Bird of the holiday

With one day to go I think I can safely say that red-throated pipit has been the bird of the holiday. I'd never seen them in Cyprus previously, but in the past two weeks I've heard their calls many times and usually they've been very confiding. Smart birds!

A Cyprus mega

A rook was found at Mandria exactly one week ago, but despite us staying in the town, it's taken me six attempts to catch up with it. There have only been 23 records of the species in Cyprus since 1957 and it is only the eighth this century so very much a mega on the island.

Also today, at least four black francolins calling with one seen very distantly and at least two red-throated pipits.

Great spotted cuckoo, Akrotiri marsh

Great spotted cuckoos are always a very special sight so I was delighted to find one today at Akrotiri marsh. They don't overwinter in Cyprus, but they are early return migrants, usually appearing in February. Prior to my sighting today I'd only heard of a handful of birds from anywhere in Cyprus, and most of those have been at coastal headlands. 

Also today, the eastern yellow wagtail still, single spoonbill and great white egret and over 80 spur-winged plover, all serenaded by at least three black francolin, which I didn't see.

Female Finsch's wheatear at Kourion beach

Below ancient Kourion, just behind the beach, is a small, often overlooked archeological site. For the past few weeks this site has hosted a female Finsch's wheatear. We called in the other day and although we saw it, it was only for seconds and completely unsatisfactory. I was passing today on my way back from Akrotiri marsh so decided to call in for a second look.  Fortunately the bird showed much better and allowed me to get a few photos. 

Obviously not as nice as a summer plumage male, but still a smart bird.

More red-throated pipits at Paphos headland

At Paphos headland this morning, at least nine red-throated pipits again showing very well feeding on the track on the other side of the fence. Lots of calls and flying around and at least a couple of impressive orangey red throats.

This bird stole the show for me though, possibly a young bird, but just look at how black and white it looks, even on it's back! Very different to the browns of meadow pipit.

Woodlarks at Paphos headland

Woodlarks are pretty common in Cyprus in winter and today there was a small flock of five feeding on the track on the other side of the fence at Paphos headland.

Red-throated pipits at Paphos headland

I was slightly frustrated last Sunday when we visited Paphos headland and only managed to see a couple of 1st winter red-throated pipits which lacked the orangey red throat. A local birder had told me that there were a few adults now acquiring their summer plumage so this morning I decided to head back for another look. At first I just heard a couple of birds call as they flew over but I couldn't get onto them on the ground. Finally though, just as I'd nearly given up, I spotted one on the track on the other side of the fence. This was a real beauty in full plumage and fortunately it didn't seem worried by the fact that I went right up to the fence to avoid the wires of the fence intruding on the photos. It was less than 3m from me when I took these photos.

While I was watching I heard other birds calling nearby and then three more flew in and joined the first, two of which did not have the red throat so presumably were young birds. There are a couple of photographs of these birds at the bottom of this post.

Absolutely stunning birds! Not just the throat but also the rest of the plumage is really nice. Very sharp black and white compared to meadow pipit.

Also at Paphos headland

Also at the headland this morning, several Spanish sparrows, skylarks, zitting cisticolas, Sardinian warblers and crested larks.

Finsch's Wheatear again, Asprokremmos Dam

More great views of a Finsch's wheatear today, once again about 1km from the abandoned village of Foinikas and today it was with a juvenile blue rock thrush. 

Mesmerising Akrotiri marsh and an Eastern Yellow Wagtail

I had an absolutely mesmerising morning at Akrotiri marsh today. I'd really gone to try to see the long staying eastern yellow wagtail which I missed on our previous visit. However, I arrived at sunrise and found myself surrounded by the calls of black francolin. I've never experienced anything like it, except perhaps calling corncrakes on a Hebridean island. I walked down a lane and calls were everywhere, some really close, others more distant, there must have been six or seven birds calling in total. 

Sadly, just like corncrakes they were very hard to see, but I did accidently flush one from the side of a track and had an all too brief view of it. A fabulous birding experience.

The reason I was so keen to see the eastern yellow wagtail is because it was my first definite confirmed sighting of the species. The only other bird I have seen was the possible that I found at Moss lane, St Helens last September, but that bird was only seen for less than an hour and didn't call. The Akrotiri bird has been present for around four weeks and is very vocal and at times shows very well.

There were so many other great birds and I never tire of seeing spur-winged plover. There were about 50 present today, some displaying.

Finsch's wheatear, Asprokremmos dam

Finsch's wheatear is one of the star attractions of any winter birding visit to Cyprus. Breeding in Turkey, a few overwinter on the island, but are only present between about December to mid-February. The abandoned village of Foinikas near our old haunt of Nata is one of the most likely places to find them.

Today we didn't make it as far as the village due to the combination of rapidly deteriorating weather and three large and aggressive looking feral dogs that we didn't want to meet, but fortunately I did managed to find one of the wheatears at the side of the track about 1km from the village. 

They are far more nervous than the northern wheatears we get in the UK and won't allow close approach, but this bird showed as well as any I have seen in the past. The only place outside Cyprus that I have seen this species is Kuwait.

A white back is diagnostic with this species.