Army Ornithological SocietyCyprus Weekly
Birding Highlights for the Week Ending 30 Nov 14
Moustached Warbler at Ezouzas Lower Pools – courtesy of Tim Cowley.
Monday was the final day of the AOS tour and turned into a mini bird race, covering a great deal of the island in the quest to achieve a good tally of species – “It’s All About The List”. An early breakfast had been booked so we departed the hotel at 0700 on route to Kensington Cliffs. We paused and with a little luck saw 7 Griffon Vultures, which probably constitutes the Cyprus wild population. Walking around the area I heard several Cyprus Warblers and eventually saw at least 3. It would have been a shame to miss this bird, although they are more difficult in the winter and it does appear that the species is less numerous due to the increase in less habitat specific Sardinian Warblers. A short trip to Phassouri ensured a chance encounter with another target bird that I thought we might miss. A female Black Francolin was feeding along the edge of a reed bed and eventually walked into the road in full view. Geoff found a Penduline Tit which most of the group got onto and Zakaki Marsh held little, although a Bluethroat was seen briefly and a ringtail Hen Harrier was added to the list. The hour or so journey to Larnaca was uneventful except for the brief stop at McDonalds for coffee where Geoff moaned about the quality of the cuisine and the “Pathetic bit of bacon”. At Larnaca we eventually secured views of the only Spectacled Warbler seen by the whole group – a surprise for this common resident which had played hard to get. At the sewage works wildfowl was the focus, where we added 8 Greater White-fronted Geese, Shelduck, Pochard, Gadwall, Black-necked Grebe and the real surprise a pair of Tufted Ducks which were a good find for the group thanks to Tim. A single Black-winged Stilt of the trip was on the lagoons and a single Cormorant flew about.
Stopping at Larnaca Salt Lake on the way to Oroklini Marsh where Tim chipped in again with 5 Avocets. New birds added amongst the Greater Flamingo numbers were a Ringed Plover with Dunlins and Little Stints and 6 Ruff with 20 Redshanks. A Slender-billed Gull was amongst the Black-headed Gulls and several Armenian Gulls roosted at the north end of the lake. 34 Shelducks was the largest count of the winter so far but we moved onto Oroklini which was a bit disappointing but allowed us to add a nice male Pintail to the list. Another Marsh Harrier drifted over the marsh and 26 Lapwings with Spur-winged Plovers were also an addition. We stopped for lunch at Dolphin Rocks, Oroklini Coast where remarkably the first Sandwich Tern of the winter was seen loafing on the rocks with Black-headed Gulls, Yellow-legged Gulls and a single 1st winter Mediterranean Gull also loafing. After an enjoyable lunch and with our luck appearing to be good, I chanced my arm with a stop at Dhekelia Power Station which had been fruitless previously. Our luck was in, a pair of immature Shags of the Mediterranean race sat on the mooring buoys. Another bird secured, onto the Dhekelia Fire Station Stone Curlew roost. Disaster! The field had been ploughed and no birds were present. I drove on and had a hunch to drive down a track separating 2 stony fields. BINGO! Large numbers of Stone Curlews alighted and good views were had of an impressive 80 or so birds. Akhna Dam was a little dull although 5 Redshanks, a few Little Stints and Dunlins fed on the mud, with good numbers of Water and Meadow Pipits being present. A Great White Egret was added to the tally and the day was proving to be very productive.
With time saved due to the early successes of the week we still had time to fit a visit to The Fresh Water Lake South in the north. I stopped briefly at my house to get my passport and we were away. On crossing the border a particularly pretty Turkish Passport Control Officer caused a few raised eyebrows and comments. However, she amused us all by saying that Geoff looked like a man from the forest and lacked soul – who said first impressions aren’t accurate? Onto the site and we parked in the usual place next to the horse stables where the sun was at our back. The Night Herons were in their usual roost site (4 adults and 3 1CYs) and 2 Glossy Ibises flew into join the Cattle Egrets. I caught site of a perched black and white bird – amazing the long staying and difficult to see female Pied Kingfisher was posing in the open, a great bird for the group on the final day. As we watched in the fading light, Tim noticed 2 unseasonal Swallows above us and a Great White Egret flew into the west end of the site. A Spotted Redshank called and was then seen along with the commoner Redshanks and 3 Green Sandpipers were also noted before we departed for the trip to Larnaca Airport. 1720, job done, all targets seen, although the Pine Buntings would have been a MEGA bonus.
Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday were birding write-offs for reasons better not put into print following a “successful” Silver Lunch in the Mess. On Friday we were invited to a Thanksgiving Dinner that started early so again no birding. On Saturday I was “busy” so didn’t manage to get out and on Sunday, I took Deb on the Xmas JUMBO run, buying a huge Santa Claus (deep joy), but also managed to do a bit of birding at Oroklini. On the coast Black-headed Gulls numbered about a 100 and Sandwich Terns had increased to 9 from 1 earlier in the week. At Oroklini Marsh, a Temminck’s Stint was the highlight with a handful of Redshanks. 35 Greater Flamingos were present, with c50 Spur-winged Plovers and 27 Northern Lapwings. A Marsh Harrier flushed a couple of Snipe and at eh other end of the Marsh a Reed Bunting and my first Moustached Warbler for this winter in the east of the island was seen. At Akhna Dam a Little Stint and Dunlin were with 5 Redshanks, Coots had increased to 35 and in the fields above a Black Redstart darted into a bush.
Highlights of the Week: The re-sighting of the female Pied Kingfisher on the last day of the AOS tour.
If you are planning a visit or require more info please feel free to contact me at: birder639@yahoo.com
Mark Easterbrook
Follow us:
