Dermot Breen's Blog: January 2019

Wednesday, 30 January 2019

Cyprus 2nd September 2019

I finally connected with Demoiselle Crane at Akrotiri Salt Lake first thing in the morning. A group of fourteen birds were preening and resting up out on the lake near the north-east side where a freshwater stream enters the lake. The group also contained three juveniles. Very attractive looking birds and brilliant to catch up with the species. The heat haze already early in the morning along with the distance weren't very conductive for photography but I got some very nice views through the scope. I didn't want to get too near the birds as they would obviously be pretty tired having probably flown to here straight from Turkey at least and would be soon be on their way south to the other side of the Mediterranean. Nice backup in the area with at least 10 Eleonora's Falcons, 2 Pallid and 10 Marsh Harriers sitting out in the middle of the salt flats.
I spent the rest of the day visiting a few sites further west of Larnaca all the way up to Peyia north of Paphos produced not a whole lot of interest to be honest.

Demoiselle Cranes with Grey Herons.

Demoiselle Cranes

Demoiselle Cranes with Eleonora's Falcon.

Pallid Harrier

Eleonora's Falcon and Pallid Harrier.

Eleonora's Falcons and Pallid Harrier.

Eleonora's Falcon

Glossy Ibis

Ringed Plover

Juvenile Collared Pratincole

Yellow Wagtail flava

Yellow Wagtail thunbergi

Yellow Wagtail feldegg

Juvenile Yellow Wagtail

Agios Georgios Church

Tombs craved into the rock.

Inside one of the tombs.

Sunday, 27 January 2019

Cyprus 1st September 2018

I managed to come across number four of my five targets sitting on the very top of a soil heap beside the roadside just west of Larnaca in the form of a male Black Francolin. A quick look around the Kiti Beach and Cape Kiti produced a few nice birds like Spectacled, Great Reed, Eastern Oliveacous Warblers and Isabelline Wheatear. Very few migrants about though. The next spot were the salt flats around Larnaca Airport but these were all dry. I happen to come across the Larnaca Sewage Works which are fenced off but has a very handy tower which overlooks the two large ponds. This was a very productive site and was jam packed with waterbirds and worth putting up with the rather pungent smell. https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S48207542
I moved further east along the coastline later up to Cape Greco. https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S48221919
I finished up the day at Oroklini Lake where a Terek Sandpiper had been found a few days previously. They are a rarity even in Cyprus and thankfully it was still present. The lake wasn't particularly big and there was very little water left but it still held an impressive numbers of waders. I stayed until dark and was rewarded with a Little Crake by the edge of the reeds and a large roost of Cattle Egrets. https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S48221509
Between Oroklini and the sewage works I managed to see at least 17 species of waders in the day.