BIRDING ABROAD IN

21 TO 28 MARCH 2018

TOUR OVERVIEW: The magical, sun-kissed island of Cyprus offers some of the best migration in the eastern Mediterranean, and our weeklong tour will explore the full range of eclectic habitats for which the island is well known. Based on the coast we can easily search the nearby rocky promontories, wetlands and salt lakes whilst later we venture up into the lofty Troodos Mountains of the interior. Our visit in late March is timed to coincide with the peak of the early spring migration, when the island plays host to a multitude of small flying north to the European mainland. Each place we visit will offer a variety of , many in colourful and pristine spring plumage, and a variety of larks, hirundines, pipits, wagtails, warblers and buntings are all realistic targets. Of equal interest are the two endemic breeding species, Cyprus Wheatear and Cyprus Warbler both of which are found with some frequency, plus five sedentary (Scops Owl, Coal Tit, Short-toed Treecreeper, Jay and Crossbill), some of which are considered far enough down the evolutionary tree to be separate species in their own right. Foremost amongst these is the owl Otus scops cyprius which retains a different song and consistently darker plumage despite many nominate race Scops Owls passing through the island each year. It is also mainly a resident bird, these facts in combination suggesting that it has become genetically isolated. Another candidate for future splitting is the endemic race of Short-toed Treecreeper, dorotheae, which is greyer above with a simple and shorter song, and is already sometimes known as Dorothy’sTreecreeper!

Notable breeding specialities include Spur-winged Plover, Audouin’s Gull, Great Spotted Cuckoo, Black Francolin, Masked Shrike, Spectacled Warbler and Cretzschmar’s Bunting, whilst regular sought after migrants include Pallid Harrier, Isabelline Wheatear, Little Crake, Red-throated Pipit, Ruppell’s Warbler, Eastern Subalpine Warbler and Eastern Bonelli’s Warbler, ensuring that that each day will be bird filled with new surprises for us to enjoy. Cyprus is the sort of island where anything can and does turn up, so we need to be alert to all the possibilities. Regular vagrants include Caspian Plover, Citrine Wagtail, Demoiselle Crane and Desert Wheatear.

The migrant hot spot of Cape Greco

Whilst the primary focus will be on bird watching, we intend to absorb some of the amazing hidtory and heritage of the island and intend to visit several sites of cultural interest to balance the hours spent in the field. We believe the tour is suitable for both keen bird watchers and the ‘semi- interested’ birder and even for those who like to see some nice but who might equally enjoy time experiencing the island’s sights and traditions. As such, we have designated this tour as one which fits our ‘tilted wine glass’ classification, where we also aim for an ambience of relaxation and fun amongst the group, with birding and enjoyment of everything this enchanted island has to offer, being at the heart of our time there together.

TOUR DESCRIPTION: This will be a two-centre tour based in Paphos for four nights and in Larnaca for three. Our good quality accommodation boasts four stars and both have been chosen to ensure we will be comfortable throughout and close to the best birding sites. Migrants are likely to be found in the hotel grounds or in adjacent scrubland, giving plenty of opportunities for those keen enough to fit in some short strolls. We will use 9-seater mini buses for comfort. Whilst we will always focus on birds, each day will provide chances to embrace other aspects of the islands history and traditions. In fact some of the foremost archaeological sites such as Paphos Headland and Curium are also amongst the major bird watching locations, so offer dual attractions. Later we move to Larnaca, where habitats are more varied and include the large salt lakes of Akrotiri and Larnaca, home to many Greater Flamingo and other wetland birds. Cape Greco in the far south east would arguably be the foremost migration watch point on the island if it benefited from consistent coverage. It is the nearest headland to Israel in fact and has hosted many major rarities over the years including Steppe Grey Shrike, White-crowned and Kurdish Wheatears, Cinereous Bunting, Grey Hypocolius and many more. Oroklini Marsh is a small yet productive wetland offering some infrastructure in the form of two hides from where Marsh Sandpiper and Garganey can be sought.

Marsh Sandpiper in summer finery

Although Cyprus has a history of shooting, netting and liming (where birds are caught by sticky glue spread on tree branches), it is very unlikely that we will see any of these activities in progress. It is our fervent belief that mass environmental tourism will help the Cyprus Ornithological Society and Birdlife Cyprus in their fight to eradicate these dreadful activities. Birding Abroad feel strongly about this and for every client who books on this tour, Birding Abroad will donate £25 to Birdlife Cyprus to continue the fight.

PHOTOGRAPHIC OPPORTUNITIES: An abundance of migrant and breeding birds in fine spring plumage, combined with bright spring sunshine, wonderful landscapes and rich cultural history means that there is plenty for those with cameras to look forward to.

BIRD LIST: Highlights will include; Scopoli’s and Yelkouan Shearwaters, Chukar, Black Francolin, Greater Flamingo, Glossy Ibis, Night Heron, Purple Heron, Shag (Mediterranean race), Marsh, Hen, Montagu’s and Pallid Harriers, Long-legged Buzzard, Bonelli’s Eagle, Little, Spotted and Baillon’s Crakes, Stone Curlew, Spur-winged Plover, Kentish Plover, Greater Sand Plover, Marsh and Wood Sandpipers, Little Stint, Yellow-legged, Slender-billed, Audouin’s, Baltic and Armenian Gulls, Great Spotted Cuckoo, Scops Owl cyprius , Alpine and Pallid Swift, Hoopoe, Coal Tit cypriotes, Red-rumped Swallow, Short-toed Lark, Calandra and Crested Larks, Zitting Cisticola, Eastern Orphean, Spectacled, Eastern Subalpine, Ruppell’s, Cyprus, Eastern Bonelli’s and perhaps Olivaceous Warblers), Short- toed Treecreeper dorothea , Northern, Isabelline, Eastern Black-eared and Cyprus Wheatears, Spanish Sparrow, various races Yellow Wagtail, Tawny Pipit, Serin, Common Crossbill guillemardi, Ortolan and Cretzschmar’s Buntings, Jay glaszneri.

A male Ruppell’s Warbler is quite a sight OTHER WILDLIFE: Those with an interest in wild flowers will find much of interest in Cyprus. Some 30 species of orchid and many endemic plants find a home here, many of which will be a blaze of colour at the time of our visit. Mammals are thin on the ground, represented by the Brown Hare plus several species of bat for those with an interest and the right equipment to identify them. Reptiles include the Troodos Rock Lizard. Butterflies are a major feature of Cyprus in spring, so we will try to see some of the lovely species such as Eastern Festoon, Swallowtail, Painted Lady and Cleopatra.

Common Swallowtail

EASE AND PACE: This will be a leisurely break and basic fitness is all that is required. Breakfast will be taken at about 7.30 with the option of pre-breakfast walks depending on level of migration expected. Lunch will normally be a packed lunch so we can continue to enjoy the warm outdoors. The spring days are long giving plenty of time to achieve our goals, so each day will include one or more coffee breaks and opportunities for relaxation, be it strolling down the beach, unwinding on the hotel terrace with a glass of wine or enjoying a casual ramble around the quaint old village streets where time appears to have stood still.

ACCOMMODATION AND FOOD: Full board accommodation is provided beginning with four nights near Paphos headland, our hotel being handily placed for frequent visits to this, the main birding site on the island. Our second base is near Larnaca, meaning we can explore the whole of the island on this one trip. Both hotels are of a four star standard featuring comfortable twin en-suite rooms.

WEATHER: Temperatures in Cyprus begin to climb during March and we should experience blue skies and daytime temperatures of around 20°C. This will be very pleasant compared to weather back home! Mornings in the Troodos Mountains will be more chilly of course, but the sun will soon break through to warm the air. March is generally a reasonably dry month, but the odd shower is possible though they are usually over quite quickly. As ever, being able to layer up and down clothing wise will enable us to stay comfortable whilst in the field. Sea temperature is at its lowest during February and March, making it rather cool for swimming, but our hotels have pools for those brave enough to fancy a dip after being out in the field. PRICE: £1100 plus flights estimated at £200. Price includes all travel in Cyprus, accommodation including bed, breakfast and evening meals, plus lunch either taken in a cafe or as a packed lunch. Not included are your drinks during the day and with evening meals.

FLIGHTS: We plan to take advantage of local departures for this tour. Thomson has flights to Paphos from several airports including Doncaster Robin Hood, Manchester, Bournemouth and East Midlands. Flight times depart mid-morning and arrive back late afternoon, so are very convenient.

GROUP SIZE: Seven with one leader and 12 with two leaders.

ITINERARY:

Wednesday 21 – Our direct flight arrives into Paphos mid-afternoon from where we take the short transfer directly to our hotel. We should be checked-in within an hour of leaving the airport which allows us time for a quick visit to the nearby Paphos Headland to see what migrants are about. The open ground of this World Heritage Site is interspersed with small bushes, some larger trees, gardens and low walls, making it a classic migration site and one which we will visit several times during our stay. Short turf provides ideal feeding habitat for pipits and wheatears, and our late afternoon visit will allow us a nice introduction to a mixture of passage birds which should be present. Closely related species such as Isabelline, Northern and Eastern Black-eared Wheatears and both colourful Ortolan and Cretzschmar’s Buntings are often to be seen side by side, affording nice comparisons. The rocky foreshore might well reveal a lingering Greater Sand plover, small numbers of which winter here. Paphos is our base for the first four nights from where we radiate out to explore the many and varied habitats in the south-western part of the island.

Cretzschmar’s Buntings are frequent visitors to the headlands in March

Thursday 22 After breakfast we will again venture onto the Paphos Headland as each day can bring a new flush of birds. Warbler lovers will not be disappointed with good possibilities of discovering the attractive Ruppell’s and Eastern Bonelli’s Warblers whilst Eastern Orphean is also possible as we take a leisurely stroll over the sunny headland. The ground will be carpeted in stunning spring flowers, the array of colours being matched perhaps by the Hoopoes and various races of Yellow Wagtails which pause briefly before heading north on their spring journeys. The site is large so we will pause frequently allowing time for the birds to come to us, often the best way to achieve close and prolonged views. Resident and Crested Larks will vie for our attention but our eyes must also be alert for any overflying raptor such as a Marsh or Pallid Harrier or an early Montagu’s. Good though the bird watching is, the headland is most famous for its Roman ruins which include a small amphitheatre and extensive mosaics housed in purpose built buildings for their protection. We will have time to explore this impressive archaeological park as well as look for birds.

Friday 23 Today we venture to the Asprokremmos Dam, where small pools on the gravel bed at the dam base lure many migrants, including wildfowl such as Garganey, with confiding Little Crakes sometimes emerging from the vegetation, whilst a mixture of hirundines and swifts will swoop to snatch insects from above our heads. The surrounding scrub holds Cyprus Warblers whilst the rocky slopes above are a favoured haunt of Cyprus Wheatears. The mature trees of the picnic area overlook the water and often host a selection of flycatchers and warblers.

Cyprus Warbler here a stunning male

Nearby Anarita Park is set in low rolling hills with rocky outcrops. It has recently become famous as one of the best locations on the island for rarities, as last year’s Asian Desert Warbler and Amur Falcon testify. Of more frequent appearance are passage Lesser Kestrels, whilst overhead resident Bonelli’s Eagle and Long-legged Buzzard are possible. If we are fortunate, we may come across a lingering Finsch’s Wheatear, several of which spend the winter in this area. A short drive leads us to the cultivated coastal plain which is a haven for migrant and resident birds alike. The fields around Mandria regularly attract Calandra and Short-toed Larks (and occasional Bimaculated and Lesser Short-toed) and the short crops often hide feeding Yellow Wagtails whose mixed flocks are likely to comprise combination of Black-headed, Blue-headed and Grey-headed with perhaps some intermediates thrown in for good measure. Tawny, Water and Red-throated Pipits are likely, with Northern and Isabelline Wheatears favouring the littoral turf.

Saturday 24 We start by taking a drive into the Troodos Mountains, our route initially taking us through habitat suitable for Great Spotted Cuckoos and Black Francolins, before we gradually climb up through the extensive pine forests. The high mountains will still be snow covered, but lower down the different habitat zones amidst the cooler air should yield the much localised island endemic subspecies of Scops Owl, Short-toed Treecreeper, Coal Tits and Crossbill and Jay, all of which are of interest. The drive will give more opportunities to see the island’s two key endemics as well, with both Cyprus Wheatear and Cyprus Warbler being found in this area. Raptors should include Long-legged Buzzard. Descending from the mountains we will stop for lunch in a streamside taverna, where trout dishes are fabulous and feature the islands freshest cuisine. Arriving back in the lowlands, it is just a short drive to Polis and the nearby Akamas Peninsula. This area is off the beaten track and receives fewer visitors, but it is a very attractive area offering fine coastal views and many wild flowers. It is productive area for birds too, especially in spring and we should expect Golden Oriole and Masked Shrike amongst others.

Masked Shrikes nest in the Troodos Mountains, but we have an equal chance to see them as migrants on the coast

Sunday 25 A travel day stopping firstly at Curium, an archaeological site thought to have been occupied since 4000 BC. The majority of the ancient remains date from Roman times and include a magnificent and well preserved Greco-Roman amphitheatre, hot and cold Roman baths, fine mosaics and marble columns from nobleman’s houses. We will spend a while exploring this famous site, which being on the coast also attracts migrant birds. Moving on we head to the sheer white Kensington Cliffs where breeding Griffon Vultures patrol the skies. Later we visit the vast salt lake at Akrotiri where flocks of Greater Flamingos sift the shallow water and the marginal pools attract a good selection of herons including Squacco and Purple as well as Glossy Ibis. The reed fringes of the Phasouri and Zakaki Marshes might produce a secretive Little Crake, a calling Penduline Tit or an elusive Ferruginous Duck whilst muddy areas could attract waders including Little Stints, Curlew and Wood Sandpipers or perhaps a Spur-winged Plover. The Akrotiri salt lake and adjacent plain still attract passage Demoiselle Cranes from year to year, so we will make a special effort to see these birds should they be around during our visit.

Monday 26 Our day will be spent exploring the eastern end of the island as we travel to Cape Greco, perhaps the best of all the migration headlands on Cyprus, where the coastal scrub holds many short staying passage birds such as Ruppell’s Warbler, Wrynecks, Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush , several races of Yellow Wagtail and much more. This is a good spot for watching Spectacled Warblers on their breeding territories. Migrating raptors include Pallid and Montagu’s Harriers. Paralimini Lake and Sotira Pools attract various crakes and several species of heron. We will conclude the day with a look at the Oroklini Marsh, one of the island’s best sites for Spur-winged Plover, which reach the western edge of their range in the Levant as this part of the eastern Mediterranean is known.

Spur-winged Plover – reach the western edge of their range in the Levant

Tuesday 27 On our last full day there will still be much to discover with birds constantly arriving from across the eastern Mediterranean. In fact passage continues throughout the next few weeks on this magical island we will not want to leave! The Larnaca salt lake and sewage pools near to the town are regular haunts for waders such as local Kentish Plovers here consorting at the waters edges with longer range passage species such as stints, all affording great views. With some luck, we may find a lovely summer plumaged Greater Sand Plover (and even the very rare Caspian Plover has been noted here before). Both Baltic and Armenian Gulls are found here as winter migrants, so we will scan through the loafing gulls carefully. A final evening meal together should see us celebrating a truly super week’s bird watching and raising the odd glass or two to majestic Cyprus, the beautiful island that legend proclaims was a playground to the Gods.

Wednesday 28 This morning will involve a very leisurely start. We have time to have a brief sedate look around the vicinity of our hotel to consolidate our views of some of our favourite species. Even on the last morning we could expect to see tight groups of herons migrating offshore, or a surprise warbler, chat or flycatcher in the maquis and trees near to our hotel. Most likely there will be time for a few photographs or to buy some souvenirs before we head back to Paphos for our flight home, leaving mid-afternoon. We will be back in the UK in the early evening ready to head home.

Black-eared Wheatears do not breed but can be expected on passage

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