Wildlife

We had a number of Cretzschmar's Buntings, both on the coast (so on migration) and on their upland breeding territory. One group of six, in particular, provided excellent views.

One new butterfly for me - Dark Grass Blue - was complemented by Eastern Festoons, plenty of Paphos Blues (see below) and a few Swallowtail.

BLOG

6 April 2025 Cyprus beasts

The Wildlife Travel tour of Cyprus was not just about moths, clearly, however much the previous post might have raved about them. We were after all manner of creatures, great or small. Clients had great looks at two of the endemic bird species, Cyprus Wheatear and Cyprus Warbler​ (below), although Cyprus Scops Owl was 'heard only' on our itinerary. 

After getting flight views only of Black Francolin last year, and not even coming close to a photograph, I was pleased to see one glorious singing male near the hotel. Despite stealthy approach and patience, it was the only one of four calling birds that I succeeded in seeing well: one other gave flight views only.

Migration had yet to kick off while we were there (the following week saw Lesser Moorhen - a first for Cyprus - Bar-tailed Desert Lark, Caspian Plovers and Bimaculated Larks!), but I was pleased to find a hemprichii Eastern (Caspian) Stonechat - even if I did get muddled with old-school taxonomy and claiming as variegatus (which is how hemprichii is named in the Collins guide app on my phone...).

Wildlife

James Lowen 

My favourite birding experience of the week, however, was supping a beer while watching a mesmerising flock of Western Yellow Wagtails behind the beach bar at Mandria. The very large majority were Black-headed (feldegg) but the stars were the forms known as xanthophrys (a feldegg hybrid, with a yellow supercilium) and superciliaris (another feldegg hybrid, this time with a white supercilium).

Finally, plenty of nice minibeasts kept clients' macro lenses in good use. Here are a few.

Herps were not as good as last year: perhaps being earlier, and cooler, made for little activity. I was disappointed not to see Blunt-nosed Viper, despite some recent gen from Jon Dunn (which, remarkably, was of an individual within 20m of one seen by Wildlife Travel ten years ago!). Mammalwise, I was utterly gripped off when a visiting friend saw Mediterranean Monk Seal in a bay that we had checked the previous afternoon. Nevertheless, some enjoyable encounters - and one sad one: an impressive Large Whip Snake 'cattacked' and killed.