Army Ornithological SocietyCyprus Weekly
Birding Highlights for the Week Ending 25 Jan 15
Crimson-winged Finch at Mandria on 20 Jan.
It’s still not quite bright enough to get out after work on a Monday but next week it could be a possibility. So Tuesday, a day’s leave and another early departure for the Crimson-winged Finch at Mandria near Paphos. I am getting sick of seeing the full-frame images of this bird. It seems Me and Bill Stacey are now the only birders not to have managed to connect with the bird! I picked Bill up on the way at Limassol and proceeded to Mandria arriving at about 0730. 2 other birders were already in situ with cameras at the ready. With us spread out looking in different areas, I received a phone call from Colin Richardson saying he’d found it! I rushed to his location only to find the bird had flown. About 20 minutes later Matt Smith said he could see the bird on a rock about 200 meters away. Scope on it – BINGO, a male Crimson-winged Finch*. The bird stayed on view for about a minute or so and then flew towards the beach. I found it again on a small mound. Later with at least 6 people looking the bird was found again foraging on the beach – with a female. We continued to watch gaining some photos*.
We relocated to Asprokremnos Dam and looked for the reported Goldcrest – not an easy bird on Cyprus. We found at least 2 with a Black Redstart, a couple of Great Tits and several Sardinian Warblers in the area with a Long-legged Buzzard passing overhead. On the opposite side of the dam, we saw a couple of Cyprus Warblers briefly before returning to Mandria. At Mandria the Crimson-winged Finches were soon relocated feeding on some seed heads. That was a relief with only my 3rd lifer in Cyprus in the bag – I had found the other 2 myself so this was really the only serious twitch during my time on the island so far.
Bill and I returned to Limassol via Happy Valley at Episkopi where we saw 6 Griffon Vultures – a good count these days. At Zakaki Marsh, it was fairly quiet but a male Penduline Tit was a bonus with a couple of Water Pipits, a Kingfisher, a Snipe and a Green Sandpiper putting in appearances. I dropped Bill off (the journey home was much more enjoyable today having not dipped) and proceeded to Larnaca and Oroklini Marsh. 104 Flamingos and 214 Cattle Egrets was a good count but I soon found a year tick with 1 Drake and 3 Red Crested Pochard females slowly drifting into the reeds and out of site. I returned home and Deb was also delighted that I’d seen the Finch, bearing in mind that she’d suffered me dipping twice previously. A great kebab at the local grill and it was the end of a great day!
In the late morning on Wednesday I visited Akhna Dam briefly where a pair of Great White Egrets were with a Grey Heron and a Marsh Harrier quartered the reed bed, flushing at least 7 Reed Buntings. With nothing else happening I carried onto Paralimni Lake and the group of 9 Ruddy Shelducks were present with 117 Flamingos. Another 2 Great White Egrets were with several Little Egrets and Grey Herons. Careful scanning with the scope brought a single Lapwing and a year tick in the form of a group of 7 Ruff.
On Wednesday afternoon, it was a trip over the north. At Silver Beach a single Curlew. Lapwing and Redshank were seen. A single Shelduck remained and 2 Snipe were flushed. At Clapsides Beach 3 Curlews were in the surf and amongst the many Caspian, Yellow-legged and Armenian Gulls were 2 adult Siberian Gulls. Moving along to Gulserin Pond, c150 Greater Flamingos were feeding and amongst them were good numbers of wildfowl including c20 Pintails. 2 Penduline Tits called from the reeds and 9 Shelducks were present on the water with 5 Black-winged Stilts feeding along the water’s edge. Fresh Water Lake South was fairly standard with 4 Ferruginous Ducks and a Great White Egret coming to roost with the Catle Egrets, Grey Herons and the remaining, over wintering pair of Glossy Ibises.
Thursday brought another visit to the north but this time a little further afield at Koprulu. On route I saw a Lapwing on a muddy flash, several Corn Buntings, Stonechats and a ring tail Hen Harrier. Arriving at Koprulu, the site was still looking great with the water being retained. Consequently there were thousands of wildfowl and not having the time to do a count I concentrated on the less numerous species. 3 Black-necked Grebes were amongst the hundreds of Coots as were 13 Pochards including 2 drakes. As I continued to scan I found 4 Ferruginous Ducks, 13 Wigeon and 10 Shelducks amongst the throng of Shovelers, Mallards and Teal. As I counted the Greater Flamingos which numbered 107 in the background I noticed 2 birds that I had not recorded for the site previously, with 2 Greater White-fronted Geese being present. At least 5 female type Marsh Harriers were in the area and finally I spotted 2 drake Pintails. I travelled back via Fresh Water Lake North and managed to find another area near to the water where I saw numerous White Wagtails, a single Redshank and Green Sandpiper. As I departed a hand full of Spur-winged Plovers alighted noisily.
Friday afternoon and with some shopping due I worked in a visit to Ayia Napa Sewage Works, although only a Common Sandpiper and 3 Song Thrushes were seen. Of note were the first Orchids of the year with Barlia roberitiana (Giant Orchid) and Orchis collina (Fan-lipped Orchid) being in flower with the rare Orchis papillionacea palistina (Caspian Butterfly Orchid) having the green plant leaves well established. I carried on to Paralimini Lake where at least 2 Great White Egrets and the 9 Ruddy Shelducks remained. Circa 120 Greater Flamingos remained and a few Grey Herons were dotted about.
With news of a large flock of Black-bellied Sangrouse being reported from the north at Cape Kormakiti, Saturday was set aside in an attempt to see them. Obviously brought in by the weather system that brought the Crimson-winged Finches and Little Swifts, seeing 1 Sandgrouse in Cyprus is hard enough so this was an opportunity not to be missed. My friends from KUSKOR (special thanks to Birtan – who found the birds), had provided me with a Google Earth map of the area with pins in the places where the birds had been seen in the past 2 weeks. Deb and I set off at about 0630, crossed the border at Astromertitis and drove through Morphou before reaching Kankanli Dam. Here the highlight was 133 Pochards – a good count, several Wigeon and a Black-necked Grebe. 9 Gadwalls were present and a female Marsh Harrier passed by. However, no Sangrouse – 1 had been seen in the area a week before and over the past couple of years this has been a popular site for them. Alas, onto Cape Kormakiti. I drove through Sadrazamkoy and onto the Cape. At the lighthouse, 52 Golden Plovers were present but not much else. I then saw a car full of Turkish and Greek Cypriot photographers including Birtan. They said they’d seen the flock of Sandgrouses about 10 minutes ago and showed me some distant video footage – so they were still in the area. We both drove various tracks and as the other car rounded a hill, a large flock of Black-bellied Sandgrouses took flight. We followed them around trying to relocated them and as I was walking up the hillock, they took off again about 20 meters in front of me, allowing for cracking flight views. The birds landed in a field about 200 meters away briefly and then took to the sky again flying around and landing in a distant field out of view. They then took off again and couldn’t be relocated. But a very pleasing Cyprus “tick” with exceptionally close flight views. A ringtail Hen Harrier flushed a Song Thrush before I departed for Nicosia’s IKEA and a celebratory meat ball lunch – what else? I paused at Oroklini Marsh on the way home, where 2 female Red-crested Pochards were with 2 Gadwalls and 58 Greater Flamingos remained. At Dolphin Rocks – Oroklini Coast an adult Med Gull was with the Black-headed Gulls and a 1st winter Caspian Gull loafed nearby.
On Sunday I left home at about 0900 heading for the Larnaca area. The sewage works was fairly dull with 2 Black-necked Grebes and 4 Wigeon being notable. 23 Greater Flamingos were on Spiro’s Pool as were 2 Black-winged Stilts. The beach held a few Dunlins, a Little Stint and a couple of Kentish Plovers as a Sandwich Tern flew by at sea. I decided to visit the north side of Larnaca Salt Lake where I had seen a bit of a Gull roost forming. As I walked the foreshore of the lake, I flushed a Green Sandpiper, several Meadow Pipits and a Water Pipit. As I looked amongst the Dunlins, Ringed Plovers, Little Stints, Kentish Plovers and Redshanks a very white wader drew my attention. I quickly had the scope on the first Marsh Sandpiper of the year – a nice winter plumaged adult. 2 pairs of Spur-winged Plovers were very vocal as 2 Marsh Harriers soared above me. I got to a position to view the Gulls and to my surprise the majority were Mediterranean Gulls with 10 adults, 1 2nd winter and 2 1st winters being present. As I drove away from the area past the aqueduct, a bird called from the damp drain which proved to be a smart looking Grey Wagtail. After the obligatory KFC for lunch I walked the south end of Oroklini Marsh where 40 Lapwings remained. A Ruddy Shelduck and 6 Common Shelducks were a surprise but the pair of Red-crested Pochards were expected. 3 Black-winged Stilts were still present and a small group of Dunlins and Little Stints were flushed by the restless Redshanks. At Dolphin Rocks a pair of Sandwich Terns rested but that was all so I carried on the finish the day at Akhna Dam. The Little Owl was back in its usual roost site and I saw my fist Black Francolin of the year, scurrying underneath the tamarisks. I returned home after a very productive week and the year list resting on 126, 1 short of last year’s January haul.
Highlights of the Week: Naturally a LIFER – a pair of Crimson-winged Finches at Mandria and 35 Black-bellied Sandgrouse was an exceptional number at Cape Kormakiti – the year has started well, although I expect to be back in the UK in Aug, so I need to get my skates on, if I am to reach 220 for the year by then.
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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