In photos: Wildlife Travel highlights from 2024
January 2025
In February Philip and Phil headed south to Tenerife, to an awaiting chorus of Atlantic Canaries and Canary Island Chiffchaffs. A week on the island gave us the chance to familiarise ourselves with a fine selection of Aeoniums and Echiums, which are noticeably diverse here. And no trip to Tenerife is complete without a visit to the other-worldly landscapes of the Cañadas surrounding Mount Teide. There was also time to explore the humid laurel forests, and Canary Pine forests, as well as taking a dolphin-filled boat trip along the sheltered west coast, and catching up with a range of endemic birds, butterflies and reptiles.
Sarah and Chris headed to the far side of the Mediterranean in March, for our regular spring visit to Cyprus, where we were soon getting to grips with the island’s sometimes-baffling orchids. Freshly-arrived migrant birds were very much in evidence, and the group managed to uncover some wonderful animals alongside many botanical highlights, including Egyptian Fruit Bats, European Tarantula, Ocellated Skink and the endearing European Worm Snake.
April brought Philip and James to the blue skies of Lesvos, for a bird-filled week including a Great Snipe (a first for Wildlife Travel on the island) at the first site visited, along with ‘specialities’ such as Cinereous Bunting and Krüper’s Nuthatch. Black-headed Buntings dotted the tree tops, Short-toed Eagles flew by snake in talon (as they do), and after dark the ‘boops’ of Scops Owl joined the chorus of Nightingales and frogs. Time in the chestnut forests provided a spectacular display of wildflowers, and a range of insects were enjoyed along the way, including the impressive Spoon-winged Lacewing.
In May Laurie led our first train trip of the year to La Brenne, the ‘land of a thousand lakes’, for a wonderful week of orchids, butterflies and dragonflies, to a backdrop of Golden Oriole, Turtle Dove and Nightingale song. Highlights of our week included whirring Natterjack Toads, Giant Peacock Moths, the sight (and entertaining sound) of a large heronry, and an impressive swarm of Tongue Orchids.
Kieron picked up the train baton, heading further south to the limestone causses of the Cevennes, where carpets of wildflowers lay in wait, including stunning displays of Military Orchid, Burnt-tip Orchid and Poet’s Narcissus. Our week included a visit to the breeding project for Przewalski’s Horse, which has helped strengthen populations in Mongolia and Russia, and a chance to explore the narrow lanes of a Templar village.
At the end of May, Laurie took a group of travellers to Estonia to explore the patchwork of woodland, peat bogs and meadows that make up the west of the country and the island of Saaremaa. There were plenty of interesting plants including Twinflower, May Lily, Toothwort and Bog-rosemary, and ‘northern specialities’ such as Ruby Whiteface, Northern Chequered Skipper and Cranberry Blue. We were wowed by an unbelievable abundance of Lady’s Slipper, watched a Ural Owl prowling the half-light and enjoyed an evening on the river, complete with tail-slapping Beavers!
In June, Phil and Sarah were exploring the French Prealps from the picturesque base of Les Nonières on our regular visit to the Vercors. Orchids and butterflies were on top form, resplendent subalpine meadows wowed, along with cruising Lammergeier, whistling Alpine Marmots and a beautifully-marked Asp Viper basking in the sun.
There were more botanical riches in the middle of the month with Laurie as we visited the hay meadows of Transylvania and the Southern Carpathians. A visit to a hide during our time in Romania brought us close to one of Europe’s key predators, the Brown Bear, including a gnarled male who had definitely seen some things in his time.
Philip and Sarah closed the month closer to home, with our short break in Derbyshire and an opportunity to explore the interesting Calaminarian grasslands of the old lead mines and the limestone grassland of Dovedale.
August took Philip back to Mongolia for a welcoming committee of soaring Demoiselle Cranes, Black-eared Kites and Red-billed Choughs. The vast Mongolian steppe offered up herds of Przewalski’s Horses and Mongolian Gazelles, alongside characterful Tarbagan Marmots, Mongolian Saiga and several wolf encounters. There was of course an outstanding array of birds including Saker Falcon, Pallas’s Sandgrouse, Swan Geese, Pallas’s Fish Eagle and Mongolian Ground-jays.
Laurie headed ‘down under’ in September for a visit to the wildflower heaven of Western Australia. From Kalbarri to Point Ann our group was treated to all manor of bottlebrushes, candlesticks, toothbrushes, pokers and paws, many unique to their own little corner of the bush. Highlights included the colourful Qualup Bells and gothic Black Kangaroo Paw, along with the diversity of delicate spider orchids, a mat of Albany Pitcher Plant and masses of Wreath Leschenaultia strewn across the sandy ground.
