Cyprus (1 Viewer)

[alananne]

The family are off to Cyprus in May on what is NOT a birding trip but even from a fairly fixed holiday location around Coral Bay I hope to see something.

I usually try to take a European field guide [apart from the year my grandson put it back on the bookshelf after finding it on my haversack] and buy a local guide [like Gosney on the Canaries only he had not gone to Grand Canaria when he published his booklet!]

At the moment I have Collins Bird Guide [The most complete field.... you know the one?]. Has anyone used this as far East as Cyprus as a general guide?

I had hoped to find a book that told me about the Birds of Cyprus rather than one written from the aspect of birdwatching sites. Has anyone come across at least a checklist of birds found on Cyprus around that time of year?

:cat: 3

 

[dan pointon]

The family are off to Cyprus in May on what is NOT a birding trip but even from a fairly fixed holiday location around Coral Bay I hope to see something.

I usually try to take a European field guide [apart from the year my grandson put it back on the bookshelf after finding it on my haversack] and buy a local guide [like Gosney on the Canaries only he had not gone to Grand Canaria when he published his booklet!]

At the moment I have Collins Bird Guide [The most complete field.... you know the one?]. Has anyone used this as far East as Cyprus as a general guide?

I had hoped to find a book that told me about the Birds of Cyprus rather than one written from the aspect of birdwatching sites. Has anyone come across at least a checklist of birds found on Cyprus around that time of year?

:cat: 3

Hi,

I've been to Cyprus a few times and the Collins Guide is more than sufficient for IDs. If you want a checklist of the birds of Cyprus and some precise details on where to find birds in Cyprus, you should definitely consider getting the excellent book 'A Birdwatching Guide to Cyprus' by Arthur Stagg and Graham Hearl. That will provide you with info on where to find certain species, and general birding sites in Cyprus, as well as a checklist. Here's a link to Amazon who sell the book at a good price: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Birdwatching-Guide-Cyprus-Arthur-Stagg/dp/1900159805

Cyprus in May should be magic, migration over there especially in the spring is awesome.

HTH

D

 

[alananne]

Hi,

I've been to Cyprus a few times and the Collins Guide is more than sufficient for IDs. If you want a checklist of the birds of Cyprus and some precise details on where to find birds in Cyprus, you should definitely consider getting the excellent book 'A Birdwatching Guide to Cyprus' by Arthur Stagg and Graham Hearl. That will provide you with info on where to find certain species, and general birding sites in Cyprus, as well as a checklist. Here's a link to Amazon who sell the book at a good price: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Birdwatching-Guide-Cyprus-Arthur-Stagg/dp/1900159805

Cyprus in May should be magic, migration over there especially in the spring is awesome.

HTH

D

Thanks for that recommendation, Dan. I have tried to get an appreciation of that book for a while. It is on my Amazon wishlist.

I have stumbled on a Bird Club for Cyprus [BirdLife Cyprus] and their Bird Reports for 2000 and 2001 [both 116 pps] are online as well as a full species list for the idland with linked search details. Thankfully I have 16 weeks to read through these.

:cat: 3

 

[pauliev69]

The family are off to Cyprus in May on what is NOT a birding trip but even from a fairly fixed holiday location around Coral Bay I hope to see something.

I usually try to take a European field guide [apart from the year my grandson put it back on the bookshelf after finding it on my haversack] and buy a local guide [like Gosney on the Canaries only he had not gone to Grand Canaria when he published his booklet!]

At the moment I have Collins Bird Guide [The most complete field.... you know the one?]. Has anyone used this as far East as Cyprus as a general guide?

I had hoped to find a book that told me about the Birds of Cyprus rather than one written from the aspect of birdwatching sites. Has anyone come across at least a checklist of birds found on Cyprus around that time of year?

:cat: 3

Hi
on a visit to Paphos last year I bought a nice field guide from the hotel shop, Birds OF Cyprus by J.M.E. Took, it was £7.50
Its 155 pages with descriptions and nicely coloured plates, anice book to look out for when you get there.
The Collins still remains the best IMHO
Hope you have a great time

 

[J dear]

Hi
on a visit to Paphos last year I bought a nice field guide from the hotel shop, Birds OF Cyprus by J.M.E. Took, it was £7.50
Its 155 pages with descriptions and nicely coloured plates, anice book to look out for when you get there.
The Collins still remains the best IMHO
Hope you have a great time

I've been a couple of times. Two years ago I found that Birdlife Cyprus had a field visit nearby and contacted them .I was duly invited and had a great day being shown around the hot spots - sewage farms, rock faces etc. If you can get to Paphos Headland early in the morning, there is hole in the perimeter fence and an open gate which gets you in from the sea ward side. Plenty of migrants passing through in May. I'm from near Middlesbrough and I met a number of Geordie birders on family holidays who got out for an early bit of birding! Enjoy your visit.
John

 

[Steve Lister]

If staying at Coral Bay I suggest you head north(ish) towads Cape Drepanum and Agios Georgios. You get the same sort of birds as on Paphos headland and in similar numbers but without all the dog walkers, joggers and birders that disturb Paphos. Found a Hooded Wheatear there one spring.

Steve

 

[Goat]

Try A Birdwatchers Guide to the Birds of Cyprus by Bill Oddie and Derk MOoore, Catton Priniting Norwich NR7 8SX. Show you a good few sites and also has on the back pages a Systematic Checklist.
If you hire a car make sure it is at east a Rav4 or Suzuki and that the insurance covers you for off road! Once found out that the minute I left tarmac then I was uninsured.

Good sites are the port are at Limassol heading out to kadies Beach and Akrotiri( and possible a free dislay bythe Red Arrows), the reed beds at Phasouri and the northern end of the Asprokremnos dam but you will need 4x4 down that track ( but knowing Cyrpus and all the develoment is is probably a four lane A road.

 

[Andrew]

Are many of the sites in Cyprus accessible on foot after leaving your car parked up?

I do worry about the hire car at many European birding locations. Had a few uncomfortable 'clangs' underneath and got away with them all so far!

 

[alananne]

Hi,

you should definitely consider getting the excellent book 'A Birdwatching Guide to Cyprus' by Arthur Stagg and Graham Hearl. That will provide you with info on where to find certain species, and general birding sites in Cyprus, as well as a checklist.
HTH

D

Got book today. Had a very quick skim through and it looks a very nice book with the checklist having a quick reference to when the bird might be seen [or missed altogether]

:cat: 3