Cyprus - April 2024 (1 Viewer)

[PYRTLE]

One of my favourite places ( Germasogeia Dam ) and the surrounding villages, based at Akountra a couple of times. The walk down to the church where I too finally connected with S.C.Flycatcher and a nightly serenade of Scops Owls together with tree frogs.
Lovely trip report triggering great memories.

 

[foresttwitcher]

One of my favourite places ( Germasogeia Dam ) and the surrounding villages, based at Akountra a couple of times. The walk down to the church where I too finally connected with S.C.Flycatcher and a nightly serenade of Scops Owls together with tree frogs.
Lovely trip report triggering great memories.

Thanks. Glad you're enjoying the read, Pat.

 

[Scridifer]

Well pleased the Scops Owl worked out Pete, and absolutely delighted you got your Semicollared (especially a male) too! It's great when a plan comes together!

Chris

 

[wolfbirder]

Brings back memories of several trips I did to the island around 10 years ago. Like you I love the place, I tended to favour Paphos headland, Anarita Park and the nearby dam / copse at Mavrokolympos Dam and coppice, also Mandria, or at the opposite end of the island around Cape Greco.

Some places like Polis and the Akamas peninsula, and especially Smiggies were very frustrating and underwhelming though, but just driving around was usually quite productive. I need to return for Cyprus Scops Owl but I try to coincide my trips with Pallid Harrier migration which is last week March and first week in April, when its a bit cooler, maybe a bit too early for most migration.

Nice report Pete. The view from your accommodation looks the bees-knees!

 

[foresttwitcher]

Well pleased the Scops Owl worked out Pete, and absolutely delighted you got your Semicollared (especially a male) too! It's great when a plan comes together!

Chris

Thanks again Chris for the information and yes it had been a very productive trip with some fortuitous sightings / timings.

 

[foresttwitcher]

Brings back memories of several trips I did to the island around 10 years ago. Like you I love the place, I tended to favour Paphos headland, Anarita Park and the nearby dam / copse at Mavrokolympos Dam and coppice, also Mandria, or at the opposite end of the island around Cape Greco.

Some places like Polis and the Akamas peninsula, and especially Smiggies were very frustrating and underwhelming though, but just driving around was usually quite productive. I need to return for Cyprus Scops Owl but I try to coincide my trips with Pallid Harrier migration which is last week March and first week in April, when its a bit cooler, maybe a bit too early for most migration.

Nice report Pete. The view from your accommodation looks the bees-knees!

Thanks for the comments Nick. Hope you get back out there soon.

 

[foresttwitcher]

Monday 22nd April:

The nest was occupied by a well tucked down House Martin when I first checked. I loved it at a cooler altitude in the forest a couple of days ago so set off back to Troodos this morning. I had previously noticed another trail starting from the village so parked and set off along the 14km Atalanti Trail, which again circumnavigated the peak but this time a little lower than the first one, at between 1720 and 1820m asl. I had not expected anything new today but just wanted a nice walk. Many of the same species were seen but no Crossbill, fewer of the Wren, Treecreeper and Jay but still plenty of Coal Tit, Cyprus Wheatear and Chaffinch. A Cuckoo was heard again, Blackbird heard and seen and a number of Chukar flushed. Just before reaching the ski area there was a puddle in the track and a few Chaffinch flew up on my approach. So I found a spot to sit and eat with a view of the water and over time the Chaffinch were joined by Coal Tit, Goldfinch, a couple of Serin and a nice male Brambling. Back at the village the Masked Shrike was again present.

I left the village on the Nicosia road and pulled in to the Livadi Tou Passia pic-nic site and wandered around. A few each of the common species around plus an Easter Olivaceous singing from the scrub on the edge of the wet peat meadow. Moving downhill a bit further I did the same at the Almirolivado Pic-nic Site adding Great Tit and Blackcap for the day. Being a forester I sort of felt obliged to call in at the Troodos Botanical Garden - a bit of a busman's holiday perhaps but quite interesting to me and some nice views over the old asbestos mine added Kestrel, Eleonora's Falcon, Barn and Red-rumped Swallow, House Martin and Pallid Swift circling around plus Greenfinch in the tree tops. Maps.Me brought me back towards Pissouri on a bit of a tortuous route but along some very nice rural roads. At one point from an area of rural farmland and vineyards, the road plunged down a narrow gorge with steep limestone cliffs on either side, somewhere near a place called Koilani, and I stopped off for a scan on the off chance and within minutes saw a couple of Crag Martin flying in front of the rock face. Then back to base for a sort of attempt to pack ready for the last day tomorrow.

Photos:

1. Forgotten from yesterdays post - a view of the habitat at Pissouri Bay East Cliffs;
2. An impressive 800 year old Cyprus / Troodos / Stinking Juniper.

 

[foresttwitcher]

Apologies for the delay - real life always intervenes!

Tuesday 23rd April:

The House Martins were still in occupation this morning.

Bit of an odd day today as I had to leave the accommodation this morning but did not need to return the car until this evening. I had seen my main targets and visited most of the sites I had earmarked so was not really sure what to do. In hindsight it may have been good to look on ebird for any other hotspots or interesting sightings but for some reason (I can only suggest age) this completely slipped my mind. So I set off for a relaxed revisit of the places I had already been to and that had offered the best 'value' in terms of bird numbers.

First up was Paphos Headland to repeat the previous walk to see if there was any change in the migrants. The walk round the outside was a bit quieter bird-wise as there were a lot of joggers / cyclists and a municipal work team with strimmers. Inside the archaeological area I found Northern Wheatear, Willow Warbler, Blackcap and Lesser Whitethroat - presumably new migrants. Otherwise the more common species were as before and a Cyprus Warbler was nice.

Next I returned to Mandria for a look around the fields. It had only been a day over a week since my previous visit and I couldn't believe the amount of new growth on what had been the freshly harvested field; I know the climate is good but the crop had re-sprouted to such an extent that it appeared no longer of interest to the wagtails and even if it had been they would have been much more difficult to see. I could not find any newly cut fields and one that had been recently ploughed did not seem to have attracted any birds.

Onward to Phasouri Reedbed. Not quite as full of activity as last time but still good views and numbers of some of the same species around in the pools. Plus White and Blue-headed Wagtails on the short walk from the middle parking area to the hide.

Ladies Mile Beach had been a good site before and so it proved again with the waders concentrated in the same area giving good, close views. The Phalaropes, Curlew Sandpiper and Spotted Redshank had moved on but the other species were generally the same in the mixed feeding flock with the addition of a lone Whimbrel tucked up against a clump of short sedge.

It was sort of the same story again at the two hides at Oroklini Marsh which was again busy with the comings and goings of the same species as before although some were seen from the opposite end of the site. The only addition here, and the last new bird for the trip list, was a drake Common Pochard that was hanging around with the Red-crested drakes. It was nice to see the Garganey and Ferruginous again. The highlight, however, was a nice Little Crake seen well.

This had been a slow, relaxed type of day with a lot of sitting and watching but eventually it was turning to dusk and time to return the car, check in, eat and catch a late evening flight. No issues and back at Gatwick in the wee hours of Wednesday and then the drive on a quite M25 (!) to get home about 02:30.

A very successful trip (116 species total; 5 lifers plus 6 new sub-species) on a nice island with great birds, nice scenery and fine weather.

 

[Scridifer]

Always a joy to see a Little Crake, a very satisfactory end to a successful trip. Thanks for taking the time to write it up Pete, much appreciated! Hoping to return one day for the Wheatear, Scops Owl and Cretzschmar's Bunting.

Chris

 

[foresttwitcher]

Always a joy to see a Little Crake, a very satisfactory end to a successful trip. Thanks for taking the time to write it up Pete, much appreciated! Hoping to return one day for the Wheatear, Scops Owl and Cretzschmar's Bunting.

Chris

Thanks, Chris, glad you enjoyed the read.

 

[wolfbirder]

Again, I concur, a great report and got me thinking of a Cyprus return next year simply for relaxed enjoyable birding.

 

[foresttwitcher]

Thanks, Nick, and enjoy it if you go back.