Army Ornithological SocietyCyprus Weekly
Birding Highlights for the Week Ending 30 Jun
Little Ringed Plover at Akhna Dam 24 Jun.
* indicates that a photo of the species is included please visit Flickr site to view.
After a fairly depressing week last week, things are definitely moving. With no cricket to watch, I went to Akhna Dam after work. Several returning wader species were evident with 3 Green Sandpipers, 2 Common Sandpipers and 2 Little Ringed Plovers* as well as the resident Spru-winged Plovers. 3 Cattle Egrets and a showy Squacco Heron* were obvious and as I drove around a Hoopoe flushed. A 1st Calender Year (1 CY) Masked Shrike was hunting which was surprisingly early in the lowlands and does signal that some movement of breeding visitors is already taking place. As I departed the area, 2 European Rollers sat on telegraph lines and I paused to photograph a juvenile Swallow*.
Tuesday and a visit to the local shops in Paralimni offered the opportunity to conduct the bi-monthly Dragonfly survey of Sotira Pond. There were not many Dragonflies in evidence and even fewer birds but a lone Stone Curlew and female Black Francolin were noteworthy as a Cetti’s Warbler worked its way along the rank vegetation. The Long-eared Owl continued to call from the woods behind the house and appears to be getting closer.
On Thursday afternoon I conducted a Dragonfly survey of Oroklini Marsh. Something has obviously changed here with the water becoming perhaps too stagnant as there was not a single Dragonfly of any species present, which says something in itself. The Dragonflies might not like it but the noisy breeding Stilts and Spur-winged Plovers obviously do and 19 Little Terns was the highest count this year. Red-crested Pochards have obviously had a good year with 8 immatures and 6 females hiding amongst the vegetation. All in all though, June continues to live up to its billing. We returned home via the mooring buoys at Dhekelia where 8 Shags sat. With not much else doing, we returned home and finished for the day.
Friday came and went and on Saturday we visited the North. Gulserin is all but dry with only 3 Black-winged Stilts and 2 Spur-winged Plovers. Meanwhile and Koprulu, the site still looks excellent. 64 Glossy Ibises rose from the reeds and amongst them 3 adult Spoonbills. Circa 1000 Coots remain with lesser numbers of Mallards and the Black-winged Stilts appear to have increased to about 200 with the Cattle Egrets numbering about 400. Of the waders, 2 Wood Sandpipers, 3 Greenshank and 5 Ruff were present. As I left the area, I flushed a lone Stone Curlew from a ploughed field. At Fresh Water Lake South, I conducted the Dragonfly survey and noted at least 5 Squacco Herons, 1 Little Egret, c20 Cattle Egret and 2 Glossy Ibis. A European Beeater was heard over Ay Nik (ESBA) and at Akhna Dam a Great Spotted Cuckoo and Hoopoe were migrants with a few waders remaining in the form of a couple of Green Sandpipers and Common sandpipers. At Vrysoulles village the Barn Owl continued to roost and 2 Rollers were in the orange grove.
On Sunday I visited the Larnaca area and at the North side of the salt lake which is now completely dry 8 Little Egrets flew in from the north and were probably migrants. At the sewage works a pair of Shovellers remain with 3 ducklings whilst Little Grebe numbers have increased to 41 and Mallard to C60, three female Red-crested Pochards were of interest. A Greenshank and Common Sandpiper were present amongst the more numerous Spur-winged Plovers and Black-winged Stilts. On Spiro’s Pool Yellow-legged Gull numbers are building again with 16 being present. Although 2 Little Swifts had been reported from the Limassol area, I saw none in the East of the island. As I returned home, 2 Rollers were on the wires at Xylotymbou and later at Akhna Dam a pair of Hoopoes*, a juvenile Masked Shrike, 2 Common Sandpipers, 1 Little Ringed Plover* and a Green Sandpiper. As I was leaving 2 superb adult White-winged Black Terns did a flyby and kept going south. At Ay Nik, 4 European Beeaters and 3 Common Swifts (the majority of the breeding colony left on the 25/26 Jun) were seen, which concluded the week.
For the first time in a year (excluding last June), I recorded less than 100 species, which just proves what a dire month June is in Cyprus. Even if I had hit all of the summer breeding sites I would still have fallen short. There are few migrants in June and obviously no winter visitors so birding is hard work for few rewards.
Highlight of the Week: A Great Spotted Cuckoo and White-winged Black Terns at Akhna Dam.
Look Forward: The month of July offers some good wader migration and towards the end some Warbler species should start to return, if you can brave the heat.
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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