Army Ornithological SocietyCyprus Weekly
Birding Highlights for the Week Ending 10 Nov
An Iconic bird that needs no Introduction at Avagas Gorge on 9 Nov
* Indicates that a photo of the species is included please visit Flickr site to view or click on the link.
With it now being basically un-birdable after 1645 the opportunities on a Monday are non existent. So, on Tuesday I took Deb to Famagusta and visited the lagoon by the Palm Beach hotel (an excellent hotel to stay at if you’re visiting the area). On the lagoon, a Little Egret and Grey Heron were predictable, the single Grey Plover less so but a cracking adult Slender-billed Gull was a real surprise. After the success here I thought a trip to Clapsides Beach (a good site for wintering species) was a good idea. I walked down the beach to the tide line and scanned the rocky outcrop. I was delighted to find a pair of adult Audouin’s Gulls, 6 Black-headed Gulls, 7 Kentish Plover, 2 Dunlin and 3 Grey Plovers. Following this I visited the Fresh Water Lake South where 3 Great White Egrets, a Green Sandpiper and 4 Ruffs were the highlights. Dropping Deb off at home, I continued on to Akhna Dam for the last 45 minutes of light. Working quickly, 7 Snipe, a Jack Snipe (always a good bird), an immature Marsh Harrier, ringtail Hen Harrier and a Redshank were seen. I moved to the reed bed area where a Reed Bunting called and was then seen, a Moustached Warbler hopped about in the open briefly and Chiffchaffs were present in good numbers. As I walked to the firework display, a Little Owl sat on the telegraph wires in the quarter area. I was unable to get out on Tuesday and on Wednesday, I was also busy.
On Thursday afternoon, I managed to get to Akhna Dam for a couple of hours where I photographed a lonely looking immature White Pelican*, which was fishing in a puddle with some success, as with the lack of rain so far this winter, it’s drying out quickly. Water Pipit passage continued and a Greenshank and Redshank were present. A Great White Egret flushed, Bluethroats were still active in good numbers and Snipes totalled 9. A Sparrowhawk flew by and Chiffchaffs have now relieved the Willow Warblers of their duties.
I took a day off on Friday and visited the Larnaca Sewage Works area. This proved to be a good decision. Gulls are increasing with Black-headed being in the ascendancy, however 5 adult Armenian and a few immature Caspians were present. Black-necked Grebes have increased to 4 and 23 Shelducks flew in. The Bar-tailed Godwit remained faithful to the site and as I scanned the lagoons I found the first White-fronted Goose of the winter. An immature Whiskered Tern was hanging on at the lagoons, a Garganey was amongst the Teals, a Bluethroat hopped about outside the hide and a Sanderling was with the Little Stints. A lone Wigeon and a couple of Ferruginous Duck was all I could manage before everything was flushed by a passing Marsh Harrier. Further along the coast at Spiro’s Beach and Pool, 10 Golden Plovers roosted (no Pacific’s this time), and a sizeable flock of Spanish Sparrows had gathered. I flushed a pair of Black Francolins and on the buoys on the sea, 5 Sandwich Terns and a Shag loafed. With a little water falling during the week, I stopped at the now dry Oroklini Marsh which has developed a small flash. On it were several waders including, remarkably the adult Terek Sandpiper, unusually a long-stayer, will it overwinter? It was joined by some unseasonal Little Ringed Plovers, 10 Little Stints, 1 Temminck’s Stint, 2 Dunlins, a Ringed Plover and 3 Snipe. Unbelievably, as I watched attempting to get a photo, these birds were also flushed by a male Marsh Harrier. At Akhna Dam on the way home I found my first Wood Lark of the winter and the Great White Egret and White Pelican were still present. A Red-throated Pipit did a flyby, a Green Sandpiper flushed and 46 Spur-winged Plovers were present. Perhaps the biggest surprise was a late male Redstart which had me going for a while as a possible Eastern Black Redstart.
With the news of 2 Wallcreepers at Avagas Gorge on the Akamas, west of Paphos earlier in the week I arranged to meet Colin Richardson at 0730 in an attempt to achieve my annual Wallcreeper “dip”. I met Colin and proceeded to Avagas Gorge. On the beach at White River Cliffs, a male Blue Rock Thrush, Kingfisher and several Black Redstarts, however, ominously, no Wallcreeper. We drove to the entrance to Avagas and started to walk up the Gorge. Several Song Thrushes were obvious as were a few Sardininan Warblers with Blackcaps being less so. Chiffchaffs flitted about the trees, Robins were numerous and a showy Cetti’s Warbler performed well. We made our way up the Gorge and overhead a dark silhouetted shape with rounded wings and very little tail projection flew above me – I shouted Wallcreeper* and then another called and we secured excellent views of 2 birds feeding together for about 10 minutes – fantastic – a Cyprus “tick” and a special bird at any time. After our success we returned to the car and had a brew seeing a Sparrowhawk, male Blackbird and several more Song Thrushes.
Colin and I did a tour of some of the Paphos sites confirming that 3 male Finsch’s Wheatears were on their wintering territories, Wood Larks were also at lower levels and that the Little Owl remained above Asprokremnos Dam, in its regular roost site. A speculative search of the pines at Asprokremnos Dam car park revealed the presence of 2 Goldcrests* which was an addition to the year list. I proceeded back to Ay Nik via Happy Valley in Episkopi Garrison, where a Long-legged Buzzard went after a Jackdaw and 7 Griffon Vultures were over the cliffs (with the population believed to be 9 – this was not a bad count). I arrived at Phassouri Reed Beds, where I saw several Water and Meadow Pipits, a Jack Snipe, c80 Starlings and 2 Reed Buntings, before heading for home and a night out with a Chicken Phaal – ouch, you know that’s going to hurt!
On Sunday after Remembrance Day, I took Deb to the Theatre Club in Dhekelia, dropped her off and counted 39 Stone Curlews in the Dhekelia Fire Station roost. At Akhna Dam the White Pelican and Great White Egret continued, Bluethroats had reduced considerably, Water Pipits had increased once more and the Red and Greenshank were still present. The Little Owl had returned to its favoured roost site after an absence of a couple of weeks and on the way home a cracking adult male Hen Harrier was mobbed by Jackdaws at Avgorou – so ended a very good week.
Highlight of the Week: Undoubtedly a pair of Wallcreepers at Avagas Gorge; a bird that I’ve tried to see on Cyprus many times.
Look Forward: Dark early evenings and winter visitors.
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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