Army Ornithological SocietyCyprus Weekly
Birding Highlights for the Week Ending 31 Aug 14
Laughing Dove at Ayia Napa Football Pitches on 25 Aug
On Bank Holiday Monday – 25 Aug, I rose early and headed to Cape Greco. With the humidity being high the morning fog was very thick. At Ayia Napa Football Pitches, all 4 Shrikes were perching on the fences with a Woodchat being the most notable. They were joined by a rufous phased Common Cuckoo but amongst the gloom only a very poor record shot was gained of my first encounter with this bird. A female Black Francolin fed on the grass and as I drove through the housing estate, I managed to photograph 1 of the Laughing Doves* that was present. Onward to Ayia Napa Sewage Works where there had been a bit of a fall of migrants in the early morning fog. Shrikes of 3 species – Lesser Grey, Red-backed and Masked were on nearly every bush. Willow Warblers numbered 10+ and Eastern Olivaceous Warblers were vocal in good numbers. At least 7 Eastern Orphean Warblers continued their passage and were joined by good numbers of Lesser Whitethroats and 2 Common Whitethroats. High on the escarpment 2 Ortolan Buntings called and as I walked around I flushed a calling Tree Pipit – the first for the autumn. A calling Scops Owl in the day was a strange record for the site but a couple of Spotted Flycatchers as I left was predictable.
At Cape Greco 4 Cyprus Wheatears and 3 Isabelline Wheatears were present in the ploughed fields but little else of interest, so I headed to Akhna Dam. Again, Shrikes everywhere and a good number of Yellow Wagtails – most unidentifiable to race. I did however, see and photograph a very obvious Syke’s (beema) Wagtail*. 2 Whiskered Terns fed actively and 33 Glossy Ibises were with the Cattle Egrets, Little Egrets, and Grey Herons. A Sand Martin flew through with Swallows and on the muddy fringes 5 Temminck’s Stints were a good count with 2 Ruffs. A Pallid Swift drank from the dam and a Long-legged Buzzard bathed. At Ay Nik, I saw my first 2 European Beeaters of the autumn passage, alerted by their calling as they passed over the house.
On Tuesday I visited Oroklini Marsh and Hills. The White Pelican was still present with 47 Greater Flamingos. Several waders were present including a Spotted Redshank, Marsh Sandpiper, Redshank, several Little Stints and 2 Temminck’s. Later in the hills above the village, a Masked and Lesser Grey Shrike were seen and a male Peregrine drifted along the escarpment. A Spotted Flycatcher was unexpected as was a Cyprus Wheatear and finally I flushed 3 Ortolan Buntings – calling as they went. At Vrysoulles a European Beeater sat on the wires and at Dhekelia a Long-legged Buzzard was harassed by a Kestrel.
On Wednesday evening I paid a brief visit to Akhna Dam where I was greeted by good numbers of Lesser Grey, Red-backed and Masked Shrikes along with the usual Long-legged Buzzard. A juvenile Collared Pratincole* was present with a Greenshank, Temminck’s Stint and a Kingfisher and Glossy Ibises numbered 51. I flushed 4 Hoopoes as I left the site and returned home. I took a day off on Thursday 28th August with only one mission – to catch up with Demoiselle Cranes for the year. I left early and arrived at Akrotiri at about 0815. I scoped the salt lake and saw about 50 odd Grey Herons. A little further right and in the distance I could see dark shapes that were obviously cranes with their “shaggy” rear ends. I drove to the other (east) side of the salt lake and taking the usual track down to the edge I walked out to the birds. I could only get to about 500 metres from the birds before they began to shuffle and look agitated. The Cranes are very skittish and it wouldn’t do to disturb such a rare bird so I stopped and scoped from where I was. The birds settled and began to regroup and before me were 71 magnificent Demoiselle Cranes* complete with white ear tufts, shaggy black breast feathers and shaggy rear ends, (my 250th bird of the year if the Menetries’ Warbler is accepted). A superb and very rare bird in the Western Palaearctic it’s always a great privilege to see them. I took a couple of record shots from distance which was not bad all things considered. A little later than usual due to the overcast conditions, after much wing stretching and walking, one bird began to run and the remainder followed taking to the air at 1020 and flying west out over Akrotiri peninsular. I moved along Lady’s Mile seeing only Little Stints, Kentish Plovers and 1 Common Sandpiper and stopped at Zakaki Marsh. Looking from the hide I saw Reed, Sedge and my first Great Reed Warbler of the autumn working its way clumsily through the reeds. The juvenile Collared Pratincole was still present and caught and devoured a Scarlet Darter as I watched and a female Citrine Wagtail put in an appearance. 3 Glossy Ibises and a Kingfisher were obvious but 2 female type Garganeys took a bit more digging out. I left and returned to the Larnaca area via Oroklini Marsh where the White Pelican and 39 Greater Flamingos were still loafing. The usual waders and the juvenile Gull-billed Tern was still in situ along with an increase in Little Stints (including 2 Temminck’s) and Spur-winged Plovers. Later at Akhna Dam nothing much had changed with Shrikes being the most common birds, but a Spotted Flycatcher was new and the Glossy Ibises had reduced to 18.
On Friday morning the warming sound of 18 European Beeaters in the woods behind the house was a good start to the day and it’s a time of the year that I really enjoy. In the afternoon at Akhna Dam Shrikes were the most common once more with 26 Glossy Ibises a single Ruff and the usual Little Owl. Other than that it was fairly routine. I departed early on Saturday morning for Ayia Napa Sewage Works. Passing the football pitches. Lesser Grey Shrikes were obvious and in the nearby housing estate a Laughing Dove sat on the wires once more. This seems to be the regular spot, so an additional day bird for visiting birders of the future. Moving along to the sewage works 2 Common Sandpipers were on the lagoons and it was clear that there had been a major movement of Shrikes with 30+ Red-backs, 4 Lesser Greys and 5 Masked being present. Only 1 Eastern Orphean Warbler was seen and a cracking male Montague’s Harrier passed overhead. A Roller alighted as I approached and a Tree Pipit flew over calling. A couple of Lesser Whitethroats were seen and I kept seen 3 calling Buntings overhead but couldn’t get onto them. Returning to the car, I saw Stavros a very good local Cypriot birder who is an excellent photographer poised photographing something. I made my way over and asked “What he’d seen”? He pointed to a pair of Cinerous Buntings on the rocks – a male and female. Sure enough, I got onto the male with a lemony upper chest and throat before they flew off once more. A male and female definitely and perhaps another. I was sure they were the birds that were calling earlier and then we saw a Cretzchmar’s Bunting perched on a bush. I continued along the bluff as 10+ European Beeaters came into view calling and glimpsed another brief view of a calling Cinerous Bunting. A great bird for the autumn and a bonus bird for the year as they are scarce anyway but usually only reported in the spring. I continued back via the football pitches and a female Monty’s passed in front of the car. At the football pitches, a number of Swifts and hirundines were over the fields, including, 8 Pallid Swifts, 1 immature Alpine Swift, 5 Red-rumped Swallows, 2 Barn Swallows and a single Sand Martin. A brief stop a Sotira Pond revealed a Great Reed Warbler, Cetti’s Warbler, Teal , a Green Sandpiper and as I left an Isablelline Wheatear flushed. With shopping to do and the car to have cleaned before my sister arrived in the evening that was it for the day – but Cinerous Buntings at anytime of the year made it a worthwhile day out.
Early on Sunday morning Akhna Dam held a Wryneck, Roller, Great Reed Warbler and 2 Wood Sandpipers. The usual Shrikes predominated and I flushed a pair of Black Francolins. I drove around the Ay Nik area with my Brother-In-Law showing him a butterfly lifer – Small Desert Blue and worked our way around the area seeing several Rollers, Lesser Grey Shirkes, about 80 European Beeaters and my first 2 Whinchats of the autumn. We paused to see some Little Tiger Blues on the host bush and did another round at Akhna Dam to see thousands of African Grass Blues and 2 Greenshanks, a Long-legged Buzzard and a Kingfisher which weren’t present earlier. The fields above the dam came up trumps with an Isabelline Wheatear.
So ended a productive week and that’s August over for another year – not so productive as last year where I saw 135 species only managing 124 this year but it did include a few goodies.
Highlights of the Week: A Tree Pipit was a good early record and the Syke’s Wagtail was unusual in recognisable plumage for the time of year. However, without doubt and always star birds Demoiselle Cranes always take some beating but the 2 Cinerous Buntings came close.
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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