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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