Army Ornithological SocietyCyprus Weekly
Birding Highlights for the Week Ending 7 Jul
Hoopoe at Akhna Dam – a common autumn migrant.
* indicates that a photo of the species is included please visit Flickr site to view.
July already and migrants are already starting to appear. Waders are coming through in good numbers and mountain breeding species such as Masked Shrikes and Hoopoes are beginning to appear in lowland sites once more. On Monday I went to Akhna Dam after work and saw my first Wood Sandpiper at the site this autumn along with a Common Sandpiper, a Green Sandpiper and a Little Ringed Plover. Spur-winged Plovers totalled 5 and a female Masked Shrike hunted along the water’s edge in tamarisk bushes. 3 Hoopoes was a good count, Spanish Sparrows numbers are increasing with a sizeable flock being present, 2 Eastern Olivaceous Warblers were restless but were eventually seen briefly and Cattle Egret numbers have increased to about 50. Returning home via Vrysoulles, the Barn Owl didn’t let me down for a month tick and 3 Rollers – 1 immature were present in the adjacent orange grove. 2 Swift remained in the Ay Nik area, although the breeding colony appeared to have left on mass on the 25th to 26th of June.
I visited Troodos with some work visitors on Tuesday and saw 3 Jays, 2 Chaffinch and c20 Common Swifts in the Station along with several Cyprus Wheatears nearby. After getting home on the 2nd at Akhna Dam a Greenshank was new as was a Little Egret, another Hoopoe or one of the same ones was seen and commoner passage waders remained in situ.
On Wednesday I went Tuna fishing off Cape Greco and predictably saw no seabirds but did catch a reasonable Tuna along with the others which provided the focal point for the BBQ and a few beers that evening. On Thursday we had friends visiting so we took them to the North for dinner. Despite every effort to take in a few “scenic” spots, Deb was fairly persistent that I was not to visit any birding areas – I had been told!
On Friday I was snowed under at work although did get to Akhna Dam briefly where 11 Green Sandpipers was a good count as was 11 Magpies. The tally concluded with 2 Little Ringed Plovers, 4 Spur-winged Plovers, a Hoopoe and a Common Sandpiper. A juvenile Greenfinch was the first for the month. Saturday and I watched the Rugby and had a few beers to celebrate. On Sunday, I did whirlwind tour of sites. 22 Little Terns, 35 Glossy Ibises 2 Redshanks and a Wood Sandpiper were the highlights at Oroklini whilst at Larnaca Sewage Works, 7 female Red-crested Pochard and a female Shoveller were notable. Retuning via Akhna Dam a Hoopoe was the only species of any notoriety. 7 Shags stood on the platforms off Dhekelia Power Station. We headed over the north in the afternoon as I needed some male pampering – Mehmet the barber obliged and all was good with the world. Gulserin Pond is no longer a pond as it’s totally dried up – leaving a huge number of beer bottles in the sand – very depressing and no birds. At Koprulu which has also dried dramatically, c50 Glossy Ibises were present and at least 150 Black-winged Stilts and c350 Cattle Egrets. A 1st Calendar Year (1CY) male Marsh Harrier was an interesting sighting along with a Common Sandpiper and 5 Green Sandpipers. Continuing the Heron theme at Fresh Water Lake South, 6 Glossy Ibises were present along with 7 Squacco Herons and a single 1 CY Night Heron.
Highlight of the Week: Errmmm – struggling and I’m tempted to say a Bridled Tern at Cresswell Pond - my local patch when I visit Deb’s parents in the North East.
Look Forward: No mass migration yet but the annual autumn raptor fest should soon be underway.
If you are planning a visit or require more info please feel free to contact me at: birder639@yahoo.com
Mark Easterbrook
Follow us:
