Army Ornithological SocietyCyprus Weekly
Birding Highlights for the Week Ending 1 Feb 15
Common Buzzard -Phassouri Reed Beds 31Jan.
So, the end of the first month of 2015 and the year list stands at a very respectable 134 – 7 better than last January and 14 better than 2013, so a good start, although I’ll only be here for half a year and miss the autumn migration. I was unable to get out on Monday but a visit to the polyclinic in Limassol allowed me a quick look at Zakaki which held a Marsh Harrier a Snipe and a Green Sandpiper. There were plenty of Armenian and Caspian Gulls at Lady’s Mile but nothing remarkable. On Tuesday afternoon I visited Paralimni Lake and the 9 Ruddy Shelducks were still in residence. Great White Egrets numbered 3 amongst the commoner Grey Herons and Little Egrets. Ruffs had increased to 11 and 2 Common Snipe flushed. With Greater Flamingo numbers at 137 and a couple of Marsh Harriers flying around, which concluded the day, save for a mixed flock of Dunlins, Little Stints and Kentish Plovers.
Wednesday’s visit to the North was eventful. At Silver Beach, my first Greenshank of the year was with a pair of Redshanks, a Curlew flew in and 3 Shelducks were on the lagoons. 14 Flamingos were present before I carried on to Clapsides Beach which was quiet. A Little Egret was on the rocks with many gulls which were hiding beyond the rocks and were unidentifiable. I did however see a pair of Turnstones and although I’ve seen them there in early 2013, they are usually only reported from the Paphos Headland. At Gulserin 125 Flamingos were present with good numbers of wildfowl including 7 Shelducks, 52 Shovelers, 28 Pintails and c200 Teal. With not much else happening I finished the day at Fresh Water Lake South. The pair of Glossy Ibises continue to roost with the Cattle Egrets, 3 Mash Harriers flew to roost at the north lake and a lone Ferruginous Duck appeared from the reeds. Starling numbers were much reduced and I waited to count 55 Cormorants flying to roost in the eucalyptus trees.
On Thursday, I took a US birder out for the day in the Larnaca area. Since she’d not birded in Europe previously, it was an eventful day for her with some good sightings. 5 Curlews and a female Black Francolin were at the sewage works, with Wigeon and Black-necked Grebes on the lagoons. Another Curlew was at the airport fields and 3 Black-winged Stilts were on Spiro’s Pool. Opposite on the beach 4 Dunlins, 3 Little Stints and c50 Kentish Plovers were all lifers for Caitlin – I envy those who have just started birding – they still have it all to see! Shelducks, Shovelers and numerous Flamingos were on the main salt lake and at the north end, the Marsh Sandpiper was still present and a Spotted Redshank flew over calling. I got a 1st winter Med Gull in the scope and several adults were a little further out. A Marsh Harrier was overhead which flushed a solitary Green Sandpiper and some Song Thrushes.
At Oroklini coast we stopped for some lunch and viewed 7 Sandwich Terns and another adult Med Gull which added to the adult Slender-billed Gull that I’d seen earlier before the pickup. An adult Baltic Gull flew by heading purposefully west and an adult Armenian Gull and 2nd winter Caspian Gull were on the nearby Oroklini Marsh – a good day for Gulls. Pintails were on the marsh and a walk around the south end produced a Bluethroat, Grey Wagtail, female Reed Warbler, several Water Pipits and 3 Black-winged Stilts. 2 pairs of Red-crested Pochards are now in the area with the 40 or so Lapwings and several Spur-winged Plovers also proving to be popular. We stopped in Larnaca for a coffee before I departed and stopped at Akhna Dam on the way home which is still proving to be very unproductive. 2 Redshanks, 2 Grey Herons and a Great White Egret were all that was on offer on the water’s edge. Try as I may, as I scanned 10s of Chaffinches, Corn Buntings and Serins, I couldn’t find a Brambling.
On Saturday we journeyed to Troodos to stay the night via the Limassol and Akrotiri sites. There weren’t really any highlights at either location so we continued to Troodos. The snow was still lying and the cloud cover was very low and it was raining. The only new bird for the year that I saw was a couple of Coal Tits. We settled down for a night of DVDs and I typed up some records for the KUSKOR annual bird report. Sunday was a glorious day, it couldn’t have been more of a difference from Saturday. After breakfast we got out early and I had not gone more than 200m from the camp when a flock of birds flew past me calling. A sizeable flock of Yellowhammers. With yellow markings and rufous under tail coverts, I couldn’t managed to find a Pine Bunting but it’ll be worth another look later this month. Knocking around the various Troodos sites, I found, several Jays and Short-toed Treecreepers but no Wrens or Crossbills. A Goldcrest was a good find at Giant Juniper Picnic Site and a Mistle Thrush was heard at Levadi Tou Pasha Picnic Site. I retraced my tracks to where I’d started but there weren’t as many Yellowhammers as there had been previously. I drove a track that I hadn’t been on before and came across a large flock of Chaffinches. I watched them feed on the side of the road and in the bare patches between the snow. Amazingly, there it was, a male Brambling and a Cyprus “tick” for me – my 4th this year! I secured good views of this much sought after winter visitor but with the birds being very flighty, I couldn’t get a photo of the birds before they took flight and disappeared over a nearby ridge. A good moment though!
We continued down the mountain via Limassol but again there was nothing really to write home about. I did stop and photograph a Buzzard which was perched on a post before moving on. Stopping at Larnaca Sewage Works, a Black-necked Grebe was the highlight with 2 drake Wigeon also being note able. 3 Black-winged Stilts were on Spiro’s Pool and on Larnaca Airport Pool South a huge number of large Gulls. Mostly 1st winter Caspians but many adult Armenians and amongst them an adult Siberian and Baltic Gull. 6 Ruffs flew in whilst I was departing. At Larnaca Salt Lake, Shelducks and Shovelers were present in good numbers and I then spotted a flock of 24 Black-necked Grebes – the highest this winter. At Oroklini on the way home I saw my first to Swallows of the year and a female Marsh Harrier. The end of a fairly productive week had arrived.
Highlights of the Week: A fine male Brambling bringing my Cyprus list to 317.
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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