NORTHERN CYPRUS, AUGUST 2006- A TRIP REPORT by Ian McKerchar

          With spring birding hols taken up with Hong Kong this year, my usual trip to Northern Cyprus was relegated to August this year, a period I had never visited the island and one I knew little about. The little I did know was that it would be much quieter bird wise than spring and would be very hot, but conversely, the sea would be warm for swimming and the Efes beer taste all the better for it!

            We (with my non-birding family) arrived on the 23rd of August, leaving on the 30th and as usual were based in Karsiyaka but with temperatures too hot for birding from about 10ish in the morning, much of the day was spent lazing, swimming, eating, drinking with occasional birding, from Shirley Valentines restaurant in Lapta, positioned right on the coast, surrounded by favourable birding habitat and fortuitously, owned by my mum!

Karsiyaka, 24/08, 06:40-09:00

Clear skies, very hot.

A walk around the olive groves, with now bare, scorched fields.

a section of olive grove, here with more open areas than usual which attracted good numbers of shrikes.

Yellow Wagtail- 2 species over, heading east.

Eastern Olivaceous Warbler- 2+

Eastern Bonelli's Warbler- 1

Masked Shrike- 7+, including 4+ juveniles

Gecitkoy Reservoir, 24/08, 17:40

Still bloody hot!

Green Sandpiper- 5

Common Sandpiper- 1

Greenshank- 1

Roller- 1

Roller hunting avidly around the very dry, eastern end of the reservoir

Barred Warbler- 2 immatures

Korucam Burnu, 25/08, 06;20-09:40

Hot, very still and very good visibility.

The Burnu was much different than spring, with fields of beautiful wild flowers now bare earth and scorched grass and avian activity almost apparently non-existent compared with springs continuous and often bewildering activity.

the 'long reeds' with scorched grasses, bare earth and few birds!

Grey Heron- 70+ in a large V formation flying high south

Black-headed Wagtail- 1 over east

Cyprus Pied Wheatear- 7+

Barred Warbler- 2+

Lesser Whitethroat- 1 by the water tank

Eastern Olivaceous Warbler- 6+, a target bird for the trip they offered superb views in bushes around the water tank but I found were impossible to digiscope!

Masked Shrike- 1 adult male in the long reeds

Red-backed Shrike- 1 immature in the long reeds

a nice male Masked Shrike

Shirley Valentines, Lapta, 26/08

Glossy Ibis- 21 in V formation, very high over sea heading west

Great White Egret- 1 over sea heading west

Glossy Ibis migrating out to sea.

Kanlikoy Reservoir, 27/08, 07:20-08:30

Clear, light SE wind, slightly hazy.

The reservoir still had good levels of water in and birds!

Little Grebe- 224, an impressive flock!

Glossy Ibis- 1

Mallard- 370

Shoveler- 29

Garganey- 146
Spur-winged Plover- 6

Little-ringed Plover- 1 juv

Black-winged Stilt- 37

some Stilts around the shore of the reservoir

Greenshank- 1

Little Stint- 5 juveniles

Spotted Redshank- 1 non-breeding plumaged adult

Black-tailed Godwit- 2 1st winter birds

Common Sandpiper- 3

Green Sandpiper- 22

Wood Sandpiper- 1

Snipe- 1

Blue-headed Wagtail- 20+ juveniles

Sedge Warbler- 2

Reed Warbler - 3+ (looked like 'scirpaceus')

Willow Warbler- 1 juvenile

Black-headed Bunting- 1 immature

Shirley Valentines, Lapta, 27/08, 17:00-

Glossy Ibis- 2 very close inshore flying west

Little Egret- 111, in two flocks of 58 and 53, flying low west hugging the waves and causing me a swift swim to the rocks to grab my bins!

Caspian Gull- 3 adults, all heading west very close inshore

Eleonora's Falcon- 2 juvs, flew north out to sea (right past me!), interacting briefly close offshore then flying out to sea- fantastic!

St.Hilarion Castle, 27/08

Typically very hot for midday with a very light SW wind.

Situated very high up in the mountains the castle has some of the most impressive views on the island and birding which deserved more attention than I gave it and perhaps preferably during spring and early summer.

Hobby- 1 juvenile hawking insects over the castle.

Wren- 1

Cyprus Pied Wheatear- 7+, including 1 very young juvenile still with down

Blue Rock Thrush- 1+ singing!

Blackcap- 2 (a pair)

Orphean Warbler- 2

Spectacled Warbler- 1 immature

Great Tit- 2+

Also, along the mountain road leading west from the castle back towards Lapta which too deserved better coverage:

Alpine Swift- 1

Blue Rock Thrush- 3+

Olivaceous Warbler- lots! Among the pines along the roadside affording superb views but as usual, bugger all digiscoping opportunities.

Willow Warbler- lots!

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