Timi Beach

26/11/17, Timi Beach. Having dropped Jan off at the airport I had a quick visit to the coastal area near the airport. As soon as I arrived rewarded with a couple of raptors. A Common Buzzard being mobbed by Crows and a Peregrine Falcon which unsurprisingly was not.

Eurasian Buzzard (Buteo buteo)

Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus)

Eurasian Buzzard (Buteo buteo)

Finsch's Wheatear (Oenanthe finschii)

23/11/17 First time out birding in a week, highlights include male Finsch's Wheatear at Anarita and Agia Varvara, Common Buzzard at Kouklia along with a couple of Long-legged Buzzard. An adult pair of Bonnelli's Eagle at Asprokremmos were showing well and a Eurasian Sparrowhawk gave us a close fly past. On the water were around 40 Great Cormorant, 50 Mallard, Common Teal and a couple of Grey Heron. On the way home stopping off at Piania Dam there were a couple of Common Snipe, Little Grebe, Grey Heron and Great Cormorant.

Finsch's Wheatear (Oenanthe finschii)

https://www.facebook.com/cyprusbirdsandnature

Chalcolestes parvidens (Eastern Willow Spreadwing)

19/11/17. A very friendly Chalcolestes parvidens (Eastern Willow Spreadwing), plenty about at Evretou including pairs copulating. Also Sypetrum strioltatum.

Chalcolestes parvidens (Eastern Willow Spreadwing)

https://www.facebook.com/cyprusbirdsandnature

Black-tailed Godwit

16/11/17. Having completed 4 sites for the monthly BirdLife Cyprus Wetland counts with the normal residents for this time of year at Kannaviou, Evretou and Mavrokolympos dams, today at Asprokremmos, the highlight was a Black-tailed Godwit (Limosa limosa).

Black-tailed Godwit (Limosa limosa)

Black-tailed Godwit (Limosa limosa)

Black-tailed Godwit (Limosa limosa)

Avakas Gorge

13/11/17 Avakas Gorge. Taking Victor and Emma to see the Wallcreeper, they were not disappointed with it showing almost straight away. Other birds seen European Robin (many), Western Black Redstart, Northern Wren, Grey Wagtail, Rock Dove, Eurasian Jackdaw and Eurasian Sparrowhawk. Photograph of a Wallcreeper today, other photographs taken recently in the gorge.

Wallcreeper (Tichodroma muraria)

European Robin (Erithacus rubecula)

Lemon-yellow Tree Frog (Hyla savignyi)

Sedge Warbler (A. schoenobaenus)

https://www.facebook.com/cyprusbirdsandnature

Troodos Mountains

09/11/17 Another trip to the Troodos to see if more winter visitors have arrived since our last visit at the beginning of the month. We were not disappointed with the addition of Hawfinch and Brambling. In addition we observed the usual mountain birds, Short-toed Tree Creeper, Northern Wren, Eurasian Blackbird, Red Crossbill, Eurasian Jay and Common Chaffinch.

Brambling (Fringilla montifringilla)

Hawfinch (C. coccothraustes)

Common Chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs)

https://www.facebook.com/cyprusbirdsandnature

Wallcreeper

07/11/17 Avakas Gorge, Akamas National Park. The Wallcreeper (Tichodroma muraria) is an elusive winter visitor to Cyprus. A regular visitor to the Avakas in very small numbers, only one, two or three. It feeds in the crevices of the gorge walls on insects and spiders. The first one has arrived and was feeding well. Some distant photographs show the bird feeding. It also shows the birds dull grey plumage, which make it difficult to spot until it opens its wings to reveal it's crimson colours.

Wallcreeper (Tichodroma muraria)

Wallcreeper (Tichodroma muraria)

Wallcreeper (Tichodroma muraria)

Wallcreeper (Tichodroma muraria)

Wallcreeper (Tichodroma muraria)

Wallcreeper (Tichodroma muraria)