Army Ornithological SocietyCyprus Weekly
Birding Highlights for the Week Ending 8 Sep
Immature Curlew Sandpiper at Akhna Dam on 8 Sep
indicates that a photo of the species is included please visit Flickr site to view or click on the link.
I have nearly recovered from the indignity of having to push my car to the car park followed by wheeling the granny’s shopping trolley from the NAAFI to my house whilst being ridiculed by all. Having conveyed this story to several of my close birding friends in the hope of a sympathetic ear, I was met with laughter and by one with uncontrollable hysteria – but at least it cheered them up! In fact one described it as the “Walk of Shame”, which was disappointing. With my birding life in tatters due to my lack of vehicle access, I moped around Ay Nik, in what is arguably the most birding intensive month of the year. Walking to lunch, c20 European Beeaters were over camp and on the Regimental Football Pitch, 14 Cattle Egrets, 8 Jackdaws, 1 Hooded Crow and a Wood Pigeon were feeding actively. At this rate it’s going to be a lean month.
On Tuesday as I walked to work an Eastern Olivaceous Warbler was heard “chacking” and then seen in an acacia above me. In the evening I walked the wooded area and scrub ground behind my house. Surprisingly, it’s amazing what you find when you look. I’m usually rushing off somewhere but since I can’t, I’ve been working the local area inside the perimeter fence with some success. 51 European Beeaters were seen on wires adjacent to the sewage plant whilst on the fence line, 2 Red-backed Shrikes and a Spotted Flycatcher with another in the woods.
On Wednesday evening I repeated the same walk as yesterday and found 5 Golden Orioles, 2 Masked Shrikes, a Red-backed, 2 Spotted Flycatchers and as I walked the scrub, I flushed a Wryneck, Ortolan Bunting and a pair of Willow Warblers chased a Great Tit. Finally, a calling Tawny Pipit flew above me calling as it proceeded south. All within 500 metres of the house – incredible!
I’d been offered a car to go shopping by my office buddy which was much appreciated. He did say not to go to Akrotiri twitching. In any event as I was passing Akhna Dam on the way back it seemed an opportunity not to be missed so I stopped for a walk around for an hour or so. The usual waders were present for this time of year, but a Greenshank, Temminck’s Stint and a Dunlin were the highlights. I flushed numerous Red-backed, Lesser Grey and Masked Shrikes as I walked around along with a Wryneck. 3 Glossy Ibises flew in and 7 Squacco Herons flew out. An immature Night Heron walked around the reed beds and 7 Turtle Doves landed in a eucalyptus stand. The Little Owl was in its regular spot although the highlight of the day was finding an Eastern Bonelli’s Warbler with the Willow Warbler influx. A common enough bird in the Spring, Bonelli’s Warbler is a very tricky and not often occurring (or recorded) species in the Autuimn – description submitted. A single female Marsh Harrier quartered the reed beds as I was leaving.
On Friday, I attended the Mess followed by a leaving function and with no car I had a BBQ at the house with friends on Saturday so drunkenness and no transport produced 5 European Beeaters over the house on Saturday as I ate a pork chop and drank a KEO. I did however, manage to negotiate the use of a car for Sunday morning, although it meant an early rise to have it returned in time. So with a sore head, I visited Akhna Dam where you rarely have a wasted journey. On a small pond as I entered, 13 Little Egrets, 3 Wood Sandpipers and a Spotted Redshank* fed actvively. As I walked the north east bank of the southern arm, 10+ Red-backed Shrikes were obvious as were 2 Masked Shrikes and a lone Lesser Grey. I flushed a Wryneck and photographed 1 of 2 Great Reed Warblers*. 12+ Willow Warblers* were in the area and 3 Sedge, 4 Reed, 2 Eastern Olivaceous and a Cetti’s Warbler were also present. 7 Night Herons rose from the reeds along with a pair of Squaccos and along the waters edge an immature Citrine Wagtail flushed as a Tawny Pipit called and flew south above me. A single Green Sandpiper, 2 Commons and a pair of Little Ringed Plovers ended the morning, although as I was leaving I saw and photographed an immature Curlew Sandpiper*. In the afternoon at Ay Nik, an evening walk produced a Red-backed Shrike, 8 European Beeaters, a Fan-tailed Warbler and 2 Willow Warblers. The week ended with me flaking on the setee.
Highlight of the Week: Compared to last week’s exceptional sightings this week has been very, very, very and a few more verys dull.
Look Forward: A new car – I want it, I need it, as I am loosing my sanity in the Ay Nik area and Deb is fed up with watching such films as Run Silent Run Deep etc.
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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