the same at the dam although a Green Sandpiper alighted as did a Greenshank when I entered. A Reed Warbler was still present, 2 Bluethroats performed as usual and the Penduline Tits have increased to 7. As I departed the Black-necked Grebe continued its occupancy and a pair of Lapwings called noisily as they landed.
On Thursday a quick visit to Akhna Dam produced little new of interest although 2 Lapwings were moving through and Penduline Tits remained at 7. On Friday the SSAFA “Big Brew” ate up some time and therefore no birding took place. I rose early on Saturday and made for the Cape Greco area via Ayia Napa in search of my first Finsch’s Wheatear of the winter. The football pitches at Ayia Napa produced 2 late European Beeaters but little else. As I drove the track to the sewage works, Stonechats were very common and then a flash of white, scope to the window – a female dark throated Finsch’s Wheatear in exactly the same place as last year – a very pleasing result. At the sewage works a couple of Black Redstarts, Song Thrushes, a female Blue Rock Thrush and finally a female Hen Harrier signalled that migration must be nearly over and the winter visitors are arriving in good numbers. At Cape Greco Pines, a late Red-backed Shrike and a couple of Chiffchaffs, although notable was the number of Chaffinches in lowland areas – another tell tale sign of winter arriving. I drove to the area below the Army camp at Cape Greco and walked along photographing 2 Pygmy Skippers which are getting towards the end of their flight season. A Blue Rock Thrush* male sang above me and I noted 2 female Fincsh’s Wheatears and 2 Northern Wheatears. I then saw a cracking male Finschs’ and walked across the volcanic rock in an attempt to photograph it. Without luck as it gave me the run around, I lost my footing and fell over, cutting my hands to shreds, but saving my bins and camera. I hope the AOS are happy that I have identified a wintering area for a male Finsch’s Wheatear in March at great personal injury to myself? Wintering Sardinian Warblers could be heard everywhere but not much else was about. At Akhna Dam in the evening a Lesser Whitethroat was late, 4 Bluethroats was a good count and a Sedge Warbler was still present.
On Sunday morning, I visited Oroklini Marsh whilst Deb was at the market and found my first Temminck’s Stint of the month amongst Little Stints and Dunlins and although the Redshanks were vocal there was no sign of the Terek Sandpiper. A Bluethroat and Water Rail added to the interest and Spanish Sparrow were very active in the reeds. After picking Deb up we moved to the Larnaca area where on the approach to the Sewage Works I flushed a pair of Black Francolins. The Sewage Works held 2 adult Armenian Gulls and the Bar-tailed Godwit was still present but apart from 3 Cormorants and a pair of immature White-winged Black Terns there was not much amongst the hundreds of wildfowl. On the way back along the Larnaca Strip we stopped for a Cyprus mixed sandwich – they truly are the food of the kings and I noticed 2 birds perched on the rocks (I call them Dolphin Rocks – as there is a small statue of the obvious on them), which proved to be a pair of Sandwich Terns.
At Akhna Dam in the evening, as I drove along the road a call of a Water Pipit alerted me to the presence of at least 3 in a ploughed field and a bird landed on the road which I photographed. There had obviously been a sizeable influx of the species and with a bird with pinky/orange legs it alerted me to the possibility of a Buff-bellied Pipit. Still under discussion with the photos being studied, they are thought to pass through Cyprus but have never been reported until last year’s first with many now believing that they are more common than previously thought – we shall see. The drawback being it didn’t turn around and I couldn’t relocate it. With no hope of birding on Monday due to the long day and the clocks going back, I’ll have to look again on Tuesday – but I don’t hold up much hope. No less than 16 Common Snipes and 2 Jack Snipes were present and the 3 Greenshanks continued their stay with the Black-necked Grebe. A Sparrowhawk perched in a eucalyptus briefly and at least 4 Penduline Tits were in the reed bed where I also photographed another Bluethroat* A call alerted me to the first Reed Bunting of the winter – a female type, a Red-throated Pipit called as it passed overhead and a (Caspian) Reed Warbler* was outstaying its welcome. Across the water I noticed a fairly large duck which proved to be a female Red-crested Pochard but with the light failing early – 1650, it was time to go.
Highlight of the Week: Finsch’s Wheatears are always good to find, the first Reed Bunting of the winter and the mystery Pipit.
Look Forward: I’m off over the north next weekend for a field trip with KUSKOR the Turkish group into the Troodos hills in the north.
If you are planning a visit or require more info please feel free to contact me at: birder639@yahoo.com
Mark Easterbrook
Comments
Cyprus Weekly
Birding Highlights for the Week Ending 20 Oct
Terek Sandpiper at Oroklini Marsh on 18 Oct
* indicates that a photo of the species is included please visit Flickr site to view or click on the link.
After a long day at work I decided to unwind and visit Akhna Dam for a few hours – not an unusual occurrence in itself. When I arrived, I was immediately greeted by 2 large dark shapes in the open near to the tamarisk bushes and on the dried out mud. I raised my bins and bingo – 2 Black Storks*; an adult and an immature, a year and site tick. This kicked off a splurge of photographs and an hour and a half’s worth of quality birding. I worked my way around the site finding the Spoonbill with the broken leg once more amongst a group of Little Egrets. 2 Greenshanks called as they flushed from the water’s edge and 4 Lapwings also alighted. A lone female Redstart caught flies and returned to a nearby perch and a single Squacco Heron flushed from the reeds. I made my way around to the mouth of the southern arm where the reed bed has been fairly productive recently. It is clear that Bluethroats have arrived in good numbers, with one being of the svecica – Red Spotted form and a Sedge Warbler is still hanging on. As I walked amongst the mud in the reeds I sensed a movement down to my right and an adult Spotted Crake made its way along the reeds. Try as I might the camera’s auto focussed failed me on this occasion as I continually focussed on the reeds in front of the bird, a good bird nonetheless! A flurry of activity saw a Common Starling flushing from the reeds, 2 Whiskered Terns came in over the dam feeding actively and 3 Cormorants flew over heading south east. Above me a heaving mass of c600 Swallows were feeding which contained 1 House Martin that I could pick out.
As I was leaving the area, my attention was caught by a Cetti’s Warbler type call that wasn’t quite right. I moved around to an area where I could see the front of the reed bed and watched the water’s edge. I firstly caught a movement and then a glimpse of a bird walking slowly amongst the tamarisk roots and broken reeds. I noticed it had fairly obvious pink legs and was plain on the back, with a large rounded tail. It was lost to view but then about 5 minutes later it flew from the reed bed to another and continued to walk around. Having seen it in flight with it’s brown plumage with rufous tones and noted its behaviour which I remembered seeing many years ago at Akhna Dam, I was fairly certain of what I was looking at. I found the bird once more in amongst the reeds crawling around, noted its lightly streaked sides of the breast, plain off white underparts and supercillium extending behind the eye and for sure it was my first Savi’s Warbler of the tour. Having found a River Warbler in August, there was little difficulty in recalling the differences. A great bird seen more in the spring than the autumn and often caught by ringers, sight records are not as common. The secret to Akhna Dam is to work the area thoroughly and I tend to stick to 2 or 3 defined areas of habitat. There must be many birds that pass through unnoticed due to the size of the site but my system and strategy has produced some good birds to date. At Avgorou on the way home, a Stonechat flew in front of the car and a Red-back Shrike sat atop its lookout post. What a great start to the week!
As I was eating my breakfast, I heard the call of a European Beeater to find a relatively late group of 21 over the house – a good way to start a Tuesday. We visited the north to book a restaurant for tomorrow evening and I stopped at the Fresh Water Lake South, where a Great White Egret, a couple of Black-winged Stilts, a Spotted Redshank and Common Redshank were present with c50 Spur-winged Plovers. I headed to Akhna Dam and many of the same species were present including the 2 Black Storks, Savi’s Warbler and 2 Spotted Crakes*, that performed a little more openly than the previous evening. A Dunlin and Curlew Sandpiper were seen and a Greenshank heard as a Hobby flew through the site. 3 Bluethroats* were noted with one posing in the open as the light faded. A couple of Robins were heard and c120 White Wagtails flew to roost.
A quick jolly to Oroklini Marsh on Thursday afternoon confirmed that the Terek Sandpiper was still present, although remained impossible to photograph. It consorts with Redshanks which flush at the drop of a hat and hence the Terek flies with them – damn annoying! A Great White Egret was still present along with the lonely looking Shellduck and small waders were well represented with Dunlins, Little Stints and Curlew Sandpipers being present. The waders along with a good number of Spur-winged Plovers were regularly flushed by a sub-adult male Marsh Harrier. Onward to Akhna Dam after being given the run-around by the Terek for about 2 hours, without photographic success! At Akhna Dam the excitement of the last couple of days has subsided with the Black Storks and Savi’s Warbler moving on. The Spoonbill with the broken leg remained in situ and an Osprey paid a visit as I was scouring the reed beds only to find Bluethroats, Reed Warblers and Willow Warblers. 2 Green Sandpipers flushed, but if that was the highlight, you know things are getting desperate. A couple of Beeaters flew over and in the fields above the dam, 7 Red-throated Pipits called as they went, a Corn Bunting perched briefly and 5 Yellow Wagtails lingered.
On Friday we made for the north and Hisarkoy where our friend Tony Hutchinson lives, he’d agreed to let us stay for the night in order to be at Cape Kormakiti early on Saturday morning to do a spot of seawatching. We travelled via Oroklini where I managed to get a good shot of the Terek Sandpiper*. Onward via IKEA in Nicosia – there’s always a penalty and then we crossed the border to the west of Nicosia. We arrived at Tony’s at about 1400 and he gave me directions to Kalkanli Dam just to the east of Morphou. The dam was an excellent site and having not visited previously, I was surprised at what I found. 2 Great White Egrets and 2 Marsh Harriers were present although the highlight was the amount of wildfowl: 146 Ferrruginous Ducks (I’ve never seen so many), 71 Pochard, 1 female Wigeon, 11 Teal ,15 Mallard, 7 Pintail and 21 Shoveller, along with hundreds of Coot and Little Grebes. A lone adult Black-winged Stilt looked misplaced. At Hisarkoy a Redstart flitted about and 5 late Beeaters were over the road.
On Saturday I was at Capt Kormakiti for 0800 and at least 16 Stonechats were in the area. At the water tank at the beginning of the cape, 2 Sardinian Warblers, 2 Lesser Whitethroats, a Redstart, female Blackcap and a Spotted Flycatcher were active. As I moved along the cape a juvenile Red-backed Shrike was leaving it late to reach its wintering grounds. I settled down for a few hours sea-watching and the first birds of any note were 5 Pintails and a male Peregrine coming in off the sea. As I continued to watch a steady stream of Scipoli’s Shearwaters passed from east to west but only 1 Yelkouan. 9 Black-headed Gulls moved through with 3 Slender-billeds following behind and a juvenile Shag overtook them. Perhaps the biggest surprise was the first Sandwich Tern of the season and a lone Serin was also unlikely. 7 Corn Buntings fed in stubble as I left the cape and headed towards Cape Kormakiti Lake or Kouracam Lake. Sardinian Warblers were everywhere in the woodland and a Long-legged Buzzard and Sparrowhawk were overhead. Another Serin was in a tree and at the lake proper we were greeted by a pair of superb Bonelli’s Eagles. As we scanned the lake and walked around a Chiffchaff was amongst the Willow Warblers, a Little Bittern fed in the open and my first Water Rail for many months took a bit of “digging out” On Sunday whilst returning home we stopped at the Fresh Water Lake South in Famagusta where a Redstart, Great White Egret and a Baltic Gull were the highlights.
Having been away from Akhna Dam for a couple of days, I headed there in the afternoon. An Osprey was still present although waders had reduced with only 8 Ruffs being present. The highlight was hearing and then seeing 4 Penduline Tits – the first for the winter as a Sparrowhawk flew over me and a late Reed Warbler fed in the reed bed. A couple of Bluethroats were as usual elusive and a couple of Snipe and a Jack Snipe flushed. As I was leaving the site, 3 Whiskered Terns were over the dam and 16 Common Cranes* circled and then headed off in “V” formation to the south west.
Highlight of the Week: Black Storks* and a new patch tick with the added bonus of a Savi’s Warbler the same day – both year birds. The first Penduline Tits of the winter was a good find and sea watching is always enjoyable.
Look Forward: A day’s leave on Monday, although migration is waning but the search for winter visitors will commence.
If you are planning a visit or require more info please feel free to contact me at: birder639@yahoo.com
Mark Easterbrook
CommentsSPTA West
A few late Wheatears are passing through. Winter thrushes are arriving with flocks of Redwings and Fieldfares present. Over the weekend I saw 3 major flocks of Fieldfares at over 100 birds. Redwings are found by the small woods and I was able to count 17 flying around Imber Firs on Saturday. During that walk besides 27 bird species there were numerous fungi, some Fairy Shrimps and good plants including Small Toadflax, Pale Flax, Dwarf Spurge and of course a non UK plant, Hairy Rocket, found on training areas in Germany. On the walk there were large flocks of Goldfinch (50+), Rooks (150+), Linnet (30+) plus a range of woodland and grassland birds. Meadow Pipits have formed small flocks and Skylarks were calling. Small flocks of Starlings have started to form and on Sunday night I saw several flocks of over 200+ heading for refuge near their favourite winter haunt on Larkhill. There was also another flock of 100+ Fieldfare flying overhead and 50+ Golden Plover flying around the escarpment. There are quite a few coveys of Red-legged Partridge about that must belong to the local shoot but have survived so far. Sunday was not a good day for weather but this did not stop a team ringing near Marlborough so I can add Marsh Tit and Willow Tit to my ringing list. My fingers were easy meat for Blue Tits and Coal Tits though the greatest haul out out of the nets were Goldcrests. Last weekend was also rubbish weather and our Hen Harrier survey on the Imber area recorded no birds though one was recorded on Larkhill impact area. In fact hardly any birds were seen the previous weekend though there was a Snipe, some Starlings and in my location a miserably looking Robin. The weather forecast for the next week is not looking good.
CommentsGibraltar Ringer 19
The last day of the Gibraltar joint Services ringing project and the pressure is off less for the need to take down an awful lot of nets with only three of us remaining. Trafalgar Night had taken its toll yet we were only slightly later at opening. Not a huge number of birds, less of course, for Blackcaps but a reappearance of Garden Warbler, Sardinian Warbler, and Pied Flycatcher helped to maintain interest. Our second Sparrowhawk, a young male (pictured) was one of the few raptors seen, and contrasted with the big female ringed by Mark Cutts two weeks ago. Charlie Perez joined us to ring a couple of birds including a Garden Warbler and confirmed our earlier ageing methods.
A last visit to upload our data into IPMR at Jew's Gate confirmed that since we started ringing at Middle Hill on 25 Sep:
1136 birds were processed;
1099 were new birds;
32 were retraps;
5 were controls;
In addition, 7 birds were ringed in the Bruce's Farm garden.
Acknowledgments go to Charlie Perez for allowing us to ring on Middle Hill in the Upper Rock Nature Reserve, Julia and Robin Springett for all the preparatory planning work required to find equipment and accommodation, all our ringers, particularly Mark Cutts and Carl Powell, the back up teams of Ann Powell, John and Sue Wells and John Hughes, and it was good to catch up with Ray Marsh, a long standing AOS member.
Finally a photo of one of our ringing lanes, overlooking Gibraltar town.
Gibraltar Ringer 18
We finally topped the thousand birds ringed today. Not bad against some difficult weather conditions. Admittedly they are nearly all Blackcaps so there will be absolutely no excuse next year for mis-ageing juveniles at home. We have also got our act together in splitting Iberian from normal Chiffchaffs. All juvenile Chiffs are coming through here dressed in bright yellow similar to Willows and so even in the hand it has not been easy. With the Willows and Iberians gone last month, only basic Chiffs should be going through now. The hope that we could catch more Red-necked Nightjars has faded although a European Nightjar (pictured) was lured into the nets before dawn yesterday. The use of tape lures has been with mixed results. The weather plays a more significant part with nightjars and we have tried a variety of calls to attract migrants. This has not been an exact art and where we have played typical northern woodland calls, there have been Blackcaps. Clear though is that nets without tapes have caught less.
With Julia and Robin Springett at a Trafalgar night, I am now preparing to check all our data transferred to a memory stick from Jew's Gate this afternoon. I have no faith in this exercise without my IT guru Mark Cutts. I may just tweet the results!
No blog from Gib would be complete without the obligatory phot of a Barbary Macaque. Less for the theft of an apple, we have been unaffected by these guys who merely pass through under the nets.
Follow us:
