Army Ornithological SocietyCyprus Weekly
Birding highlights for week ending 16 Sep
An asterisk (*) indicates that a photo of the species is available to view on Flickr.
The tally continues to rise with 154 birds now on the Cyprus year list with some excellent additions last week. I’ve added an Akhna Dam list to my Wildlife Recorder database. As the site is my local patch and I visit it at least once a day when time allows I was interested to see how many species I’ve recorded there over the years. The total stands at 182 with some note able rarities.
A day’s leave on Monday left me still recovering from a hangover but also wishing to check on what was moving. Deb wanted to visit Larnaca so that was the day decided. I did nip out at first light to Akhna Dam for a couple of hours and 4 roosting Purple Herons greeted me amongst the numerous Grey cousins. Nineteen Night Herons passed above with a couple of Wryneck showing well. Spotted Flycatchers, Red-backed Shrikes and Whinchats were very evident with singleton Isabelline Wheatear, Lesser Grey Shirke and Hoopoe also being present. A fair selection of waders was present with a Temminck’s Stint being the highlight. A Peregrine passed overhead whilst a Little Crake and Common Kingfisher continued feeding unperturbed.
I visited Larnaca Sewage Works and found my first Turnstone at the site but little else was moving. On leaving the site a cracking adult male Marsh Harrier passed over on route to Oroklini Marsh. On arrival it was obvious that the Spur-winged Plovers had increased to 54 whilst the Black-winged Stilts had reduced dramatically from in excess of a 150 to 13. Four Marsh Sandpipers, a Spotted Redshank, Curlew Sandpiper, Dunlin and 5 Redshanks were present, however the site was much quieter than I’ve come to expect. As I returned home via Akhna Dam where I added an immature Black Kite and also witnessed a Whiskered Tern being shot out of the sky which I found quite distressing. The mindlessness of these people is unbelievable and leaves me totally confused as to what motivates them – apart from money, rhetoric and bravado obviously. It’s such a good place to birdwatch but I remain pleased that major birding tour operators avoid it. Returning home via the back of camp, a female Montague’s Harrier made steady progress westwards.
Two Stone Curlews passed over the house at dusk whilst a Night Heron called and roosted in the woods behind and as I checked for evidence of tape luring and bird trapping at night a small flock of European Beeaters passed over in the dark calling as they went.
It’s Tuesday and during the weekend I reported bird song at night from behind the house. This is a ploy of the illegal bird trappers to lure migrating birds down. I thought nothing would happen but I received the following information:
The patrol found the following equipment, all of which is used for illegal poaching in the area:
21 Mist Nets, 5 Car Batteries, 5 CD Players, 7 Loud Speakers
All this equipment was confiscated by the SBA Police.
This will represent the saving of thousands of migrating birds. As I’ve said previously, 1 net catching 10 birds a day (conservative estimate), multiplied by 21 and multiplied by 50 days – you do the maths!
Still on a high from the poaching news I visited Akhna Dam in the evening. Although there was nothing earth shattering or new, the juvenile Collared Pratincole remained and 3 migrant Marsh Harriers passed over. A Wood Sandpiper*, Ruff and a couple of Whinchats were seen along with a Sedge Warbler whilst I was watching the regular Little Crakes. Two Little Owls and a couple of Stone Curlews at Ay Nik completed the day’s highlights.
I did the usual Wednesday round ending up at Ayia Napa Sewage works which was relatively quiet in a lull in migration – or the Cypriots have killed so many birds there’s nothing left? At the site a Long-legged Buzzard soared above the bluff and the female Eastern Black-eared Wheatear remained. A couple of Lesser Whitethroats and a Blackcap remained whilst at Ayia Napa Football Pitches the highlight was 3 Tree Pipits and a lingering Lesser Grey Shirke whose numbers have decreased rapidly and significantly. They have a fairly small concentrated window of migration save for a few stragglers. At Ay Nik the largest flock of European Beeaters yet that numbered c70 passed over the house.
A Little Bittern* and a Little Crake* were seen again at Akhna Dam on Thursday with the usual commoner migrants and residents. I managed to photograph a moulting adult Dunlin* and a Beeater. Lesser Grey Shrike numbers have dropped although several Red-backs and a single adult Male Masked Shrike remain. Three Little Stints were new arrivals and Ruff numbers increased to 8.
On Friday prior to the Battle of Britain Ball I managed a couple of hours at Akhna. Although not very much had changed watching an Osprey fish whilst being mobbed by a female Marsh Harrier was enjoyable. I spent the remainder of the time attempting to photograph the now contentious Eastern (Caspian) Reed Warblers* and an Eastern Olivaceous Warbler*.
No birding took place on Saturday as I had the mother of all hangovers, although a flock of about 40 European Beeaters and 4 Stone Curlew passed over the house.
An early Sunday morning start saw me at Ayia Napa Sewage Works with many Blackcaps being present and some other common migrants with the highlight being a male Cretzchmar's Bunting. Cape Greco revealed a Cyprus Wheatear, numerous Whinchats, however, 2 singing male Cyprus Warblers gave exceptional views and I managed to photograph a female Redstart, only my second of the autumn. I returned via Ayia Napa Football Pitches where a Lesser Grey Shike remains and I spotted 2 Golden Orioles in flight, one being an adult male.
Onward to the market and Oroklini Marsh! The marsh held 4 Marsh Sandpipers, 5 Redshank, 2 Spotted Redshank, 2 Dunlin, 1 Curlew Sandpiper and 5 Little Stints. I also managed to photograph an adult Spoonbill* that was accompanied by 2 juveniles. Returning home, Akhna Dam held an Osprey, 29 European Beeaters, Red-backed and Masked Shrikes, 2 Little Crakes, 2 Reed Warblers (fuscus), many Yellow Wagtails and a Purple Heron.
For pictures of birds with * please click on the following Flickr links:
- Dunlin at Akhna Dam
- European Beeater at Akhna Dam
- Little Crake at Akhna Dam
- Female Redstart at Cape Greco
- Spoonbill at Oroklini Marsh
- Little Bittern at Akhna Dam
- Wood Sandpiper at Akhna Dam
Other interesting finds: Shed loads of mist nets, confiscated – RESULT and some fairly glum looking illegal bird trappers.
Highlight of the week, during a fairly uneventful period was probably the Turnstone - not a common bird, remarkable what sets you alight in Cyprus?
Look Forward: I have a day’s leave on Tuesday to take a visiting UK birder out for the day which I’m looking forward to – hopefully we’ll find something memorable.
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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