Cyprus 20th–27th April 2008 Ian Barton and Kathleen Rosewarne, Stretham, Ely, Cambridgeshire

Accommodation: Vasilias Nikoklis Inn (VNI), Nikokleia (excellent quiet and friendly place to stay; catered well for vegetarians). Species seen or heard from the hotel marked *.

SummarySunday 20th: late arrival Nikokleia village Monday 21st: Nikokleia, Asprokremnos Dam, VNI, Choletria – Nata – Axylou – Timi, KoukliaTuesday 22nd: Mandria beach, Aspro Dam and pool, Paphos headland, Airport picnic area and beach, Aspro Dam and poolWednesday 23rd: Airport PA&B, Mandria beach, Nata Ford, Kouklia, Aspro Dam and poolThursday 24th: Mandria beach, Phassouri reedbed, Bishop’s Pool, Lady’s Mile, Zakaki Pools, Aspro Dam and poolFriday 25th: Airport PA&B, Aspro D+P, Nikokleia–Agios Nikolaos–Mandria, Aspro D&P, Mandria beachSaturday 26th: Aspro D&P, Mandria beach, Aspro D+P, Timi–Nata–Kolekedara–Arminou–Mandria–Pano Platres–TroodosSunday 27th: Mandria beach, Phassouri reedbed, Kensington Cliffs, Mandria beach, Aspro D+P, VNI, Airport PA&B Despite the dearth of migrants 141 species were recorded during our stay.

Species	Notes
Little grebe	Phassouri reedbed, Zakaki and Bishop’s Pools
Black-necked grebe	1 at Asprokremnos Dam on 23rd
Scopili’s shearwater	12+ around two fishing boats off Mandria beach on 27th
Shag	Max of 5 on 27th at Mandria beach
Little bittern	1 female at Phassouri reedbed on 24th
Night heron	Max of 4 at Aspro Dam Pools on 25th
Squacco heron	Max of 5 at Aspro Dam Pools on 24th; 3 at Aspro Dam on 24th
Cattle egret*	4 at Airport Picnic Site beach on 22nd; 2 flying north in Nikokleia valley on 27th
Little egret	Max of 11 at Aspro Dam on 24th
Great white egret	1 over Aspro Dam Pools on 25th
Grey heron*	6 over Nikokleia on 21st; 6 at Aspro Dam on 24th; 3 west at Mandria beach on 27th
Purple heron*	2 over Nikokleia on 21st; 1 imm at Aspro Dam Pools on 22nd and 23rd; 1 adult at Phassouri reedbed on 24th; 8 at Aspro Dam on 24th
Glossy ibis	5 flying west at Airport picnic site and beach on 22nd; 8 flying west at Mandria beach on 24th
Greater flamingo	15 flying west at Mandria beach on 22nd
Teal	1 male at Aspro Dam Pools on 22nd and 23rd
Mallard	5 (2 pairs and a male) at Phassouir reedbed on 24th
Pintail	1 male at Phassouri reedbed on 24th
Garganey	Pair at Phassouri reedbed on 24th and 27th
Shoveler	15 flying west at Airport picnic site beach on 23rd
Ferruginous duck	5 at Zakaki Pools on 24th
Marsh harrier	1 2cy male at Mandria beach on 22nd and 26th; 2 (1 adult female and 1 2cy male) at Phasourri on 24th
Pallid harrier	1 2cy male at Aspro Dam on 22nd; 1 imm female at Mandria beach on 27th
Montagu’s harrier	1 adult male at Aspro Dam on 23rd; 1 adult male at mast above Aspro Dam on 26th
Common buzzard	1 at Airport picnic site and beach on 22nd (vulpinus); 1 at Aspro Dam on 23rd (common)
Bonelli’s eagle	2 adults between Agios Nikolaos and Mandria on 25th, 2 adults near Agios Nikolaos on 26th
Kestrel*	Widespread.
Red-footed falcon	1 female in off the sea at Mandria beach on 27th
Hobby*	1 at Nikokleia on 21st; 1 at Phassouri on 24th
Eleonora’s falcon*	1 dark phase at Aspro Dam on 21st; 1 over the road between Nikokleia and Choletria; 11 at Kensington Cliffs including 1 pair displaying and copulating on 27th
Chukar*	Widespread
Black francolin*	Widespread: one calling outside VNI every day; 3 calling males at Mandria beach on 23rd; 1 calling male at Airport road on 23rd
Quail	5 singles flying in off the sea in the morning, in about 20 minutes, at Airport picnic site beach on 23rd; 1 flying in at Mandria beach also on 23rd.
Spotted crake	1 from 22nd to 27th, and 2 on 26th and 27th at Aspro Dam Pools
Little crake	Female from 22nd to 27th, and male on 24th and 26th, at Aspro Dam Pools
Baillon’s crake	2 at Aspro Dam Pools from 22nd to 27th
Corncrake	1 at Mandria beach fields on 23rd (flushed from a potato field by a male black francolin and flew in front of parked car landing, in a crop on the other side of the track, around 20 feet away)
Moorhen	Max of 3 at Aspro Dam Pool; Phasourri reedbed and Zakaki pools
Coot	Phassouri reedbed on 24th and 26th
Black-winged stilt	15 flying west at Airport picnic site beach on 23rd; 5 in the morning and 14 in the evening at Aspro Dam on 24th; Phassouri reedbed on 24th and 26th
Stone-curlew*	Heard in Nikokleia on 20th; max of 5 (including 1 bedraggled bird on shingle next to sea) at Mandria beach on 24th; 2 at Airport picnic site on 25th
Collared pratincole	11 (3, at Phassouri reedbed on 24th; 4 at Mandria beach on 27th
Little ringed plover	1 over Phassouri reedbed on 24th; 2 at Bishop’s Pool on 24th
Ringed plover	3 at Airport picnic site beach on 22nd
Kentish plover	11 at Lady’s Mile pools on 24th
Golden plover	1 wp feeding along shoreline at Mandria beach on 24th
Spur-winged plover	2 at Phassouri reedbed on 24th and 26th; 1 at Zakaki pool on 24th
Little stint	Phassouri reedbed on 24th; good numbers at Bishop’s Pool on 24th; 5 on Lady’s Mile pools on 24th
Temminck’s stint	1 at Phassouri reedbed on 24th
Curlew sandpiper	9 at Bishop’s Pool on 24th
Ruff	1 flying west with black-winged stilts on 23rd; 3 at Aspro Dam on 24th; Phassouri reedbed on 24th and 26th; Bishop’s Pool on 24th
Common snipe	1 at Phassouri reedbed on 24th
Black-tailed godwit	1 at Phassouri reedbed on 24th
Common redshank	1 at Aspro Dam on 24th
Marsh sandpiper	2 at Phassouri reedbed on 24th; 4 at Bishop’s Pool on 24th
Greenshank	1 at Aspro Dam on 21st-24th; 1 at Bishop’s Pool on 24th
Green sandpiper	1 heard at Aspro Dam Pool on 22nd
Wood sandpiper	1 at Aspro Dam Pool on 21st; 10+ at Phassouri and Bishop’s Pool on 24th
Common sandpiper	1-3 at Airport picnic site beach on 23rd and 27th; 3 at Bishop’s Pool on 24th; 1 at Mandria beach flying east on 25th
Black-headed gull	1 first winter at Zakaki Pool on 24th
Lesser black-backed gull*	1 at Aspro Dam on 21st; 1 off Mandria beach on 27th
Yellow-legged gull	Highest counts were 28 at Aspro Dam on 24th; 50+ following fishing boats off Mandria beach on 27th
Gull-billed tern	1 adult at Phassouri reedbed on 24th
Black tern	1 flying west off Mandria beach on 27th
Rock dove*	Seen Aspro Dam and several other sites
Woodpigeon*	Widespread
Collared dove*	Common in the villages
Turtle dove*	Highest counts were 52 in trees above Aspro Dam Pools on 22nd (drinking in the concrete channel); 38 in Mandria beach fields on 25th
Great spotted cuckoo	1 at Aspro Dam on 22nd; 1 at Nata on 23rd; 2 between VNI and Fasoula on 25th, 2 at Axylou on 26th
Common cuckoo	1 hepatica at Aspro Dam on 22nd, 1 between Nikokleia and Fasoula on 23rd, 1 calling at Agaos Niklaos on 25th
Barn owl*	Heard at VNI on 22nd and 24th
Scops owl*	Max of 3 heard calling from VNI on 25th; birds calling in the daytime at Nata on 23rd and between Agaos Niklaos and Mandria on 25th
Nightjar*	1 heard at VNI on 22nd and 24th
Common swift*	Highest count was 380-400 feeding over fields to east of Mandria village on 26th
Pallid swift	10 at Troodos on 26th
Alpine swift*	6 at VNI on 21st; 42 at Aspro Dam Pools on 27th
Common kingfisher	1 at Aspro Dam concrete channel on 21st
Bee-eater*	2 at Nikokleia on 23rd; 6 at Nikoklia on 24th; 18 at Mandria beach fields on 24th; 14 coming in off the sea at Mandria on 27th; highest count was 67 on wires at Nikoklia on evening of 27th
Roller	4 over road from Nikokleia to Choletria on 21st, 1 Paphos headland 22nd
Hoopoe	1 male near Axylou on 21st, 1 in off the sea at Mandria Beach on 22nd and 1 in Dhiaziros Valley on 22nd
Wryneck*	1 at VNI on 21st; 1 calling in olive groves southwest of Fasoula on 26th
Calandra lark	Male displaying Mandria Beach on evening of 25th, 2 seen there on 26th-27th with male chasing off both short-toed and crested larks
Short-toed lark	18 at Mandria beach fields on 27th
Crested lark*	Widespread
Sand martin*	40+ west of Mandria on 27th
Swallow*	Common migrant, residents with young
Red-rumped swallow*	Widespread in small numbers
House martin*	Common migrant
Tree pipit	1 at Paphos headland on 22nd
Red-throated pipit	Max of 28 at Mandria beach fields on 24th; 20+ at Phassouri reedbed on 24th
Yellow wagtail	Max of 100+ at Mandria beach fields on 24th, 50+ at Phassouri reedbed on 24th
Black-headed wagtail	Max of 5 at Mandria beach fields on 25th
Citrine wagtail	1 at Aspro Dam Pools on 26th
White wagtail	1 at Phassouri reedbed on 24th
Wren	Agaos Nikkolaos and Troodos
Nightingale	1 in Dhiarizos valley on 21st; 2 at Aspro Dam on 21st; 1 at Airport picnic site on 22nd; common in the mountains
Common redstart*	1 male at Paphos headland on 22nd; 1 male at VNI on 23rd; 1 female at Airport picnic site on 25th; 1 female at Mandria beach fields on 25th; 1 female at Aspro Dam on 26th
Whinchat	Max of 5 at Aspro Dam on 24th; 3 at Choletria on 23rd; 3 at Bishop’s Pool on 24th
Isabelline wheatear	1 at Aspro Dam on 21st and 24th
Northern wheatear	Max of 7 at Aspro Dam on 24th; 2 at Mandria beach fields on 27th
Cyprus pied wheatear*	Widespread
Black-eared wheatear	1 female at Aspro Dam on 22nd; 1 female at Airport picnic site beach on 22nd;1 male at Aspro Dam on 24th; 1 female at Bishop’s Pool on 24th
Song thrush	1 at Airport picnic site on 25th
Cetti’s warbler*	Widespread
Fan-tailed warbler*	Widespread
Sedge warbler	2 at Aspro Dam Pool on 22nd; 2 at Phassouri on 24th
Reed warbler	1 at Aspro Dam Pool on 23rd; 1 at Phassouri on 26th
Great reed warbler*	1 at Aspro Dam on 21st; 1 at Aspro Dam Pool on 22nd; 1 at Dhiaziros valley on 23rd; 1 at VNI on 26th
Olivaceous warbler*	Widespread
Spectacled warbler	5 at Anarita mast above Aspro Dam on 25th
Sardinian warbler	1 male at Aspro Dam on 21st; 1 female at Anarita mast on 25th
Cyprus warbler*	Common in small numbers
Whitethroat*	1 at Aspro Dam on 21st and 24th
Blackcap*	2 at Aspro Dam Pool on 26th
Bonelli’s warbler	1 at Paphos headland on 22nd
Willow warbler	2 at Aspro Dam on 17th
Spotted flycatcher	1 at Aspro Dam concrete channel on 21st; 1 at Airport picnic site on
Collared flycatcher	1 male at Paphos headland on 22nd
Pied flycatcher	1 female at Airport picnic site on 25th
Coal tit	Platres (including pair at nest at Caledonian falls trail) and Troodos
Great tit	Common in the mountains
Short-toed treecreeper	1 at Troodos
Golden oriole*	Pair at Paphos headland on 22nd; 1 male at VNI on 27th
Lesser grey shrike	2 at Choletria on 23rd; 1 at Mandria beach fields on 25th
Woodchat shrike	1 at Aspro Dam on 22nd and 23rd; 1 at Kouklia on 22nd;
Masked shrike	1 male (singing) between Agios Nikoloas and Mandria on 25th
Jay	4 at Pano Platres on 26th
Magpie*	Common
Jackdaw*	Common
Hooded crow*	Common
House sparrow*	Abundant
Spanish sparrow*	Widespread
Tree sparrow	1 with other sparrows at Mandria beach on 22nd
Chaffinch	Pano Platres and Troodos
Serin	2 (1 singing) at Agios Nikolaos on 25th, also seen/heard Platres and Troodos
Greenfinch	Widespread
Goldfinch*	Widespread
Linnet*	3 at Nata on 22nd; 1 pair at Agios Nikoloas on 25th; 1 pair at Arminou on 26th
Ortolan bunting	2 males near Axylou on 21st; 2 (m and f) at Aspro Dam Pool on 22nd
Cretzchmar’s bunting	3 males between Agios Nikoloas and Mandria on 25th
Black-headed bunting	1 male singing at Nata ford on 21st; 1 male sining between Agios Nikoloas and Mandria on 25th and 26th
Corn bunting*	Widespread in small numbers