shymollymawk
Well-known member
We went to Cyprus in early July; for a change we were able to go before the school holidays as the boys had finished their exams. We stayed at an all-inclusive resort, Akti Beach Village Resort, about 4km north of Paphos. It was extremely good value, especially as eating out seemed quite expensive. We didn’t hire a car, so relied on the bus network to get around. With planning it is possible to see quite a bit of west Cyprus on the very cheap Paphos network (1 euro for any bus trip, 3 euros for a day, 13 euros for a week). The heat was amazing, 35 C plus every day. It was hot by 8am, and stayed that way into the evening.
I was lucky with the hotel location as there was a fair bit of wasteland/scrub/orchards nearby (always essential for us Dad birders to have for our early morning walks). The first morning I found Chukar, Black Francolin (seen while scanning with bins, perched on a rock), and Cyprus Warbler in low scrub on a rocky outcrop. A couple of Bee-eaters were near some bee-hives. Crested Lark and Zitting Cisticola were common. I was a bit wary about where I went, as Blunt-nosed Viper seems to be something to watch out for. The only snake I did see was a five-foot Large Whip Snake near Coral Bay, crossing a dirt track up in front, which was enough excitement for me.
The following day we caught a bus up to Panagia in the hills. This is the birthplace of Archbishop Makarios III, architect of Independence. Cyprus Wheatear was easy to see here on the rooftops. There is a Nature Trail, but again far too hot (and very steep). I managed to trek to the first viewpoint. I did see Serin and Eastern Orphean Warbler, along with some nice butterflies.
On Saturday I caught a bus to Coral Bay, and walked north along the minor roads. Scorchio as usual, but I had an Eleanora’s Falcon fly over (another flew over Karavella Bus station in Paphos) and flushed a Spur-winged Plover in a field. Again too hot to see much.
Sunday we visited the Archaeological Park by the harbour, and Monday we did a day–trip to Latchi in the north. Four buses to get there, and a taxi and three buses to get back! We needed a taxi as the Polis bus went by without picking us up in Latchi (the driver indicated it was full (!)) and the next bus wasn’t for two hours. The buses are usually very prompt indeed and won’t wait.
Tuesday I did a solo bus trip to Mandria, in the hope of finding some water with dragonflies. I walked to the south along a minor road (parallel to the motorway) to the dried-up riverbed, then north to the next road-bridge. Here I saw a sign indicating the Asprokemmmos dam was only one km away. So I walked. Sun-hat, sun lotion and lots of water are essential if you do this sort of stuff. On the way I saw Chukar, Roller and Red-rumped Swallow. At the southern end of the causeway there is a nice area of water-side vegetation, with loads of dragonflies (Slender Skimmer and Violet Dropwing for instance). It’s signed no access, so I’m not recommending it
. There are also lots of cobwebs with big yellow spiders to manoeuvre around. I flushed a Great Spotted Cuckoo here. Unfortunately because I had messed up my bus connections getting there (should have caught the 0630), it was time to turn back after an hour. It would have been good to spend more time there. As it was I made the bus in Mandria with five minutes to spare.
Even in the heat of summer a successful trip, I saw the endemics and some specialities, and found some nice butterflies and dragonflies.
Hooded Crow Paphos 11/07/2012
House Sparrow Paphos 11/07/2012
Barn Swallow Paphos 11/07/2012
Wood Pigeon Paphos 11/07/2012
Feral Pigeon Paphos 11/07/2012
Collared Dove Paphos 11/07/2012
House Martin Paphos 11/07/2012
Chukar Paphos 12/07/2012
Black Francolin Paphos 12/07/2012
Cyprus Warbler Paphos 12/07/2012
Goldfinch Paphos 12/07/2012
Greenfinch Paphos 12/07/2012
Yellow-legged Gull Paphos 12/07/2012
Bee-eater Paphos 12/07/2012
Crested Lark Paphos 12/07/2012
Zitting Cisticola Paphos 12/07/2012
Great Tit Paphos 12/07/2012
Linnet Paphos 12/07/2012
Magpie Paphos 12/07/2012
Cyprus Wheatear Panagia 13/07/2012
Swift Panagia 13/07/2012
Eastern Orphean Warbler Panagia 13/07/2012
Spanish Sparrow Paphos 13/07/2012
Serin Panagia 13/07/2012
Eleanora's Falcon Coral Bay 14/07/2012
Kestrel Coral Bay 14/07/2012
Spur-winged Plover Coral Bay 14/07/2012
Green Sandpiper Coral Bay 14/07/2012
Roller Aspro Dam 17/07/2012
Red-rumped Swallow Aspro Dam 17/07/2012
Great Spotted Cuckoo Aspro Dam 17/07/2012
Common Sandpiper Aspro Dam 17/07/2012
Reptiles & Amphibians
Lemon-yellow Tree Frog
Large Whip Snake
Starred Agama
Striped Skink
Snake-eyed Lizard
Butterflies
Swallowtail
Large White
Small White
Bath White
Two-tailed Pasha
Clouded Yellow
Cleopatra
Long-tailed Blue
Lang’s Short-tailed Blue
Cyprus Grayling
Eastern Rock Grayling
Cyprus Meadow Brown
Large Wall Brown
Lesser Fiery Copper
Grass Jewel
Common Blue
Mallow Skipper
Dragonflies
Common Bluetail
Lesser Emperor
Black-tailed Skimmer
Southern Skimmer
Epaulet Skimmer
Slender Skimmer
Southern Darter
Red-veined Darter
Broad Scarlet
Violet Dropwing
I was lucky with the hotel location as there was a fair bit of wasteland/scrub/orchards nearby (always essential for us Dad birders to have for our early morning walks). The first morning I found Chukar, Black Francolin (seen while scanning with bins, perched on a rock), and Cyprus Warbler in low scrub on a rocky outcrop. A couple of Bee-eaters were near some bee-hives. Crested Lark and Zitting Cisticola were common. I was a bit wary about where I went, as Blunt-nosed Viper seems to be something to watch out for. The only snake I did see was a five-foot Large Whip Snake near Coral Bay, crossing a dirt track up in front, which was enough excitement for me.
The following day we caught a bus up to Panagia in the hills. This is the birthplace of Archbishop Makarios III, architect of Independence. Cyprus Wheatear was easy to see here on the rooftops. There is a Nature Trail, but again far too hot (and very steep). I managed to trek to the first viewpoint. I did see Serin and Eastern Orphean Warbler, along with some nice butterflies.
On Saturday I caught a bus to Coral Bay, and walked north along the minor roads. Scorchio as usual, but I had an Eleanora’s Falcon fly over (another flew over Karavella Bus station in Paphos) and flushed a Spur-winged Plover in a field. Again too hot to see much.
Sunday we visited the Archaeological Park by the harbour, and Monday we did a day–trip to Latchi in the north. Four buses to get there, and a taxi and three buses to get back! We needed a taxi as the Polis bus went by without picking us up in Latchi (the driver indicated it was full (!)) and the next bus wasn’t for two hours. The buses are usually very prompt indeed and won’t wait.
Tuesday I did a solo bus trip to Mandria, in the hope of finding some water with dragonflies. I walked to the south along a minor road (parallel to the motorway) to the dried-up riverbed, then north to the next road-bridge. Here I saw a sign indicating the Asprokemmmos dam was only one km away. So I walked. Sun-hat, sun lotion and lots of water are essential if you do this sort of stuff. On the way I saw Chukar, Roller and Red-rumped Swallow. At the southern end of the causeway there is a nice area of water-side vegetation, with loads of dragonflies (Slender Skimmer and Violet Dropwing for instance). It’s signed no access, so I’m not recommending it
. There are also lots of cobwebs with big yellow spiders to manoeuvre around. I flushed a Great Spotted Cuckoo here. Unfortunately because I had messed up my bus connections getting there (should have caught the 0630), it was time to turn back after an hour. It would have been good to spend more time there. As it was I made the bus in Mandria with five minutes to spare. Even in the heat of summer a successful trip, I saw the endemics and some specialities, and found some nice butterflies and dragonflies.
Hooded Crow Paphos 11/07/2012
House Sparrow Paphos 11/07/2012
Barn Swallow Paphos 11/07/2012
Wood Pigeon Paphos 11/07/2012
Feral Pigeon Paphos 11/07/2012
Collared Dove Paphos 11/07/2012
House Martin Paphos 11/07/2012
Chukar Paphos 12/07/2012
Black Francolin Paphos 12/07/2012
Cyprus Warbler Paphos 12/07/2012
Goldfinch Paphos 12/07/2012
Greenfinch Paphos 12/07/2012
Yellow-legged Gull Paphos 12/07/2012
Bee-eater Paphos 12/07/2012
Crested Lark Paphos 12/07/2012
Zitting Cisticola Paphos 12/07/2012
Great Tit Paphos 12/07/2012
Linnet Paphos 12/07/2012
Magpie Paphos 12/07/2012
Cyprus Wheatear Panagia 13/07/2012
Swift Panagia 13/07/2012
Eastern Orphean Warbler Panagia 13/07/2012
Spanish Sparrow Paphos 13/07/2012
Serin Panagia 13/07/2012
Eleanora's Falcon Coral Bay 14/07/2012
Kestrel Coral Bay 14/07/2012
Spur-winged Plover Coral Bay 14/07/2012
Green Sandpiper Coral Bay 14/07/2012
Roller Aspro Dam 17/07/2012
Red-rumped Swallow Aspro Dam 17/07/2012
Great Spotted Cuckoo Aspro Dam 17/07/2012
Common Sandpiper Aspro Dam 17/07/2012
Reptiles & Amphibians
Lemon-yellow Tree Frog
Large Whip Snake
Starred Agama
Striped Skink
Snake-eyed Lizard
Butterflies
Swallowtail
Large White
Small White
Bath White
Two-tailed Pasha
Clouded Yellow
Cleopatra
Long-tailed Blue
Lang’s Short-tailed Blue
Cyprus Grayling
Eastern Rock Grayling
Cyprus Meadow Brown
Large Wall Brown
Lesser Fiery Copper
Grass Jewel
Common Blue
Mallow Skipper
Dragonflies
Common Bluetail
Lesser Emperor
Black-tailed Skimmer
Southern Skimmer
Epaulet Skimmer
Slender Skimmer
Southern Darter
Red-veined Darter
Broad Scarlet
Violet Dropwing
