Spring in the Eastern Med, every birder should go every so often, even if you’ve seen everything, its great to go and see migration at its best. Si loves a bit of migration but stuck saving the birds of Asia from his office in Hanoi he realised that it was going to be tough getting his fill of wheatears and Sylvia warblers. He hatched a cunning plan to get married, ostensibly as cover for a week long birding trip, and as altruistic as he is, he invited everyone along with him to get in the mix. At least it probably happened something like that.
Fieldskills, and poses (DB)
So, mid March 2009 saw us all descend in a staggered fashion on Cyprus, some stayed a week or whilst others only managed three days. We haven’t produced a conventional trip report, because, well we can’t remember who went where and when, we perpetually seemed to have about 19 hire cars on the go simultaneously and we were only ever in the same place for the wedding and the stag. Highlights were many and varied but for those that were the there the colossal fall on the 23rd was ultra spectacular, Dan tells the tale...
The final day had come. The Punk hardcore had departed taking the fine weather with them. This left only Jezmund, Dawes, Busta, Hannah and myself to work some magic over the Island. At dawn on the 23rd March the curtains parted to reveal a deluge of biblical proportions. The curtains closed again and we went back to bed. An hour later we repeated the procedure, although actually managing to get up this time. As we drove out and north along the coast we realised a fall, nay an avalanche of birds was in progress. The rain was easing and as the spray billowed up from behind the car (Dawes was driving) flocks of Black-headed and White Wags escorted us north in our slip-stream. Finally we approached our first destination, the flat coastal lands just north of the gorge on the north-eastern coast. The last mile had seen our faces pressed hard against the window at the sight of carpets of birds along the roadside.
Sliding into what had been a car park the previous day, now more resembled a mud bath, we piled out and commenced being amazed. Forming a line across the short turf we slowly started wading our way through the hordes of exhausted and bedraggled Short-toed Larks, Black-headed and White Wags. Hundreds adorned the turf whilst over-head flocks passed north in endless waves. No matter where you looked birds were moving. Out to sea small flocks of larks paralleled the coast, whilst high above flocks tumbled down on to the turf right in front of us.
Whats your flava? (DB)
In amongst the commoner stuff, Water, Tree and Tawny Pipits fed, whilst LRPs and even a Spur-winged Plover probed along the muddy puddle edges. Eastern Black-eared and Isabelline Wheatears added a flash of action, if not colour. Although not particularly diverse we estimated that some 3000 Short-toed Larks, 1500 Black-headed Wagtails and 1000 White Wagtails were either feeding or passed over during this initial couple of hours birding.
calandrella (DB)
Retracing our steps we headed back to an area of scattered scrub, short turf and the odd ploughed field. The recognisable silhouette of Busta appeared amongst the scrub, drawn away from his Mediterranean fling by the lure of a fall. We set about scanning fields full of wagtails and larks. Amongst the common stuff a handful of dombrowskii and superciliaris were apparent, however nothing more exciting appeared, so we turned our attention to the scrub which was Sylvia-tastic. Sardinians, Subalps, Ruppell’s, Blackcaps and Lesser Whitethroats jostled for position. Trying to follow any one bird proved almost impossible but thoroughly exciting none-the-less. Right on the cliff edge a Savi’s chortled its sub-song and soon responded to a tape, close by, a second bird also showed itself briefly. In an unconventional move Dawes scanned the sea only to find the sole seahorse of the trip, as well as a single Kingfisher, a forerunner of things to come.
Sylvanian family (DB)
Back at the hotel we packed our stuff up ready for check-out and in the process couldn’t help but notice the 17 warblers adorning the bush outside our window. Most were Chiffs with a Lesser Whitethroat or two thrown in for good measure. Waving the lads goodbye it was now down to Hannah and I to dig out the rare in the last few hours. A quick bite to eat in Paphos and we headed out for an afternoon on Paphos headland.
not badass shrike (DB)
As we walked across the car park a Nightingale shot out from between the cars and a Kingfisher came whizzing in off only to land in the avenue of trees behind the cars. Not a bad way to start. Forty-five minutes later and we had only managed to get up the first seven steps from the main gate. The bushes around us were dripping with birds. To say all my Christmas’s had come at once would be a suitable expression as every tree was so-adorned. Woodchats claimed the top-most perch like fairies (albeit ever so slightly butch and violent) faires. Subalps, Ruppell’s, Sardies and Lesser Whitethroats appeared like baubles all around the trees whilst the usual selection of Phylloscs provided the tinsel. (ED, we'll let Dan get away with this tenuous analogy considering the lack of adequate ways to describe such a monumental fall - the biggest in c15 years (C. Richardson pers com))
big game at the waterhole (DB)
We eventually made it to the avenue, a distance of 75 m from the entrance to the headland! A first glance caused a double take. A couple of Hoopoe’s fed between Robins and the odd Nightingale; Black-eared Wheatears flicked between trees, Wrynecks skulked away along the thicker branches, and Kingfishers dotted the trees…yep, six were roosting up along the avenue! As we meandered down the avenue the undergrowth appeared alive as Lesser Whitethroats and Phylloscs foraged away, interspersed with Ruppell’s and Subalps, Nightingales and Robins.
(DB)
Leaving the avenue behind us we emerged onto the grasslands and ruins of the headland, where once again the usual suspects were much in evidence. Quail were calling all over whilst Woodchats perched up next to yet more roosting Kingfishers. By now the weather had begun to clear but flocks of Short-toed Larks, White and Black-headed Wagtails were still moving north. A line of Kestrels filed over coming in-off whilst Heuglin’s and Baltic Gulls cut the corner over the headland. A Short-eared Owl looked confused as it circled around the lighthouse before finally coming down into cover.
Izzy whizzy. (DB)
We progressed away from cover and out towards open grassland in search of larks. A scan across the projecting thistles and hogweeds revealed in excess of 120 Stonechats, all seemingly Common. A tight flock of wagtails on the deck allowed some scrutiny and revealed the usual majority of feldeggs as well as a couple of dombrowskii/superciliaris type hybrid mingers. Short-toed Larks continued overhead and a small flock of Skylarks erupted from in front of us. Virtually at the end we finally found a single Calandra feeding by itself and even when flushed it still failed to join the Skylarks, but alas no Bimac.
smart (DB)
Cretz (DB)
We meandered our way back past ruins peppered with Issy and Black-eared Wheatears. A cat was incessantly mobbed by singles of Hoopoe, Crested Lark, Subalp, Stonechat and an Issy Wheatear, whilst a Eurasian Cuckoo flushed from cover. The final new migrant of the day came in the form of an Eastern Bonelli’s Warbler, a species which is surprisingly scarce on the headland given their abundance on Akamas. We finally tore ourselves away from the peninsula and made our way exhausted but exhilarated to the airport. A phenomenal day had produced thousands of migrants yet no rarities, the biggie comes after the fall?
Final fall totals:
Some more images.....
Finschear, universally loved (DB)
CinSerious Bunting, found by Rob and relocated by James next day, it stayed in view for Dan, Rich and Alex for all of 12 seconds. Much to the chargrin of the rest of the team... Barely annual on Cyprus but one found by James and Alex at the Baths of Aphrodite almost exactly 10 years before suggests its overlooked...
Cyp Warbler, well, its better than Sard (AL)
Mungus (DB)
Not actually sure this is exciting, but at least its atmospheric (DB)
Masked Strike (RMa)
monster (DB)
Stubb Mill (DB)
Lets get busy (DB)
Proper bird (AL), one day wonder at Asprokremnos, not available for pre-wedding twitchers the next day... video
Cypear (DB)
feels like the Plantation on BP..... (DB)
painful one for Alex.... (DB)
one for the S.H.I.T. maybe.... (DB)
nice Robin. (DB)
compare with JG's Egypt (DB)
how good is this..... (DB)
6 warblers, three species.... (DB)
punters pre stag (DB)
punters post stag... (AL)
Wild bunch (HW)
bride n groom (DB)
Just to prove we don't just look at birds.................beauty and the beast (DB)
......some moth-ish thing (DB).....
.....the rediscovery of Cyprus Leopard; watch out for the press release (AL).....
......and a sea horse. (DB)
What we saw....
Abbreviations used (lower case used when scarce or irregular) RB/rb Resident Breeder; MB/mb Migrant breeder; OB Occasional Breeder; FB Former Breeder; PM/pm Passage Migrant; WV/wv Winter Visitor; AV Accidental/Occasional Visitor (up to 10 records/decade)
Extracted from here.
CORMORANTS Phalacrocoracidae
Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo WV,PM
European Shag Leucocarbo aristotelis RB
PELICANS Pelecanidae
Great White Pelican Pelecanus onocrotalus PM
HERONS Ardeidae
Black-crowned Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax PM,
Little Egret Egretta garzetta PM,WV,
Great Egret Ardea alba pm,wv
Grey Heron Ardea cinerea PM,WV,
FLAMINGOS Phoenicopteridae
Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus roseus WV,PM (failed breeding attempts)
SWANS, DUCKS, GEESE Anatidae
Garganey Anas querquedula PM,FB
Common Pochard Aythya ferina WV,PM
BUZZARDS, EAGLES, VULTURES, KITES, HARRIERS & HAWKS Accipititridae
Black Kite Milvus migrans
Western Marsh Harrier Circus aeruginosus PM,WV
Pallid Harrier Circus macrourus PM
Eurasian Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus PM,WV
Common Buzzard Buteo buteo buteo PM,WV
Long-legged Buzzard Buteo rufinus rb,pm,wv
Booted Eagle Hieraaetus pennatus pm
Bonelli's Eagle Hieraaetus fasciatus rd,pm
OSPREY Pandionidae
Osprey Pandion haliaetus PM
FALCONS Falconidae
Common Kestrel Falco tinnunculus RB,PM,WV
Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus RB,PM,WV
PATRIDGE, FRANCOLIN, QUAIL Phasianidae
Chukar Alectoris chukar RB
Black Francolin Francolinus francolinus RB
Common Quail Coturnix coturnix PM,wv,mb
RAILS, CRAKES, GALLINULES, COOTS Rallidae
Little Crake Porzana parva PM,wv
Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus PM,WV,rb
CRANES Gruidae
Common Crane Grus grus PM,wv
PLOVERS & LAPWINGS Charadriidae
Little Ringed Plover Charadrius dubius PM,OB,wv
Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrinus MB,RB,PM,WV
Spur-winged Lapwing Vanellus spinosus PM,MB
WOODCOCK, SNIPE, SANDPIPERS, CURLEWS, STINTS Scolapacidae
Curlew Sandpiper Calidris ferruginea PM
Dunlin Calidris alpina PM,WV
Jack Snipe Lymnocryptes minimus pm,wv
Snipe Gallinago gallinago PM,WV
Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa PM,wv
Common Redshank Tringa totanus WV,PM
Common Greenshank Tringa nebularia PM,wv
Green Sandpiper Tringa ochropus PM,wv
Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola PM
Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos PM,Wv
GULLS Laridae
Great Black-headed Gull Larus ichthyaetus pm,wv
Mediterranean Gull Larus melanocephalus pm,wv
Common Black-headed Gull Larus ridibundus WV,PM
Slender-billed Gull Larus genei PM,wv
Audouin's Gull Larus audouinii rb
Baltic Gull Larus fuscus fuscus PM,wv
Heuglin's (Siberian) Gull Larus heuglini PM,wv
Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis RB,WV,PM
TERNS Sternidae
Sandwich Tern Sterna sandvicensis wv,pm
PIGEONS & DOVES Columbidae
Rock Pigeon Columba livia RB
Common Wood-pigeon Columba palumbus RB,WV
Eurasian Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto RB
CUCKOOS Cuculidae
Great Spotted Cuckoo Clamator glandarius PM,MB
Common Cuckoo Cuculus canorus PM,OB?
BARN OWL Tytonidae
Barn Owl Tyto alba RB
LITTLE OWL, SCOPS & LONG-EARED OWL Strigidae
Eurasian Scops Owl Otus scops RB,mb?pm
Little Owl Athene noctua RB
SWIFTS Apodidae
Alpine Swift Tachymarptis melba MB,PM
Common Swift Apus apus PM,MB
Palllid Swift Apus pallidus mb,PM
KINGFISHERS Alcedinidae
Common Kingfisher Alcedo atthis PM,WV
ROLLER Coraciidae
European Roller Coracias garrulus PM,MB
HOOPOE Upupidae
Eurasian Hoopoe Upupa epops PM,MB
WOODPECKERS Picidae
Eurasian Wryneck Jynx torquilla PM,wv
LARKS Alaudidae
Calandra Lark Melanocorypha calandra RB,PM,wv
Greater Short-toed Lark Calandrella brachydactyla da PM
Crested Lark Galerida cristata RB,PM,?WV
Woodlark Lullula arborea RB,WV,?PM
Eurasian Skylark Alauda arvensis WV,PM
SWALLOWS, MARTINS Hirundinidae
Sand Martin Riparia riparia PM
Eurasian Crag Martin Ptyonoprogne rupestris RB,pm
Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica MB,PM
Red-rumped Swallow Cecropsis daurica MB,PM
Northern House-Martin Delichon urbicum MB,PM
WAGTAILS, PIPITS Motacillidae
Tawny Pipit Anthus campestris PM
Tree Pipit Anthus triviallis PM
Meadow Pipit Anthus pratensis WV,PM
Red-throated Pipit Anthus cervinus PM,wv
Water Pipit Anthus spinoletta PM,WV
Blue-headed Wagtail Motacilla flava flava PM
Grey-headed Wagtail Motacilla flava thunbergi PM
"Sykes's Wagtail' Motacilla flava beema pm
Yellow-headed Wagtail'* Motacilla flava lutea AV"
Black-headed Wagtail Motacilla flava feldegg PM,mb
Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea WV,PM,?OB
White Wagtail Motacilla alba alba WV,PM,OB
WREN Troglodytidae
Winter Wren Troglodytes troglodytes cypriotes RB,?wv
DUNNOCK Prunellidae
Hedge Accentor Prunella modularis WV,?PM
THRUSHES, CHATS Turdidae
European Robin Erithacus rubecula WV,PM
Common Nightingale Luscinia megarhynchos MB,PM
Black Redstart Phoenicurus ochruros PM
Common Redstart Phoenicurus phoenicurus PM
Common Stonechat Saxicola torquata WV,PM
Isabelline Wheatear Oenanthe isabelina PM
Northern Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe PM
Cyprus Wheatear Oenanthe cypriaca MB
Black-eared Wheatear Oenanthe hispanica PM
Finsch's Wheatear Oenanthe finschii WV,pm
Blue Rock Thrush Monticola solitarius WV,PM,rb
Eurasian Blackbird Turdus merula WV,PM,rb
Song Thrush Turdus philomelos WV,PM
Mistle Thrush Turdus viscivorus wv,pm
WARBLERS Sylviidae
Cettis Warbler Cettia cetti RB
Zitting Cisticola Cisticola juncidis RB
Savi's Warbler Locustella luscinioides pm
Sedge Warbler Acrocephalus schoenobaenus PM
Common Reed Warbler Acrocephalus scirpaceus MB,PM
Spectacled Warbler Sylvia conspicillata RB
Subalpine Warbler Sylvia cantillans PM
Sardinian Warbler Sylvia melanocephala RB,WV,?PM
Cyprus Warbler Sylvia melanothorax RB,MB
Ruppell's Warbler Sylvia rueppelli PM
Eastern Orphean Warbler Sylvia hortensis crassirostris PM
Lesser Whitethroat Sylvia curruca PM
Common Whitethroat Sylvia communis PM
Garden Warbler Sylvia borin PM
Blackcap Sylvia atricapilla PM,WV,?OB
Eastern Bonelli's Warbler Phylloscopus orientalis PM
Common Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita PM,WV
Willow Warbler Phylloscopus trochilus PM
Goldcrest Regulus regulus wv
TITS Paridae
Coal Tit Parus ater cypriotes RB
Great Tit Parus major aphrodite RB
TREECREEPER Certhiidae
Short-toed Tree-creeper Certhia brachydactyla dorotheae RB
SHRIKES Laniidae
Woodchat Shrike Lanius senator PM,mb
Masked Shrike Lanius nubicus MB,PM
CROWS Corvidae
Eurasian Jay Garrulus glandarius glaszneri RB
Black-billed Magpie Pica pica RB,?wv
Eurasian Jackdaw Corvus monedula RB,?wv
Hooded Crow Corvus corone RB
Common Raven Corvus corax rb
STARLINGS Sturnidae
Common Starling Sturnus vulgaris WV,PM
SPARROWS Passeridae
House Sparrow Passer domesticus RB,PM,?wv
Spanish Sparrow Passer hispaniolensis RB,PM,WV
FINCHES Fringillidae
Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs RB,WV,PM
European Serin Serinus serinus RB,WV,PM
European Greenfinch Carduelis chloris RB,WV,PM
European Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis RB,WV,PM
Eurasian Linnet Carduelis cannabina RB,WV,PM
Red Crossbill Loxia curvirostra RB,?wv
BUNTINGS Emberizidae
Cinereous Bunting Emberiza cineracea pm 13 records since 1994
Cretzschmar's Bunting Emberza caesia MB,PM
Corn Bunting Miliaria calandra RB,PM,WV
