Cyprus Weekly

28th Oct 2012 | Posted in: Overseas Birding | Comments (0)

Highlights for the Week Ending 28 Oct

Male Sardinian Warbler at Cape Greco Picnic Site - 28 Oct

The pace of life has definately slowed.  Not a bad thing, giving me more time to explore areas that others do not regularly visit.  Winter visitors have been slow to arrive whilst southbound migrants have certainly reduced significantly.

A Monday afternoon visit to JUMBO with the in-laws resulted in a visit to Oroklini Marsh and although not eye watering a Temminck's Stint was noteable and I managed to photograph a Water Rail* that proved to be quite an extravert.  On the return to Ay Nik, I treated the family to views of 10 Shags on the mouring platforms at Dhekelia and a roost of 51 Stone Curlews opposite Dhekelia Fire Station.

An early morning visit to the Ayia Napa area produced 4 Red-throated Pipits, 77 White Wagtails and 3 Yellow Wagtails on the football pitches and a late Black-headed Wagtail  (feldegg).  Driving the rough tracks to the east of the football pitches, I was searching for a wintering species that I had found there during my last tour.  I eventually found a Female/1st winter Male Finsch's Wheatear which looked like it was going to hold terrtitory for the winter, only time will tell.  The Sewage Works area produced a couple of Lesser Whitethroats, female Redstart, 6 Blackcaps and a female Blue Rock Thrush.  At Konnos Bay, Cape Greco I saw my first Audouin's Gull of the autumn with an adult circling the bay, a couple of Cyprus Warblers also showed well.
 

Prior to travelling to Troodos for a 2 night stay I visited Akhna Dam.  2 Ospreys were present and a Sparrowhawk was mobbed by a couple of Hooded Crows.  I flushed a Meadow Pipit and 2 Lesser Whitethroats were unusual for the site.  On the way home a late Whinchat was at Avgorou with the now common Stonechats.  We travelled to Troodos stopping on route at the Caledonian Falls in an attempt to record some mountain specialities.  I found a Wren, Chaffinch and a Blackbird so the attempt to see the moutain species had started well.  I also recorded my first Robin of the tour and winter.  Stopping at Troodos Village for some retail therapy - yes even here!  I walked around the park seeing and photographing an obliging Short-toed Treecreeper*, Coal Tits, another Wren, and 10 close Crossbills*.

The following day we awoke in Troodos Station and I noted another 4 Crossbills.   We travelled to a local village called Omodus, which is at a slightly lower elevation and hence although primarily a touristy day out, it did allow some birding opportunities.  Whilst the family went shopping, I stole half an hour and noted a considerable number of Blackcaps and Sardinian Warblers along with a few more Robins, a flyover Serin and several Chiffchaffs that have just arrived.  Unusually, I also heard a Cetti's Warbler at such a high elevation.

On Friday we returned to Ay Nik via Lefkara (famous for its lace and Silver).  As we descended the mountail I stopped near Trimiklini for a photo stop where a Grey Wagtail flew over me and Sardinian Warblers called from the scrub below.  I also heard another Cetti's Warbler.  After returning home and dropping off the family I visited Akhna Dam.  Since we were going for a monster protein Mezze for dinner, I had nothing to do except contemplate how much I was going to overeat.  The visit to the dam was a great decision.  After recent thunderstoms and unsettled weather there had obviously been a displacement of migrating species that resulted in some interesting sightings.  An adult male Little Crake* showed well and in the open, along with a Water Rail.  As I scoped them I saw a quick movement that caught my eye and although I had my suspicions I could not confirm what the bird was.  As I sat patiently (can you believe that?), eventually the bird moved into the open once more and began feeding, typically bobbing up and down as if on a spring - fantastic views of a difficult to see well Jack Snipe*.  I can remember seeing one this well at Willington Gravel Pits in Bedfordshire in about 2002 but in recent history they have been fleeting flight views.  2 Green Sandpipers were late as were a couple of Sedge Warblers.  A pair of juvenile Whiskered Terns made a brief visit and a Great Reed Warbler moved noisily through the reeds.  As I drove home via the cultivated fields behind Akhna Dam, I heard a singing Corn Bunting which alerted me to the presence of 18 sat on a telegraph wire.

I visited Cape Greco and Ayia Napa early in the morning before going to Famagusta for a shave at my local Turkish barbers - it's a great day out!  Anyway, the cape produced some good migrants with a lovely male Black Redstart, 4 Song Thrushes and good numbers of Corn Buntings and Sardininan Warblers.  The ploughed fields also held a Red-throated Pipit.  Later at Ayia Napa Sewage Works a pair of ringtail Hen Harriers broke the routine and I relocated the Finsch's Wheatear at the same site as previously.  Saturday afternoon at Akhna Dam wasn't as exciting as yesterday but an Osprey remained and some other interesting birds were good finds.  A Robin eventually showed itself and above me a pair of Marsh Harriers and a Pallid Harrier.  As I walked I flushed a Hen Harrier, my third of the day and in the fields behind the dam a field full of White Wagtails and Red-throated Pipits.

On Sunday prior to taking Deb's parents to the airport I visited Cape Greco again for another early morning round.  The ploughed fields were alive with Corn Buntings and finches including 5 Serin - there appears to have been a large influx of finches.  A male Redstart showed well and eventually I found 9 Skylarks which were a year tick.  Around the corner at the Picnic Site, I managed to photograhph a cracking Male Sardinian Warbler*

There appears to have been a huge influx of these in the last 2 days and they appear to be setting up winter territories - not good news for the Cyprus Warblers.  Sardinians are more aggessive than its Cyprus cousins and are less habitat specific.  This is believed to be one of the reasons for the spread of Sardnians and the decline of Cyprus Warblers.  On leaving I photographed a nice male Blue Rock Thrush* in its usual wintering site.

After the airport run I visited the Larnaca area where the ploughed fields produced circa 50 Red-throated Pipits, a Water Pipit, 24 Skylarks, 3 Calandra Larks and a single Ringtail Hen Harrier.  The Sewage works held a Whiskered Tern, about 70 Black-headed Gulls, 5 Pintail and 2 newly arrived Shelduck, which was a good year tick.  A female Bluethroat nearly caught me out but it's characteristic tail cocking gave it away.

Photos of the following species are availble via flicker, please click on the link:

• Short-toed Treecreeper at Troodos Village
• Crossbill at Troodos Village
• Stonechat at Ayia Napa Sewage Works
• Male Blue Rock Thrush at Cape Greco
• Corn Bunting at Cape Greco
• Water Rail at Oroklini Marsh
• Jack Snipe at Akhna Dam

Other interesting finds:  A large number of Hummingbird Hawkmoths in Troodos - one in the Chalet*.

Highlight of the week: Finding my own Finsch's Wheater at Ayia Napa.

Look Forward:  Still missing a few Larks and Pipits to be searched for with more wintering species.

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