Blast from the Past: New Zealand

A shingle-and-shell spit on the edge of a shallow bay. A flock of small wader dozing away at high tide roost.

Fairly plain waders, silvery grey above, white underneath with a mid-length, dark bill and mid-length, dark legs. Fairly standard wader fare...

A lazy stretch: so they have a white wing bar. And a vague hint at a plover-like patch at the chest sides, perhaps?

A turn of the head...

... and an otherwise fairy unimposing bird turns into one of the world's 'must see' species, a real one-off. The location, of course, is New Zealand, more specifically the water treatment works just outside Auckland, back in January (feels like SO long ago now!). And the good news (for me, anyway!) is that most of my photos have been recovered from my smashed hard drive. Hence these Wrybills!

Aragon Pyrenees: orchid-tastic!

A superb week in the mountains, where the sun shone and the spring was a good couple of weeks early (apparently, in complete contrast to the eastern Med/Balkans where I've been for much of the spring).

A highlight for me, and something of a surprise, was the variety and particularly the sheer numbers of orchids in flower: on every roadside, under every patch of trees.

As well as the following photographed species, I also happened upon Sword-leaved Helleborine (one of my favourite orchids, and flowering just about everywhere!), White Helleborine, Broad-leaved Helleborine, Dense-flowered Orchid, Early Purple Orchid (mostly heading over), Champagne Orchid (a single spike past its best, presumably most have finished by now), Serapias lingua and (to my eyes, anyway) Heath Spotted Orchid. There are also Bee and Woodcock Orchids out there for the finding, as well as some well-guarded Lady's Slipper. Something to look for next time!

Pyramidal Orchid

Fragrant Orchid

Orchis langei

The ever-spectacular Lizard Orchid

Lady Orchid, together with Greater Butterfly and Lang's Orchids, one of the commonest orchids in the area, found everywhere from the high alpine meadows around 2000m to hot lowland (relatively) roadsides.

Military Orchid

Burnt Orchid

The Dactylorhiza orchids are one group that, to me at any rate, are more bewildering even than the Ophryses. These stocky, chunky, deep purple spikes in wetter areas in the alpine meadows, I guess, must be Dactylorhiza majalis... although quite why, I have no idea.

Whereas this tall, elegant, almost 'traunsteineri' plant growing in an area of rushy riverside wetland would seem to fit with Dactlyorhiza elata. Perhaps.

Phew. At last, a Dactylorhiza that's pretty straight forward!
Elder-flowered Orchid, which comes in two colours: this lovely buttery yellow, and a pinky 'rhubarb and custard' form.

Greater Butterfly Orchid. Everywhere!!

Lesser Butterfly Orchid. I have to admit that, after finding this spike, I stopped checking the position of pollinia and just enjoyed the spectacle!

Ophrys sphegodes, the Early Spider Orchid. Quite what it has to do with spiders, I haven't the foggiest...

Ophrys insectifera, the ever-appealing Fly Orchid

More from Aragon:

20th May: Selva de Oza: Citril Finch & Ramonda
21st May: Val d'Espetal: butterflies & Ladder Snake
22nd May: Alastuey

Is there anybody out there?

I sometimes wonder to myself, when sorting out photos at the end of a busy day in the field, 'but does anyone actually read your blog?'

So... do you? And if so, what do you think? Is it interesting?? How did you get here, and will you be coming back again??

See that button down below, 'comment'... please leave me one!

Cheers!

Philip

Aragon Pyrenees: 22nd May 2011

And behold, there was sunshine... blue skies, fluffy white clouds, spectacular mountains. The perfect backdrop to a day of wandering the lanes. Perfect weather for butterflies, and for big soaring things. The skies were permanently full of raptors today (what do all these vultures eat??), with Booted Eagle, Short-toed Eagle, Hobby and a very noisy Peregrine new for the trip.

At a smaller scale, butterflies were VERY active today, with 30 species putting in an appearance: highlights were my first Spanish Heath, together with Pearly Heath, Spanish Fritillary, Southern White Admiral and Berger's Clouded Yellow.

By the river, Subalpine and Melodious Warblers and Nightingale seem in permanent competition to see who can sing loudest, although all lose out to the noisy chorus of the Iberian Water Frogs.

And now I'm off out again... Citril Finches just up the road are proving too tempting!

Egyptian Vulture

Agrilus sp. Just days after bemoaning how I never seem to see Jewel Beetles, in the last two days I've found three different species, including this handsome fellow who has a 'thing' for yellow flowers, and the beautiful Anthaxia salicis, a metallic blue and red concoction that unfortunately wasn't quite such a good poser as its larger, greener cousin.

Southern White Admiral

Spanish Heath

Aragon Pyrenees: 21st May 2011

Mainly a day of sunshine, walking and butterflies (21 species stood still long enough for me to put a name to them). Oh, and a rather nice adult Ladder Snake crossing the path that paused long enough to have his photo taken before hissing at me and disappearing into the grass. I wasn't going to argue...

Spanish Fritillary

Glanville Fritillary

Adonis Blue

Little Blue

Wood White

Grizzled Skipper

Trumpet Gentians never fail to entertain!

Aragon Pyrenees: 20th May 2011

In the Pyrenees for a few days, sorting out a possible new Wildlife Travel itinerary... looking pretty good so far!

Coming out of a restaurant after a very nice lunch, I looked up to see a kettle of raptors circling over the village... Red Kite, Black Kite, about 40 Griffon Vultures, 5 or so Egyptian Vultures, an adult Golden Eagle and, best (and first!) of all, an adult Lammergeier.

At the head of the valley, the tinkling finches feeding on the roadside dandelions weren't Goldfinches, but Citril Finches.

Orchids are flowering in profusion: Lizard, Burnt-tip, Lady, Military, Early Purple, Lang's, Elder-flowered, Pyramidal, Fragrant, Greater Butterfly, Dense-flowered and Early Spider Orchid, Sword-leaved Helleborine, at least two species of Dactylorhiza and Serapias lingua... and so far I've not strayed beyond the roadside!

Add in Green Lizards seemingly at every turn, a photographable (just!) patch of Ramonda and plenty of butterflies on the wing, together with what feels like the first sunshine I've found all spring and what's not to love?

Citril Finch. Finally!

Western Green Lizard.

Ramonda

Oberth�r's Grizzled Skipper

Urban Wildlife: 17th May 2011

The last few days have involved some great urban wildlife experiences during a brief trip 'up North'.

While changing trains on the East Coast mainline, a pair of Black Redstarts were chasing about the train station and nearby derelict buildings, all shivering-of-tail and buzzy-of-song.

From the train window I also saw Red Kite and Marsh Harrier.

In Newcastle, the amazing urban Kittiwake colony was a real treat: their calls normally associated with much 'wilder' places. Indeed, the CCTV images of the Kittiwakes on the Baltic Mill Centre for Contemporary Art was the best thing about the place which, in its expansive six storeys otherwise only managed to find the space for a dozen very unimpressive monochrome watercolours and a single video installation!

And a surprisingly suburban pair of Peregrines were wonderful to watch at their nest, as they prepared for the imminent hatching of their eggs, while keeping a beady eye on passing dog walkers and kids on bikes.

Bulgaria: Bourgas wetlands, 5th May 2011

A day exploring the wetlands around the not-particularly-salubrious city of Bourgas. And despite the backdrop, they're pretty impressive wetlands!

During the day, a steady stream of raptors and other migrants passed overhead: Short-toed and Lesser Spotted Eagles, Levant Sparrowhawk, Red-footed Falcon, Bee-eaters, White and Black Storks, Honey Buzzards and hundreds of Steppe Buzzards.

The sun came out, for a change, and with it the butterflies: Eastern Dappled White were particularly common, with Small Copper, Grizzled and Mallow Skippers and Brown Argus all new for the trip.

Also enjoying the sun at the Poda reserve were an amazing number of snakes: we must have seen at least 40 Dice Snakes, 15 Grass Snakes and two massive (compared to any of the other snakes we've seen so far) Blotched Snakes in the rockier areas.

Our last stop of the day was on the shores of Mandra Lake, where a single Dalmatian Pelican sailed serenely past, tens of thousands of hirundines hawked over the water and a spectacular flight of 600+ White Pelicans passed overhead, returning from their day's fishing at some inland waterway.

Black Terns, Poda Nature Reserve

Eastern Dappled White

Bulgaria: Ropotamo, 3rd May 2011

Today was spent in the company of one of Bulgaria's best herpetologists and in one of the most herptile-species-rich areas in the country. Alas, the weather wasn't quite playing ball, and much of the day was fairly sun-free and slightly damp... and yet we still came home at the end of the day having seen 16 species, 2 more than can be found in the entire country back home!!

We started 'herptile day' with a bird... a massive adult White-tailed Eagle just by the road! And while watching him, we stumbled across our first 'herp' of the day (and a long-awaited 'tick' for me!), a big adult European Glass Lizard (photo above): a jumbo Slow Worm, kinda like a walking stick with the face of Voldemort!

And from there we didn't look back...

Nose-horned Viper #1, a female

Nose-horned Viper #2, a dark little male. He's about to shed his skin, hence the beautiful if slightly off-putting opaque blue eyes...

Eastern Grass Snake Natrix natrix persa, with two pale stripes running down the back.

Dice Snake

Eastern Slow Worm Anguis (fragilis) colchicus

Balkan Crested Newt Triturus karelinii

Eastern Spadefoot

Spur-thighed Tortoise

Bulgaria: Strandja, 2nd May 2011

A lovely day in one of the loveliest parts of Bulgaria, the Strandja mountains. At last the sun came out, and with in the lizards... of which, fingers crossed, many more tomorrow!

Other highlights of the day were a calling White-backed Woodpecker, a sadly dead Levantine Mole and some interesting plants. But the main highlight today must surely be the sun! At last!!

Meadow Lizard Darevskia praticola

Snake-eyed Skink Ablepharus kitaibelii

Balkan Wall Lizard Podarcis tauricus

Bulgaria: Veleka, 1st May 2011

May 1st, Snakes Day (according to a book of Bulgarian folklore we picked up in Varna...) when we're supposed to stamp around the village boundaries scaring off the snakes. Well, hopefully we'll not scare them too much, as the plan is to be joined by a local herpetologist in a couple of days time!

Meanwhile, we spent the day down towards the Turkish border, around the Veleka River.

Our first roadside stop revealed a fresh-in Roller perched in a small bush, with Woodchat Shrike and Cirl Bunting nearby also new for the trip.

Down at the river we were serenaded by the now-familiar songs of the Marsh Frogs and Nightingales. Some very nice woodland ground flora included the lovely Fritillaria pontica, a piece of plastic rubbish hid a small Grass Snake and a pair of Ortolan Buntings were in the scrub nearby.

Out at the river mouth, a small marsh provided a quick pit stop for a mixed group of waders, made up of 10 Wood Sandpipers, 3 Ruff, 2 each of Greenshank and Little Ringed Plover and a single Temminck's Stint. Meanwhile, at the back of the marsh, a European Pond Terrapin decided to take a walk across the meadow...

Heading homewards, we stopped at a rocky beach (which, by the smell, coincided with a small sewage outfall...) which had attracted a good group of marsh terns to wash and feed, as well as a single Little Stint, yet another wader for the trip list.

Finally, we paused at Arkutino Lake where massive numbers of hirundines fed low over the water, occasionally panicked by the local Hobby, and a single calling Penduline Tit gradually came closer and turned into a wonderful group of at least 6, showing brilliantly in the nearby willow scrub. A lovely end to another good day.

Fritillaria pontica

A longhorn beetle Pedestredorcadion pedestre, being suitably pedestrian and walking across the road...

Temminck's Stint

European Pond Terrapin, a little camera shy...

and a gorgeous little Penduline Tit. Blatantly not my photograph, alas, but copyright Mladen Vasilev, our guide on this trip. His website includes other photos taken on our tour (recent pictures, numbers 2948 onwards)