Cyprus 12 - 28 January 2016 part 3

Friday 22nd and a 5.30am start in order to make the agreed start time for our ringing session with AC and Graham, at Polis. The injury to my knee meant that venturing into the river was unwise and I was limited to remaining at the base while others took care of setting up equipment and net rounds. Only 19 birds were processed, one being a retrapped Moustached Warbler and the only one of the whole visit.

 Moustached Warbler 45401

In the afternoon we reccied Evretou Dam where we found it to be much less promising than when we caught Water and Meadow Pipits in November 2014. We than went to a site for Bonelli’s Eagle but none were found.

Saturday was another unsettled day with the possibility of showers. We spent the morning at Agia Varvara where the modest catch included a wintering Cyprus Warbler.

6F Cyprus Warbler

A midday check around Mandria turned up circa 60 Skylark, around 30 Meadow Pipit, a Red-throated Pipit and a Black Redstart, in addition to the usual Stonechats. Later we tried for Corn Bunting at Xeros Potamos, drawing a blank but making a few captures of birds using a pool hidden within the reeds.

The following Sunday was windier than expected so we spent the time looking for alternative ringing sites. There were a few finch flocks in the Aphrodite Hills and a net, erected briefly was soon affected by the wind after a slight change in direction and only a couple of birds, of other species, were captured. We then found our way to a spot where circa 65 Crag Martin were among the birds seen.

 Crag Martins resting between feeding sorties.

A run along the road around Asprokremnos to Finikas brought us to the abandoned village with its resident Finsche's Wheatear.

Finsche's Wheatear

On Monday, the very cold temperature materialised and there were even touches of frost at Agia Varvara. We found that birds were very slow to get moving and we took down at 10am having failed to reach double figures.

Returning to the track by Paphos Sewage Works brought us a new species, Meadow Pipit, for the trip and over thirty birds.

 Meadow Pipit

 We also had a visit from a couple of officers from the airport Police – but thankfully our story checked out and all was well. We staked out the roost from the Western bank. The large numbers of Linnets do not seem to be catchable, as the actual roost is in citrus trees in a private holding a short distance from the overhead wires where they congregate. Fewer Corn Buntings were present and settled into the reeds from above.

Tuesday was our last day spent in the Paphos  area. We started off at Acheleia, catching very few birds and packed up as showers could be seen approaching across the sea. A run up to Anarita Park provided nothing new for the trip, but we did manage to see both male Finsche’s Wheatear. After lunch we set six nets (two being double panels) along the rough track to the Desalination Plant where another 28 birds were caught. The total included an adult male Bluethroat. We finished up as a pick-up arrived with a few dogs to be exercised. All but one net were already down and despite a Beagle getting itself into the final net there was just one small hole. We didn’t try again for the Corn Bunting roost – maybe another time and on a calm day  as the number of birds present was definitely up on the previous, windier evening. We will reassess the position in March when we visit next.

Wednesday and it’s time to leave Elpiniki where w have been based throughout the visit. We were packed and on the road by 8am and heading towards Limassol. A last minute change of heart and we diverted off the motorway for one last try by the reedbed where the White-breasted Kingfisher has been reported. Amazingly, we had a brief glimpse as the car flushed it from a tree in the basketmaker’s house. We also saw Penduline Tit before moving on to Zakaki Marsh where Dave and Eileen were already in the hide. We had just missed the Pied Kingfisher. We stayed for a while with nothing much to show for the time, but did get a Slender-billed Gull and an Avocet amongst the gulls at the end of Lady’s mile. There were also Little Stint, Redshank and Dunlin further along. We drove along the port perimeter road and found a very obliging Laughing Dove at the port entrance. Next we stopped of at Meneou Pool where there were quite a lot of Flamingo, then called in at the bird hide by Larnaca SewageWorks where we had a run in with some Police who said we may not use cameras, binoculars or telescopes because the whole area was ‘high security’. We chose not to leave quietly, knowing that a field trip had been there a few days before when there was no problem. We provided verbal resistance, followed by photo identification and our Birdlife membership cards, although the officers declined to provide their names and numbers. Chris called the Birdlife office, but the officers didn’t want to speak to them, instead leaving (with their machine gun) and prowling the beach road until we left – after seeing the White-fronted Geese and Black-necked Grebes amongst others. We felt it prudent not to look at the fields adjacent to the airport, rather  to continue on to Oroklini for views of more Flamingo, Teal, Shoveller, Pintail, Red-crested Pochard, three White-headed Duck, Cattle Egret, a Little Egret and Marsh Harriers.

The last day arrived and we spent some more time at Oroklini, checking some extra spots this time and seeing more of the same with increased numbers of Spur-winged plover and Black-winged Stilt and a rather poorly camouflaged Snipe. The salt lake at Larnaca held vast numbers of Greater Flamingoes with many juveniles in sharp black and white contrast to the salmon pink adults. There were also other rather smaller waders.

The ringing resulted in just under 300 birds being recorded with RA and LA gaining some really useful experience of new species Sardinian Warbler, Bluethroat, Black Redstart, White Wagtail, Spanish Sparrow, Cyprus Warbler and Moustached Warbler and much more experience of Cetti’s Warbler.

22 January

Chrysochou (P2)
Cetti's Warbler - 2 (1)
Moustached Warbler - 0 (1)
Sardinian Warbler - 0 (3)
Blackcap - 4 (4)
Chiffchaff - 3 (1)

23 January 

Agia Varvara – 19 (2)

Robin –2

Cetti’s Warbler –  1 (1)
Cyprus Warbler - 1
Sardinian Warbler –7 (1)
Blackcap –6
Chiffchaff –2

Xeros Potamos – 7

Robin – 1
Cetti's Warbler - 2
Blackcap – 2
Chiffchaff –1
Chaffinch - 1

24 January

Aphodite Hills – 2

Robin – 1
Chiffchaff - 1

25 January

Agia Varvara –7
Robin - 2

Cetti’s Warbler –1
Sardinian Warbler – 1
Blackcap – 1
Chiffchaff –2

Paphos Sewage Works –33 (2)
MeadowPipit - 2

Robin – 2 (1)
Bluethroat - 0 (1)
Black Redstart –2
Stonechat - 1
Sardinian Warbler - 4
Blackcap  -5
Chiffchaff –3
Great Tit –3
Chaffinch - 5
Goldfinch -3
Serin - 2
Spanish Sparrow - 1

 

26  January

Acheleia Reed bed/pools - 12 (2)
Robin - 1
Sardinian Warbler - 0 (1)
Blackcap - 1
Chiffchaff - 8 (1)
Great Tit - 1
Spanish Sparrow - 1

Xeros Potamos Lower Pools– 28
Meadow Pipit - 1

Robin –1
Bluethroat - 1
Sardinian Warbler - 4
Blackcap  - 9
Chiffchaff - 8
Chaffinch - 4