[TWM]

Great stuff , did we bump into you at Aphrodites Baths?
We did Tuesday 24th March to Tue 31st.
Based at Kissonerga near Paphos.
We started birding on Wed morning at Paphos Lighthouse and it was 'hooching' , wading through migrants with loads of Ruppel's Warblers and Cretzchmar's Buntings being the highlight for me. Loads of S-t Larks, couple of Orphean Warblers, Black eared Wheatears and of course Chiffs and Lesser Whitethroats .
One of my targets was the Francolin and we had one at the back of our villa which provided great views.
On Thu 25th we started at 'The tomb of the Kings' just west of the Lighthouse, lots of Isabelline Wheatears, Tawny Pipits and a Rock Thrush.
The first visit to Aspro Pools and Dam didn't produce anything but we went again on Tue 31st March and saw Little Crake, Night Heron and great views of Gt spotted Cuckoo in the plantation above the dam.
Part 2 to Follow

[TWM]

The grove at the top of the dam also had Cyprus Warbler, Wood Warbler, Lesser Kestrel and a Pied Flycatcher that might have been Semi-collared but I didn't get enough on it.
Friday started with mega Thunderstorms and when it eased we went to the lighthouse but didn't find anything new (although I heard that it livened up later. ).
Saturday we went to Troodos via the Dhiarizos Valley, beautiful sunny day, Great Sp Cuckoo and Long legged Buzzard on the way. A Masked Shrike on the outskirts of Nikitari was a real cracker.
Sunday was Akrotiri, another hot sunny day. Pretty average until we got round to the pools by the harbour which produced Stilts, a Marsh Sandpiper and 5 Ferruginous Ducks.
On the way back we visited the Kourion Archeological site, Cyprus Wheatear, Black eared Wheatear , Isabelline Wheatear and Norther Wheatear were all hopping around within a few yards of each other, also Blue Rock Thrush there.
On Monday in Pegeia we stopped to admire the view and I noticed a rather drab looking Bunting sitting in a bush--a Cinerous Bunting (probably the most unexpected bird of the trip!).
On our last day (Tue) we went to the Lighthouse and had a couple of Booted Eagles fly in, then to Aspro Pools where a Little Crake showed well and Gt Sp Cuckoo was in the plantation at the top of the Dam.
My final total was 93 of which 9 were lifers---can't be bad.

[Mick Sway]

Hi TWM
You have a nice list of species there, rock thrush was on my hit list however it managed to evade us. Unfortunately we never got to Paphos headland so we never bumped into you. I would have liked to have gone further afield but as I said we were visiting freinds.
Thanks for your kind comments.
By the way I managed to dig out another species, slender billed gull (below) whilst trawling through the photos.

[JimMorris]

Very nice report and some great photos Mick

[TWM]

Some photos from me.

[Mick Sway]

Jim thanks for the input.
Congratulations TWD, nice one with the Francolin!
We are yet to see one.
I would like to note that the "slender billed gull" above has been disputed, although it was long billed which made me think that.
Any further thoughts on the subject would be appreciated.
Just to mention on the subject of butterflies, there were few about where we were, however we did see red admiral,painted lady, small white and clouded yellow.
Mick

[Birdspotter]

Just back today, 24 March-3 April stayed in the Paphos area with day 1-2 alive at the headland, 20+ Ruppell's 30+ Cretchzmar's Bunt on day 1 there!

It got quieter as the week went by but the GT Spott Cuckoo's started coming through, we had at least 10 in the Dhiarizos Valley on the 30 March.

Eastern Bonelli's were everywhere in the first few days, with best birds being a male Semi-collared Fly in the orchard above the Aspro Dam 26 March and a Brambling below the dam on 25 March.

Highlights for me though were the Pallid Harriers in off low over our heads at the headland on the evening's of 2-3 April

[rokermartin]

Well i have to admit i thought the gull was BH when i first saw the pic.It appears to be a 1stw if it was a 1stw SB Gull is would have a pale orange bill with out black on it.

[Mick Sway]

Some nice birds there, I would have thought that the Brambling was a bit of a coup for any Cyprus birding list.
Have you thought of submitting your records to Birdlife Cyprus ?
Thanks for responding to the thread everyone.
Mick

[TWM]

Originally Posted by rokermartin

Well i have to admit i thought the gull was BH when i first saw the pic.It appears to be a 1stw if it was a 1stw SB Gull is would have a pale orange bill with out black on it.

My first reaction was B-h Gull as well---maybe some feathers missing on the forehead making the bill look long?

[TWM]

I saw the Flycatcher in the orchard on 26th---not confident enough to call it a Semi-collared but I did wonder---looks like I've got another tick !!!

[Birdspotter]

Looks like a 1st yr male to me with brown wings and a reduced collar.

[rokermartin]

I would say it was a SC.Flycatcher you can see the white tipped medium coverts.

[Birdspotter]

Originally Posted by rokermartin

I would say it was a SC.Flycatcher you can see the white tipped medium coverts.

Also take note of the large amount of white to the sides of the tail as well as the undertail.

I haven't a problem with the ID, it's the age I was wondering about, any thoughts?

[Birdspotter]

Originally Posted by Mick Sway

Some nice birds there, I would have thought that the Brambling was a bit of a coup for any Cyprus birding list.
Have you thought of submitting your records to Birdlife Cyprus ?
Thanks for responding to the thread everyone.
Mick

Hi Mick

I believe there is some sort of recording system in place, but two different society's both very similarly named except the years in which they were formed are different, one which has a recorder the other hasn't, all very confusing, anyway I do enough descriptions back home I am not so sure I want to carry that on when I go abroad, at least not for an uncommon passage migrant anyway.

That said I always I always have a go at my mate who had a flock of Pallass's Gulls off Paphos one year and did not bother to submit them, then again though I believe there has only been around 15 or so records of this species to Cyprus.

cheers

[TWM]

Originally Posted by Birdspotter

Looks like a 1st yr male to me with brown wings and a reduced collar.

That's not the bird I saw, mine had a more obvious collar but less white on the wing and I think more white on the forehead.

[TWM]

My list for 24th to 31st March is similar:
Little Grebe
Cormorant
Night Heron
Squacco Heron
Grey Heron
Greater Flamingo
Wigeon
Mallard
Ferruginous Duck
Marsh Harrier
Long legged Buzzard
Booted Eagle
Lesser Kestrel
Kestrel
Black Francolin
Quail (heard)
Little Crake
Moorhen
Coot
Black winged Stilt
Stone Curlew
Ruff
Common Redshank
Marsh Sandpiper
Black-headed Gull
Lesser Black backed Gull
Yellow-legged Gull
Rock Dove
Woodpigeon
Collared Dove
Great spotted Cuckoo
Common Swift
Alpine Swift
Common Kingfisher
Hoopoe
Wryneck
Short toed Lark
Crested Lark
Swallow
Red rumped Swallow
House Martin
Tawny Pipit
Meadow Pipit
White Wagtail
Wren
Nightingale
Black Redstart
Common Redstart
Whinchat
Stonechat
Isabelline Wheatear
Northern Wheatear
Cyprus Pied Wheatear
Black eared Wheatear
Blue Rock Thrush
Song Thrush
Cetti's Warbler
Zitting Cisticola (Fan tailed warbler)
Savi's Warbler
Sedge Warbler
Reed Warbler (heard)
Great Reed Warbler (heard)
Subalpine Warbler
Sardinian Warbler
Cyprus Warbler
Ruppel's warbler
Orphean Warbler
Lesser Whitethroat
Common Whitethroat
Blackcap
Bonelli's Warbler
Wood Warbler
Chiffchaff
Willow Warbler
Pied Flycatcher
Coal Tit
Great Tit
Woodchat Shrike
Masked Shrike
Jay
Magpie
Jackdaw
Hooded Crow
Starling
House Sparrow
Spanish Sparrow
Chaffinch
Serin
Greenfinch
Goldfinch
Linnet
Ortolan Bunting
Cinereous Bunting
Cretzschmar's Bunting
Corn Bunting

A good trip with 10 lifers for me.

[Mick Sway]

Well done TWM.
Just posting this as an update.
It has been pointed out to me that the redstart that I posted a pic of is infact of the eastern race sometimes known as Ehrenberg's Redstart.
It's not something that i would have picked up on myself however I do now note the white fringes on the primary wing coverts.
If anyone picks this up, an opinion on the Warbler posted below as a chiff chaff v bonelli's would also be appreciated.
Best
Mick

[TWM]

That could be a Bonelli's.

[TWM]

For anybody visiting Paphos Lighthouse this fellow lives in the wall on the landward side---it's about a foot long!

[joannec]

Hi Cyprus birders

I'm thinking of going to Cyprus next spring and would like to time the trip with the best time to see the most species or raptors. Can anyone say when that is likely to be and the best places to go. Planning on staying at a friends house near Paphos.

[dogfish]

Originally Posted by Mick Sway

Well done TWM.
Just posting this as an update.
It has been pointed out to me that the redstart that I posted a pic of is infact of the eastern race sometimes known as Ehrenberg's Redstart.
It's not something that i would have picked up on myself however I do now note the white fringes on the primary wing coverts.
If anyone picks this up, an opinion on the Warbler posted below as a chiff chaff v bonelli's would also be appreciated.
Best
Mick

The warbler's not Bonelli's (should have whitish unders, green-fringed wings and wing covs, pale-faced appearance etc). Looks like a chiff

Sean

[melanothorax]

Originally Posted by joannec

Hi Cyprus birders

I'm thinking of going to Cyprus next spring and would like to time the trip with the best time to see the most species or raptors. Can anyone say when that is likely to be and the best places to go. Planning on staying at a friends house near Paphos.

Joannec,
The best time of year for raptors is usually September, with Akrotiri being the best place to go.

For other species, April is regularly the best month to bird in Cyprus, as that's the month every year that the most species are reported. March is a close second. They're mostly migrants (obviously), and mostly passerines. You might also see the heron and sandpiper species that pass through at that time.

For where to go to see all these species, I'm not quite as familiar with the Paphos district. I usually go to Cape Greco, Paralimni, the outskirts of Larnaca, and Akrotiri. From reports of others though (for locations near Paphos), some good spots are near Mandria fields, the Armou Hills, Asprokremmos Dam and nearby pools, and Paphos lighthouse and headland.

Hope that helps.

[joannec]

Originally Posted by melanothorax

Joannec,
The best time of year for raptors is usually September, with Akrotiri being the best place to go.

For other species, April is regularly the best month to bird in Cyprus, as that's the month every year that the most species are reported. March is a close second. They're mostly migrants (obviously), and mostly passerines. You might also see the heron and sandpiper species that pass through at that time.

For where to go to see all these species, I'm not quite as familiar with the Paphos district. I usually go to Cape Greco, Paralimni, the outskirts of Larnaca, and Akrotiri. From reports of others though (for locations near Paphos), some good spots are near Mandria fields, the Armou Hills, Asprokremmos Dam and nearby pools, and Paphos lighthouse and headland.

Hope that helps.

Thanks Melanotherax. I'm still planning on going but not firmed anything up yet, can't get it together to go this month. It's still going to be next spring. I was hoping for raptors. Any suggestion of the best places for the resident ones?

[melanothorax]

Originally Posted by joannec

Thanks Melanotherax. I'm still planning on going but not firmed anything up yet, can't get it together to go this month. It's still going to be next spring. I was hoping for raptors. Any suggestion of the best places for the resident ones?

For resident raptors, the Paphos district actually might be pretty good. Out of the places the I mentioned, you might want to try Armou Hills, and the Episkopi-Paphou area. I'd say you have a decent chance at seeing Long-legged Buzzard,
Peregrine Falcon, Marsh Harrier, and Common Buzzard. Other residents that are very scarce include Bonelli's Eagle and Griffon Vulture. And while not as good as Autumn migration, you might (with significant difficulty finding them) see some Spring migrants such as Pallid Harrier, Lesser Kestrel, or Red-footed Falcon.

Hope that helps... maybe a birder from that side of Cyprus could offer more details...