13 April
After a day when birds were a bit thin on the ground we decided to return to a village, up in the mountains, where we have ringed before. Vretsia was a Turkish village that was deserted during the troubles of 1976. The fields are still tended by local people from nearby villages. Vines are cultivated and, of course the olive trees, being very long lived, still persist. The village is just a couple of kilometres from the vulture rehabilitation and release cages. Rather ironic since many of these birds have been injured by shooting, and Vretsia like so many places in Cyprus is littered with shotgun cartridges. Hunting is permited between November and February on Wednesdays and Sundays. On these days the hunters blast away at just about anything that moves. they are not very skilled and around one in three shots hits a target. But, this is April and the only sounds in the valleys are rustling leaves, bongling goat bells and birdsong - with the sound of the odd vehicle.
We only managed 5 birds but we had some very interesting species.
Masked Shrike
Cretzchmar's Bunting
Corn Bunting
Totals: 5
Sardinian Warbler - 1
Masked Shrike - 1
Collared Flycatcher - 1
Cretzchmar's Bunting - 1
Corn Bunting - 1
The sortie up into the mountains brought Jay, Serin and Chaffinch for the list.
14 April
The day started at Anarita park where a quiet corner of the park, usually overlooked by birders, where we have ringed before, was just about do-able in a stiff breeze. Our efforts only lastest an hour or so but we managed to catch a couple of Spectacled Warbers, a young House Sparrow and another Sardinian Warbler - these birds are doing extremely well to the detriment of the endemic Cyprus Warblers.
A pair of Spectacles!
After a day of birding, when we had no new species, we returned to the Xeros Potamos lower pools area ( perhaps this should be renamed as the sheep farm since that is consistently there) and caught another 15 birds. We got a few more Whinchats, TreePipits, a Nightingale and our first Whitethroats.
Whinchat
Totals: 19
Tree Pipit - 2
Cetti's Warbler - 2
Sardinian Warbler - 2
Spectacled Warbler - 2
Blackcap - 2
Whitethroat - 4
Nightingale - 1
House Sparrow - 1
Whinchat - 3
15 April
We started the day with a walk around the headland at Paphos. A Nightjar was in, and being harrassed by Hooded Crows. We saw a couple of Nightingales,more flycatchers, Woodchats, wheatears and a Stone Curlew.
Nightjar lying low at Paphos Headland
The Headland
The Lesser Kestrels were still at Anarita where Whinchats, Ortolan Buntings, Woodchat, Spectacled Warbler and Montague's Harriers were also seen.
Lesser Kestrel
Spectacled Warbler carrying nesting material
Male Montagu's Harrier
After some low capture numbers we decided to limit ringing to the Xeros Potamos valley near the sheep farm to the evening. 11 birds wasn't too shabby for 90 minutes on site. We got our first Subalpine Warbler ( something that MBR, who unfortunately left the day before, was very keen to see in the hand) and a Black-eared Wheatear.
Subalpine Warbler male
Black-eared Wheatear female
Total:8 (3)
Black-eared Wheatear - 1
Cetti's Warbler - 0 (2)
Great Reed Warbler - 1
Sardinian Warbler - 2 (1)
Eastern Subalpine Warbler - 1
Blackcap - 1
Whitethroat - 1
Whinchat - 1
16 April
Ringing efforts were split betwen Vretsia in the morning and Xeros Potamos lower pools in the evening. Vretsia was slow going again with just 6 birds processed. After packing up Chris did find an excellent area that seemed to attract a lot of birds, including the only Golden Oriole seen on the trip - an opportinty for another time perhaps but not until another year.
Olive groves at Vretsia
Masked Shrike female
While in the Vretsia area a single Crag Martin passed overhead. Masked Shrikes were very common and a European Cuckoo was present.
Masked Shrike
The Xeros Potamos was still producing Whinchat as these birds continued to go through in good numbers, but the bird of real note was a most obliging Thrush Nightingale that leapt into the net and posed no difficulty at all as to its identity. It even called loudly allowing us to compare this to the usual vocalisation expected from Nightingale.
Thrush Nightingale
Wingpoint P3, P2= almost P4
A Willow Warbler was a new species, for the list, seen during the ringing session.
Totals: 15 (2)
Masked Shrike - 1
Cetti's Warbler - 1
Thrush Nightingale - 1
Sardinian Warbler - 0 (1)
Blackcap - 1
Whitethroat - 0 (1)
Great Tit - 1
Whinchat - 6
Goldfinch - 2
Spanish Sparrow - 1
Cretzchmar's Bunting - 1
17 April
One last try at Kouklia although we knew by now that the lack of water was seriously affecting the number of birds stopping in. Hopefully many were just able to continue inland before breaking their journeys. We got another Ruppell's Warbler but were most pleased to get our first control in Cyprus. The Eastern Olivaceous Warbler carried a ring issued by Tel Aviv University, Isreal.
Eastern Olivaceous Warbler X101871 controlled in Cyprus with Isreali ring
Female Ruppell's Warbler
Totals:11 (1)
Tree Pipit - 2
Reed Warbler - 1
Eastern Olivaceous Warbler - 2 (1)
Ruppell's Warbler - 1
Blackcap - 4
Birding at Kouklia and Anarita failed to find an Icterine Warbler (two had been reported on the previous date) although Montagu's Harriers, Ruppell's Warbler, Wryneck, Redstart and Lesser Whitethroat were among the birds seen.
18 April
We didn't ring in the morning of this date so arrived early at Phassouri Reedbed to find groups of Glossy Ibis, Little Egret, Cattle Egret and Squacco Heron in the pools with Ruff and Wood Sandpipers. No Spur-winged Plovers were at the site this year unlike previous years. A Redstart, some Whinchat and Wheatears were in the drier areas while a Marsh Harrier was seen overhead.
Phassouri Reedbed
Akrotiri Salt Lake had Flamingoes, Black-winged Stilt, Slender-billed Gull, Kentish Plover, Little Stint, Shelduck and a Curlew. Zakaki has a Temminck's Stint, White Wagtail, 2 Spotted Crakes and a Snipe with other species previously seen there.
Akrotiri Salt Lake
The gravel pits were disappointing. We found a group of 16 Little Egrets by a pool and other birds present were Nightingale, Whinchats, Buzzard, Lesser Whitethrot, Wheatear, Black-eared Wheatear with Common and Green Sandpiper.
Akrotiri Gravel Pits
Bishop's Pool gave us Ferrugenus Duck, Kingfisher and Teal. Also Wood Warbler, Spotted Fly,Whinchat (16) Redstart, Chiffchaff and c20 Turtle Dove amongst others.
Bishop's Pool
After our day over at Akrotiri, we finished off with a last spell with 3 nets up at the Xeros Potamos. We only got 6 more birds, not enough to bring our grand total to 200, which had not seemed that ambitious at the start of our trip. So we finished with a total of 197 birds. During that time a couple of Bee-eaters flew down the valley and back. Short-toed Larks (4) were seen in an adjacent field.
Great Reed Warbler
Totals:6
Great Reed Warbler - 1
Blackcap - 1
Whinchat - 4
Jets overhead at the Desalination plant and riverbed made us feel very at home. Just like being at Stanwell Moor - our site adjacent to Heathrow.
19 April
Due to Cyprus Airways sellings the slot, back into Heathrow, for which we'd been booked for more than 11 months, it was time to travel to Larnaca (as we effectively lost a whole day thanks to the new arrangement). The plan was to bird sites along the route, to stay in a cheap hotel over night, then get the 9.30am flight to Amsterdam, then wait two hours for our flight to Heathrow.
We stopped off at Zakaki Marsh where there was nothing new, but it was nice to get another look at the Spotted Crake.
Moving on, we were shocked at how much Kiti had been built up. We found our way to the dam, more by luck than judgement, finding a flock of Bee-eaters with many settled on the groud in the pouring rain.
Bee-eaters
We had the place to ourselves and found several Spotted Flycatchers in the trees around the parking area. While scouring the vegetated area within the reservoir basin we found that the rain had forced quite a few birds down. There were more Spotted Flycatchers, and Redstarts, Pied Flycatchers, Eastern Olivaceous Warbler, Willow Warbler, Ortolan Bunting, Whinchats and a probable Icterine Warbler. Also Woodchat Shrike, Great Spotted, Eurasean Cuckoo and a flock of c50 Turtle Doves. Also in the wider general vicinity were Montagu's and Pallid Harrier.
Female Montagu's Harrier
Larnaca Sewage works had a Little Tern, 4 Spotted Redshank, 4 Black-headed Gull and 5 Spur-winged Plover with 2 Garganey and a Shelduck as well as 12 Squacco Heron, 12 Ruff and a Little Egret. We had a very distant view of 3 Collared Pratincole overhead.
Oroklini Lake, another body of water that has had a clean up and addition of fencing and a viewing hide.
The lake held Greater Flamingoes, Red-crested Pochard, Glossy Ibis, Black-winged Stilt, Cttle Egret, Ruff, Teal, GarganySquaco Heron, Spur-winged Plover and Little Tern.
Larnaca Salt Lake brought no new species but was still very beautiful at dusk and a fitting end to our birding stay in Cyprus.
