CYPRUS TRIP

22^nd-29^th MARCH 2017

Flew from Bristol at 08.00 on 22^nd March finally arriving at the King Evelthon Hotel near Pathos at 16.00

A walk along the Coast Path before dark produced a total of 19 species highlights being a flock of 65 CORMORANT flying NW, ROBIN, 2 NORTHERN WHEATEAR, 2 CETTIS WARBLER, SWALLOW, HOUSE MARTIN, SWIFT, BLACKCAP and plenty of CRESTED LARK.

Thursday 23^rd March

From the Hotel – HOOPOE, GREENFINCH, LESSER WHITETHROAT, SARDINIAN WARBLER took the total to 23.

After an early breakfast, Graham and myself took a taxi to Pathos Headland to experience some superb Spring migration –

13 NIGHT HERON (24), GREAT TIT (25) 5 SARDINIAN WARBLER, 15+ CORN BUNTING (26) several LINNET (27)  2 male MASKED SHRIKE (28) GOLDFINCH (29) 50+ LESSER WHITETHROAT, WHITE WAGTAIL (30), 2 male SUB ALPINE WARBLER (31), 2 NORTHERN WHEATEAR, 2 MEADOW PIPIT (32), 1 NIGHTINGALE (33), STONECHAT (34), YELLOW WAGTAIL (35)  ROCK DOVE (36), 1 RED RUMPED SWALLOW (37), 1 male BLACK EARED WHEATEAR (38), 3 QUAIL (39), 1 male WOODCHAT SHRIKE (40), 1 male BLACK REDSTART (41) 1 male RUPPELLS WARBLER (42) 1 male REDSTART (43) 1 ALPINE SWIFT (44) 1 male CRETZSCHMARS BUNTING (45), 100+ CHIFFCHAFF.

By the Harbour a fishing KINGFISHER (46)

A coastal path walk late afternoon by the Hotel – 2 SONG THRUSH (47), 1 TREE PIPIT (48) 5 LESSER B.BACKED GULL (49). 14 NIGHT HERON flew north west.

Friday 24^th March

From the Hotel calling BLACK FRANCOLIN (50)

Picked up a battered 4 by 4 which we hired for 4 days, gave us this with 165.000 kilometres on the clock because we were likely to go off roading.

First stop Agua Vivara – CHAFFINCH (51) SPARROWHAWK (52) SEDGE WARBLER (53) MAGPIE (54), FAN TAILED WARBLER (55) QUAIL, 1 STONE CURLEW (56)

Next on to Anarita Park – 1 LITTLE OWL (57), 1 male ROCK THRUSH (58) CHUKAR (59) 2 BONELLI’S EAGLES (60) 4 JACKDAW (61) 1 male CYPRUS WHEATEAR (26) 2 male BLACK EARED WHEATEAR.

Near Timi a flock of 50+ SPANISH SPARROW (63)

After lunch returned to the Mandria area to witness one of the best spectacles of the trip – A flock of 60+ BLACK HEADED WAGTAIL (64) many feeding only a few feet from us, SERIN (65), 10 RED THROATED PIPIT (66)

1 JAY (67) 2 OLIVACEOUS WARBLER (68) 10 BLACKCAP.

A short visit to Pathos Sewage Works produced 2 CATTLE EGRET (69) 4 SPURWINGED PLOVER, 1 HOOPOE,1 female BLACK REDSTART, 1 male EASTERN REDSTART (70) 1 ALPINE SWIFT

Saturday 25^th March

A round trip of 220 miles to visit sites at the far eastern end of the island.

First stop at a small reservoir (irrigation) at Aqua Vivara produced a GREEN SANDPIPER (71) 1 WOOD SANDPIPER (72) and in a bush at the side of the road the only GREAT SPOTTED CUCKOO (73) of the trip.

Near Larnaca a TURLTLE DOVE flew over (74)

At Larnaca Airport Pools birds on the water, 2 GREY HERON (75) 1 female MARSH HARRIER (76) 5 STONE CURLEW, 1 LITTLE RINGED PLOVER (77).

At the settling pools – 10 RUDDY SHELDUCK (78) MALLARD (79) 30+ SHOVELER (80) 20 TEAL (81) 4 BLACK WINGED STILT (82) 4 SPUR WINGED PLOVER, 4 COOT (83) 2 WIGEON (84) 2 BLACK NECKED GREBE  (85) 1 male GARGANEY (86) 1 SPOTTED REDSHANK (87) 1 REDSHANK (88) 2 GADWALL (89) 1 MARSH SANDPIPER (90) 2 GREENSHANK (91) 2 LITTLE STINT (92) 2 WOOD SANDPIPER, SKYLARK (93)

Near Spiros Pools – 1 ISABELLINE WHEATEAR (94) 1 KENTISH PLOVER (95)

On Menou Pools – 2 RINGED PLOVER (96) 1 FLAMINGO (97) 4 SLENDER BILLED GULL (98) 2 BLACK HEADED GULL (99)

At Larnaca Salt Lak – 140+ FLAMINGO, 60+ BLACK WINGED STILT, 30+ SLENDER BILLED GULL.

Next stop OROKLINI MARSH – 100+ COOT, Lots of TEAL and SHOVELER, 8 GARGANEY,30+ RUFF (100, 3 LITTLE GREBE (101) 2 MOORHEN (102) 30+ CATTLE EGRET, 1 LITTLE EGRET (103) 2 FERRUGINOUS DUCK (104) 2 PINTAIL (105) 1 SNIPE (106) 1 BUZZARD (107)

Sunday 26^th March

A visit to the reservoir at Aqua Vivara where the GREEN and WOOD SANDPIPER still present.

Next stop Aspro Dam – in the scrubland 2 WREN (108).

On the water a GREAT CRESTED GREBE (109) and on the rocks a pair of BLUE ROCK THRUSH (110)

At Mandria no new additions but 15+ BLACKCAP, 20+ WHITE WAGTAIL, LESSER WHITETHROAT, REDSTART, SKYLARK, CHUKAR, 10+ RED THROATED PIPIT and 3 BLACK HEADED WAGTAIL.

Monday 27^th March

An hour’s drive to  Zakaki Marsh where CRAKES had been seen in recent days, still had 1 male GARGANEY, 3 FERRUEIJOUS DUCK, 12 TEAL, 1 LITTLE CRAKE (111) 1 WATER RAIL (112) 20 SWALLOW, 30 HOUSE MARTIN, 4 SWIFT,2 CETTIS WARBLER, 1 SEDGE WARBLER, 1 REED WARBLER (113) 1 MARSH HARRIER.

Along Lady’s mile around 100 RUFF 1 MARSH SANDPIPER, 2 KENTISH PLOVER, 6 FLAMINGO, 12 BLACK WINGED STILT, 1 RUPPELLS WARBLER, 5 WHEATEAR, BLACK FRANCOLIN and a road casualty BITTERN (114).

Near the Salt Lake visitor centre a CUCKOO (115) flew over.   On the Lake c 750+ FLAMINGO and a flock of 100+ SLENDER BILLED GULL.

At the side of the Lake 2 GREAT WHITE EGRET (116) and 10+ LITTLE EGRET.

On the way to Phassouri Reed Bed a HOOPOE, REED WARBLE, 2 female MARSH HARRIER and SERIN.

Returning to the Hotel decided to visit Secret Valley – which has an 18 hole Golf Course with a large irrigation lake.  Scanning the water’s edge found a stunning PIED KINGFISHER (117) not more than 30 yards away, watched for around 15 minutes also 2 TEAL, 1 HERON 1 LITTLE OWL, 1 HOOPOE and 5 CHUKAR.

At the Aqua Vivara reservoir 2 GREEN and 1 WOOD SANDPIPER, 1 BLACK EARED WHEATEAR and near the Hotel a HOOPOE.

Tuesday 28^TH March

Returned the hire car and then made our second visit to the Pathos Headlands

Offshore on the rocks, CORMORANT, 4 LITTLE AND 1 CATTLE EGRET,

In the gardens – 2 male ORTOLAN BUNTING (118) 2 male CRETZSCHMARS BUNTING, 2 SUB ALPINE WARBLER, 20+ LESSER WHITETHROAT, 2 COMMON WHITETHROAT (119) 1 BLACK REDSTART, 4 SARDINIAN WARBLER,6 WHEATEAR, 1 NIGHTINGALE, 1 m 1 f REDSTART, 1 ROBIN, 1 BLACKBIRD (120) 1 NIGHT HERON, many CHIFFCHAFF,3 HOOPOE, 1 m RUPPELLS WARBLER, 2 SPUR WINGED PLOVER.   On the seaweed mound a COMMON SANDPIPER (121)

An hours walk at 17.00 to the little stream along the coast path paid handsome dividends – both WATER RAIL and a BAILLONS CRAKE (122) seen, also a male CYPRUS WARBLER (123) 1 REED WARBLER, 6 HOOPOE, 7 BLACK HEADED WAGTAIL, 5 WHITE WAGTAIL, 1 WHEATEAR

Wednesday 29^th March

With a late evening flight managed 2 more walks to the small stream – 7 WHEATEAR, 1 ISABELLINE WHEATEAR, 3 LESSER WHITETHROAT, 2 male SPANISH SPARROW, CHIFFCHAFF, 1 male WOODCHAT SHRIKE, and a male ORPHEAN WARBLER (124)

Earlier we heard a CURLEW (125) flying over calling.

Superb weeks birding, Hotel was first class (5*) good food and wine and above all good company with Graham and Daphne Daw, Anne and myself.

Apart from the Car Hire the cost came to £510 per person very good value, car hire and fuel, another £210.

A total of 125 species included 7 life ticks for me – ROCK THRUSH, EASTERN REDSTART, RUPPELLS WARBLER, MASKED SHIRKE, PIED KINGFISHER, BAILLONS CRAKE and ORPHEAN WARBLER (WESTERN)

We will be returning to this fantastic island for more.