Army Ornithological SocietyCyprus Weekly
Birding Highlights for the Week Ending 9 Dec
Great White Egret at Fresh Water Lake South Famagusta
* indicates that a photo of the species is included please visit Flickr site to view.
On Monday, I took a day’s leave to visit the areas in the east of the island and to take my car to the menders (sucking of teeth – this is going to be expensive). No Greater Sand Plovers were present in their usual Ayia Thekla spot although 3 were present at Kermia Beach along with 37 Kentish Plovers and a solitary Redshank. As I drove to Cape Greco numerous Stonechats were seen along the way. At the Cape underneath the Army Camp, at least 11 Black Redstarts, several Sardininan Warblers and 2 male Blue Rock Thrushes. As I scanned the area I eventually found my quarry a wintering male Finsch’s Wheatear*, looking resplendent. I attempted to creep up on it and get some photos, but a very shy bird gave me the run around for about an hour and I only managed record shots. I stumbled upon a Pygmy Skipper at Cape Greco, usually on the wing until November, so a good late record of a sometimes difficult to see species.
At Ayia Napa Sewage Works, 21 Little Grebes on the lagoons were overlooked by a couple of Chiffchaffs and a female Chaffinch. As I scoured the hillsides a singing male Cyprus Warbler was a treat as it struggled to compete with the more strident songs on the Sardininian Warblers. I returned via Sotira Pond which held a Water Rail, 6 Chiffchaffs and 4 Mallards. I eventually saw a Cetti’s Warbler and 3 Snipe and a calling Green Sandpiper flew to a pond on the adjacent Paralimni Lake, which is beginning to flood a little. As I scanned, I spotted a dark perched falcon that alighted and proved to be a female Merlin.
The car safely in the garage I returned home. A visit to the garage revealed a cost of 210 Euros for a broken coil. Actually, deep joy as I thought it might be more serious and conversely no joy as it will mean I will not be able to do any birding for the next 2 days. The mechanic came up trumps and I picked up the car on Wednesday morning, (whilst cycling to the garage a Wood Lark flew up from the road side), meaning that the regular visit to the North could take place in the afternoon.
At Fresh Water Lake South it was heron-tastic, with 4 Great White Egrets*, 7 Little Egrets, 4 Cattle Egrets and 10 Grey Herons. Cormorant numbers were back up to 4 and the immature White Pelican was again present having commuted across town from Gulserin where I headed for next. At the seasonal lake, waders were evident once more with a lone Black-tailed Godwit continuing its stay, a Temminck’s Stint, 19 Little Stints, 8 Dunlins, 78 Redshanks, 2 Spotted Redshanks, 17 Spur-winged Plovers, 6 Little Ringed Plovers, 6 Black-winged Stilts, 3 Wood Sandpipers, a Ruff and a Water Rail. I raced back across the border so that I was able to visit Akhna Dam before last light. I was greeted by 2 Cormorants flying by, a Moustached Warbler in the reeds, a flushed Kingfisher, and a Great Crested Grebe on the water. The sight of c700 Starlings coming to roost was equally as impressive as the 208 Cattle Egrets having the same idea.
Prior to a visit to the physio in Dhekelia, I visited the Stone Curlew roost which I have to drive past. 114 were present along with a feeding flock of c120 Serins. The beginning of the crazy Christmas period was upon me with Deb’s works function so it only allowed me a little time in the afternoon so I headed for Akhna Dam. Not much was going on, however the Great Crested Grebe, a bit of a scarcity was still in the middle of the water. I flushed a very late immature Little Crake and a female Hen Harrier flew over me to roost, apart from that, it was generally quiet.
It was the Christmas run to JUMBO on Friday afternoon, so I visited a very boggy Oroklini Marsh, in an attempt to find a skulking Dunnock - which incientally ended in complete failure and me covered in mud. The marsh did hold good numbers of Shovellers and Teals with a couple of Pintails. The highlight was a flock of 69 Spur-winged Plovers accompanied by a flock of 58 Lapwings. A couple of Cattle Egrets made an appearance and an immature Marsh Harrier drifted by overhead.
On Saturday I visited Akhna Dam and then went to meet a couple of visiting birders from the other end of the island at Larnaca Sewage Works. At Akhna a Bluethroat was the highlight of the svecica Ssp (red-spotted). Before reaching the sewage works I stopped to view a good number of larger loafing gulls on the Larnaca Airport Pools South. The group contained 17 Black-headed Gulls, a 1st Winter Mediterranean Gull, an adult and 15 immature Caspian Gulls, 4 Adult Armenian Gulls and the first 2 Siberian (heuglini) Gulls of the winter. The group also contained a single Sandwich Tern. At the sewage works, 2 Black-necked Grebes, a single drake Ferruginous Duck and single Ruddy Shelduck. Numerous Shovellers, Teals, Mallards, 7 Pintails and 15 Wigeon. A female Black Redstart was present with a couple of unseasonal female type Yellow Wagtails with 3 Cattle Egrets following the sheep in the nearby field. One of the visiting birders picked out a pair of Slender-billed Gulls which was a surprise and a Common Buzzard flushed the 3 Green Sandpipers, 7 Redshanks and 14 Lapwings. The 8 White-fronted Geese did a disappearing act and 3 Cormorants appeared from nowhere.
We stopped on the way to Akhna Dam and apart from a calling Moustached Warbler and a couple of Pintails the marsh was fairly unproductive. I paused at the Dhekelia Stone Curlew roost where once again c120 birds were present and Serins also fed in the field. At Akhna Dam, 19 Spur-winged Plovers, 7 Tufted Ducks, one being a drake, A Great Crested Grebe, another Common Buzzard mobbed by Hooded Crows and in the reed bed a couple of Stonechats another Bluethroat of undertermined sub species (only a flight view), 4 Chiffchaffs and a playing hard to get Moustached Warbler. As we left the dam area a ringtail Hen Harrier cruised across the fields.
I had arranged to meet the visiting birders at 0800 at Cape Greco, however I left early in order to check Ayias Trias for gulls. None were present although in Konnos Bay an Audouin's Gull circled, several Greenfinches flew over and many Sardininan Warblers called and showed. Under the army camp 3 Blue Rock Thrushes, 2 males, many Black Redstarts and Stonechats with a couple each of Spectacled and Sardinian Warblers. The Finsch's Wheatear was as elusive as ever and remained unseen.
After Cape Greco we visited the Ayia Napa Sewage Works area which was very quiet but another female Blue Rock Thrush showed well enough. Concluding the area we departed for Ay Nik to drop a car off, pick up Deb for some retail therapy before heading across the border to the 2 wetland sites in the North. First we stopped at the Fresh Water Lake South where the usual suspects were present including a Great White Egret but 7 immature Night Herons was a good record.
We dropped Deb off and went to Gulserin Marsh which was its usual interesting self. No new waders were present but the Black-tailed Godwit looks set to over winter. The Gulls were of most interest with a Siberian, 3 Armenian, 4 Yellow-legged and 2 Caspians being present before we were treated to an inquisition by the Turkish CID and several other agencies. In any event after about half an hour, all ended well and we were not detained further and informed that we could continue to visit the site (opposite an Army camp) as long as we did not take any photographs. This was a pity as when we resumed scanning the marsh 3 spanking adult Audouin's Gulls had flown in during our interrogation - so a good result eventually. On the cessasion of birding we drove into the walled city of Famagusta for a bit of culture and lunch, and to find Deb and described our near "Midnight Express" experience. We headed back over the border, the guests departed for Paphos and that concluded the week.
For pictures of birds with a * please click on the following Flickr links:
Male Finsch’s Wheatear at Cape Greco – Record shots only.
Other Interesting Finds: A Pygmy Skipper* photographed at Cape Greco on 3 Dec was a late record for the species and the first record this decade in the 5Km recording square.
Highlight of the Week: Siberian and Audouin's Gulls.
Look Forward: Next weekend in Paphos where I will hopefully see a Wallcreeper.
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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