Cyprus birds - Spring 2013

May 4-9, 2013:
A visit to the western side of the island yielded several interesting birds over this period. Places visited included the Asprokremnos dam area and its associated pools, Ezousas pools, Kouklea fish farm, Anarita park, Fassouri reed beds, Tunnel Beach and the adjacent cliffs, Akrotiri pools and church, Smygies, and the Teletria valley. Photographs of some of the birds seen are below.

Roller, top two at Anarita, lower at Teletria

Ortolan Bunting, Smygies

The endemic Cyprus Pied Wheatear, Smygies

Woodchat Shrike, Anarita park

Adult female Red-backed Shrike, Akrotiri

 

Eleonora's Falcon, distant view from the Kensington cliffs

Yellow Wagtail, Fassouri reed beds

Turtle Doves, near Fassouri

Spur-winged Lapwing, Ezousas pools

Ruff, Ezousas pools

Little Stint, Ezousas pools

Unidentified Harrier sp, Anarita park

Bee-eater (unfortunately against the light and distant), Latchi

Arctic Terns at Brockholes Wetlands

April 19, 2013:

A small group of Arctic Terns have been hawking over the Ribbleton pool here for several days now. Their fast, agile, and unpredictable flight makes them difficult subjects for photography.

Lesser Scaup at Brockholes Wetlands

March 15, 2013:
Today, there was a first record for the Reserve when a drake Lesser Scaup arrived at the Meadow pool overnight.

There, it consorted with a small flock of Tufted Duck but could only be viewed at long range as it remained close to the reed beds on far, eastern, side of the lake. It spent most of the time diving or sleeping out on the water and had departed by the following morning.

It was slightly smaller than the Tufted Ducks. Through the scope, its somewhat pointed head with a purplish sheen and its pale strongly vermiculated back could be clearly seen. Although usually rather inactive, one observer sighted its white wing-bar. The Lesser Scaup is a vagrant from America, the first British record not being until 1987 in Staffordshire; since then there have been approximately a hundred more with at least three from the North-west.

Much credit to Bill Aspin for spotting it amongst the Tufted flock.

Owls on the Lancashire Fylde

March 5, 2013:
A nice sunny day today but despite this at least three species of owl were active in the area during the afternoon.

Two Short-eared Owls hunted together over the rough farmland, perching frequently in the hawthorn hedgerows where they were usually partially concealed, although occasionally a better view could be obtained.

Nearby a Barn Owl also hunted, not harrassed by the other two, although later attacked by corvids which required avoiding action.

In its favourite tree some distance away a Little Owl made the most of the sunny weather

Ivory Gull - an arctic retrospective from Spitsbergen, 2008

Recently, matters birdwise have been rather quiet locally so below are a few photos from the arctic of an Ivory Gull which I saw in Spitsbergen in July 2008. Like many birds when in arctic surroundings they can be quite approachable and show little fear of humans. This bird was scavenging on wet partially bare earth for what little food was available. There was only time for a  few photos before it flew off to try elsewhere. Its characteristic orange-tipped, grey-blue beak shows up well and the plumage is pure white.

Barn Owl and Short-eared Owls in Lancashire

December 1, 2012:
During the winter months, the low-lying moss-lands of Lancashire can be the haunt of Short-eared Owls as well as the regular hunting ground of resident Barn Owls. Other scarce raptors are also sometimes seen here.

Today, in bright sunshine, a Barn Owl and two Short-eared Owls could be seen periodically together quartering the same rough farm land in search of prey.

Unfortunately, the Short-eared Owls failed to perch within camera range.

Long-tailed Duck at Stocks Reservoir, Lancashire

October 31, 2011:
The bird was first sighted the previous day towards the eastern end of the reservoir but was always distant allowing only record shots..

In the rough weather it was often hidden  by the waves and was difficult to pick out amongst the large number of other wildfowl present which included Mallard,Tufted Duck and Pintail. Later, it detached itself and could be seen distantly diving alone for a while in the rough water. It appeared to be an adult female rather than an immature bird.

Lesser Yellowlegs at Aldcliffe, Lancaster

October 24, 2012:
The juvenile Lesser Yellowlegs spent most of its time alternating between a large flooded field near the lane end and the far northern part of a string of shallow pools about half a kilometre away. Both spots couldn't be watched at the same time. As one approached one of these it would frustratingly fly to the other, so the answer was to stay put and just wait. At either spot it was almost always distant but on one occasion it did come within 100 metres or so.

A north American bird which usually winters in the south of that continent, there have been over 400 UK records, this is about the 12th for Lancashire.

The short white supercilium not extending beyond the eye, the fine beak, the rather elegant build, and yellowish legs, can be seen seen in some of these (rather distant) photos.

Its yellowish legs are just visible