Cyprus day 6 - Upcountry

Was a little surprised to have rain falling for an early walk around the villa patch but it didn't last very long. The first part of the walk seemed to be quiet with fewer migrants than recent days. Just past the taverna we flushed a cuckoo from the coast path and then there appeared to be a movement of hirundines with barn and red rumped swallows, house and sand martin and a few swifts. The highlight was a female pallid harrier over the fields but sadly it didn't hang about.
19 glossy ibis flying west offshore just as we got back.

Today's plan was to visit the Troodos mountains in search of the Cypriot races of jay and coal tit.
On arrival at the visitor centre carpark we were greeted by a female masked shrike and ticked off the Jay straight away. Although we knew it would be cooler at the higher altitude, going from 20 to 8 degrees was a bit of a shock. Fleece and gloves required.

A walk up the path into the forest quickly added the coal tit to the list. A particularly smart looking bird with its extensive black throat extends down onto the upper breast. The white head stripe seemed much reduced too.

Good views were had of short toed treecreeper, Cyprus wheatear and  a male masked shrike. We also added wren, chaffinch and blackbird to the trip list.  An unexpected surprise was a feeding family of crossbill.
Lunch stop didn't produce any birds but we did find some nice orchids. The power of social media identified them as giant orchid.

What I thought was going to be a random stop in the vineyards at a lower level on the way back turned into a bit of a surprise when I recognised the route. It turned out that I had visited the same place when out here with work a couple of years ago. We didn't get black headed bunting this time.

Final addition to the list was a group of beeeaters heading east over the villa late in the afternoon.

Trip list now on 92

Cyprus day 5 - Paphos and inland

Starting to venture a bit further afield with a first proper visit to Paphos Headland.  This time is wasn't quite a rammed as the other day!

The first thing that strikes you as soon as you get inside the complex is the impressive show of wildflowers. The place is completely awash with yellow, red and pink making it a rather pleasant place to spend a few hours.

Although largely quiet for birds there was a nice selection. An eastern olivacuous warbler showed well just inside the main gates followed by the first of 7 hoopoe we saw.
The bushes held 6 nightingale, 3 collared fly,  2 wood warbler, sedge warbler and a nice female masked shrike. 5 ortolan and black eared wheatear were the best of the rest.
A quick look around the ruins before escaping the growing crowds.

The area inland of Mandria and Asprokremmos Dam was largely disappointing. We did get at least 6 lesser kestrel and a nice little owl in the Anarita Park area but little else. Nata Ford added little ringed plover to the trip list and nice views of red rumped swallows collecting nest material from the river bed.

The scrubby picnic area near the dam held a few migrants. Several female 'black & white' flycatchers were difficult to pin down but a male collared was much easier. Good numbers of blackcap were present along with a male golden oriole and our first bonellis warblers. Even bumped into someone who knew me from work!!

Mandria fields were quiet and the irrigating had stopped near Paphos SF so the birds from the other day had moved on.

4 new species added today taking the list to 83

Cyprus day 4 - Easter Sunday

We didn't pick mum and dad up until the early hours of the moring so there were no early starts today.

The morning was spent looking around the area local to the villa before have an easter Sunday meal of BBQ chicken and lamb at a local taverna. We still managed to add a few birds to the list with 3 purple heron over and a shag past offshore.

Slightly random moment when one of the local policemen who were also having lunch wanted to try out our bins! Apparently the Viking 8x30 are better that my Swaro EL's.

After relaxing by the pool for a bit we had another look at Mavrokolympos Dan. Cuckoo and a smart male subalpine warbler were added to the list.

Cyprus day 3 - relaxed pace

Decided to take things a bit easier this morning with a stroll around the local area. There is a nice bit of scrubby habitat along the coast with bare fields, banana plantations and garden just inland.

Most of the yellow wagtails from yesterday had moved on but there was still plenty of other stuff. A fine red throated pipit near the villa followed by a quail flushed from under a bush. Although the wagtails had moved on, nightingales had certainly moved in. At least 9 birds were logged on the walk.
A flyby flock of 19 little and 2 cattle egrets were added to the list along with a female marsh harrier in/off the sea. 2 common sand on the rocky shoreline and a spur winged plover were added too.

Heading just inland produced several whinchat along a fenceline. It paid to check the whole field as it produced a stone curlew and a scrub-singing great reed warbler! Further up the road a magpie was mobbing a great spotted cuckoo giving nice scope views. Not far from the villa we picked up our first Woodchat of the trip, a smart singing male.

The rest of the morning was spent relaxing with great reed warbler and nightingale singing in the background.

Checking out Paphos Headland on a warm sunny Easter Saturday wasn't the best idea, the place was MOBBED with nowhere to park. Early morning visit I think.

Check out the Paphos sewage works area which was rather disappointing apart from one irrigated field. The whole SF is now covered so has no attraction for birds now. However, just close to the SF was a field that was being irrigated with a small wet area in the corner. When we arrived there was at least 100 yellow wagtails bathing  along with 4 wood sand, ruff and a gloas ibis. The rest of the field was stuffed with wagtails although the crop was too high to see them but in flight there mus have been at least 1000 birds. A spectacular sight. Overhead we had 2 alpine swift and a smart pair of red footed falcons.

A look around the fields at Madria produced 9 squacco heron in an irrigated field, a nice fall of northern wheatears and a single male black eared, hoopoe and 2 stone  curlew.

We didn't get Cyprus warbler on a quick stop on the way home but there were good numbers of Cyprus wheatear. Ticked off little owl and chukar for the list too.

Pics

A few pics from ringing this morning

Cyprus day 2 - Ringing

Ringing with Mike and Richard today.

Despite breezy conditions we managed to process 104 birds in just a few hours.

Blackcap made up the bulk of the catch but there was a nice supporting cast including wood, sardinian, reed and sedge warblers, corn bunting, whinchat, lesser and common whitethroats and pied fly.

There was even time for a short ringing demo for a group of Dutch birdwatchers who turned up halfway through the morning

Around the site were a couple of ortolan bunting, golden oriole, hoopoe, lots of serin and tree pipit.

A great morning and massive thanks to Richard and Mike for their help. 

Cyprus day 1 - the travelling

The first day of any trip is always a long one with all the travelling and time difference. Thankfully the 2 hour difference to Cyprus isn't too bad.

The birding started while we were still sat on the tarmac at Gatwick  with 2 peregrines hunting pigeons over the terminal buildings!

Straightforward flight got us to Paphos on time and we were soon on the road to our villa at Coral Bay. Birding started straight away with male redstart and whinchat over the road in front of us.

The villa is in a great location right on the coast surrounded by scrubby vegetation.

Despite a brisk wind a quick boot around the area produced a nice selection of birds.
Loads of house with a few Spanish sparrows, crested larks and sardinian warblers were most evident, 2 tawny pipits, 6 short toed larks, wryneck, male whinchat, black eared & northern wheatears and a few feldegg wagtails although none would land.

A nice little start to the trip