Cyprus - Day 4 - 21st March 2025

We headed out early and east along the coast to Akrotiri Marsh where we were greeted by a singing Black Francolin that clattered off a tin roof and back into the field. There were Swallow and Swifts hoovering over the reedbeds and we could hear Reed and Sedge Warblers warming up. The view across the pools immediately added a good wader selection with Stilts, Spur-winged Lapwings, 18 Ruff, 3 Spotted Redshanks, Marsh, Green and Wood Sandpipers, Snipe and Little Ringed Plovers.

Spur-winged Lapwing

Spur-winged Lapwing

Black-winged Stilt

Wood & Marsh Sandpipers

Black-winged Stilt - Max Hellicar

Marsh Sandpiper - Max Hellicar

Amongst the expected dabblers there were eight Garganey whose rattling could clearly be heard and we added Reed Bunting and Little Egret to the list too.  Up above a loose flock of 53 Alpine Swifts drifted high and east and much lower down a couple of Marsh Harriers were periodically spooking the other birds.

Garganey 

White Wagtail

Black Francolins were calling in several directions and I spied a male right out in the open where fantastic scope views were had of this intricately marked bird. Brevi Chiffchaffs called and Cetti’s Warblers sung and once we got to the other viewing area we added two reeling Savi’s Warblers too, one of which was seen briefly.

So privileged to see a Black Francolin this well 

Zitting Cisticolas did their thing and Sardinians rattled.  We checked out various bits of the marsh before following the track around and out onto the area known as the gravel pits although it was more like a vast garrigue desert with scattered clumps of Tamarisks. Various goodies had been reported but we had the place to ourselves so spent our time stopping and checking various suitable looking patches with some reward.  Quite a few Warblers had come in and amongst the Common and Brevi Chiffchaffs we found ten Lesser Whitethroats, three Eastern Subalpine Warblers and a cracking male Ruppell’s Warbler. 

Song Thrushes popped out here and there and a male Cretzschmar’s Bunting did the decent thing and sat up for a few minutes much to Max’s delight.  Unfortunately the only Stonechats we found all appeared to be European in origin but the best bird up on top of a bush was in fact a lovely Wryneck! The Mosquitos were a real pain out here and very small and tenacious.  Do not do this area wearing shorts!

Cretzschmar’s Bunting

European Stonechat

Wryneck

Linnets

Song Thrush

Crested were the only Larks found but the star bird was actually a very out of place Goldcrest which is seemingly a very scarce species here and especially way out in a bush on the coast!  As ever birding is about perspective. Swallows and Martins (including a Crag) pulsed through with all three Swifts once again and we saw the odd Marsh Harrier and Kestrel but no other raptors.  The few pools only held a solitary Kentish Plover and three Greater Flamingo.

Whilst checking around St George’s Chapel I stumbled on a colony of the delightful Kotschy’s Orchid without knowing quite what I found and there was once again a fine selection of weird and wonderful botanical delights. 

Kotschy’s Orchid 

Kotschy’s Orchid 

Anthemis tricolor 

Anthemis tricolor 

Orobanche sp

Possibly Orobanche ramosa

Hairy Spurge Flax Thymelaea hirsuta

Hairy Spurge Flax Thymelaea hirsuta

Common Rock-rose Helianthemum nummularium - I think

Joint-pine - Ephedra fragilis

Black Goji - Lycium ruthenicum 

Mallow-leaved Bindweed - Convolvulus althaeoides 

Malva multiflora

Ranunculus asiaticus - mostly vivid yellow here

Ranunculus asiaticus

Ranunculus asiaticus

Ranunculus asiaticus

Sea Rocket - Cakile maratima

Sedum sediforme

Serapias vomeracea

Serapias vomeracea

Spiny Sainfoin - Sulla spinosissima 

Squirting Cucumber - Ecballium elaterium

Zygophyllum fontanesii

Zygophyllum fontanesii

Big Bird

Mystery cats - for some reason I have a Fritillary in mind

One of the Dune Tiger Beetles

Clouded Yellows - I think all were 'normal' default species

We looped back to the town and then out through across the shimmering sand to reach Lady’s Mile.  Lunch looking at the sea produced not one bird until a couple of Chiffchaffs appeared just in front and our scanning of all the pools alongside the ‘road’ only produced 35 Little Stint, eight Kentish and single Little Ringed Plover and a lone Little Egret.  An Isabelline Wheatear perched up nicely.

Little Ringed Plover 

Kentish Plover 

Little Stints

Isabelline Wheatear

Isabelline Wheatear

Kentish Plover - Max Hellicar

It was time to head back west, stopping at Zapallo Bay to scan the impressive cliffs with their breeding Alpine Swifts and then spending some more quality time with the Cyprus Warblers at Cape Aspro. 

Erodium crassifolium 

Erodium laciniatum

Erodium laciniatum

Muscari comosum

Alkanna lehmanii 

Anemone coronaria

Blue Pimpernel Anagallis monelii

From here we timed our return to the Asprokremnos Dam to wait for the big gulls to drop in for a wash and brush up before heading back to the coast.

We were not to be disappointed with about 200 Yellow-legged Gulls dropping in and amongst them there were two each of adult Heuglin’s and ‘ring-billed’ Armenian Gulls and a single tiny sleek black Baltic Gull.  It was a most constructive gulling session.  The far end of the very low reservoir held 20 Teal, two Shelduck, three Cormorant and two Grey Herons and three Garganey were flying around.  The Great Spotted Cuckoos and Hoopoes were once again seen and a flock of 15 Tawny Pipits flew over calling.  A pair of Long-legged Buzzards put on a good show.

gripping views of Baltic Gull

Great Spotted Cuckoo

 Long-legged Buzzard

 Long-legged Buzzard

As the weather was holding we headed back up to Episkopi and spent till just after dusk listening to the up-down song of the Cyprus Scops Owl with a couple of brief views once again.  The Little Owls and Stone-Curlews were heard and a hissy Barn Owl was a final addition for the day.

 Oriental Plane

 Prickly Pear

 Peach - I reckon