Army Ornithological SocietyCyprus Weekly
Birding Highlights for the Week Ending 28 Sep 14
Osprey at Akhna Dam
With Fresh Water Lake North appearing to be the best wetland site on the island at the moment and being the closest, I headed there on Monday evening. As I arrived there was a swirl of activity above me with c50 European Beeaters, Sand Martins, Barn Swallows and 1 Red-rumped Swallow. A Marsh Harrier was also being mobbed by a couple of Hooded Crows. As I scanned the water the Avocet and Marsh Sandpiper were still present and a Spotted Redshank had reappeared. A Great White Egret was a good find and next to it an adult Spoonbill was my first for the month and indeed sometime. A few Curlew Sandpipers were dotted around with Little Stints, Dunlins, Wood Sandpipers and Common Redshanks also being obvious. A couple of Common Kingfishers darted about and I then heard the familiar piping of a Pied Kingfisher as the female that’s been present for sometime flew from the South to the North Lake at about 1810. 8 Flamingos remained in situ and the Black-winged Stilts numbered 4. A few Turtle Doves flew into a bush and flushed a Night Heron as a Ruff came into view with a couple of Snipe. At home the Little Owl continued to call in the night.
On Tuesday afternoon having not visited Ayia Napa Sewage Works for sometime I drove down there arriving at about 1500 via the football pitches where my first Lesser Grey Shrike for a week – an immature was on the fence with 2 immature Red-backs. I proceeded to the sewage works noting a Common Sandpiper and 6 Shovelers were present. As I made my way around the scrub at least 6 Lesser Whitethroats, 2 Blackcaps and a few Spectacled Warblers were seen. On the tracks 2 Northern Wheatear males were noted and 2 male Masked Shrikes flushed as I approached. 2 Whinchats were perched up but their passage is coming to an end and Stonechats will soon be arriving at their wintering grounds. A Spotted Flycatcher did what it’s supposed to do and a Wryneck flew from a bush and perched briefly before disappearing once more. A large raptor flew across me and was clearly a Steppe Buzzard whilst in the distance a male Hobby drifted out to sea. As I walked the tracks a large pale raptor rose from the scrub and flew over my head. With very pale features, barring on the underparts and a hint of a brown throat, coupled with it’s size and plain brownish back with some white spotting across the coverts, it was a light phase Short-toed Eagle – a great find! As I walked to the car, 4 Spur-winged Plovers were on the settling ponds and a call alerted me to the presence of a pair of Grey Wagtails, which were new of the site. European Beeaters continued to pass overhead as I headed to Cape Greco. At the Cape it was fairly quiet, although a male Cyprus Wheatear, a couple of Spectacled Warblers, a male Sardinian Warbler and several Crested Larks were present whilst Sand Martins and Barn Swallows headed out to sea.
On Wednesday afternoon I took a visiting UK birder out – Chris Godding. We visited the Ayia Napa Sewage Works area first, which produced a couple of Lesser Whitethroats, Eastern Olivaceous Warblers, a Hobby and a Honey Buzzard as the highlights. Stopping at he football pitches produced 2 Lesser Grey and 2 Red-backed Shrikes. We then went via Ayia Thekla, where 5 Greater Sand Plovers and a few Kentish Plovers were present to Akhna Dam. A Roller flew off as we arrived and an Osprey passed overhead heading to the coast. Akhna Dam was fairly quiet, although a few waders were present with a Whiskered Tern. A Peregrine was flying high in the distance but with not much else happening, we visited the North and Fresh Water Lake South. With a few good birds seen we proceeded to the North and finished the day at Fresh Water Lake South – Famagusta, which is currently probably the best wetland site on the island. The trip was very productive and didn’t disappoint. The Spoonbill was still present with 24 Greater Flamingos. Squacco, Night and Grey Herons were present with a good count of 24 Little Egrets and Cattle Egrets coming to roost later. The waders were well represented with Wood, Marsh and Curlew Sandpipers feeding actively. Spotted and Common Redshanks were joined by feeding Ruffs and a lone Avocet continued its stay. Careful scanning produced a couple of Snipe and a juvenile Little Crake. We managed to pick out a single female Garganey and Pintail amongst the other wildfowl. A female Marsh Harrier flushed everything as a couple of Honey Buzzards passed behind us with one resting in a eucalyptus briefly. Hundreds of European Beeaters were feeding above us and as we watched a Hobby and 5 Red-foooted Falcons were above us and heading South. Perhaps the highlight of the visit was a hunting Peregrine and a Black Kite which drifted past, showing well towards dusk and just before we left. I thank Chris for his company for the 3rd year running and being a week later this year some good birds were added to his Cyprus list as we saw 66 species in the day – which isn’t a bad count given the windy conditions induced by the pending Coptic storm that’s due.
Wine tasting in the Mess on Friday ensured that no birding took place. An early rise on Saturday and showing a photographer around the Cape Greco area. It was really quiet with only Spectacled Warblers, 5 Grey Herons and 2 Yellow-legged Gulls offshore and a male Cyprus Wheatear hanging on. At the sewage works it was quite also with a female Northern Wheatear, a few Lesser Whitethroats and Long-legged Buzzard being the highlights. At Ayia Napa Football Pitches an immature Lesser Grey Shrike, Turtle Dove and Roller posed for the camera but there wasn’t much happening. We proceeded to Ayia Thekla where as usual 6 Greater Sand Plovers revealed themselves amongst the Kentish Plovers whilst a Kingfisher and Common Sandpiper moved along the rocky coast. I returned home via Akhna Dam where as Temminck’s Stint and Whiskered Tern were present. I eventually found a Curlew Sandpiper and 4 immature Red-backed Shrikes and a male Black Francolin showed themselves as I left the site.
On Sunday, as I left for the Larnaca area an adult Long-legged Buzzard was over the house and as I passed Akhna Dam a ringtail Montague’s Harrier passed over the road. Arriving at a windy Larnaca Sewage Works there was little of interest although the Shelduck continued its over-summering and 5 Whiskered Terns and a White-winged Black Tern were on the lagoons. A female Marsh Harrier flushed the birds in the field and this was fortuitous as it flushed a Greater Short-toed Lark which called and then settled next to a Crested Lark where I got the scope on it. 14 Greater Flamingos were on Larnaca Salt Lake which had water present after a hefty thunder storm on Saturday. At Oroklini Marsh, a Black Kite and 5 Red-rumped Swallows were overhead but the lagoons were fairly empty. I didn’t do much better at Akhna Dam which was also quiet, although a Whiskered Tern and 2 Curlew Sandpipers were evident. As I drove around the fields at the top of the dam a Honey Buzzard was resting on the ground but alighted before I could get any decent photos.
In the evening I visited Fresh Water Lake South in Famagusta. It’s a fantastic little wetland and always worth a visit. The Spoonbill and Avocet were still present and at least 50 European Beeaters passed overhead. Greater Flamingos numbered 23, 5 Red-rumped Swallows were overhead and the Marsh Sandpiper was still on the mud. Spotted Redshanks had increased to 4 and then a juvenile Bonell’s Eagle flew through mobbed by Hooded Crows which flushed everything. Things resettled revealing a Temminck’s Stint and a Green Sandpiper. A good number of raptors appeared over the woods which included at least 2 Black Kites, 7 Marsh Harriers (2 males) and 2 male Red-footed Falcons flew through the area which made the 3 Whiskered Terns flush and rise high above. That concluded an eventful week which produced some good migration and birds.
Highlights of the Week: A Spoonbill was a good find and the re-sighting of the Pied Kingfisher was notable. Short-toed Eagle is a scarce raptor on Cyprus and it’s always good to see one.
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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