Army Ornithological SocietyCyprus Weekly
Birding Highlights for the Week Ending 12 Jan 14
Little Egret at Oroklini Coast on 16 Jan
* Indicates that a photo of the species is included please visit Flickr site to view.
On Tuesday with nothing at Akhna Dam to speak of I headed off to Oroklini. Immediately on my arrival, a first winter Little Gull flew across in front of me and continued to hawk the marsh. 48 Greater Flamingos were present with a Marsh Harrier and 39 Lapwings and a Redshank were in the surrounding fields. Since the sight has altered and water is now flowing in Cattle Egrets have also begun to roost again with c120 being present.
On Wednesday it was necessary for me to travel to Troodos for a meeting. On the way up I saw 2 Mistle Thrush and a scarce Goldcrest at Giant Junipers Picnic Site. 2 difficult wintering species in Cyprus and good to get in the bag early in the year. Coal Tits were present along with Great Tits. After the meeting in the afternoon, I visited Leivadia Tou Pasha Picnic Site where I found a Crossbill atop a tree, another Mistle Thrush, 4 Blackbirds and a Robin. Stopping in Troodos village on my return a Short-toed Treecreeper was adjacent to the Environmental Centre and the roasted, bacon peanuts at the nut stall were excellent. On the 16th at Oroklinin I photographed a Little Egret* whilst working my way through the gulls without luck.
I had arranged to meet Colin Richardson on Friday to travel to the north and meet with Jeff Gordon, a previous Cyprus recorder and ex serving member of the Army. I stopped at Akhna Dam where a Great White Egret, 12 Cormorant and 35 Spur-winged Plovers were present before meeting Colin at Oroklini, where a Black Francolin called. We moved to the coast where the Little Egret was still present along with a flyby Shag and 3 Sandwich Terns arrived as we were departing. We met Jeff at Demrahan roundabout in the north and visited the nearby Demrahan Pools, where a Green Sandpiper, 4 Teal and 2 Marsh Harriers were present. A high-pitched call alerted me to the presence of a Red-throated Pipit and we scoped 2 examples one with a fairly rufous throat. At Haspolat (Mia Melia) Sewage Works we saw c40 Spur-winged Plover and 4 Redshanks before the birders nightmare – a puncture. Stopping to change the wheel and needing air, Jeff and Colin continued in the area whilst I sorted it. They saw over 100 Ferruginous Ducks with good numbers of Pochard and 2 Gadwalls before we met up again and headed off to Famagusta. Stopping about 10km short to visit some ploughed fields which are good for Larks we had great success with flocks of Calandra Larks totalling c70 and in excess of 250 Skylarks. As we left the area 2 Golden Plovers were in the fields.
Clapsides Beach is always worth a visit and careful scanning of the rocks and beach was rewarded with a Curlew, 3 Grey Plovers, 6 Ringed Plovers, 4 Kentish Plovers, a Redshank, Greenshank Little Egret and the biggest surprise was a single Greater Sand Plover. Further on at Gulserin Pond 25 Flamingos and 2 Shelduck were present but little else of interest. We finished the day at the Fresh Water Lake South where good numbers of Cattle Egrets came to roost with a single Little Egret and 2 Great White Egrets. 2 Common Gulls, a juvenile and 1st Winter were good records, with a Siberian (Heuglin’s) Gull also flying through. 19 Cormorants were present and c30 Starlings flew to roost but the biggest event was 19 Night Herons (8 Adults and 11 1st and 2nd calendar year) flying from their day roost to start feeding.
On Saturday I attended a KUSKOR (Turkish Group) field trip in the north. Prior to meeting up with them, I visited Kanli Dam near Nicosia and found the previously reported Great Crested Grebe, 6 Pochards and a Great White Egret. Meeting the group we moved to Serdarli Dam, where a female Marsh Harrier and several Chiffchaffs were noted. In the fields Stonechats, Corn Buntings and larks were present. 18 Wood Larks flew in and as I was leaving, I stopped to photograph a Calandra Lark* with at least 2 others in song flight and displaying. –breeding starts early in Cyprus. Stopping at Clapsides once more, 2 Grey Plovers were present with 5 Curlews and a Cormorant. A 4th winter Caspian Gull floated by and 8 Golden Plovers flew onto the rocks. At Gulserin Pond nothing much had changed from the previous day but a Water Rail was out in the open as was a Bluethroat.
We again finished the day at Fresh Water Lake South where I flushed a Common Sandpiper and found 2 Ruff hiding under a tamereisk. As we continued to watch, 2 Marsh Harriers and 2 Common Buzzards were seen and as I watched, another raptor rose, and although head on to me, I could see 2 white spots on the shoulders. I waited for the bird to turn before alerting the group to a pale phase Booted Eagle. Finally, after a couple of weeks, I had caught up with the bird that had been reported since the first week of the month. A January record of a Booted Eagle is a very rare occurrence indeed and it’s possibly 1 of the birds that was at Akhna Dam in late November which is over-wintering.
On Sunday, I visited Cape Greco in the afternoon and although I could hear Cyprus Warblers (which is good news), I couldn’t see one but did see several Sardinian Warblers and a couple of Greenfinches. At the Army Camp cliffs, the female Finsch’s Wheatear was still present with a couple of Black Redstarts, Stonechats, a small covey of Chukars and handful of Spectacled Warblers. On the way home, at the Ayia Napa Police Station, a male Peregrine flew over the road heading west and keeping the year list ticking along at 116.
Highlight of the Week: Large flocks of Calandra Larks and a pale phase Booted Eagle in the North and the 1w Little Gull at Oroklini Marsh.
Look Forward: A weekend in the Paphos area at the weekend should produce a few interesting year birds.
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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