Our year began in Devon, where Mike Symes introduced a group of travellers to the winter delights of his home county. There were plenty of birds on offer, including local speciality the Cirl Bunting, along with some close encounters with seals.
In March, after a two-year hiatus, Philip set off with our first overseas group since March 2020, to get re-acquainted with the amazing orchids of Cyprus.
April took Philip to Almeria in Andalucia to take in the spring wildlife of the mountains and coast, and make plans for a future Wildlife Travel holiday.
Philip headed for the Mediterranean once again in May, and the Greek island of Lesvos, where there was plenty of wildlife on offer for our group to enjoy, among the olive groves and rocky hillsides.
![Harbour Seal partially hauled out of the water in Devon](https://wildlife-travel.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Common-Seal-MS.jpg)
![Mandarin Duck paddling on the water in Devon](https://wildlife-travel.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Mandarin-Duck-MS.jpg)
![Ophrys argolica ssp elegans close up in Cyprus](https://wildlife-travel.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Ophrys-argolica-ssp-elegans-Cyprus-Philip-Precey.jpg)
![Ophrys umbilicata ssp umbilicata var astarte close up in Cyprus](https://wildlife-travel.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Ophrys-umbilicata-ssp-umbilicata-var-astarte-Cyprus-Philip-Precey.jpg)
![two Kentish Plovers on the sand in Almeria](https://wildlife-travel.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Kentish-Plover-Almeria-Philip-Precey.jpg)
![pink Echium plantagineum flowers in Almeria](https://wildlife-travel.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Echium-plantagineum-Almeria-Philip-Precey.jpg)
![three Greater Flamingoes flying through blue skies in Lesvos](https://wildlife-travel.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Greater-Flamingo-Lesvos-Philip-Precey.jpg)
![Eastern Festoon feeding on pink flower in Lesvos](https://wildlife-travel.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Eastern-Festoon-Lesvos-Philip-Precey.jpg)
![Beautiful Golden Y on lichen, Norfolk](https://wildlife-travel.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Beautiful-Golden-Y-Norfolk-James-Lowen.jpg)
![Swallowtail feeding on pink flowers, Norfolk](https://wildlife-travel.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Swallowtail-Norfolk-James-Lowen.jpg)
![Transparent Burnet feeding on pink flowers in Cevennes](https://wildlife-travel.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Transparent-Burnet-Cevennes-Philip-Precey.jpg)
![Slender Scotch Burnet feeding on pink flowers, Cevennes](https://wildlife-travel.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Slender-Scotch-Burnet-Cevennes-Philip-Precey.jpg)
![Apollo perched on a stem, Vercors](https://wildlife-travel.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Apollo-Vercors-Laurie-Jackson.jpg)
![Purple-edged Copper feeding on Euphorbia in the Vercors](https://wildlife-travel.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Purple-edged-Copper-Vercors-Laurie-Jackson.jpg)
![Yellow-horned Poppy flowers in front of a vegetated bank, Sussex](https://wildlife-travel.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Yellow-horned-Poppy-Sussex-Laurie-Jackson.jpg)
![Childing Pink flowers in Sussex](https://wildlife-travel.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Childing-Pink-Sussex-Laurie-Jackson.jpg)
A mid-summer jaunt to Norfolk saw James showcasing his home county, finding some great wildlife along the way, including a fine spread of moths with a number of Breckland specialities.
Setting out from St Pancras, Philip and Kieron took a group to the flower-filled meadows of the Cevennes, where several species of burnet moths added a fiery splash to their days.
In June, Phil and Laurie visited the wild flower clad hillsides of the Vercors, where our travellers were wowed with a dazzling array of butterflies, including the magnificent Apollo.
Closer to home, July saw Laurie and Kelly exploring the coast, heath and chalk downs of Sussex, along with a visit to the well-known Knepp Wildland Project, where our group got to meet a few of its ‘mega herbivores’.
Philip and Laurie travelled in Mongolia during the late-summer to plan a new itinerary. Recces don’t get much better than this, and they saw a wealth of mammals, birds and plants, including some truly iconic species.
Mike Russell led a relaxing visit to the Algarve in September, a perfect time to enjoy a wide range of birds on land and at sea.
In September Phil and Laurie explored the scenery and wildlife of Purbeck in southern Dorset. The holiday included visits to Durdle Door and Portland, along with a trip across Poole Harbour to the island of Brownsea.
As we wound down to autumn, Laurie and Philip made a welcome return to Morocco in October, where their group enjoyed several exciting species of autumn bulb in flower on the dry hillsides around their hotel.
![two Mongolian Mountain Voles among rocks in Mongolia](https://wildlife-travel.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Mongolian-Mountain-Vole-Mongolia-Philip-Precey.jpg)
![Mongolian Jird among vegetation in Mongolia](https://wildlife-travel.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Mongolian-Jird-Mongolia-Philip-Precey.jpg)
![Booted Eagle hovering in a blue sky, Portugal](https://wildlife-travel.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Booted-Eagle-Portugal-Georg-Schreier.jpg)
![Great Shearwater flying through a blue sky, the Algarve](https://wildlife-travel.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Great-Shearwater-2-Sagres-26-Sept-2022-GS.jpg)
![Red-backed Shrike perched on a twig in Dorset](https://wildlife-travel.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Red-backed-Shrike-Phil-Saunders-Dorset.jpg)
![Brown-banded Carder Bee feeding on a flower](https://wildlife-travel.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Brown-banded-Carder-Bee-Dorset-Laurie-Jackson.jpg)
![close up of Vagaria ollivieri flower in Morocco](https://wildlife-travel.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Vagaria-ollivieri-Morocco-Philip-Precey.jpg)
![close up of Hannonia hesperidum flowers in Morocco](https://wildlife-travel.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Hannonia-hesperidum-Morocco-Philip-Precey.jpg)