March into April, Paphos Headland 29th-5th. (1 Viewer)

[KenM]

Certainly my best week’s “all time” visit to the headland, suspecting my daily mileage
(c9miles) in no small part contributed to it’s success.
As my ankles and knees would bear painful testament to….as always thanking the gods for painkillers.😮

Hit the ground stumbling Sunday (30th) am
and ne’er looked back.
For moi being a junkie, it’s the hunting and hopefully finding, that keeps the adrenaline forever turning.

My first jaw drop (didn’t know it was on the headland), was seeing a small army of birders (Arc Ruin) site, looking in my general direction, albeit through areas of impediment artefact rocks.

Sensing that it might be a Wheatear (have had a few on site), was suddenly alerted to flashes of black and white appearing, then disappearing, behind the rocks.

Sure enough it eventually perched up on a wall and my firing commenced (would’ve preferred to have been closer) but hey!…shooting with the sun behind was preferable to being in front.

I thought what a tremendous start to the day…Finsch’s Wheatear In the rushes already (tick no.1), how does one follow that?
From a “Cyprus Rarity” standpoint I couldn’t!
I just had to make do with “B” list celebs….of which there was no shortage.

To be continued….

 

[KenM]

Making my way West towards the end of the ruin (often the jumping off point for terrestrial passerines in Spring), I was rewarded with Northern, Black-eared Wheatears, Yellow Wagtails and Tawny Pipits…it was very much like coming home.😊
Interestingly for moi, it was the first time that I’d consciously observed 1st Winter Tawny Pipits with markedly contrasting wings against an almost saturated cream wash, quite distinct from the adults, looking almost like a different species!
Also the Yellow Wags in various plumages- feldegg, thunbergi, beema, dombrowskii etc + what I can only ascribe to the latter….dark grey headed birds with a hint of turquoise…dunno?

Heading back East along the track then NW to the “Odeon” amphitheatre, caught sight of a dark thrush sized bird disappearing behind a slab rock (just on size it was interesting), waited for several minutes before it dutifully reappeared in shadow at the top.

Knowing it was a goodie…I tentatively raised my bins and fist at the same time….endorph surge..BLUE ROCK THRUSH!
The last time I saw one of these was in “Stowe” a few years back, and would be my 2nd Paphos tick of the day, closely followed by my 3rd a putative ARMENIAN GULL! off the headland.😮

Then walking back past the “Odeon” field,
I managed a recognisably bad shot of a CYPRUS WHEATEAR! afore it took flight, following a suspected Orphean Warbler in the canopied shadows which proved hard to nail with the camera.
Too much excitement for one day I decreed..time for a COFFEE and tomorrow’s another day, before encountering a Westbound flight of Purple and Night Herons regular passage for these at this time.

To be continued….

 

[KenM]

Monday 31st of March- being replete with my breakfast bowl of fruit followed by two slices of toast and a cup of Rosie Lee…I was out the door and on the road “to ruin”🤣 by 7.30 am.
Most birders (self included) work the headland path for any visible passage on land or sea before returning to the Arc.Ruin, which opens at 8.30.am.
Wind at the time was mostly fresh out the East, so a sweater was always a must, till the sun got a move on.
A quick check on the Finsch’s “site” revealed most of the Wags and Wheats c20 had departed overnight, leaving the star attraction behind, to chase off any Northern/BEWheats. or indeed any White Wags that dared to intrude into his preferred foraging area…and this he did repeatedly!
Leaving the “Finsch’s” site, I headed towards the Odeon via the lighthouse hill top, bringing me down towards the BRT spot, where I had a truly outstanding memorable experience!

Catching a “movement” in a small bush just off the path almost opposite the Amphi (Odeon), a flash of brick red…a superb male CRETZSCHMAR’S BUNTING!
interacting with an ORPHEAN WARBLER,
2 Chiffchaff and a WRYNECK!
Panic set in immediately whilst activating “the bridge”.
Managed two out of three, with the CRETZSCHMAR’S eluding me and the WRYNECK virtually screened behind a matrix of branches.😩
However, I kinda scored with the ORPHEAN!
a bird I’ve always been unable to properly image
before…until now! 😊
Then high on endorphs. I turned right at the Odeon corner and headed North along the drystone wall, then another left and a right past the “pergola” still North, until the path split left and right.
As I took the left path into a “fantastic” field of “thigh high” vibrant yellow daises (wish I’d imaged them as they weren’t there the following day!)
I heard what to my ear sounded very much like SAVI’S WARBLER singing from the daisies!!! another tick! (No images I’m afraid))😩
Then another tick!…in the shape of a FOX!...lying on the path, which I was able to image, unfortunately it was in a “bad way” thus I turned back and left it in peace.
Heading back, I noted an increase in Lesser Whitethroats and on high..my first ever March Swift!….lest not forgetting the regular Woodchat Shrikes, three at one point on the headland!

To be continued….

 

[KenM]

April 1st, a Big Dip day for moi…more about that later, breaking with tradition, I had breakfast with the missus for a change.😮
After which, we walked East along the prom to the end of the hotel strip, to an area of land set aside as a reserve of sorts, with No Entry signs posted.

This proved to be less productive than the Western end (Arc.Ruin), although a group of 14 CATTLE EGRETS (the only ones seen on the trip),
a CRIMSON SPECKLED, plus a great coffee stop resplendent with a very attractive feline.
This went some way in appeasing my desire into going back to the “ruin”, which was of course an afternoon must!

Returning to site pm and finding the sky filled with a flock of SHORT-TOED LARKS c60 strong heading West, a visible increase in Lesser Whites and Blackcaps, four of the former atop a single bush plus five CORN BUNTINGS atop another!
Clearly suggested a movement of sorts, got me rev-ving up for more circuits of the headland which didn’t disappoint.
Seeing an unstreaked Acro in the tangle, with an extremely short pp miffed me somewhat, as it was so brief…then gone.😩
After which a female Redstart appeared, only one of two seen during the week and without males!

Another lifer for moi…singing WILLOW WARBLER (several encountered) passing through, even managed a duet with one.😮
Followed by singing REED WARBLER (couldn’t duet that one🤣) also ORTOLAN and several CRETZSCHMAR’S couldn’t do those either🤣.

Eventually arriving back close to the entrance to find a phalanx of bazookas staring into a bush!
Upon enquiring “anything of interest?” a very short reply “Manytrees🤣Warbler” (clearly hadn’t connected)…and neither did I.😩
A casual glance out to sea revealed 20 GLOSSY IBIS heading West…you win some and you lose some

To be continued….

 

[KenM]

Wednesday 2nd April.

A couple of circuits of the ruin after another early start, had me attempting to image a BONELLI’S WARBLER en route without much success.
It was proving rather elusive in the canopy much to my annoyance!
However, a marginally more confiding female SYLVIA sp. did the decent thing when poking its head out for a nano second, allowing me a quick burst before vanishing!

I was thrown by this bird! as in the heat of the moment I failed to “recognise” the head pattern,
having found male’s twice before on previous visits, thus I put it on BF and got a response from Gladiator…RUPPELL’S WARBLER…. “doh..doh”
Meeting the missus late am outside “the ruin” at the bus station, had us boarding the bus to Coral Beach…half an hour West bound along the coast, a kinda annual ritual that we indulge in on every visit.😮
A 30 min. walk along the coast path led us to our favourite restaurant for coffee, only to find upon arrival…it’s closed on Wednesdays! 😩
Best birds seen there were- HOOPOE, ZITTING CISTICOLA, Corn Bunting, Crested Lark, Linnet, Northern Wheatear, a flypast pair of probable “intermedius” and heard only Reed Warblers.

Back to Paphos Harbour for refreshment before a final beckoning circuit.
The usual suspects were much in evidence just a few Wheats./Tawny Pips. Lesser Whites and Yellow Wags plus my first ISABELLINE WHEATEAR of the trip.
Although expected, always very nice to see, unfortunately my images were all into the sun better luck next time.
Now at the Western end of the ruin (jumping off point for migs), retreating from an oncoming Tawny Pipit.
Which in turn was being “pushed” unknowingly by a couple of birders, then by chance an Ortolan shuffling through the grass just metres away, with me trying to image both simultaneously.
When the male birder asked if I’d “seen the MASKED SHRIKE?”
“Where?” I asked, to which he replied “low down in the bush you’ve just passed!”
Embarrassingly!..I back tracked, and what a beaut! it was.
Blaming my MS oversight on the oncoming Tawny Pip and Ortolan…”ahem”…”cough”…splutter!🤣
The final curtain on the day…was an about to land RED-THROATED PIPIT…being chased off! by a disgruntled Crested Lark!

To be continued….

 

[KenM]

Thursday 3rd April.

With little activity at the ruins on the South side of the headland, I proceeded North into the next ruin (where the conveniences were situated😊).
No Wags.Pips. or Wheats!…thinking I’ve got no playmates! 😩
When the Hoodies started a racket! flying from tree to tree…was that a Magpie “in the line”, as I mused rubbing my eyes.

Panic mode soon followed, as I became fully extended and remained hung-fired, then out it came…an adult GREAT SPOTTED CUCKOO 🤣flying towards me….how I cursed the ensuing bad light!
Nevertheless what a magnificent bird! and how grateful I was, that the camera’s sensor eventually sharpened up the images on my last burst.

My thoughts were…how does one follow that the answer was apart from a celebratory coffee
great difficulty!
Along the path in front of the Odeon a male RUPPELL’S WARBLER broke cover and disappeared simultaneously…too quick for moi.

Certainly an increase in Lesser Whites, Cretzschmar’s x4 and Swifts + a single
RED-RUMPED SWALLOW also another Reed Warbler heard, with two Woodchat Shrikes still in position.
It was time for a COFFEE BREAK! and a review of the morning’s rushes, met the missus outside and we took a bus into the old town for a spot of lunch.

Busing back we returned to the headland, where we walked along the coast until we reached the point.
When I espied a lone Yellow Wag (supercilliarse type) looking most forlorn, as he scanned the beach for his playmates but to no avail.😩

This was followed by a Common Sandpiper probing the rocks plus House Sparrows picking off the millipedes and caterpillars that ventured out onto the walkway.
Feeling a bit worse for wear, had walked since Tuesday 12.5/9.9/11.3 miles respectively, time to “mosie on” back to the hotel for a fish and chip takeaway…but not before an ice cream treat.😊

To be continued…..

 

[KenM]

Friday 4th April.

More Lesser Whitethroats, Common Whitethroats, Blackcap and remiss of me for not reporting earlier…Nightingales, Willow Warbler, Reed Warbler, odd 1st Winter fem Pied/BEW, Swifts, Hoopoe x4, + another headland 1st for moi BLACK REDSTART!
and more Kestrels than you could shake a stick at….at least 5 encountered.

On one occasion in front of the Odeon, over the newly mowed daisy field (if only I’d had the camera out and extended).
Two male Kestrels on high “talons locked”, spiralling down in perfect symmetry, before breaking apart almost at ground level…absolutely breathtaking!
(not seen that afore😮)

Sat 5th April.

Last full day (10pm flight),

I was determined to squeeze the “pips” with a 7.30 visit to the headland point, before accessing “the ruin” at 8.30.
At the point c3-4 RED THROATED PIPITS clearly just arrived, they were feeding vigorously on the path…actually forcing me to backtrack whilst shooting (their energy reserves must have been pretty low).

Further back down the headland path towards the ruin, I encountered 4+ Yellow Wags again clearly fresh in, as there had been none the day before.

Certainly a beema type, a thunbergi and I thought surprisingly?….a 2nd calendar year bird still in JUVENILE plumage!😮
Don’t know how this relates to moult….retarded?

Leaving the headland path I arrived at the ruin for my last visit, noting all the regulars from before plus an increase in Com.Whitethroats, 2 Northern Wheatears another or same RED-RUMPED SWALLOW as yesterday, plus only my 2nd ever SPARROWHAWK being bounced and harried by the local Hoodies!

Overall on a daily basis, there was something of note each day, enough to keep the adrenalin going…indeed such has been my experience over the years on site, it has never failed me in deliverance.

Here’s to next year.🍷