December 2023

‘After one stormy night on the second day, the rest of the week was warm, dry and mainly bright’, writes tour leader Pete Stevens. ‘We had an enjoyable week with some easy walks punctuated by exciting wildlife sightings. In addition, Yiannis (our long-standing local partner) provided a narrative on the geology, history and culture of the island. We looked at some of the finest archaeological sites in southern Cyprus and Yiannis pointed out a number of interesting and endemic plants, while Pete was on the lookout for its wintering and resident birdlife.

Highlights of the tour included superb views of the eagle-sized Long-legged Buzzard, Bonelli’s Eagle, a flock of the scarce Spur-winged Plover, a sighting of Black Francolin, a difficult bird to catch up with, and on Christmas Day, a close view of a Peregrine of the Mediterranean race brookei on a kill!

Plants of great interest included the endemics: an oak (Quercus alnifolia), Cypriot Sowbread (Cyclamen cyprium), Cyprus Pellitory (Parietaria cretica), Hyacinthella millingenii, a member of the asparagaceae only found here and in Turkey, Taraxacum aphrogenes, the Paphos Dandelion, and the Bee Orchid, Ophrys omegaifera subsp. israelitica.

In addition, butterflies were on the wing most days with several Painted Ladies, Clouded Yellows and Lang’s Short-tailed Blue with, in the last hour of the last day, two beautiful Swallowtails.

The group jelled well and we had some great fun both during the day and in the evening. There was also occasional excitement when a Troodos or Snake-eyed Lizard was spotted or even, among dead leaves, the scuttle of Kotschy’s Geckos was detected.’

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December 2023

‘This Naturetrek group enjoyed a pleasant and successful week in Provence over Christmas’, writes tour leader Barrie Cooper. ‘We had sunshine throughout, although the wind did reduce the temperature on some days. There were some excellent bird sightings and on Christmas Day we had the pleasure of seeing three Alpine Accentors, a pair of Eagle Owls and the unique and wonderful Wallcreeper at Les Baux. A visit to the spectacular Roman aqueduct of Pont du Gard produced Crag Martins, Rock Sparrows and another Wallcreeper. In the Camargue we had excellent views of Greater Flamingoes, Common Cranes, Glossy Ibises, Western Swamphens and a Moustached Warbler. Raptors were a continuous presence in the Camargue with Marsh and Hen Harriers being regulars, plus a total of four Booted Eagles that were spending the winter there. In addition, we had species such as Little Bustard, Iberian Grey Shrike and Slender-billed Gull along with the beautiful, varied countryside of Provence.’

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December 2023

'In contrast to the wind and rain of the UK, the 8-day tour to the Algarve at Christmas enjoyed warmth, lots of sunshine and barely a whisper of wind for the whole period and not a single drop of rain’, writes tour leader Neil McMahon. ‘Beginning the festive period in the east of the Algarve, our first day provided super views of Little Bittern, Western Swamphen and a variety of vibrantly plumaged waterfowl. Our second day saw us exploring the plains around Castro Verde with distant views of Little and Great Bustards, Common Cranes and a variety of raptors, with roosting Long-eared Owls and a wonderful lunch out at Helena's perhaps being the highlights!

Gentler days on Christmas and Boxing Days were still full of wildlife which included a spectacular Bonelli's Eagle, lots of waders, stunning Bluethroats and much more. Our last few days in the west of the Algarve yielded Stone Curlew, Short-toed Eagle, Rock Bunting, an exciting view of a Goshawk being mobbed by Kestrels and Black-winged Kites, and the spectacular views of the breakers and cliffs of the west Atlantic coast. Oh, and also throw in a Eurasian Eagle Owl, an Osprey catching a fish (one of 15 species of raptor we recorded), a wintering Wryneck, outstanding cuisine and those fabulous sunrises!'

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