Army Ornithological SocietyCyprus Weekly
Birding Highlights for the Week Ending 9 Mar 14
Goosander at Fresh Water Lake South 9 Mar
Before I departed for the UK, I checked the assignments signal and guess what? I’ve been extended for a year in post – I know , but someone has to do it!
As you know I’ve been in the UK on compassionate leave, but all is stable and I even had time to write the BLOG despite thinking I wouldn’t be able to. In between bouts of “TAXIing” etc I managed to get out in the UK on most days. So a bit of a busman’s holiday this week but seeing common British birds that don’t occur in Cyprus was a real joy from a Cyprus birder’s perspective. When I’m in the UK I do a lot of birding in the North East so I’m no stranger to the sites. In the morning, in the garden I got a nice image of a singing Dunnock*.
My first day out was Sunday and the highlight were 7 Purple Sandpipers on the rocks at Seaton Sluice, although lots of Oystercatchers* (a scarcity in Cyprus) was also good to see. I photographed some Eiders* at Amble – well who wouldn’t whilst eating fish and chips. I also “twitched” the long staying Siberian Lesser Whitethroat* at 9 Tynemouth Place, Tynemouth and after confirming the features – brown extending up the nape, indistinct face mask, long tail etc, managed a distant record shot.
On Tuesday, more of the same but I managed to photograph some Purple Sandpipers* at St Mary’s Island, Whitley Bay along with Sanderlings and Redshanks. The Fulmars gliding over the cliffs, now on nest sites was a bird I’d forgotten about (20 months is a long time in birding) and the fields were full of Curlews. Rock Pipits were good to see again, noting the differences between the very common Water Pipits that occur on Cyprus. At North Shields Fish Key, no good gulls but I photographed a Carrion Crow*. Tuesday had arrived and I gave East Chevington another whirl. What a result, with a Red-necked Grebe, 2 Slav Grebes, 3 Long-tailed Ducks and a Black-throated Diver* all being present. Photographing Tree Sparrows* at Hauxley Nature Reserve was very pleasing and seeing Blue Tits was unusually exciting!
On Wednesday, I travelled to Cleveland and Saltholme RSPB. No sign of the roosting Long-eared Owls or the Green-winged Teal but I added some other wildfowl to the list and a flock of 40 or so Twite was unexpected. The highlight here for the locals was a Little Egret judging by the amount of shutters clicking. A little further on, at Cowpen Bewley Woodland Park – (Ah Cowpen Bewley reminds me of a manic “twitch” with Tim Cowley some years ago – Glaucaus-winged Gull), common woodland birds but striking male Yellowhammers are always good to see. I returned via Rainton Meadows, Durham Wildlife Trust to find numerous Bullfinches* around the feeders. The male was nearly picture of the week as a tribute to fantastic UK common birds but was surpassed at the last minute. A couple of Great Spotted Woodpeckers were seen here – no Woodies on Cyprus unfortunately. 3 Redwings were unexpected and a male Sparrowhawk over the reserve was predictable. Later at Big Waters Nature Reserve, I saw 3 Goosanders (a male and 2 females) and a singing Song Thrush – they wouldn’t dare do that in Cyprus, they wouldn’t last 2 minutes before being blown apart by a shotgun.
On Thursday, I returned to the East Chevington and Widdrington area. I met a local birder here that I’ve known for sometime and provided me with some useful Int. Anyway at Widdrington Moor Lake, a female Marsh Harrier and 3 Buzzards were hanging around and 7 Whooper Swans with another 13 flying in the distance was a good moment. Along the tree line c2000 Pink Feet noisily flew by and in the fields by the pool a pair of Stock Doves, another pleasing bird to see and missing from my Cyprus list. Following the Int I’d received I went to East Chevington and made my way to the beach and “Burn” mouth. On the beach amongst the seaweed were 5 Snow Buntings* with 4 of them being ringed. 5 Ringed Plovers also displayed and Sanderlings ran along the tideline. I moved along the coast to the Cresswell area and on the rocks, 2 Bar-tailed Godwits* were amongst the Oystercatchers and a single Grey Plover was a bonus bird. At Beacon Hill, a flock of 80 or so Fieldfares and in the trees a Treecreeper and 2 Nuthatch (none of them on Cyprus either)
I departed Newcastle at 1000 on Friday, stopping in Bedfordshire to have lunch with Jim Porter which was very enjoyable and a welcome break. Jim being unable to lay on a rarity or addition to my UK year list, I moved on down the A421 through Milton Keynes on route to Brize Norton. In Ampthill, Beds, Debs spotted a pair of Red-legged Partridge incrementing the week list close to 100. At Bicester, a Red Kite passed over the A4421 which was my last UK bird with the list for 6 days ending on 97 – not a bad effort despite everything.
On Sunday morning it was an early start trying to catch up with some of the early migrants that I’d missed. It was fairly productive with the first bird I saw being a Hoopoe. Cyprus Warblers, Sardinians and Spectacleds were all in good voice as was a male Blue Rock Thrush at Konnos Bay. The winter visitors are still hanging on with Stonechats, Song Thrushes Black Redstarts and Robins all being present. 2 Red-rumped Swallows came in off the sea with a House Martin and 2 Sandwich Terns flew east. I moved onto the Rubbish Tip and Sea Caves area with a feeling of anticipation. On the open rocky area, a Cyprus Pied Wheatear, 2 Isabelline, 3 Northern and a female Finsch’s were present. A couple more Hoopoes and 5 Tawny Pipits aided the recovery of missed species. However, last week included Black-eared and Desert Wheatears, none were present and the Desert can be difficult if the initial influx is missed – we shall see. At Ayia Napa Sewage Works 2 Common Sandpipers and c40 Little Grebes were on the lagoons. As I moved up the slope, Chiffchaffs were singing and at the top a Northern and Isabelline Wheatear were in attendance. As I walked the area a cracking male Eastern Subalpine Warbler revealed itself, typically briefly before disappearing once more into the scrub. The Caspian Butterfly Orchid* is now in flower and Serapia levantinas are now out in good numbers although the Yellow-bee Orchids are all but over. I walked to the eucalyptus stand and saw a male Cyprus Warbler and a Chiffchaff. I then heard a call that I recognised and fly-catching were a pair of Eastern Bonelli’s Warblers complete with bright yellow rumps, yellow panels in the wings and plain grey head – result.
Later at Paralimini Lake, a pair to Black-headed Yellow Wagtails (felldegg), 3 Green Sandpiers and a Greenshank along with 2 Little-ringed Plovers and 6 Kentish Plovers. Badly in need of a haircut and shave, I went to the north and the barbers. Stopping at Gulserin Pond first, 9 Little Stints and 28 Dunlin were present and at Clapsides Beach, 2 adult Armenian Gulls “hung in there” after the winter stopover. After some “man love” at the barbers I went to the Fresh Water Lake South where 2 Great White Egrets were present along with the usual Cattle and Little Egrets. A female Sparrowhawk passed overhead and I noticed a white bird on the water to my right through the gloomy rain. As I watched, I thought this is familiar to earlier in the week. I waited as the bird slept. It awoke and sure enough, it was a drake Goosander*, a very rare bird in Cyprus, only the 7th record and a great find on my first day back in the saddle - it was 1610. I reached around for my camera – no camera! I drove like a maniac to get to Deb at the shop that I’d dropped her at. 2IC twitching recovered; we headed home, across the border, collected the camera, back across the border, arriving at the site at about 1630ish. The bird was still present, although much more active. I managed some record distant shots through the gloom to attach to the rarity report thus easing acceptance of the record. After about 10 minutes of frenetic activity, with a stretch of the neck, a flap of the wings the 7th record for Cyprus was off over the trees heading in a northerly direction. Twitching my own find was a first. Note to self in a Top Gun type way – never ever leave you camera.
Highlights of the Week: Great to see some common birds in the UK that don’t occur in Cyprus, but finding the 7th record of Goosander for Cyprus on my first day out since returning was a real bonus
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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