[Mick Sway]

I'm surprised that given it's reputation and international status Cyprus, does not warrant it's own sub forum on the European page.
Not withstanding this I hope to encourage other visitors and preferably residents to post their sightings from wherever they live on the island. Most of the information available relates to the more popular well known birding destinations.
Cyprus sightings are of course also posted on the Birdlife Cyprus website.
Your support of this thread would be appreciated.
Arriving late Saturday night 21st March, Tina and I are staying with friends for a week at Kala-Chorio, in the district of Limassol at the foothills of the Troodos.
Unfortunately I'm a little bit limited in getting to locations, since I don't drive.
Regretably it started raining Sunday night and has never stopped since (14.00 on Monday 23rd),however here's what I saw in the surrounding area on Sunday at Kala-Chorio:
Hoopoe x 4
Northern Wheatear
Cyprus Wheatear
Cyprus Warbler
Cettis Warbler
Blackcap
Willow Warbler
Song Thrush
Robin
Blackbird
Barn Swallow
House Martin
Kestrel
Masked Shrike
Hooded Crow
Serin
Goldfinch
Greenfinch
Reg legged partridge
House sparrow
Greenfinch
Great Tit
Cyprus Coal Tit

Further contributions welcome.
Best
Mick
Further info at:
http://www.birdlifecyprus.org

[Mick Sway]

It rained Monday until about 15.00 when it abated a little, but was still cold and extremely overcast.Having ventured out in the morning and getting soaked I saw nothing except a single masked shrike. I went out again late afternoon in the light rain, taking in the local foothills and the village.
The temperature reading on the village clock was reading 9C, however in the wind it felt much colder.
Further sightings included:
Lesser Whitethroat
Garden Warbler
Woodlark
Crag Martin
Sand Martin
Linnet
A cuckoo was calling in the hills and a scops owl in the village church.
I have tried to locate the latter, however the pines surrounding the church are so tightly packed that I had to give up.
It set raining again at night and this morning we wole up to see a scattering of snow on the peaks of the Troodos hills.
As we set off for a walk at about 10.00am a cold wind continued to blow and the sky kept threatening rain.However as the day wore on the sun broke though but the wind continued to blow cold.
Walking the surrounding hills strewn with sun bleached shotgun shells, Tina and I saw:
HoopoeX1
Black redstart x 6
Masked Shrikex2
Kestrel
Wrenx1
Winchatx6
Red legged partridgex2
Linnet(small flock)
Meadow pipit
Chiff Chaff
Whitethroat

Com'n now please contribute, it would be nice to get a regular thread up and running.
Thanks for reading.
Mick

[Andrew]

Hi Mick, good to see news from Cyprus. I would love to return one autumn for the Demoiselle Cranes at Akrotiri.

Is Cyprus Coal Tit a full species now?

[Steve Lister]

Cyprus Coal Tit is still merely a sub-species.

And picking up a point in Mick's first message.......
Cyprus is not in Europe. It is in Asia.

Steve

[Mick Sway]

This morning was cool and overcast, it set in raining at about 09.00.
However we decided to brave a trip to the coastal "marshes" adjacent Limassol Port. Unfortunately the conditions were much the same when we arrived at approx 10.30, which didn't make help us birding wise.
Today was a Cyprus bank holiday and the Oasis Lady Mile Beach taverna was preparing for an influx of locals to lunch. We settled for a skirto, with a local sweet but at EUR 7.50, for two It was a bit expensive.
Fortunately in the meantime it cleared a little, but remained overcast until about 14.30 when we headed for home.
In the meantime we got in some great birding, including a fall of migrating warblers.
Birds seen:
Fan tailed warbler
Sardinian warbler
Ruppell's warbler
Sub alpine warbler
Cettis warbler
Willow warbler
Chiffchaff
Whitethroat
Lesser whitethroat
Reed warbler
White wagtail
Yellow wagtail(feldegg)x 10
Spanish sparrow
House sparrow
Winchat
Stonechat
Isabelline wheatear(common)
Common swift
Alpine swift
House martin
Swallow
Robin
Crested lark
Short toed lark(large flock)
Skylark
Ruff
Black winged stilt
Little ringed plover
Kentish plover
Common sandpiper
Greater sand plover (possible)
Black headed gull
Lesser black backed gull
Little grebe
Moorhen
Coot
Purple heron x 2
Little egret
Hooded crow
Wigeon
Pochard
Collared dove
Marsh Harrier
Kestrel
Although the above list was great we were hoping for a few terns,waders and herons - still 40+ species at one site isn't bad.
On a sad note there was a fridge freezer dumped into the side of Zakaki Pool. I hope to be able to add some photo's when I get back to the UK.
With regard to the European question i was speaking in terms of the membership of Cyprus to the European Union and the countries obligation to abide by their obligations under the various European Conservation Directives.
Thanks for reading & contributions from locals welcome.

Mick & Tina Sway
PS Birdlife Cyprus today, reports some notable falls of birds at Paphos and Cape Greco, including 1000's of passerines
coming off the sea.
The would tend to reflect the inclement weather, with a huge swathe of cold air affecting the south east Med.

[Mick Sway]

Aphrodite Hills near Paphos,Thursday 26 March 2009
Rain was very heavy up in the hills again today.
Fortunately we were invited to visit friends near Paphos where by mid afternoon the weather cleared and became bright and sunny, we managed to get some birding in to.
The best feature of our visit was the mixed flock of a couple of hundred of short toed lark, cretzschmars buntings and serin;grazing on the golf course green.
Birds seen:
Common redstart
Woodpidgeon
Tree pipit
Blackeared wheatear
Northern wheatear
Cyprus wheatear
Jackdaw
Hoopoe
Cyprus warbler
Chiffchaff
Rupells warbler
Lesser whitethroat
Whitethroat
Magpie
Cretzschmars bunting x 40
Short toed lark 100+
Serin x 20
Goldfinch
Greenfinch
Red legged partridge
Kestrel
A nightingale was singing (not seen)
Some lovely flowers were also seen up there including wild Iris,Lilies & Orchids.

[Mick Sway]

I thought that the weather could not get any worse, however we have had thunder,lightening,hale and rain storms all day. I managed to get out for a couple of hours around the village this afternoon, however it was driseling even then.
Birds seen
Whitethroat
Lesser whitethroat
Black cap
Chiffchaff
Cyprus warbler
Mased shrike
Hoopoe
Alpine swift
Swallow
House martin
Robin
Kestrel
Chaffinch
Goldfinch
Serin
Greenfinch
Blackbird
Great tit
Cyprus coal tit
House sparrow
White wagtail
Linnet

[joannec]

Impressive list Mick. I went to Cyprus some 10 years ago....wasn't a birder then but your thread has made me want to go again! Thanks for posting it.

Joanne

[davercox]

Originally Posted by Steve Lister

Cyprus is not in Europe. It is in Asia.
Steve

Wikipedia says (in the 'Europe' article) :
"despite being close to Asia and Africa, the Mediterranean islands of Cyprus and Malta are considered part of Europe".

What do you base this on Steve ?

[Steve Lister]

Common sense as much as anything else.

The boundary between Europe and Asia goes down the Aegean Sea - Greece is Europe, Turkey is not. Cyprus is south of Turkey, not Greece.
From a birding perspective the ABA listing guidelines include Cyprus as Asia.

Political boundaries must not be confused with geographical ones. I wince every time the Canary Islands are described as in Europe - they are geographically part of Africa. And Lesvos and Rhodes are geographically part of Asia despite being politically in Greece.

Steve

[Mick Sway]

I'm glad to have gotten a debate going,even if its not about birds.
This will be my last Cyprus post since I'm off back home this evening.
I do hope that some one will take up where I left off, although I do hope to post some pics when I get back home.
Todays bird sightings:
Kala Chorio
Usual endemics+ Corn Bunting and a large flock of what looked like several hundred Linnets.
A scops owl was calling from the pines
Zakaki Marsh and Pools Lady Mile beach saline pools:
On the salines:
Black winged stilt
Kentish plover
Grey Heron
Squacco heron
Pools and surrounds:
Mallard
Long legged buzzard
Marsh harrier
Kestrel
Crested lark
Short toed lark
Cettis warbler
Fan tailed warbler
Sardinian warbler
Reed warbler
Chiff chaff
Lesser black backed gull
Black headed gull
Snipe
Cormerant
I also saw a whip snake basking on a clay bank.
When we visited on Tues we must have benefited from a fall, since there was a warbler or wagtail on every tree and bush, no such luck today.
Regards and thanks for viewing.
Mick

[Sandra (Taylor)]

Safe journey back Mick. Weather not too brilliant here - been sleeting this morning.

Sandra & Bob

[Steve Lister]

About Lesser Black-backed Gull......
Last time I was in Cyprus about eight years ago the Cyprus records committee would only countenance the fuscus and heuglini races as passing through. Heuglini is regarded as a separate species, Heuglin's Gull, in some quarters.
And Scops Owl....
In Cyprus you get both a resident local race and migrants on their way north. The calls are supposedly distinguishable and the local form has been put forward as a separate species.

Steve

[Mick Sway]

Additional sighting at Zakaki Marsh and Pools Lady Mile beach saline pools:
Tawny Pipit
Pics to follow

[Mick Sway]

Photos attached.
On wednesday of last week we benefitted from a large fall of warblers and passerines near Ladies Mile Beach.
Unfortunately it rained until well after dinner, so some of the pics are a bit grainy.
Any help with identifying number 5 would be appreciated.
Mick

Pictures:Ruppell's Warbler,Sardinian Warbler,Subalpine Warbler,Lesser Whitethroat,Chiffchaff.
Thanks to the Sunderland fan for helping with 5, is the caucasian species a possibilty?
Mick

[rokermartin]

Pic1 Ruppell's Warbler,Pic2 Sardinian Warbler,Pic3 Subalpine Warbler,Pic4 Lesser Whitethroat,Pic 5 Chiffchaff.

[Mick Sway]

Wagtails,Pipit & Larks:
Photos:
1)Short Toed lark;2)Tawny Pipit;3)&4)Yellow Wagtail;5)Isabeline's Wheatear
Short toed lark,wagtails and the isabelline's were everywhere on the wednesday,by friday there wasn't a wagtail or pipit to be seen.
The pic of the pipit was a quick shot I'm afraid, since it was gone in an instant and I didn't think anything of it until later when I got home and got it up on the computer.
Mick

[Mick Sway]

Heron,Waders & Marsh Harrier Pics:
1)Purple heron;2)squacco heron;3)marsh harrier;4)kentish plover;5)ruff
There were two purple heron in the reeds on the wednesday, both gone by friday.The squacco took off from the saline channel nearest the docks heading over the beach.The marsh harrier was frequently seen over the far side of Zakaki pool. The ruff and kentish were busy along the fringes of the salt marsh pools both days.
Mick

[Mick Sway]

On 26 March we were invited to lunch with a Leek family staying near Paphos.
tina and I took advantage of a stroll arouns the surrounding hills and later the golf course.Although the hills were pretty quite a large flock of migrating larks,bunting and finches had set down to graze on the green.
Unfortunately I had the camera on A DEP for the wheatear which quickly disappeared before I could get a good shot off.
Mick

[rokermartin]

I dont know what it is with Cyprus these days but there seems to be less birders going there.The Island of Lesbos seems have taken over from Cyprus as the top birding hot spot.

[Neil-T]

Great report and Pictures Mick, thanks for sharing the experiences of your trip to Cyprus. Neil.

[Mick Sway]

Hey Rokerman!
To be fair, although I have been to Cyprus three times I've not had the opportunity of birding there properly during peak migration. In June and October
it was very quiet. As it happens I don't drive, so even this time I had to rely on the good grace of my hosts dropping me off a couple of times, most sucessfully on the Wed morning at Limassol Port/Zakaki Marsh, when I managed some good birds due to a fall.
Lesvos is still relatively unspoiled compared to Cyprus and I would say that the welcome more warm. Both times at Zakaki Marsh, locals peeped their horns and shouted out of their cars as they trawled down the strip to Lady Mile Beach on the Bank Holiday. Although Fly tipping is bad all over Europe, I found it particulaly so in Cyprus. The EU should especialy do something about the thousands of plastic shotgun cartridges left on the hilsides.
Fortuntaely, touch wood I'm off to Lesvos too, in five weeks!

Thanks for responding.
Mick

[Mick Sway]

I started this tread by saying that we were staying with freinds in the village of Kala Chorio at 2500 ft above sea level, in the district of Limassol. During the last week I walked the local hillsides in rain,hail and shine, to see what birds the habitat (mainly scrub with some vines and the odd tree) held. The biggest disapointment was the lack of raptors, none were seen except several Kestrel.
It looked ideal Buzzard country. The Cyprus warbler and wheatear are endemic to the area, however I found the former although common, very skittish and difficult to see.
Thanks for viewing
Mick

[rokermartin]

Hi Mick i have been to Cyprus twice both times in spring and saw some excellent birds.I was there last year in May and saw a Pied Kingfisher.The only thing that is putting me off going to Lesbos is the amount of bird tour groups that will be on the island in the spring season.I expect it is like birding on the Scillies bumping into birders everywhere you go.You certainly dont get that in Cyprus.Cyprus used to be a bit like that years ago when it was very popular with birders.

[s.g.]

Great Report Mick, Will Speak To You Both Soon I Hope.
S.g.