Cyprus 2011 (1 Viewer)

[Nick Smith]

Possibly visiting Cyprus this Easter 2011. Can anyone post any up to date information and sightings plus any new site information for the forth coming season pls.
Thanks in advance

 

[pete wragg]

Possibly visiting Cyprus this Easter 2011. Can anyone post any up to date information and sightings plus any new site information for the forth coming season pls.
Thanks in advance

Recent bird news can be found here

http://www.birdlifecyprus.org/index...=category&layout=blog&id=73&Itemid=83&lang=en

 

[pete wragg]

Possibly visiting Cyprus this Easter 2011. Can anyone post any up to date information and sightings plus any new site information for the forth coming season pls.
Thanks in advance

There is a new "Gosney Guide" with many sites that were not in the earlier version.

 

[Nick Smith]

Yes I have just received the new Gosney Guide. A lot of information and sites!

 

[schiffornis]

Hi Nick, I'm going to be going over in May, would be good to hear how things are if you are going over before then?

Cheers, Andy

 

[Nick Smith]

What time does it get light in April in Cyprus

 

[schiffornis]

What time does it get light in April in Cyprus

Hi Nick - I use this site: http://www.sunrisesunsetmap.com i think you just need to set the time zone and it should work.

Andy

 

[pete wragg]

What time does it get light in April in Cyprus

Last week in March,it was birding light by 05.45

 

[wolfbirder]

I am going 6th April - 10th April for 4 days dedicated birding (but do not have a camera). Will do a detailed report on my return.

Spending 2 nights Cape Greco (near Protaras/Aya Napa), then 2 nights near Paphos headland. Have car so aim to do some of the key areas highlighted in the excellent Gosney DVD and book that I have just got.

 

[CJW]

Best advice? Have a great time and, at all costs, avoid any returning/resident British birders - they're the biggest bunch of t0$$ers I've ever experienced abroad: "it's my 20th visit" followed by "it's not as good as it was 10 years ago" or "it used to be better", etc etc.

 

[pete wragg]

Best advice? Have a great time and, at all costs, avoid any returning/resident British birders - they're the biggest bunch of t0$$ers I've ever experienced abroad: "it's my 20th visit" followed by "it's not as good as it was 10 years ago" or "it used to be better", etc etc.

Yes I met quite a few of this type last year,they almost seemed resigned to the fact they weren't going to see anything.
Didn't stop me having a good time,and finding a few decent birds.
Going back again this year,but will probably avoid the more popular sites.
There's just so much potential to find your own birds.

Pete.

 

[MJB]

Best advice? Have a great time and, at all costs, avoid any returning/resident British birders - they're the biggest bunch of t0$$ers I've ever experienced abroad: "it's my 20th visit" followed by "it's not as good as it was 10 years ago" or "it used to be better", etc etc.

Could be they're prejudiced against people with three legs!:-O:-O:-O
MJB
PS I know what you mean, but there are some expatriates who are pretty damn good, but they don't say much...

 

[pete wragg]

Just back from 10 days in Cyprus.Despite no large numbers of common/scarce migrants I did better than I could have hoped for regarding finding good birds.
Didn't do many sites,but the ones I did I worked hard at.
Had four days in the west,birding mostly at Cape Drepanum,a day moving across the island checking a few sites,then four and half days at Cape Greko/Agia Napa,last half day around Larnaca.
Found Bimaculated Larks(17),Siberian Stonechat,Hooded Wheatear,Kurdish Wheatear,Saker,Rock Thrush,Pallid Harrier(5 + 2 distant ringtails),Bluethroat and Caspian Tern (didn't realise at the time,but this is rarer than Caspian plover on Cyprus !).
I've put some pics on surfbirds.
Looked for a Caspian Plover on last day that had been at Larnaca,but didn't find it.
Agia Napa Sewage Works was good for Eastern Bonelli's,saw them there every day.
My advise to anyone going out there is,pick a site and work at it.There are birds to be found,even when there aren't loads of common migrants about.

Pete.

 

[wolfbirder]

Just back from 10 days in Cyprus.Despite no large numbers of common/scarce migrants I did better than I could have hoped for regarding finding good birds.
Didn't do many sites,but the ones I did I worked hard at.
Had four days in the west,birding mostly at Cape Drepanum,a day moving across the island checking a few sites,then four and half days at Cape Greko/Agia Napa,last half day around Larnaca.
Found Bimaculated Larks(17),Siberian Stonechat,Hooded Wheatear,Kurdish Wheatear,Saker,Rock Thrush,Pallid Harrier(5 + 2 distant ringtails),Bluethroat and Caspian Tern (didn't realise at the time,but this is rarer than Caspian plover on Cyprus !).
I've put some pics on surfbirds.
Looked for a Caspian Plover on last day that had been at Larnaca,but didn't find it.
Agia Napa Sewage Works was good for Eastern Bonelli's,saw them there every day.
My advise to anyone going out there is,pick a site and work at it.There are birds to be found,even when there aren't loads of common migrants about.

Pete.

Jeez you did fantastically - well jealous! As you say migration is slow but happening tho unspectacular numbers wise. I did 2 days at Cape Grecko & 2 at Paphos, taking in all the spots shown by Gosney during a brief 4 day trip.

Saw the Kurdish Wheatear (used to known as Red-Tailed Wheatear I think), but only a brief juv Pallid Harrier (really wanted to see a male!). Couldn't find the Hooded Wheatear at Amatheus Hill (a one day bird I believe), and my highlights were probably run of the mill stuff for Cyprus birders...... 1 Great Spotted Cuckoo, 1 Masked Shrike, 5 Collared Flycatchers (all today before I flew back), 4 Ruppell's Warblers, 2 Subalpine Warblers, 2 Eastern Bonelli's Warbler's, 4 Cretzchsmar's Buntings, 1 Ortolan Bunting, 1 RT Pipit, 3 Alpine Swift, 2 Marsh Sands, 1 Whiskered Tern, 5 Collared Pratincoles, 1 SB Gull, 2 Woodchat Shrike, 1 Little Crake, 6 Wrynecks, loads of Pipits /Wagtails / Spectacled Warblers, BE Wheatears etc , all the endemics - Cyprus Pied Wheatear, Cyprus Warbler, Treecreeper, Jay, Black Francolin, plus resident 2 LL Buzzards, possible distant Bonelli's Eagle.

 

[Nick Smith]

Another question - I'm getting a variety of answers to this one, but how long does it take to drive from Paphos to Troodos pls?

 

[wolfbirder]

Another question - I'm getting a variety of answers to this one, but how long does it take to drive from Paphos to Troodos pls?

It takes about 1.5 hours "if" you go from Pafos up via Nata Ford winding you way up. Not much to see birdwise en route. Kestrels! (It actually only took me 45 mins on the good road back down to Limmasol).

Gosney suggested 2-3 sites to see birds, (small drinking pools), but I found all of them deserted of birds (it was too windy at these isolated points) at either end of the village. I found a Jay, Treecreeper, several Coal Tits, several Crossbills, Eastern Bonelli's Warbler, Serin, Goldfinches, Chaffinches, and of course House Sparrows all within a dedicated area across the road from the toilet block / green bins, down in a hollow about 100 metres by 50 metres. This was a sheltered spot leading down to a green basket ball court.

Just park up by the toilets, cross the road and work your way down I would suggest. If no good, go searching elsewhere. I was lucky with the jay and Treecreeper. But after seeing nowt for 30 mins, I saw all these within ten minutes.

 

[wolfbirder]

My report now showing under Vacational Trip Reports.

 

[melanothorax]

I haven't seen the Gosney Guide, but I live hereabouts in Cyprus so I guess that makes me a tosser.

But while you're in Troodos area, try the following list of sites:
Platania
Leivada Tou Pasha
Troodos Square itself
By the Psilo Dendro restaurant, up to the Kaledonia Falls
By the Amiandos Mine

In addition to the birds mentioned above, you should be able to see Pallid Swift, Crag Martin, Masked Shrike, Olivaceous Warbler (although it may still be early for this one), Wren, Blackbird, Cyprus Wheatear. Short-toed Treecreeper should be easily heard all over the place, even if it's difficult to get eyes on them. Similar with the Jays, Serin and Chaffinches mentioned.

 

[wolfbirder]

Got to say I bumped into some ex-pat localised birders who were most helpful and informative, tho lets be fair you get tossers everywhere!

 

[melanothorax]

Got to say I bumped into some ex-pat localised birders who were most helpful and informative, tho lets be fair you get tossers everywhere!

Yeah I know... sorry, I'm not sure my odd sense of humor came across well in text. ;-)