Cyprus in Spring (Part 3)

Tuesday 5th March - Tomb of the Kings and the Archaeological Site

First full day of the tour with all the group together and the weather had definitely taken a turn for the better,with wall to wall sunshine and light winds. First up was the Tomb of the Kings, oddly named as no Kings have ever been buried there. Whilst the botanists got down to serious stuff I wandered off looking for some migrant birdlife. The site is ideal for Wheatears but I found only two, a Northern Wheatear  that sort of posed and an Isabelline that shot off and I failed to relocate. 

Bound to be a Black Redstart here....

....and so it proved

Hooded Crows everywhere.

A Kestrel that sat and watched me for an age.

The Cyclamen persicum were particularly good here

More Starred Agamas

In the afternoon we visited the archaeological site on the headland, very few new birds, though we did have good flybys of the Great Spotted Cuckoo.

I revisited the site of the orchids that I had found on Saturday. I was surprised by how quickly the stems of Ophrys flavomarginata had gone over, however, more were on the way. This time I found Ophrys sicula close to the stone walls.

Ophrys flavomarginata

Ophrys flavomarginata

Ophrys sicula

Ophrys sicula

...and, of course, Ophrys umbilicata

Wednesday 6th March - Somewhere in Cyprus and the Pegeia Forest

Moving day. Today we left our hotel in Paphos and headed for our new base, the Aphrodite Beach Hotel on the Akamas Peninsular. However, there were one or two targets to be seen en route as it were. Earlier in the week I had discussed with Yiannis some of the birds that I would love to see and we joked how people expected the tour check list to be delivered in full. When I mentioned Scops Owl I was reminded that the Cyprus Scops Owl is now considered to be a separate species - Otus cyprius. Never did I suspect that Yiannis had something up his sleeve. I have seen photographs of Scops, normally taken at night and illuminated by a poor torch.  So, when summoned to look up in a tree I was dumbfounded to see not one, but two owls, posing in broad daylight. I was so overcome that my first action was to hug Yiannis in thanks - just before I managed to get the camera out, I am not surprised that some of the photographs are poorly focused as I was shaking so much with excitement.

Cypus Scops Owl, Otus cyprius

Cypus Scops Owl, Otus cyprius

Cypus Scops Owl, Otus cyprius

Cypus Scops Owl, Otus cyprius

Next stop was of a botanical nature where we managed to record the Giant Orchid, Himantoglassum robertianum, formerly a Barlia. These are truly large and very variable in colour.
.

The Giant Orchid, Himantoglossum robertianum

The Giant Orchid, Himantoglossum robertianum

The Giant Orchid, Himantoglossum robertianum

The Giant Orchid, Himantoglossum robertianum

Then a real stunning orchid, Ophrys iricolor, sometimes called the Rainbow Orchid.

Ophrys iricolor

Ophrys iricolor

Ophrys iricolor

Ophrys iricolor

Crab spider

And yet another Ophrys flavomarginata

Having visited the Pegeia forest picnic site just a few days earlier I recorded very little. However, a pair of Anacamptis syriaca stems caught my eye.

Thursday 7th March - The Baths of Aphrodite

Our first foray from our new base was a walk down the road to the Baths of Aphrodite, unfortunately the verges on either side had been treated with weedkiller, destroying almost everything. At about half distance I was treated to the flyby of a blue butterfly - a Paphos Blue. Top target on the butterfly list and a lifer - only problem - it didn't stop. However, at the botanical gardens adjacent to the Baths several specimens were flying, raising expectations of some photographs during the day. In fact I spent most of the day staking out some Small Flowered Broom, Genista sphacelata, the larval host plant of the species. I finally managed some records of both male and female but the open wing shots left much to be desired.

Paphos Blue, Glaucopsyche paphos

Paphos Blue, Glaucopsyche paphos (m)

Paphos Blue, Glaucopsyche paphos (f)

At the end of the day I was surprised how few records I had taken, I had literally spent all day waiting for one butterfly - but what a cracker!

Black Redstarts and Caspian Gull

November has been a bit of a lean month, not just on the birding front but for blogging too. Our usual haunts have, at times, seemed to be devoid of birds and the camera has often remained in its case. Not that we haven't been trying  - our efforts have included three trips to Dungeness in search of a Caspian Gull and  only yesterday did we find our target.

We started at the ARC side of the Dungeness reserve, normally there is something out on the water worth photographing. As we parked we met up with David Gardiner, last time we saw him was up in the Highlands back in March, so we swapped a few birding stories. Out on the water the wildfowl were sparse and the only interesting bird was a distant Marsh Harrier perched in the bushes, so we decided to make our way down to the beach.

Compared with our earlier visits there were few gulls on the roost., perhaps the better weather has enabled them to get out to feed. A quick scan revealed that no Caspians were about so we moved on again. Martin had learned that there were Black Redstarts present on the wall around the power station wall and as we parked at the end of the road they were easily spotted. The power station has its own sewage treatment plant and this is a magnet for all insect eaters as there are clouds of midges available.

There were three Black Redstarts present and two females perched obligingly, the male did show but only fleetingly, preferring to stay inside the compound. Pied Wagtails and Meadow Pipits were also taking advantage of the bounty.

 

 

Just as we had decided that we had captured sufficient pixels, Martin got news of a Long-eared Owl on the RSPB reserve so we departed at a leisurely pace. We arrived at the visitor centre and made our way to the "dipping" pool where one birder was snapping away at what I assumed was the owl. Try as I might I couldn't sight the bird, it was certainly well camouflaged, finally I managed to get the camera on it, lots of shots - all the same of course though it did move just once.

It moved!

Next up was a visit to the Scott hide, red top Smews had been reported and it would be a year tick. David had joined us again and both he and Martin located a Smew, albeit at distance and I managed to get a record shot.

The afternoon light was fading fast and we were going to end the day at  Boulderwall Farm as the Tree Sparrows had earlier been in evidence. However, I noticed that the loaf of bread, bought to attract the mass of gulls, had not been used so we decided to give the Caspian Gull one last go. We parked opposite the wooden tower and three birders were scanning the small flock, obviously something noteworthy amidst the Herring and Great Black-backed roost. As we approached they informed us that there was an adult Caspian present and then promptly departed. So we were left with the knowledge that our target was here but my gull identification skills are a tad limited, our strategy was easy - photograph every gull on the shingle and if we didn't spot it, post trip analysis would reveal all. As I photographed the flock one bird stood out but as Martin pointed out, it didn't have a black eye. Only one bird remained that we had not identified and it was fast asleep with its bill between its wings. Finally it moved - a Caspian Gull with all the ID features confirmed.
As we manoeuvred to get more side on shots it decided that the outfall of the power station was probably a better place to be and took to the air - I pointed the camera and pressed the shutter more in hope than anything else - I managed to salvage two shots from a train of twenty frames.  A life tick at last!

It's awake and it's the Caspo!!

On our travels I have managed to capture one or two shots.

Sitting in the ARC hide on a previous visit a Great White Egret appeared from nowhere and it was fairly close. Usually views of these are across an expanse of water.

 

 

We were entertained by two Short-eared Owls at Newhaven Tidemills, both being mobbed mercilessly by the local Crows.

A Snow Bunting at Selsey Bill was very obliging and a shy Slavonian Grebe on Pagham lagoon, both would have been improved by a pinch of sunshine.

Finally, I recorded my 78th garden tick with a Red-legged Partridge that visited my garden feeders, a bird somewhat out of place and whilst not in danger of being shot it was certainly at risk of being predated by the plethora of neighbourhood moggies.