Army Ornithological SocietyCyprus Weekly
Birding Highlights for the Week Ending 7 Sep 14
White Pelican at Oroklini Marsh on 7 Sep
As I walked to work on Monday, c15 European Beeaters left their overnight roost and headed off east over the camp. In the evening I visited Fresh Water Lake South which still had 23 Greater Flamingos present with 22 Grey Herons. Other Herons represented were Cattle Egret, Little Egret, Squacco Heron and Night Heron. 5 Glossy Ibises joined the throng and an immature White-winged Black and Whiskered Tern hawked the water. The Whiskered Tern was then chased by a female Pied Kingfisher which was a great sighting for September. Many of the commoner migratory wader species were present but a pair of Snipe were the first for the autumn. Singleton, Curlew Sandpiper, Marsh Sandpiper and Temminck’s Stint were the highlights with last month’s Avocet also putting in an appearance. The waders and wildfowl all flushed as a female Marsh Harrier came in over the water and once settled again revealed a drake Ferruginous Duck, female Shoveler and female Pintail which had gone undetected previously. So a good start to the month with 48 species accounted for.
On Tuesday I had arranged to meet a couple of UK birders at Oroklini Marsh which is drying out rapidly but still attracted a Spotted Redshank, Redshanks, a pair of Green Sandpiper a couple of Common Sandpipers, several Little Stints and a Temminck’s Stint. Greater Flamingos are becoming scarce with only 16 being present. Stopping at Dhekelia Fire Station on route to Akhna Dam revealed 13 roosting Stone Curlews. I continued to Akhna Dam where it was very quiet and Shrikes had much reduced with only a couple of Red-backed and Masked showing themselves. A single Ruff was with a Temminck’s Stint and a few Little Stints but there wasn’t much else to talk about – even the Little Owl wasn’t in its usual place. I returned home for “Pimms O’clock” and watched c30 European Beeaters feed and roost in the wood behind the house.
On Wednesday morning 14 European Beeaaters passed above me as I went to work. In the afternoon we took a picnic lunch to Cape Greco and did some snorkelling. Does anyone have a Mediterranean Fish Guide? Only Joking! Mid morning and on the way to the bank, an adult Long-legged Buzzard thermalled over the camp as it headed east. At the picnic site a Cyprus Wheatear performed well and a female Marsh Harrier headed out to sea. At the ploughed fields an Isabelline Wheatear showed well but there wasn’t much else of interest. Ayia Napa Sewage Works was equally dull with Red-backed and Masked Shrikes being the most common birds with Willow Warblers being a close runner up. A single Spotted Flycatcher broke the boredom and 5 Ortolan Buntings were of interest. The Eastern Orphean Warblers appear to have all gone through now but there may be a few stragglers into September. As we left the site via Ayia Napa Football Pitches, 2 Laughing Doves were seen in their usual place and on the fences of the pitches the only 2 Lesser Grey Shrikes of the afternoon – they do have a very small window where they are most numerous, probably the last 2 weeks in August, without looking at the records and graphs. At home the European Beeaters fed actively above the house and as we ate the BBQ, a Stone Curlew could be heard calling.
As I walked to work on Thursday prior to my long weekend, 23 Glossy Ibises and 15 European Beeaters passed overhead. Later 9 Alpine Swifts were over the house with good numbers of Red-rumped Swallows and a single Pallid Swift. We went to the north for lunch stopping at Fresh Water Lake South on our return where the Avocet was still present. 5 Alpine Swifts also passed over the lake and 30 Greater Flamingos remained. A single Marsh Sandpiper was the highlight of the waders of which there were many and 4 Purple Herons flew in. A lone Ferruginous Duck flushed and 5 Snipe were feeding actively. Later at Akhna Dam Shrikes had reduced in the numbers passing through and on the water’s edge a breeding plumaged Dunlin was unexpected. The usual collection of waders was present for this time of year and a Hoopoe and Roller flushed as we departed.
On 5th September we visited Kantara Castle in the north. With my brother-in-law being an avid Butterfly fan we eventually saw a flying Two-Tailed Pasha, additionally I saw my first Chiffchaff of the autumn with several Willow Warblers. A male Sardinian and Blackcap added to the tally and 8 Ortolan Buntings called overhead. No Ravens were seen and they are becoming particularly difficult to find – surely only a matter of time before they are extinct on the island. We drove the coast road where we added a Montague’s and Marsh Harrier before we saw an Audouin’s Gull flying along the coast at Essentepe. We had lunch at Buffavento Restaurant overlooking Five Finger Mountain which was excellent. As we departed and drove the mountain road, a Cyprus Wheatear was present. We drove to another Butterfly site and remarkably a Two-Tailed Pasha* was sat in the middle of the road and then flew to a nearby tree – a real bonus to see and photograph such a beautiful species.
On Saturday it was an early rise and visit to the Ayia Napa area, first stopping at Ayia Thekla to add 5 Greater Sand Plovers, 12 Kentish Plovers and a Common Sandpiper to the list. A female Black Francolin fed on the Ayia Napa Football Pitches and in the housing estate on route to the sewage works 3 Laughing Doves were feeding on the ground. As we proceeded, we stopped to view a Red-backed Shrike and another bird was seen at the base of the bush. Nearly the size of the Shrike, it was obviously a female Eastern Orphean Warbler and a lifer for Gary. We walked around the sewage works scrub adding Ortolan Buntings, the usual Shrikes, 2 Isabelline Wheatears, 3 Whinchats, a Turtle Dove and 12 migrating European Beeaters. We walked below the rocky outcrop where we added a Whitethroat, Lesser Whitethroat and a Wood Warbler feeding with the many Willow Warblers. 7 Rollers heading out to see was quite a site and as we drove away a pair of Ringtail Harriers proved to be a Montague’s and a Pallid both being mobbed by a Hobby – great result! The rest of the day was fairly unremarkable but 21 Turtle Doves flying through Akhna Dam in the evening was my highest count for the site and a Great White Egret with the Cattle Egrets was a surprise. A White-winged Black Tern fed over the water and 4 Garganeys attempted to hide on the mud.
The following day we headed to the Larnaca area but passing the marsh at Oroklini I noticed that the White Pelican* was back again. Taking a detour, we stopped to photograph it as 4 Alpine Swifts passed above us. A Sedge Warbler and Reed Warbler were added to the increasing trip list and we continued to Larnaca Sewage Works where the over summering Common Shelduck was still present. 2 Whiskered Terns were also there and a male Black Francolin flushed from the scrub. A Red-rumped Swallow was overhead at Cape Kiti and on the way home a ringtail Montague’s Harrier flew across the road at Vrysoulles. As we sat in the garden, a large raptor was high in the sky and we eventually located a pair of Boneli’s Eagles - a great garden tick!. As we watched a pair of Long-legged Buzzards came into view and as we scanned we spotted a thermalling kettle of raptors. A female Marsh Harrier was seen and then above the house a kettle of c60 Honey Buzzards of several plumage variations passed over the house – absolutely amazing.
Highlights of the Week: Raptor migration is always thrilling and 60 Honey Buzzards over the house was no exception but it would be remiss of me not to mention the Two-Tailed Pasha as a one of the highlights.
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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