Hi just got back from a week in Cyprus, made up for missing the Majorca trip due to some volcanic ash.
link to my blog with some pictures of Cyprus birds
http://birdmanbirds.blogspot.com/2010_05_01_archive.html16 new ticks for me
Russell
Bird Report below
Cyprus May 19th -26th 2010
Basically a family holiday that turned into a bird watching holiday for me as my planned holiday to Majorca was cancelled in April due to the Iceland Volcano erupting.
Arrived at Pathos airport Wednesday 19th Mid afternoon and first birds seen were several Hooded Crows that later turned out to be one of the commonest birds seen during the week.
After picking up the hire car we travelled to our hotel just outside Pathos and settled into the room. After a bite to eat we had a brief stroll along the beach to a bit of wasteland next to the hotel. Birds seen were Kestrel, Zitting Cisticola, Sardinian Warbler, Yellow-legged Gull and Crested Lark. As I did not bring my scope and camera on the walk I was disappointed at missing some photo opportunities, needless to say I carried them everywhere after that. The walk back to the hotel saw House Sparrows and a Spanish Sparrow in the Hotel car park which never stopped calling all week. Later from the Hotel room we saw several Goldfinch and Greenfinch.
Thursday morning saw me up at 6:00am and walking to the wasteland near the hotel to try and get some shots of the birds seen the evening before. While snapping away at a Sardinian Warbler I was approached by a fellow Brit who introduced himself as Vince Garvey. Vince was on Holiday with his wife and had decided to get up early himself to check out the wasteland. After a brief chat we decide that there wasn’t much to see there so decided it would be a good idea to jump in the car and visit the Asprokremnos Dam which we had heard a lot about, and besides we would be back by the time anyone missed us.
We were soon there and the first birds seen was a Hoopoe and a pair of Rollers followed quickly by a Little Bittern in the pool at the base of the dam wall. Cettis Warbler was heard from the reeds and Moorhen was the only other bird present on the pool. As we had to get back we left after 20 minutes to return to the Hotel. I exchanged phone details with Vince and agreed to meet up for some more birding if wife’s permitted. My wife had only just woken on my return so I didn’t get into trouble. After a big breakfast the family decided they wanted to spend some time by the pool so I took the opportunity to explore the area by car.
On route from the hotel to revisit the Asprokremnos Dam I crossed the water channel that runs from the dam to a pumping station in the town. I looked up at the wires crossing the water to see a Pied Kingfisher. After an emergency stop I got out only to see it fly off along the course of the channel which at this point you can not access so I had to be pleased with a tick even though I would have loved a photo. On to the dam and the Little Bittern was still showing reasonably well sat very close to a large snake. Other birds seen at the dam were Chukar, Kestrel, Turtle Dove and my first Alpine Swift. The Rollers were still flying around the dam wall and appeared to have a nest hole in the rock face, there were constantly being mobbed by Jackdaws.
At one point I saw one of the Jackdaws enter the Rollers nest hole and emerge with an egg in it’s beak which it proceeded to drop over the edge of the rock face. There was a small flock of Feral Pigeons also on the rock face.
I decided to return to the Hotel for some food and missed my turning down by the water channel. The wrong turning took me to another part of the channel which allowed you to drive along parallel to the channel, I decided to check it out. Along the track I saw Linnet, House Sparrows and a Pied Wagtail which looked like a different race to our familiar English ones.
The concrete lined channel reminded me of some of the reservoir walls we have back home and looked right for passing waders. It was not long before I saw several Wood Sandpipers and some Ruff along the Channel and a couple of young Crested Larks. Also I saw my first of only three Spotted Flycatchers of the week and some Sand Martins. This was a place I had to return to later in the week.
I caught up with Vince by text and he was keen to see the Pied Kingfisher so we arranged to return the next day in his hire car. I later got a text from Vince to say his wife had tripped in the hotel and was being taken to hospital with a fractured arm. She had to spend the next few days confined to the hospital and that it looked like our planned birding trips were over. What a very understanding wife Vince must have as while she laid there in pain in the Hospital she didn’t want to spoil Vince’s holiday and still allowed him to come out birding with me.
Friday morning arrived and Vince picked me up and off to look for the Pied kingfisher without success but we did see several Alpine Swifts, Swallows and House Martins flying around a grass field. On to the dam again and no new birds seen. On the way back we followed the water channel and out of the corner of his eye, Vince spotted the Pied kingfisher flying along the channel and behind us, a quick 3 point turn and we were soon following it along the channel until it stopped on some wires ahead. We got out and managed some record shots, the light was directly ahead but at least I had some pictures of this amazing bird. Pleased with having seen it we returned back to the hotel so Vince could visit his wife in Hospital.
Later that day I took the family on a drive up to the Troudos Mountains hoping to see a few new birds. The journey was sprinkled with Cyprus Pied Wheatears and I kept stopping the car to obtain some pictures. On one of the stops I was photographing a Cyprus Pied Wheatear when a small bird landed on the wire next to it, I quickly realised it was a Cretzschmar's Bunting and started to get some shots only to be stopped by my wife yelling at me to get back in the car as the kids and her were getting bored stopping every five minutes for me to take pictures. As I had some shots in the bag, I obliged and she drove the rest of the journey to make sure I could not stop anymore. At the very touristy Troudos Mountains we decided to take a nature trail away from the tourists and explore the wooded hillsides. One of the first birds along the trail was an Eastern Olivaceous Warbler a new tick for me. With kids in tow it was always going to be a noisy affair so I tried to keep ahead of them as best I could to avoid scarring any birds that may be there. I saw a fleeting glimpse of what I later found out to be a Masked Shrike. Also seen along the trail were Short-toed Treecreepers, Cyrus race Jays, Cyprus race Coal Tits and lots of Common Swifts and Swallows over head. As we returned to the car I found another Masked Shrike which confirmed my previous glimpse and then another near to the car which gave excellent close views.
I had previously arranged with Vince to meet him for a few hours Saturday morning back at the dam but when Saturday arrived Vince told me he would dearly love to see a Masked Shrike so we steamed off back up the Troudos Mountains. Having relayed my tale about the wife yelling at me I pointed out to Vince where I had seen the Cretzschmar’s Bunting, we decided to stop in the same spot hoping to see it again without having the wife screaming at me to get back in the car. What a good thing it was we stopped, as this place turned out to be a little goldmine for birds and we never continued to the Troudos Mountains as planned. We quickly located the Cretzschmar’s Bunting and this time a pair of them was seen with the female carrying food to her nest. A Masked Shrike was then seen by Vince followed by another presumed younger bird as it didn’t seem as well marked. My first Red-rumped Swallow then obliged by sitting on the wires just in front of us. Other birds seen here were Cyprus Pied Wheatear, Corn Bunting, Sardinian Warbler at a nest, Cetti’s Warbler and Cuckoo heard. We didn’t need to go any further up the Mountains as Vince had seen his target birds, so we returned back to the Hotel for Vince to visit his wife again in hospital.
We had arranged for Sunday to be a full day’s birding around the Salt Lake near Akrotiri air base. So Vince and I set off with great expectations for the day. First stop was the Phasouri Reed Beds which were very dry and the only bird of note seen was a female Black Francolin. It flew past our heads calling out some strange new call. Disappointed we drove a bit further to view the salt lake where we had very distant views of Greater Flamingo in the heat haze. Again all the area was very dry and no egrets etc. could be seen. We drove onto the next point of call at the Akrotiri Reed Beds where we saw an Eleanora’s Falcon and a Honey Buzzard. Still very dry everywhere and only a few common birds seen. On to Bishop’s Pool that by all accounts would be a haven for wildlife even when everywhere else was dry. Not so it turned out, again very disappointing with just a few Little Egrets some young Swallows, Little grebes and a single Wood Sandpiper.
Not to be put off we headed for a very windy Ladies Mile Beach area and pools which again were very dry and we only found one pool with any water in it. It did have two Little Stint and two Kentish Plovers though. On to Zakiki Pools and at last some water and a few birds of note. Two Blue-headed Wagtails a single Black-headed Wagtail and several Ferruginous Ducks
All showed well with a supporting cast of Little Grebes and Mallard.
On the way home we decided to check out and old abandoned village in the Diarizos Valley, we hadn’t reckoned on the road being quite so bad and were very thankful that the car was hired and not our own as the underside was probably quite shiny after three kilometres of boulders bouncing off the floor pans, we made amends by washing the car in the ford we had to cross. It was either crossing the ford which was quite hairy or returning the three kilometres back the way we had come and I don’t think the car would have made it. Anyway we made it and decided to walk the river downstream and give the car a breather. Lots of Cyprus Warblers, Sardinian Warblers, Zitting Cisticolas, Chukars etc. but nothing new seen.
That was our day’s birding in the Akrotiri area a bit disappointing but at times a challenge.
Sunday evening I took the family up to Mavrokolympos Dam just north of Pathos for an evening stroll. Birds seen were two Squacco Herons, Little Grebes and Cyprus pied Wheatears.
On the way back to the hotel I screamed at the wife to stop the car as I had just seen several Bee-eaters feeding from some wires at the side of the busy main road. I quickly jumped out scope in hand and left the wife to find somewhere safe to park the car. The light was fading but I managed a few shots before they all flew off.
Monday saw me back at the Water Channel and dam and two Bee-eaters were seen along with the resident Little Bittern, Rollers, Chukars etc. New birds at the dam were Little Owl, Reed Warbler and a passing Purple Heron overhead. Another evening visit to the dam saw Black Tern, Ruff, Squacco Heron, Little Stint, Snipe, Wood Sandpiper and the same or another Pied Kingfisher. I took the chance to photograph an obliging Crested Lark before heading back in the direction the Pied Kingfisher flew. I was surprised to find it perched up on the reservoir water intake gantry so I proceeded to take some pictures. I thought it would be possible to get a bit closer if I followed the side of the reservoir and photographed it from the cover of some nearby trees. In doing so I flushed a Golden Oriole from the trees which was a bonus. After the Pied Kingfisher departed I went looking for the Golden Oriole who was not very obliging but I did manage to see three more in flight.
Tuesday saw the family again in tow heading up to the Polis area on the Akamas Peninsula, I dropped the wife and kids of on the beach for an hour before trekking off along the coastal path near to the Baths of Aphrodites. Possibly up to twenty four Bee-eaters flew overhead and there were several Cyprus Pied Wheatears, Sardinian Warblers and some Rock Doves to be seen. Then after picking up the family it was on to Smiyies to check out the area. A bit disappointing as the only new bird seen was a nice male Common Redstart but I did also see another Roller on some wires which was nice. I think we were just too late in the season to see some of my target birds like Black-headed Bunting, Great Spotted Cuckoo and any Pied/Collared Flycatchers as we didn’t see any. On the way back to the hotel we saw a few more Bee-eaters perched on wires. An eveing visit to the dam with Vince finally saw me get a picture of the Golden Oriole and a close encounter with a Spotted Flycatcher.
Wednesday was my last day on Cyprus and having packed my tripod away ready for the flight I thought I would make one last journey to the dam to say goodbye to the Little bittern etc. I parked up near to where I had seen the Golden Orioles but my first bird seen was a Red-backed Shrike. I wanted to get some pictures but realised I didn’t have my tripod legs with me, I did have my scope and camera as they were travelling in my hand luggage so I attempted to digiscope the Shrike while holding the scope in one hand and the camera in the other. I soon had the technique down to an art and was able to get within twelve feet of the Shrike as it carried on catching and dissecting grasshoppers in front of me. I now know why they invented tripods as after half an hour of me holding the scope my arm felt like it was about to fall off.
I hope you enjoyed my trip report, Cyprus is a wonderful Island but the birding books need updating as a lot has changed since they were written. If I went again I would go back late April or very early May as that is the time a lot of stuff passes through. A special thanks to Vince Garvey for his company during my holiday and for him pointing out birds I would have missed while driving and I do hope his wife is better soon. Also a big thanks for my understanding wife and kids, I think they enjoyed the birds too even if they won’t admit it.
Russell Hayes
Bird List 70 species 16 life ticks
Alpine Swift
Barn Swallow
Black Francolin
Black Tern
Black-billed Magpie
Black-headed Wagtail
Blue-headed Wagtail
Cetti's Warbler
Chukar
Coal Tit
Common Coot
Common Cuckoo
Common Kestrel
Common Linnet
Common Moorhen
Common Redstart
Common Sandpiper
Common Snipe
Common Swift
Common Wood Pigeon
Corn Bunting
Crested Lark
Cretzschmar's Bunting
Cyprus Warbler
Cyprus Wheatear
Eastern Olivaceous Warbler
Eleonora's Falcon
Eurasian Collared Dove
Eurasian Crag Martin
Eurasian Golden Oriole
Eurasian Jackdaw
Eurasian Jay
Eurasian Reed Warbler
European Bee-eater
European Goldfinch
European Greenfinch
European Roller
European Turtle Dove
Ferruginous Duck
Great Tit
Greater Flamingo
Honey Buzzard
Hooded Crow
Hoopoe
House Martin
House Sparrow
Kentish Plover
Little Bittern
Little Egret
Little Grebe
Little Owl
Little Stint
Mallard
Masked Shrike
Pied Kingfisher
Pied Wagtail
Purple Heron
Red-backed Shrike
Red-rumped Swallow
Rock Dove
Ruff
Sand Martin
Sardinian Warbler
Short-toed Treecreeper
Spanish Sparrow
Spotted Flycatcher
Squacco Heron
Wood Sandpiper
Yellow-legged Gull
Zitting Cisticola
Pictures on my blog at
http://www.birdmanbirds.blogspot.com/
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