Cistus palinhae, endemic to this coastline. A very, VERY sticky plant...
and another endemic, the very VERY spikey Astragalus tragacantha ssp vicentina
Monday, March 28, 2011
Portugal: Cabo de Sao Vicente, 27th March 2011
The south-west-most point in mainland Europe... Gannets flying north, a male Peregrine circling overhead, Chough, Thekla Lark and Blue Rock Thrush around the rocky terrain and one or two special plants.
Cistus palinhae, endemic to this coastline. A very, VERY sticky plant...
and another endemic, the very VERY spikey Astragalus tragacantha ssp vicentina
Cistus palinhae, endemic to this coastline. A very, VERY sticky plant...and another endemic, the very VERY spikey Astragalus tragacantha ssp vicentina
Portugal: Castro Marim, 26th March 2011
A quick catch up...
26th saw us at Castro Marim, looking across the river towards Spain, enjoying flamingos, Collared Pratincole, Spectacled Warbler, Red-crested Pochard and some interesing plants...
Cistanche phelypaea, an impressive parasite of saltmarsh plants.
Cleome violacea, a lovely delicate little annual
Moraea sisyrinchium, the Barbary Nut. When it opens, it's time for lunch.
Spergularia purpurea
Paronychia argentea
26th saw us at Castro Marim, looking across the river towards Spain, enjoying flamingos, Collared Pratincole, Spectacled Warbler, Red-crested Pochard and some interesing plants...
Cistanche phelypaea, an impressive parasite of saltmarsh plants.
Cleome violacea, a lovely delicate little annual
Moraea sisyrinchium, the Barbary Nut. When it opens, it's time for lunch.
Spergularia purpurea
Paronychia argenteaPortugal: March 2011
A couple of nice lizards from the last few days... nice, in that they're lizards I've never seen before. And it's always nice to see new things...
Three-toed Skink. Baixo Alentejo, 28th March 2011
Rock turning seems to be something of a herpetologists pastime. The difference between me and a herpetologist being that when they turn rocks, they find interesting things. When I turn rocks I find ants... and slugs... and the occasional centipede. This morning, however, I finally turned a rock and found what I was looking for, a lovely Three-toed Skink, four tiny little legs away from being a Slow Worm. Result! Now, where are those Worm Lizards...
Spanish Psammodromus. Algarve, 25th March 2011
The common lizard of the south of Portugal seems to be the Large (or Moorish) Psammodromus, of which I've seen plenty, usually skuttling off through the undergrowth. Luckily, this dinky little lizard stayed still long enough for me to grab a photo.
Three-toed Skink. Baixo Alentejo, 28th March 2011Rock turning seems to be something of a herpetologists pastime. The difference between me and a herpetologist being that when they turn rocks, they find interesting things. When I turn rocks I find ants... and slugs... and the occasional centipede. This morning, however, I finally turned a rock and found what I was looking for, a lovely Three-toed Skink, four tiny little legs away from being a Slow Worm. Result! Now, where are those Worm Lizards...
Spanish Psammodromus. Algarve, 25th March 2011The common lizard of the south of Portugal seems to be the Large (or Moorish) Psammodromus, of which I've seen plenty, usually skuttling off through the undergrowth. Luckily, this dinky little lizard stayed still long enough for me to grab a photo.
Friday, March 25, 2011
Portugal: Barrocal, 25th March 2011
A wonderful warm and sunny day in the rolling limestone hills of the Barrocal, just inland from the Algarve coast.
Today was supposed to be a plant day, but amongst the botanising we also managed to enjoy both Short-toed and Bonelli's Eagles, both species of Psammodromus lizard, a delightful Empusa pennata praying mantis and a surprising number of butterflies enjoying the weather, including Swallowtail, Scarce Swallowtail, Spanish Festoon and Cleopatra, all impressively showy beasts.
We go to bed tired, but certainly very happy!
Today was supposed to be a plant day, but amongst the botanising we also managed to enjoy both Short-toed and Bonelli's Eagles, both species of Psammodromus lizard, a delightful Empusa pennata praying mantis and a surprising number of butterflies enjoying the weather, including Swallowtail, Scarce Swallowtail, Spanish Festoon and Cleopatra, all impressively showy beasts.
We go to bed tired, but certainly very happy!
Ophrys vernixia, the Lusitanian Mirror Orchid.We found a wonderful colony of this local speciality, growing alongside its commoner cousin O. ciliata. Told by the paler fringe of hairs and the longer 'arms'.
Ophrys picta, one of the 'scolopax' group, told by its relatively small flower, with long, narrow, almost linear petals.
The ever popular Ophrys lutea. Just lovely....
A juvenile Empus pennata mantis.
Paeonia broteroi, one of the highlights of the dayMonday, March 14, 2011
Cyprus: 14th March 2011
A wonderful day on the Akamas peninsula: blue skies, little fluffy clouds, a day-long walk that was almost entirely downhill, good company, some fantastic wildlife and a brilliant taverna lunch... what more could you want from a day?
Today was above all a day for the orchids. Along 5 km of lane we found an amazing 22 species, plus a single spike of Serapias not yet in flower (compare to a year ago, when a single field along this walk was full of the spikes of four different Serapias species! A very different season this time round).
It's difficult to pick out any highlights, although the single spike of the gorgeous endemic Ophrys kotschyi on the roadside must rank pretty highly, judging by the look of shock on Yiannis's face!
Equally worthy of note were two bizarre freaks: an Ophrys elegans entirely lacking the 'lip' petal, but with two conjoined sepals forming a pseudo-lip; and an Ophrys flavomarginata with a double lip!
Overhead, our third Bonelli's Eagle of the trip was being mobbed by a Peregrine, while a couple of Red-rumped Swallows were new in.
(PS, the bright red Crown Anemone is from yesterday... but just too good a flower not to use a photo!)
The stunning endemic Ophrys kotschyi at a new location
Ophrys lapethica, another endemic Ophrys
Orchis italica
Orchis quadripunctata
Ophrys flavomarginata flower with a double lip
Ophrys elegans entirely lacking in the lip, but with two conjoined sepals in its place!Saturday, March 12, 2011
Cyprus: 12th March 2011
At last, after a few days of dodging the weather, the sun chose to shine. It's amazing how much the spirits can be lifted by a bit of blue sky!
We spent today enjoying the pine woods and limestone outcrops of the Pegeia Forest: the late season meant we didn't quite make it to ten orchid species for the day, but we made up for that with two species of sand crocus: the beautiful purple Romulea tempskyanus and a second, smaller and considerably rarer (for the island) white R. ramiflora.
Birds were still few and far between, although a sub-adult Bonelli's Eagle overhead was pretty impressive.
For the first time this week, the reptiles were out in force today. We enjoyed close up encounters with all the common lizards: Budak's Snake-eyed Skink slithering through the leaf litter, the ever-friendly Snake-eyed Lacertid, several Troodos Wall Lizards including a heavily gravid female and a sun-bathing Starred Agama on a cliff face. Back at the hotel, a couple of Banded Skinks were by the road, but best of all was a spectacular Mediterranean Chameleon back at the hotel!
Romulea tempskyana
Mediterranean Chameleon
We spent today enjoying the pine woods and limestone outcrops of the Pegeia Forest: the late season meant we didn't quite make it to ten orchid species for the day, but we made up for that with two species of sand crocus: the beautiful purple Romulea tempskyanus and a second, smaller and considerably rarer (for the island) white R. ramiflora.
Birds were still few and far between, although a sub-adult Bonelli's Eagle overhead was pretty impressive.
For the first time this week, the reptiles were out in force today. We enjoyed close up encounters with all the common lizards: Budak's Snake-eyed Skink slithering through the leaf litter, the ever-friendly Snake-eyed Lacertid, several Troodos Wall Lizards including a heavily gravid female and a sun-bathing Starred Agama on a cliff face. Back at the hotel, a couple of Banded Skinks were by the road, but best of all was a spectacular Mediterranean Chameleon back at the hotel!
Romulea tempskyana
Mediterranean ChameleonSunday, March 6, 2011
Cyprus: March 2011
In preparation for our group's visit to Cyprus tomorrow, I've just spent the past seven days on a whistlestop circumnavigation of the island. Starting on the Akamas Peninsula, we headed clockwise, up across the 'green line'/de-facto border to the Kyrenian Mountains, then down across the plains to Famagusta, and back round the bottom of the island via Larnaka, Akrotiri and Paphos, finishing back here on the Akamas a couple of hours ago... and relax...
Spring seems to be quite late in arriving this year, with the flowers a couple of weeks or so behind 'normal'. Which was actually pretty good news, with two early flowering species that we missed in 2010, Orchis punctulata and O. collina both still out.
Although migration is only just starting, it makes for an interesting mix of species; Cyprus Warblers are back on territory (much easier to find in the northern part of the island, especially when compared with the Sardinian-saturated Akamas), and the first Ruppell's and Eastern Subalpine Warblers are just arriving, while at the same time wintering Moustached Warblers are starting to sing and the Armenian Gulls were in splendid breeding plumage, before heading off east for the summer.
Spring seems to be quite late in arriving this year, with the flowers a couple of weeks or so behind 'normal'. Which was actually pretty good news, with two early flowering species that we missed in 2010, Orchis punctulata and O. collina both still out.
Although migration is only just starting, it makes for an interesting mix of species; Cyprus Warblers are back on territory (much easier to find in the northern part of the island, especially when compared with the Sardinian-saturated Akamas), and the first Ruppell's and Eastern Subalpine Warblers are just arriving, while at the same time wintering Moustached Warblers are starting to sing and the Armenian Gulls were in splendid breeding plumage, before heading off east for the summer.
Spectacled Warbler, Cape Greco
Cyprus Warbler, Kourion
Cape Greco
The peaceful Bellapaix Abbey, in the mountains above Kyrenia
The crusader castle of Buffavento, looking south onto the plains, with the Troodos looming in the distance
The spectacular ruins at Salamis
Orchis punctulata
Orchis collina
Ranunculus asiaticus
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