Army Ornithological SocietyArmy Ornithological Society Blog
Gibraltar Ringer 11
One of the buzzes with ringing during migration is that anything may drop in and we have had plenty of species over the last fortnight. It seems odd to get excited about the first Chaffinch or even the first Song Thrush and weirdly we look forward to the first Dunnock and Dartford Warbler. Today, with the addition of John and Sue Wells from RAFOS, and with the prospect of a further two European Nightjars, nets were opened in the mist and gloom of the Lavante on the upper slopes. The first net round was the most productive so far and provided a baptism of fire for Sue , our new recorder, with 19 birds including the Song Thrushes. The second round was equally productive but provided us with a new pipit. It is one thing to see pipits in familiar territory and habitat but another to take a new bird out of the net - names into the hat time! This was obviously a juvenile bird with all the inherent dangers, not all guides are good at providing plates of young birds. Time to fall back on convention and start with the obvious contenders, while at the same time proving that it is not something else. The lead picture of a juvenile Tawny Pipit gives the result away but it was by no means clear cut. The photos were of use later to Charles Perez in confirming that it was the start of the Tawny Pipit movement through Gibraltar. Phew!
With such large numbers of birds being netted - a total of 61 birds in only a few net rounds - it was obvious that we would have to close the nets in the face of increasing winds. Fate beat us to it and a vital guy line broke in the upper line of nets bringing neighbouring nets down to the ground. Wild asparagus sounds innocuous but cacti would have been easier to remove from the nets. Now resembling a herbaceous border or well manicured hedge, the painstaking task of defoliating the nets began. We were later than usual getting away today.
Cyprus Weekly
Birding Highlights for the Week Ending 6 Oct
Pacific Golden Plover at Larnaca Sewage Works on 3 Oct - A bit noisy, at distance.
* indicates that a photo of the species is included please visit Flickr site to view or click on the link
The last day of the month and a long day at work so I only had time to visit Akhna Dam. The Little Owl remained faithful to its day roost site and 19 European Beeaters fed over a ploughed field that held a couple of Whinchats. 3 Curlew Sandpipers, a Wood Sandpiper, some Little Stints and 5 Snipe were on the muddy pools and a lone Redshank the only one of the month was also present. A smart looking male Masked Shrike outshone its immature Red-backed cousins and the usual collection of herons were present. As I worked my way around the dam to the reed bed, at least 5 Sedge Warblers were chasing each other and they were joined by a female type Bluethroat – my first of the autumn. Flushing a Little Crake from the same area was a bonus, with the month list ending on a fairly respectable 135, considering I didn’t have a car for half of the month with some notable sightings including Eastern Bonelli’s Warbler, Red-breasted Flycatcher and Thrush Nightingale.
Anyway enough reminiscing and onto Tuesday and the beginning of a new month. Akhna Dam was fairly productive with a female Bluethroat, Sedge Warblers, Reed Warblers and a couple of Spotted Flycatchers. Masked and Red-backed Shrikes continue to be present as do a couple of migrant waders. A couple of Lesser Whitethroats were in the eucalyptus and a Squacco Heron flushed from the reeds. European Beeaters continue to pass in small groups and a single Lapwing was present. On the way home the Barn Owl remained faithful to its roost at Vrysoulles.
On Wednesday I had a day’s leave so headed for the Cape Greco via Ayia Thekla where 7 Greater Sand Plovers*, 6 Kentish Plover and a Common Sandpiper were present . As I approached the track to the rubbish tip I immediately saw a late Lesser Grey Shrike. A Northern Wheatear was in nearby fields as were at least 20 Chukar. Onto the picnic area where a Cyprus Warbler sang noisily and a male Cyprus Wheatear lingered. Further on underneath the Army Camp, another Cyprus Wheatear, plenty of Spectacled Warblers and my first Blue Rock Thrush male of the winter. I continued onto Ayia Napa Sewage Works where Lesser Whitethroats were the most common bird along with Willow Warblers but I also found a nice looking Wood Warbler*. The lagoons held a Common Sandpiper and a Spotted Flycatcher, Red-rumped Swallow* and first Stonechat of the winter were present on the wires. An Osprey drifted steadily southwards, as did a female Marsh Harrier and a Sparrowhawk came in off the sea heading the other way – fantastic migration! At the football pitches, a couple of Whinchats and an Isabelline Wheatear. I visited Akhna Dam in the evening and much was the same, although another Osprey was present and at the side of the dam near to the donkey sanctuary I flushed a Little Bittern and a Great Reed Warbler. In the same area a pair of Garganeys alighted and the trees held good numbers of Lesser Whitethroats and Blackcaps.
On Thursday, I had to visit Akrotiri and although it wasn’t prolific, a couple of Black Kites, 4 Honey Buzzards, a few Marsh Harriers and a Sparrowhawk were all seen, the best of the bunch was a dark phase Booted Eagle complete with very obvious “landing lights”. A Common Buzzard was also a good sighting and the salt lake held c8500 Greater Flamingos. With not much doing, I headed for the Larnaca area where I photographed a cracking adult Baltic Gull* on Spiro’s Beach. I then headed for the hide overlooking the sewage works and met Pete Wragg a local visiting UK birder. I said the well used phrase “Anything about” – as you do and he replied nonchalantly a Pacific Golden Plover* (a Cyprus tick). Now I have to tell a story and “Fess Up”. As I got onto the bird, I realised that it was the bird I had seen on the 22 Sep and another had seen on the 21st and had ID’d it as a European Golden Plover. As I looked at the bird, which I had photographed 2 weeks earlier as it “looked odd”, I thought it was a Dotterel at first glance but then didn’t make the connection and put it down as a European Golden Plover – STUPID!!!! I was and am gutted at missing this bird. I broke my own biggest rule in Cyprus, look at everything and expect the unexpected – a mixture of complacency, not thoroughly looking at the detail of the bird which I am familiar with structurally had cost me dear. So Pete Wragg – well done, goes down as the finder. My first cock up this tour, but it does prove that nobody is infallible or gets it right every time. For good measure I also photographed the Desert Wheatear* that was present. As I drove home through Vrysoulles a Hobby drifted past the car.
Friday was the Mess end of season Greek style BBQ which I had organised, so absolutely no prizes for guessing the outcome. I did however, refrain from wholesale drunkenness and left at 2130 so I was able to rise early and visit Larnaca Sewage Works. This I did and it was a fairly productive morning. On the lagoons a Whiskered and White-winged Black Tern hawked and a Bar-tailed Godwit fed actively on the exposed mud (a relative scarcity in Cyprus). On the fields several Sanderling* fed amongst the other waders an 7 female type Pintails had appeared on the lagoons. A single Red-throated Pipit fed amongst the plethora of Yellow and White Wagtails and a ringtail Montague’s Harrier drifted over the fields whilst a Long-legged Buzzard hovered above. The Pacific Golden Plover was flushed early by the dreaded photographers (great field craft) and remained out of site until I left at least. I met a visiting birder in the afternoon and Ayia Napa Sewage Works and Football Pitches were fairly unproductive except for Lesser Whitethroats, Whinchats and Willow Warblers. Cape Greco was the same except for a Cyprus Wheatear and as we stopped for an ice cream 2 Audouins’ Gulls rested on the sea at Konnos Bay – probably the most reliable site in the East of the island on the Greek side for this species – although by no means a certainty. We drove along to Ayia Thekla where 2 Greater Sand Plovers, 2 Dunlins and a Little Egret were amongst the Kentish Plovers. Later at Akhna Dam, a late female Citrine Wagtail was a surprise, another Montague’s Harrier appeared and a Greenshank was new. As I watched a Sedge and Reed Warbler a Spoonbill landed in the dam with a broken leg and I flushed a couple of migrant Redstarts.
On Sunday it was shopping and barbers day over the north which allowed my to visit a few sites. There were still a large number of Grey Herons at Fresh Water Lake South with a single adult Spoonbill, a 1CY Night Heron and a single Squacco Heron. At Clapsides Beach a Kingfisher and a Greenshank were the first signs of anything for a few months. We did the shopping and at the barbers I’m sure his hands are getting softer – or maybe I’m just being molested to a greater extent. Anyway after feeling suitably relaxed, we had lunch in Famagusta with a couple of EFES and then a couple of hours sleep on the setee – what a great Sunday! At Akhna in the evening I added a Cetti’s Warbler to the month list and a Sparrowhawk flew by with a Lesser Whitethroat being new along with a Green Sandpiper. Before I left I managed a few more shots of a Kingfisher*.
Highlight of the Week: The Pacific Golden Plover – only the 8th Cyprus record but I’m gutted at not identifying the bird initially.
Look Forward: Some seawatching in the north hopefully and a bit of exploration of ploughed fields for Pipits and a Dotterel.
If you are planning a visit or require more info please feel free to contact me at: birder639@yahoo.com
Mark Easterbrook
CommentsGibraltar Ringer 10
Yet another day when you just don't know what's around the corner, prospects not being hopeful for a large catch with dawn breaking with clear skies, and Mark and Robin due to catch the plane home mid morning. A quick credit to Mark Cutts whose company, advice, ID skills, and IT know-how, and his matelot sense of humour, will be very much missed by us all. Greatest accolade we can pay must be his grinning mug as lead picture on an AOS blog!
In semi darkness and with the nets opened, we watched a couple of fly pasts by a Red-necked Nightjar and thought little further about it. A later net round and there was a nightjar in the tape lure net - but surprisingly, a European Nightjar. Clearing the last net of the round and a long way from the tape lure was our fly-past bird, the Red-necked. Big grins all round from the guys who ringed them and Mark forgot for once to mention 'bloody A ringers'. Great chance to compare the two young birds and their respective sizes and plumage, though both hissed and gape-threatened throughout.
John Hughes arrived to help with the recording leaving only myself and Carl Powell to ring while the others visited the airport. Probably just as well as catches were poor but still including Redstarts, Nightingales, Garden Warblers and Iberian Chiffchaffs. The Whitethroats are still causing us to double check for Subalpine but no reshows as yet. Tomorrow the long promised levante returns with a complete shift in the wind from west to east and hopefully an increase in numbers...maybe... Oh, the AOS has just opened a Twitter account - I must be getting too much sun.
Gibraltar Ringer 9
A really bad day if you are a black cat caught eating birds in the nets yesterday, but a good day for the rest of us - 'nuff said. Also, call off the search for John Hughes. He appeared like an 18th century explorer out of the blue having walked in from Spain, climbed to the top of the Rock, visited the (wrong) Bruce's Farm - the one that rehabilitates drug addicts, and found us up on the ringing site. Missing the pith helmet but really great to see him.
Not quite the same numbers as yesterday but still 44 birds ringed. The best was undoubtedly Orphean Warbler (pictured) which everyone seemed to have ringed except me. Another ringing tick then. Thankfully, a yellow eye and no barring allowed ID and ageing and the lighter head colour suggested a female. Once again a Whitethroat remained a Whitethroat despite an attempt to 'sex it up'. Lots of Garden Warblers coming in now and the Pied Flies have mostly moved on. Always nice to see old favourites and Robins and Blue Tits are building up numbers.
Leaving Robin and Julia to download results, Mark Cutts insisted on a nostalgic tour of downtown Gibraltar before he leaves tomorrow. Bad idea. We apparently visited (in Matelot terms) the Donkey's Flip-flop and the Mad Monk. Unable to walk much further but with Services ingenuity and following a short visit to the Botanical Gardens, we caught a passing cable car to the Peak (photo) and let gravity help us find Bruce's Farm on the way down. Will sleep well!
Gibraltar Ringer 8
A totally mixed day today with some great catches and a disaster. As seen by the opening photo, we managed to net an Ortolan Bunting. These are hardly ever seen on Gibraltar and if they turn up any year, it is only in ones or twos. A great bird but I spent ages ensuring that, as a first year bird, I hadn't confused it with Cretzschmar's or Little or a host of others. Satisfied, it was ringed, biometrics taken and quickly photographed. According to Mark, it was a 'Twitter bird'. This apparently means that I have to be indoctrinated into 'social media' before he leaves on Saturday. I can't wait.
The Ortolan unfortunately knocked a very nice Whitethroat into second place. As the first of the trip, it again had to be looked at carefully but was a welcome addition to our list. A total of 63 birds ringed today and would have been more if a feral cat had not got into the nets. Shades of early Ascension days and just as distressing to see the damage that they can do. Suffice to say that a trap is out and the wardens warned.
Last point - has anyone seen John Hughes? Meant to be visiting us but we have no contact information.
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