Army Ornithological SocietyCyprus Weekly
Birding Highlights for the Week Ending 7 Apr
Isabelline (Daurian) Shrike at Cape Greco Pines 6 Apr.
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* indicates that a photo of the species is included please visit Flickr site to view.
April already! With bank holiday Monday, a whole day’s birding. With migrants everywhere, it’s difficult to know where to start first. Cape Greco is always a safe option that gives an indication of what’s about. A bit disappointing, with not much moving but the usual Wheatears, a couple of Hoopoes and a Nightingale heard and then one seen. I chance bit of seawatching (this is usually a waste of time), resulted in a couple of Sandwich Terns, Baltic Gulls, Yellow-legged Gulls and then to my amazement a Cyprus “tick” as 4 Yelkouan Shearwaters skipped over the waves – a great start to the month! I returned via Paralimni Lake where a male Lesser Kestrel was resting. In the afternoon we took a picnic lunch to Koprulu Dam in the North. Here c100 Greater Flamingo remained, with numerous wildfowl including 27 Garganey and several drake Pintails. The area was alive with waders with c1500 Ruffs, Greenshanks, Marsh and Wood Sandpipers and good numbers of Black-winged Stilts. At least 17 Glossy Ibises rose from the reeds and Marsh and Pallid Harriers were very active. Before returning home we stopped at Fresh Water Lake South, Famagusta where there were 4 Great White Egrets and 2 Night Herons amongst the many Cattle Egrets.
The 2nd April and my birthday. I took the day off and headed to Cape Greco once more. Again not much doing but Cyprus Warblers and Wheatears remain very vocal and the usual other species were present with at least 5 Tree Pipits flying over calling. At Ayia Napa Sewage Works a lone Common Sandpiper was on the lagoons and in the surrounding area my first Redstart of the year along with a male and female Pied Flycatcher. A male Masked Shrike stood lookout and a Nightingale sang from cover but did not reveal itself. At least 3 Cyprus Wheatears were present but little else. At Paralimini Lake on the way home, 8 Glossy Ibises, a Northern Wheatear and a singing Great Reed Warbler were present. In the afternoon prior to my return to work tomorrow – the Turkish barbers loomed. After a successful visit, lunch in Famagusta before visiting the Fresh Water Lake where the Night Herons had increased to 6. In the evening a visit to the Japanese Restaurant in Ayia Napa. Renowned for the chefs’ antics, the food was excellent and being unaware that Deb had told them it was my birthday, I was given the full very embarrassing treatment – which as you can imagine, I saw the funny side of?
Wednesday, back to work (joy) and the car in the garage for a service following some fairly hefty mileages throughout February and March. So who knows when that’ll be fixed or whether I’ll get out today. With a Hooded Wheatear reported late last night at Cape Greco, the timing could not be worse. Whilst at the garage, I received a text alerting me to the presence of a female Caspian Plover* at Larnaca Sewage Works. With a little “chivvying” – well a lot really, I was soon underway and consequently viewing and photographing the bird some 40 minutes later – RESULT! With a description pending the record shot was essential. Nothing much was in the area apart from some Wheatears and Wagtails so I headed back to Oroklini where I bagged a female Citrine Wagtail for the year and a couple of female Little Crakes for the month.
Thursday and capitalising on some carried over leave - a day off, in an attempt to bag a few more migrants. At Cape Greco I stumbled across 2 Cuckoos and a Redstart whilst at the picnic site a male Eastern Orphean Warbler, female Ortolan Bunting and a Wryneck. Under the Army Camp, I looked at some hirundines and amongst the Swallows and House Martins were 4 Crag Martins. With an Eastern Black-eared Wheatear, Tree Pipits and a Tawny Pipit in the same area things were obviously moving albeit in small numbers. Later at Ayia Napa Sewage Works, the theme continued with another couple of Wheatears representing 4 species and 4 Masked Shrike males and a Woodchat. Nightingales sang around me and another Redstart posed in the open. An Eastern Bonelli’s Warbler was a good find as was another Wryneck. With another being flushed at Paralimni Lake on the way home – it was obviously “Wryneck Day”. A male Spotted Crake in the open at Paralimni was also a welcomed month tick, with a male Pallid Harrier and 4 Glossy Ibises also being present.
Friday and on finishing work a text message from Colin reference an Isabelline Shrike at Cape Greco found by a visiting birder – what it’s like to be retired? I searched the area without luck and so visited the sewage works at Ayia Napa in case the bird had relocated – it hadn’t, so a dip! At the sewage works a good number of Cyprus Wheatears, a Hoopoe, Woodchat, female Eastern Subalpine Wabler and a Wryneck. As I left to look for the Shrike once more a small dove with a dark brown upper chest flew over me a the Marina Hotel – Ayia Napa. I pulled over and searched the trees finding another Wryneck* and then, there it was, although obscured the blue forewing below the grey wing of a Laughing Dove. The birds having been seen regularly in the area for a few years and suspected of breeding are on the way to becoming residents I think. The car then made a strange noise and lost power, I managed to limp back home stalling on the way. When I restarted – all back to normal save for a few splutters, worrying all the same.
It’s Saturday already and a visit to the Karpas Peninsular in the North for a KUSKOR field trip had to be postponed due to issues with the car. Anyway I drove to Akhna Dam It’s the first visti to Akhna in a while – formerly my hotspot, but the site is improving again. A couple of Sedge Warblers, A Great Reed and many Cetti’s along with an Eastern Bonelli’s Warbler kicked things off. My first 2 Squacco Herons of the year were flushed and a Purple Heron also moved out of its roost. Waders are starting to return with Wood and Common Sandpipers, several Little Stints, a Little Ringed Plover a single Ruff. Whilst at Akhna Dam I received a message from 2 visiting birders alerting to the fact that the Isabelline Shrike had been re-found at Cape Greco. I headed off there as quickly as I could to start looking. A couple of Woodchats caused a stir and then I spotted the very pale Shrike* in a bush and then flycatching. I returned through the pine wood seeing a couple of Lesser Whitethroats, Restarts and an Eastern Bonelli’s Warbler and then saw a bright flash of white which eventually enabled me to catch up with a spanking Wood Warbler*. As I left I flushed a Night Heron and headed off to Ayia Napa Sewage Works. Although nothing spectacular, a couple of Buntings, Wheatears and Shrikes were good additions, none the less. On Saturday evening, I visited Paralimni Lake where the highlight was good numbers of varying races of Yellow Wagtails and another female Caspian Plover amongst the masses of Little Ringed and Kentish Plovers.
Sunday morning has arrived and the migrant hunt is back on. The Isabelline (Turkestan) Shrike was still at Cape Greco along with the same or another Wood Warbler. Several Black Redstarts and Wrynecks were present along with some commoner migrants. A chance stop to look at some Gulls and Terns moving across Konnos Bay had Johannes finding 2 Scopoli’s Shearwarters close in, lazily moving west. I managed to see them, a real bonus as many hours sea watching in Cyprus usually results in boredom so a real result and a very good year tick – Thanks Johannes! 2 European Beeaters called above us and appeared to be migrating in the wrong direction but were eventually located high in the clouds. We moved to Paralimini Lake where nothing special happened although a fly over Collared Pratincole was the highlight and the male Spotted Crake was seen again along with a lone Whinchat. Before heading to the Famagusta Wetlands and Koprulu Dam we stopped for a brew at the house. The wetlands were quiet although Greater Flamingos still linger at Gulserin Pond (mostly juveniles), Clapsides beach had a record 10 Audouin’s Gulls and Johannes and Thijs got a Cyprus “tick” with a late Grey Plover.
Koprulu, needed 2 attempts to get there as the car decided not to play the game again. Anyway a brief stop and restart and we arrived eventually at probably the best wetland on the island at the moment was full of birds, at least 30 Glossy Ibises, 2 Purple Herons, 5 Marsh Harriers, a Monty’s, Red-throated Pipits, Great Reed, Reed and Sedge Warblers, a whole host of waders but nothing new since my last visit and a fly over Collared Pratincole. Wildfowl are still much in evidence with 7 Ferruginous Ducks, 17 Pintails and good numbers of Garganey, Shovellers and Teal. On driving home we paused to photograph a Little Owl* in Koprulu village whilst several Kestrels on the wires proved to be Lessers*. We returned home via the Fresh Water Lake South before heading home for a Chilli and a few beers – the end of a cracking day and week.
For pictures of birds with a * please click on the following Flickr links:
- Little Owl at Korprulu.
- Wood Warbler at Cape Greco.
- Lesser Kestrel near Koprulu Dam.
- Eastern Black-eared Wheatear at Ayia Napa Sewage Works.
- Wryneck at The Marina Hotel – Ayia Napa.
Highlight of the Week: A Cyprus “tick” with a 4 Yelkouan Shearwaters at Cape Greco on Monday. Caspian Plovers are always a good bird to see and of course an Isabelline Shrike. I remember finding the 3rd for Cyprus back in 1998 when it was a description species – but no longer required as it’s seen as an annual migrant. Taking the Cyprus list to 290. The rolling year list to (Jun 10 – Jun 10) to 250 and the current year list resides on 206 – so all-in-all a very productive week
Other Interesting Finds: Another Eastern Dappled White at Ayia Napa Sewage Works and my first Lulworth Skipper* and first this year for Cyprus was seen at Konnos Bay, Cape Greco on Saturday 6th.
Look Forward: Migration and the hope of finding a semi rarity or two.
If you are planning a visit or require more info please feel free to contact me at: birder639@yahoo.com
Mark Easterbrook
Roger Dickey | 8th Apr 2013 08:34 PM
Great report as usual Mark and real regrets that I’m not there. No orchids this week!
News this morning about German conservationists coming to Cyprus with washing up liquid! Petered out during the morning and I never heard a full report.
Cheers