Cyprus 2013: day four, exploring the hillsides behind the hotel

There are some days where you come back at the end of the day feeling glad that the day went without any hitches, no rain and clients happy... yesterday was one of those days. And then there are days where you don't want to come back to the hotel at the end of the day, because the wildlife watching has been so good. Those 'wow' days... today was one of those days!

Instead of following our traditional route through the lanes and footpaths on the hillside behind the hotel, we took a less well trod path: one that was full of Narcissus back in November, so (so we reasoned) was bound to be interesting in spring. And interesting it certainly was!

Botanical highlights for the day were a new location for the orangey-yellow Orchis punctulata and three separate populations of the delicate Serapias aphrodite, a beautiful Cypriot endemic, restricted to thin soils on limestone on the Akamas peninsula; one field a stone's throw from here is home to all four of Cyprus's tongue orchids, growing side by side. Some fairly fresh spikes of Himantoglossum robertianum were also popular with the photographers.

Bird migration is getting well underway, and the strong southerly winds have apparently served us well. Coming round a corner near the top of the ridge, we came face to face with a fantastic male Desert Wheatear hopping about on the path. A very confiding bird, he hopped towards us! I only had my macro lens with me, so alas the photos don't bear public viewing... Other migrants included 5 Isabelline Wheatears and 3 Northern Wheatears in a ploughed field near the start of the walk, and single male Ruppell's and Eastern Subalpine Warblers. As I (finally) walked back to the hotel, the local House Martins started alarm calling, and I looked up to see a kestrel passing close overhead... followed by another, and another, and yet more: a flock of 10 Lesser Kestrels (!) moving rapidly eastwards, very elegant and ignoring the hirundines. A brilliant way to end the day!

Oh, except I forgot the highlight of the day... yes, even better than an endemic orchid or a wayward Desert Wheatear.

Whilst roaming about an area of vernal rock pools on the limestone, I looked down to realise I'd almost stepped on this beast: a Blunt-nosed Viper. She's about a metre long, venomous, beautiful, and very very patient: not only did she not flinch when I squealed and jumped several feet in the opposite direction, she went on to sit motionless, coiled up on the edge of the pool, while we all took our photos. Superb...

Himantoglossum robertianum

 

Orchis punctulata

 

Chaetopelma gracile, the local 'tarantula', not far off life size (on my screen, anyway)

 

Isabelline Wheatear. Oh to have had the long lens when the Desert Wheatear was hopping about on the path in front of the group...

A surprise was a male Black Francolin singing from half way up a Eucalyptus tree. Heavily cropped, but a handsome bird nonetheless, and not one we often see out in the open like this.