Army Ornithological SocietyCyprus Weekly
Birding Highlights for the Week Ending 5 Oct 14
Blue Rock Thrush – Cape Greco Army Camp Cliffs 4 Oct 14
On Monday, I had to visit Troodos on an Ops visit and consequently caught up with the mountain sub-species. As I left the house I could hear and see European Beeaters and 5 Honey Buzzards were above me that had obviously roosted the night nearby and were continuing their migration and at Zygi on the motorway a Long-legged Buzzard was seen. Of interest was 3 Wood Warblers at Giant Juniper Picnic Site. Not common in the autumn, it is thought that many rest in the Troodos Mountains and then carry on their migration without stopping in the lowlands very much – an interesting sighting. A good number of Cyprus Wheatears* were still present in the Troodos range and a couple of Crossbills perched briefly in a Black Pine. Behind the toilet block in Troodos Square, a male Common Redstart appeared briefly and a Tree Pipit was heard overhead calling as it went. On my way home a brief stop at Trimiklini Dam revealed 3 Little Grebes, a Coot, 4 Moorhen and 2 Green Sandpipers flushed. Oroklini held a Kingfisher and the usual commoner small waders with a few Sand Martins still passing through. The highlight at Akhna Dam was an Osprey, 2 Greenshanks and a Curlew Sandpiper, whilst 3 Whiskered Terns remained from the previous week. As I left I saw a single juvenile Red-backed and Masked Shrike, which are coming to the end of their migration periods.
On Tuesday, I took an old friend and OC, Eric Doughty to Fresh Water Lake South in the north. Still probably the best wetland on the island at present, it produced some good birds. A single Glossy Ibis was a surprise and a couple or Marsh Harriers flushed the reduced numbers of waders present. They included 3 Spotted Redshanks, a Temminck;’s Stint and several common migrants. 2 Common Kingfishers were present and the female Pied Kingfisher was spotted by Eric which perched briefly before doing its usual vanishing act once more. At least 4 Night Herons eventually showed themselves and as I scanned I found a Spotted Crake – my first for the year and another visiting birder found a Water Rail close by. As I continued to scan, I found another Spotted Crake (like number 10 busses), which was a new bird for Eric and well received by the other 2 UK birders. 2 Snipe and a Ruff flew in before dusk and Greater Flamingos numbered 9.
Wednesday consisted of a quick trip to Akhna Dam where the highlights were 3 Whiskered Terns, an Osprey and a Wood Sandpiper. In a fairly dull affair, 5 immature Red-backed Shrikes were also present. A lunch in the Mess on Thursday put paid to any birding and on Friday I got out in the afternoon and visited Fresh Water Lake South in Famagusta. 10 Flamingos were still present with 2 Whiskered Terns with many of the waders that were present earlier in the week but a Great White Egret was a good addition to the site. I scanned and found an immature Little Crake closely followed by a Water Rail once more. With not much else doing and the month list beginning to take shape, I returned home.
On Saturday with Deb working, I made for the Cape Greco area via Akhna Dam where an Osprey was resting on a dead snag in the water. A Greenshank and Snipe were also present. As I drove through Freneros at least 15 European Beeaters were on telegraph wires and at Liopetri, A late Lesser Grey Shirke perched and a Black Francolin flushed from the roadside. Ayia Thekla held a Little Egret, Kingfisher, 5 Kentish Plovers and a lone Greater Sand Plover whilst at Kermia Beach a lone Redshank fed and an immature Red-backed Shrike and Cetti’s Warbler were in the bushes.
At Cape Greco Pines, a female Red-footed Falcon perched on the wires and a Purple Heron flushed from a pine, which was unexpected. A Willow Warbler was busy and I then noticed the first female Stonechat of the winter. As is the norm, as Whinchats complete their passage and reduce, the Stonechats begin to arrive for the winter. I carried onto the picnic site passing several Chukars and 2 Cyprus Wheatears. I saw my first male Blue Rock Thrush of the winter and soon found 2 singing male Cyprus Warblers. I drove down onto the Cape proper and saw a Whinchat perched on a bush, another Cyprus Wheatear on the wires and a number of Spectacled Warblers. Under the Army Camp, 2 male Blue Rock Thrushes* sang to the left and under the cliffs another 3 males chased each other and sang – obviously a bit of an influx of them today. Another Cyprus Wheatear was obvious but it took a bit of time to dig out the skulking Lesser Whitethroat. A Spotted Flycatcher and 2 more Cyprus Wheatears concluded the search as I left the area for the sewage works. Arriving at Ayia Napa Sewage Works, I was greeted by a pair of Stonechats and a European Beeater. 22 Little Grebes were on the lagoons along with a male Grey Wagtail. 2 Spotted Flycatchers were in the bushes with an immature Red-backed and Masked Shrike. As I searched the area, at least 7 Lesser Whitethroats, a late female Eastern Orphean Warbler and a scarce for autumn Garden Warbler were present and very active. The last bird of note I saw in the area before departing was a female Common Redstart.
On Sunday afternoon I visited Akhna Dam where 5 Curlew Sandpipers, 4 Dunlins, 4 Little Stints, a Greenshank and a lone Ruff were present. A couple of immature Red-backed Shrikes and a Masked were evident as was a Spotted Flycatcher. An immature Whiskered Tern appeared from nowhere and as I was leaving I saw a nice male Common Redstart. I continued to Fresh Water Lake South to conclude the week where I immediately saw a Great White Egret and 15 Greater Flamingos. 16 Grey Herons were present, with 4 Snipe and 7 Wood Sandpipers. A single Green Sandpiper eventually gave itself up and Common Redshanks outnumbered the 2 remaining Spotted Redshanks. The Water Rail was seen again and the female Pintail was still present. I finally found a drake Wigeon and above me Sand Martins, European Beeaters and Swallows continued to pass. A male Peregrine flushed everything on a flyby and this flushed an immature Whiskered Tern. The Great White Egret roosted with c250 Cattle Egrets and c300 Swallows also roosted in the reeds.
Highlights of the Week: Another Osprey at Akhna Dam and a couple of Spotted Crakes at Fresh Water Lake South on the last day of September took the month total to 145 and the year list to 257 (with one pending). A late Eastern Orphean Warbler was unexpected and the Stonechats were quite an early record.
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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