Army Ornithological SocietyCyprus Weekly
Birding Highlights for the Week Ending 5 Apr 15
Caspian Stonechat at Cape Greco Army Post Cliffs 30 Mar 15.
On Monday afternoon I shot off to Cape Greco after work. I arrived to see c60 Cormorants flying east offshore and good numbers of Northern and Isabelline Wheatears. Pete Wragg, a UK birder alerted me to the presence of a male Caspian Stonechat* which I managed to get acceptable photos of. Whilst doing this I flushed several Cretzschmar’s Buntings and at least 80 Short-toed Larks, I was however unable to find the male Trumpeter Finch that had been seen in the morning. I moved onto the pines area and immediately located a Black and White Flycatcher which turned out to a lovely male Collared – my first of the year. Also in the pines was a Cuckoo and a little further on in the open ground 8 Lesser Kestrels hunted. A few Common Redstarts made a dash for it which drew my attention to a female Semi-collared Flycatcher and shortly afterwards a female Pied Flycatcher. I returned home via Paralimni Lake where there were numerous commoner waders and I flushed my first Purple Heron of the year. A good start to the week!
On Tuesday a brief visit to Akhna Dam revealed the presence of a Hoopoe and numerous Wagtails. Amongst the White and Black-headed Yellow Wagtails was a White-chinned Wagtail*, a several Blue-headed Wagtails* and at least 1 Syke’s Wagtail. On Wednesday I had to go to Larnaca with Deb so took the opportunity of looking at Oroklini Marsh and surroundings. Akhna Dam on the first was equally uninspiring, however I did manage some Blue-headed Wagtails* and many Black-headed including one Supercilliaris. A Hoopoe was the only other bird of note.
On Thursday, a brief, first day of the month visit to Oroklini Marsh produced a few good birds, including a Sanderling a calling male Black Francolin and a singing Nightingale was heard. Akhna Dam’s contribution was a male dark throated Eastern Black-eared Wheatear. Now there is a pitiful tale to tell. On the 2nd it was my Birthday, so shopping for the first BBQ of the year without rain took place. Following that, the Birthday BBQ with much merriment and alcohol – for those of you that are regular followers of the BLOG – ENOUGH SAID. The 3rd was a write off as I had taken drink and was very much under the weather.
On Saturday, I was back on the road albeit feeling a bit fragile, something that the collection of British birders at Cape Greco noticed and commented on – it has to be said, I was not on top form., although still managed to refind the female Desert Wheatear on the cape. Eastern Orphean Warblers were quite numerous although Ruppel’s are reducing. A European Beeater passed high overhead calling as it went. Towards the picnic site a pair of Ortolan Buntings were heard and seen in the company of the reducing, migrating Cretzschmar’s. Nightingales could be heard in good numbers with a few showing briefly. In the pines, a male Collared Flycatcher was the highlight with Tree Pipits being fairly numerous. On a cultivated field opposite the pines with man-made perches and Eastern Black-eared Wheatear, Cyprus and Isabelline Wheatear were joined by a female Siberian (maura) Stonechat and a Cretzschmar’s Bunting. The regular drive trough Limnara Valley produced a Tawny Pipit as the highlight but this species, in the main appears to have passed through. On the track to Ayia Napa Sewage Works we stopped to look at a Common Cuckoo and Eastern Bonelli’s Warblers once more appeared quite numerous in the bushes opposite to the works fence. Also in here were 2 Collared Flycatcher males and my first couple of Wood Warblers of the year. A Common Restart, Woodchat Shrike and Eastern Black-eared Wheatear added to the enjoyment with a singing male Cyprus Warbler and a couple of Eastern Orpheans rounding it off.
With the 2 Bills along for the ride once more we headed off to Larnaca in an attempt to look for some Red-necked Phalaropes – this failed! There wasn’t much about to be fair save for a few Wheatears and the regular Flamingos and Spur-winged Plovers. We continued to the north side of the salt lake passing the north pool where reasonable numbers of Dunlins, Little Stints and Ruffs were feeding. At the north side of the salt lake 22 Slender-billed Gulls were with c50 Black-headed Gulls but again nothing to get too excited about. As we passed the canal at the north end of the lake a wagtail drew my attention and on closer inspection turned out to be the Black-headed Wagtail, hybrid – xanthrophys with yellow supercillium which is the rarer form of supercilliaris. I bade farewell to the Bills as they were departing on Sunday. Many thanks for your company, lunch and some petrol money and I hope to meet you both again. At Oroklini on the way home, the Avocet was still present as were 2 drake Garganeys and a male Red-crested Pochard. Akhna Dam held a Woodchat Shrike, Hooopoe, Isabelline Wheatear and Greenshank.
On Sunday, I met Caitlin and Karl Proctor at Cape Greco and we found a Woodchat Shrike which was a good start. Several Wrynecks were around the cape with depleted numbers of Wheatears and everything to be honest including British birders. Joe and John, the Irish birders remain but it’s feeling a bit lonely again and with an influx of Swedish, German and Swiss birders the passage of information has reduced. Several Redstarts were also in the pines with Tree Pipits and whilst the Cyprus and Eastern Black-eared Wheatear remained in the fields opposite, the Siberian Stonechat had moved on. 9 Little Egrets were on the rocks at Kermia Beach and at Ayia Napa Sewage Works at least 3 Wood Warblars (a new bird for Caitlin) and 10+ Eastern Bonelli’s Warblers in what has been an exceptional spring for this species. More Eastern Orpheans, Lesser Whitethroats and Nightingales were to follow and we departed to a Wryneck sat on a post.
I took Deb for lunch in the north and afterwards decided to give the Red-necked Phalaropes another go in Larnaca that Pete Wragg had found prior to his departure - a nice farewell gift, although by the time I got to the airport pools in the afternoon they had gone. However, all was not lost, a 1st winter Little Gull was amongst the Slender-billed Gulls and a Curlew gave its migration call last it flew above me. A Sand Martin was with Swallows at the sewage works with a good count of Greenshanks (25) being on Spiro’s Pool. A Tawny Pipit with a few Wheatears ended the excursion. On the way home I stopped at JUMBO drain and finally 4 Temminck’s Stints were present. Oroklini held the same as the previous day so we headed home at the end of a bird and alcohol filled exhausting week.
Now that readers are openly complaining and commenting on my tardiness with getting the BLOG published, my apologies, I’ll try harder and attempt to keep up. But if I’m not out seeing stuff, I’ll have nothing to write about!
Highlights of the Week: A female Siberian Stonechat was a good bird, found by the Joe and John and Wood Warblers are always a pleasure to see.
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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