Cyprus Birding (1 Viewer)

[TWM]

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]

Redstarts Eastern Race 'samamisicus' race Ehrenberg's Redstart

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]

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]

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]

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]

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...