Cyprus 2013: day three, Paphos Forest

And so to the mountains... or into the Paphos Forest in the foothills of the Troodos massif, at least, to see what we could see. Igneous rocks, Pinus brutia forest with an understorey of Eastern Strawberry Tree, the endemic Quercus alnifolia and various Cistus species.

Orchamus gracilis, a large (about the length and thickness of my ring finger) and flightless grasshopper, and apparently a rather rare one, known only from Cyprus and two records in Lebanon.

Cyprus Mouflon, an endemic sub-species Ovis orientalis ophion, here in an enclosure near the forestry station at Stavros tis Psokas

Arabis purpurea, another Cypriot endemic, a common plant along the rock roadsides up around 1000 metres.