Trip report Cyprus 12/04/ /04/2015

Transcription

1 Trip report Cyprus 12/04/ /04/2015 Introduction This was primarily a family holiday. I tried to go birdwatching as much as I could. We stayed at the Sentido Cypria bay hotel near Paphos. The hotel was good and Paphos is an excellent base to start birdwatching in Cyprus. Near the hotel is a small headland which I visited several times in the morning. This was always very good. We rented a car through Neckermann with one of the many rental car businesses during our stay. We paid for a small KIA 32 / day, fully insured and unlimited kilometers. 3 days we used this car for family trips. 1 day I used the car for myself to go birdwatching. In total I saw 91 species of which 9 were lifers. Since I didn t have a lot of time to go birdwatching I focused primarily on finding the Cyprus specialties and lifers. The species I looked for were quite easy to find. Books and trip reports used I found several very useful trip reports on Finding birds in Southern Cyprus by Dave Gosney proved to be very helpful. Though a little bit outdated and some of the spots were not as easy to find as one would think reading the book. Though I found every location. There is a useful website for birdwatching in Cyprus: As field guide I used the ANWB vogelgids (Collins bird guide Dutch version) by Mullarney, Svensson, Zetterström and Grant. This said I can recommend Cyprus as a birding country enormously. I did not have any trouble finding the Cyprus specialties and the time of year was perfect for migration. All of my observations can be found at Species list Species in bold are lifers. 1: Little Grebe (Tachybaptus Ruficollis) - 19/04 several Oroklini Marsh 2: European Shag (Phalacrocorax Aristotelis) - 13/04 1 near Hotel flying west 3: Black-crowned Night-heron (Nycticorax Nycticorax) - 17/04 1 at the Kings Tombs 4: Cattle Egret (Bubulcus Ibis)

2 - 19/04 Abundance at Oroklini Marsh 5: Little Egret (Egretta Garzetta) - 14/04 1 near hotel flying west; 21/04 Near hotel 6: Great Egret (Ardea Alba) - 19/04 Several Oroklini Marsh 7: Gray Heron (Ardea Cinerea) - 19/04 3 at Akrotiri (near Ag. Georgios church) 8: Purple Heron (Ardea Purpurea) - 19/04 1 at Mavrokolympos Dam 9: Glossy Ibis (Plegadis Falcinellus) - 13/04 12 flying west near hotel; 19/04 several Oroklini Marsh; 21/ group flying west near hotel 10: Eurasian Spoonbill (Platalea Leucorodia) - 13/04 12 flying west near hotel 11: Greater Flamingo (Phoenicopterus Roseus) - 19/04 4 at Oroklini Marsh 12: Mallard (Anas Platyrhynchos) - 19/04 Several at Oroklini Marsh 13: Northern Shoveler (Anas Clypeata) - 19/04 3 at Oroklini Marsh 14: Red-crested Pochard (Netta Rufina) - 19/04 2 at Oroklini Marsh 15: Long-legged Buzzard (Buteo Rufinus) - 16/04 1 at Aphrodite s Temple in Kouklia; 19/04 Asprokremnos Dam 16: Eurasian Kestrel (Falco Tinnunculus) - Seen daily at almost every site visited 17: Eleonora s Falcon (Falco Eleonorae) - 16/04 1 dark form flying over at Cape Drepanum; 19/04 At least 7 couples at Kensington Cliffs 18: Peregrine Falcon (Falco Peregrinus) - 16/04 1 at Kourion Archeological Site

3 19: Black Francolin (Francolinus Francolinus) - 19/04 Heard only at Nata Ford; 19/04 1 male seen at Oroklini Marsh 20: Chukar (Alectoris Chukar) - 19/04 2 seen at Mavrokolympos Dam 21: Common Quail (Coturnix Coturnix) - 14/04 Heard only near hotel; 16/04 1 flushed at Cape Drepanum 22: Eurasian Moorhen (Gallinula Chloropus) - 19/04 2 at Oroklini Marsh 23: Eurasian Coot (Fulica Atra) - 19/04 Several at Oroklini Marsh 24: Black-winged Stilt (Himantopus Himantopus) - 19/04 Several at Oroklini Marsh 25: Eurasian Thick-knee (Burhinus Oedicnemus) - 14/04 2 seen on headland near hotel early morning 26: Little Ringed Plover (Charadrius Dubius) - 19/04 Several at Oroklini Marsh 27: Eurasian Dotterel (Charadrius Morinellus) - 19/04 1 seen at Akrotiri near Ag. Georgios church, close to the beach 28: Spur-winged Plover (Vanellus Spinosus) - 19/04 Several pairs at Oroklini Marsh 29: Dunlin (Calidris Alpina) - 19/04 15 at Oroklini Marsh 30: Curlew Sandpiper (Calidris Ferruginea) - 19/04 1 at Oroklini Marsh 31: Wood Sandpiper (Tringa Glareola) - 19/04 1 at river crossing in Old Choletria; 19/04 1 at Oroklini Marsh 32: Common Sandpiper (Actitis Hypoleucos) - 13/04 1 near hotel on the beach; 20/04 1 near hotel 33: Black-tailed Godwit (Limosa Limosa) - 19/04 2 at Oroklini Marsh

4 34: Eurasian Curlew (Numenius Arquata) - 20/04 1 flying east near hotel 35: Ruff (Calidris Pugnax) - 19/04 2 at Oroklini Marsh 36: Slender-billed Gull (Chroicocephalus Genei) - 19/04 1 at Oroklini Marsh 37: Yellow-legged Gull (Larus Michahellis) - 14/04 1 near hotel; 16/04 Colony at Cape Drepanum 38: Lesser Black-backed Gull (Larus Fuscus) - 13/04 1 flying over hotel 39: Rock Pigeon (Columba Livia) - 16/04 Several at Petra Tou Romiou (these were the ones that looked the most like the real stuff) 40: Common Wood-pigeon (Columba Palumbus) - Seen daily in right habitat 41: Eurasian Collared-dove (Streptopelia Decaocto) - Seen daily in almost every habitat 42: European Turtle-dove (Streptopelia Turtur) - 16/04 1 seen at entrance of Aphrodite s Temple in Kouklia 43: Great Spotted Cuckoo (Clamator Glandarius) - 18/04 1 seen on the side of the road between Stavrokonnou and New Choletria 44: Common Swift (Apus Apus) - Seen daily at lower altitudes 45: Pallid Swift (Apus Pallidus) - 18/04 Several seen in the Troodos mountains 46: Alpine Swift (Apus Melba) - 16/04 1 seen at Kourion Archeological Site 47: Eurasian Hoopoe (Upupa Epops) - 14/04 1 seen at Paphos Headland archeological site; 19/04 1 seen at Akrotiri near Ag. Georgios church

5 48: Common Kingfisher (Alcedo Atthis) - 14/04 1 near hotel on the beach; 19/04 1 at Aspro pools beneath Asprokremnos Dam; 19/04 1 at Oroklini Marsh; 20/04 near hotel same place as 14/04 49: Blue-cheeked Bee-eater (Merops Persicus) - 14/04 3 at Paphos Headland archeological site 50: European Roller (Coracias Garrulus) - 18/04 7 between Mamonia and Agios Georgios on the way to Troodos Mountains; 16/04 1 at Kourion Archeological Site; 18/04 2 between Timi and Mandria on the B6 road 51: Crested Lark (Galerida Cristata) - Seen daily on the headland near hotel; 14/04 Abundant on Paphos Headland archeological site; 17/04 Abundance at Kings Tombs 52: Greater Short-toed Lark (Calandrella Brachydactyla) - 16/04 9 on headland near hotel early morning 53 : Barn Swallow (Hirundo Rustica) - Seen daily in great numbers 54: Red-rumped Swallow (Cecropis Daurica) - 14/04 5 near hotel and 7 on the Paphos Headland archeological site 55: Common House-martin (Delichon Urbicum) - Seen daily in great numbers 56: Tawny Pipit (Anthus Campestris) - 13/04 1 on headland near hotel; 14/04 1 on headland near hotel (probably same bird as day before) 57: Meadow Pipit (Anthus Pratensis) - 14/04 1 near hotel 58: White Wagtail (Motacilla Alba) - Seen daily near hotel 59: Common Nightingale (Luscinia Megarhynchos) - 19/04 1 heard only at Asprokremnos Dam 60: Northern Wheatear (Oenanthe Oenanthe) - 13/04 2 on headland near hotel; 17/04 3 at Cape Drepanum; 19/04 1 at Akrotiri near Ag. Georgios church

6 61: Cyprus Wheatear (Oenanthe Cypriaca) - 16/04 2 at Kourion archeological site; 18/04 Several seen on the way to the Troodos mountains; 18/04 1 at highest point on Mount Olympus; 19/04 6 seen at Mavrokolympos Dam 62: Whinchat (Saxicola Rubetra) - 13/04 1 on headland near hotel; 14/04 1 on headland near hotel (probably same bird as day before) 63: Blackbird (Turdus Merula) - 18/04 1 seen close to Troodos village 64: Garden Warbler (Sylvia Borin) - 16/04 1 near hotel 65: Blackcap (Sylvia Atricapilla) - 15/04 1 at Paphos Zoo 66: Sardinian Warbler (Sylvia Melanocephala) - 14/04 1 near hotel;14/04 3 at Paphos Headland archeological site; 16/04 1 near hotel; 17/04 1 at Kings Tombs; 19/04 1 at Nata Ford; 19/04 4 at Mavrokolympos Dam 67: Cyprus Warbler (Sylvia Melanothorax) - 16/04 1 at Kourion archeological site; 18/04 Several on the road to Troodos mountains; 19/04 6 at Mavrokolympos Dam 68: Rueppell s Warbler (Sylvia Rueppelli) - 19/04 1 at Aspro pools beneath Asprokremnos Dam 69: Greater Whitethroat (Sylvia Communis) - 14/04 1 on headland near hotel 70: Spectacled Warbler (Sylvia Conspicillata) - 14/04 1 on Paphos Headland archeological site 71: Sedge Warbler (Acrocephalus Schoenobaenus) - 14/04 1 on headland near hotel 72: Zitting Cisticola (Cisticola Juncidis) - 14/04 2 near hotel; 14/04 3 on Paphos Headland archeological site; 16/04 1 near hotel; 21/04 1 near hotel 73: Cetti s Warbler (Cettia Cetti) - 16/04 1 near entrance of Paphos Waterpark; 16/04 1 at Baths of Aphrodite; 19/04 1 at Nata Ford

7 74: Eurasian Reed- warbler (Acrocephalus Scirpaceus) - 19/04 3 at Oroklini Marsh 75: Great Reed- warbler (Acrocephalus Arundinaceus) - 19/04 1 at Oroklini Marsh 76: Collared Flycatcher (Ficedula Albicollis) - 19/04 1 on Akrotiri in the trees around the Ag. Georgios church 77: Great Tit (Parus Major) - Seen daily 78: Coal Tit (Periparus Ater Cypriotes) - 18/04 seen in good numbers in the Troodos mountains 79: Masked Shrike (Lanius Nubicus) - 18/04 1 pair on the way to the Kykkos monastery (E912) coming from Troodos Village 80: Eurasian Magpie (Pica Pica) - 16/04 1 at Kourion archeological site; 18/04 several on the way to the Troodos mountains; 19/04 2 at Asprokremnos Dam 81: Eurasian Jay (Garrulus Glandarius Glaszneri) - 18/04 3 seen in Troodos mountains 82: Eurasian Jackdaw (Corvus Monedula) - 16/04 3 at Kourion archeological site 83: Hooded Crow (Corvus Cornix) - Seen daily 84: House Sparrow (Passer Domesticus) - Seen daily 85: Spanish Sparrow (Passer Hispaniolensis) - 13/04 1 seen next to Hotel Louis Phaeton Beach in the trees 86: Common Chaffinch (Fringilla Coelebs) - 18/04 4 seen in Troodos mountains 87: Eurasian Linnet (Carduelis Cannabina) - 17/04 2 at the Baths of Aphrodite

8 88: European Goldfinch (Carduelis Carduelis) - 16/04 4 at Kourion archeological site; 16/04 5 at Aphrodite s Temple in Kouklia; 19/04 2 at Asprokremnos Dam 89: European Greenfinch (Chloris Chloris) - 14/04 1 near hotel; 19/04 2 at Asprokremnos Dam 90: Ortolan Bunting (Emberiza Hortulana) - 19/04 1 at Mavrokolympos Dam 91: Corn Bunting (Emberiza Calandra) - 14/04 1 seen on the headland near the hotel