Bela konstantinoui sp. nov.: Another new species of Bela (Gastropoda: Mangeliidae) from the Pliocene of Cyprus

Orchis laxiflora Lam. 1779 (Basionym) - Anacamptis laxiflora (Lam.) R.M. Bateman, Pridgeon & M.W. Chase (1997) - Cyprus

 See also - LIST OF CYPRUS ORCHIDS - ΛΙΣΤΑ ΟΡΧΙΔΕΩΝ ΤΗΣ ΚΥΠΡΟΥ

Anacamptis laxiflora (lax-flowered orchid, loose-flowered orchid, or green-winged meadow orchid) is a species of orchid. It has a wide distribution in Europe and Asia as far north as in Germany, and is found in wet meadows with alkaline soil. It grows up to 60 cm high. A. laxiflora is common in Normandy and Brittany (France), but in the United Kingdom it is represented only on the Channel Islands, where it is called Jersey orchid. Notable localities in the Channel Islands include Le Noir Pré meadow in Jersey and several fields at Les Vicheries in Guernsey, where mass blooms of these orchids can be observed from late May to early June.

Synonyms

Orchis laxiflora Lam. 1779 (Basionym)

Orchis palustris ssp. laxiflora (Lam.) Batt. 1895

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Photos kathikas 25/3/2021 , by George Konstantinou

Ophrys apifera var. chlorantha - Cyprus

 See also - LIST OF CYPRUS ORCHIDS - ΛΙΣΤΑ ΟΡΧΙΔΕΩΝ ΤΗΣ ΚΥΠΡΟΥ

Φωτογραφίες, του Γιώργου Κωνσταντίνου Akamas 25/3/2021

Ophrys apifera Huds. - Cyprus

See also - LIST OF CYPRUS ORCHIDS - ΛΙΣΤΑ ΟΡΧΙΔΕΩΝ ΤΗΣ ΚΥΠΡΟΥ

Ophrys apifera is widespread across central and southern Europe, as well as North Africa and the Middle East. Its range stretches from Portugal, Ireland and Denmark east to Iran and the Caucasus. It is quite common in the Mediterranean region eastwards to the Black Sea, (Codes)  but is less common in its northern range being uncommon or local in Germany and Ireland.

In the United Kingdom, it has a distinct southeastern preference, being more common in England. Recently it has been found in the southwest of England in Butleigh near Glastonbury in Somerset and Dorchester, Dorset; whereas it is only to be found in coastal regions of Wales as well as the Hodbarrow Nature Reserve in Millom, Cumbria,[6] and some parts of Northern Ireland. It is relatively common in the northeast of England and in recent years large numbers have appeared in the grass verges surrounding the Metro Centre in Gateshead. In Scotland, it was thought to be extinct, but was rediscovered in Ayrshire in 2003. In some countries the plants have protected status. They are unusual in that in some years they appear in great numbers, then sometimes only reappear after an absence of many years.

The genus Ophrys is the most species-rich (i.e. diverse) genus of orchids in Europe and the Mediterranean with over 200 species, according to Orchids of Britain and Europe by Pierre Delforge.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 Φωτογραφίες, του Γιώργου Κωνσταντίνου Akrotiri 12/4/2023

Ophrys apifera var. bicolor E.Nelson - Cyprus

 See also - LIST OF CYPRUS ORCHIDS - ΛΙΣΤΑ ΟΡΧΙΔΕΩΝ ΤΗΣ ΚΥΠΡΟΥ

Φωτογραφίες, του Γιώργου Κωνσταντίνου Akrotiri 12/4/2023

Epipactis veratrifolia subsp. oaseana (Shifman) Kreutz - Cyprus

 Epipactis, or helleborine, is a genus of terrestrial orchids consisting of approximately 70 species. This genus is abbreviated as Epcts in horticultural trade.

 See also - LIST OF CYPRUS ORCHIDS - ΛΙΣΤΑ ΟΡΧΙΔΕΩΝ ΤΗΣ ΚΥΠΡΟΥ

Φωτογραφίες, του Γιώργου Κωνσταντίνου Episkopi British Base 12/4/2023

Geoffroy's bat - Myotis emarginatus (E. Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1806) - Cyprus

 See also

Λίστα με τα 19 είδη νυχτερίδων της Κύπρου - List of 19 bats species of Cyprus

Λίστα των θηλαστικών της Κύπρου - List of mammals of Cyprus

Τα 31 θηλαστικά της Κύπρου (Web TV) - Του Γιώργου Κωνσταντίνου - Εφημερίδα πολίτης 20/5/2018

Οι 19 νυχτερίδες της Κύπρου (Web TV) - Του Γιώργου Κωνσταντίνου - Εφημερίδα πολίτης 4/2/2018

Geoffroy's bat (Myotis emarginatus) is a species of vesper bat.

Description

M. emarginatus is a medium-sized bat with long and woolly fur. The dorsal side of the torso is rust-brown to fox-red and the ventral side is a poorly delineated pale yellowish-brown. The young animals are almost fully grey. The face is light brown. The ears are brown and they have an almost right-angled notch at the outer edge and many scattered, wart-like growths on the auricle. The tip of the tragus does not reach the notch on the edge of the ear. The wings are brown and broad. The edge of the tail membrane is supported by a straight calcar and part of it has short, straight and soft hairs.

Ecology

Geoffroy's bat feeds primarily on spiders and flies. It forages chiefly in scrubland and grassland, but is also known to frequent olive plantations and in livestock sheds. It typically roosts underground and in human buildings, often together with Rhinolophus species.

Distribution

Geoffroy's bat can be found in Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iran, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Luxembourg, Montenegro, Morocco, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Oman, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russian Federation, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan.

In 2012 a specimen was found in southern England.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Photos  Pomos 12/4/2023 by Demetris Kolokotronis

Bar-tailed lark - Ammomanes cinctura - Μικρή αμμογαλιάντρα - Cape Greco 11/4/2023 - Cyprus

Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus) Χαλκόκοτα. Some of the unusually many in the Achna dam 9/4/2023

Common spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia) Χουλιαρομύτα - Κουταλάς - Achna dam 5/4/2023 - Cyprus.

Saint Hilarion castle - Κάστρο του Αγίου Ιλαρίωνα στον Πενταδάκτυλο στην Κερύνεια - Cyprus 2/4/2023

Diederick Cuckoo (Chrysococcyx caprius) (Boddaert, 1783) Paralimni 1/4/2023 - Μεγάλος Χρυσόκουκος, Πρασινόκουκος, Χρυσόκoυκoς - Cyprus

 Not good photos but I am very happy to see this very rare bird for Cyprus

Only 2 references for Cyprus with the first reference being in 1982

I thank Andy Rollie for his help

The diederik cuckoo (Chrysococcyx caprius), formerly dideric cuckoo or didric cuckoo is a member of the cuckoo order of birds, the Cuculiformes, which also includes the roadrunners and the anis. Taxonomy The diederik cuckoo was described by the French polymath Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon in 1780 in his Histoire Naturelle des Oiseaux from a specimen collected in the Cape of Good Hope region of South Africa. The bird was also illustrated in a hand-coloured plate engraved by François-Nicolas Martinet in the Planches Enluminées D'Histoire Naturelle which was produced under the supervision of Edme-Louis Daubenton to accompany Buffon's text.[3] Neither the plate caption nor Buffon's description included a scientific name but in 1783 the Dutch naturalist Pieter Boddaert coined the binomial name Cuculus caprius in his catalogue of the Planches Enluminées. The diederik cuckoo is now placed in the genus Chrysococcyx that was erected by the German zoologist Friedrich Boie in 1826. The species is monotypic. The generic name Chrysococcyx combines the Ancient Greek khrusos meaning "gold" and kokkux meaning "cuckoo". The specific epithet caprius is from the Latin cupreus meaning "coppery". The common name "diederik" is from Afrikaans "diedrik", an onomatopoeic rendition of the bird's call. Description At Rietvlei Nature Reserve, Gauteng, South Africa The diederik cuckoo is a smallish cuckoo at 18 to 20 cm. Adult males are glossy green above with copper-sheened areas on the back and whitish underparts. They have a broken white eye-stripe and a short, green malar stripe. All remiges have three to four white spots on the inner vanes. The four green outer tail feathers are tipped white, and the outermost pair are spotted white on both vanes. Females show more copper above, and have coppery barring on the flanks. The underparts are often washed brownish. Juveniles have a red bill, streaky throat and a white wing-bar. They are more copper-coloured above and browner below than the females, and the flank markings are brown blotches. The diederik cuckoo is a brood parasite. It lays a single egg mostly in the nests of weavers, especially the village weaver and the bishops in the genus Euplectes. For example, it has been recorded in red-collared widowbirds. Feeding The diederik cuckoo takes a variety of insects and caterpillars. It is a noisy species, with the persistent and loud deed-deed-deed-deed-er-ick call from which it gets its name. Usually four clear, roughly identical, notes followed by a little twitter. Distribution and habitat It is a common resident breeder in Sub-Saharan Africa and the southern Arabian Peninsula. It has been recorded as far north as Cyprus (1982 & 2023). It is a short-distance seasonal migrant, moving with the rains. It is a solitary bird, found in open woodland, savanna and riverside bushes. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Φωτογραφίες, του Γιώργου Κωνσταντίνου Paralimni 1/4/2023

Marsh sandpiper (Tringa stagnatilis) Βαλτότρυγγας - Paralimni 1/4/2023 Cyprus.

English birdwatchers looking for a very rare Diederik Cuckoo at Paralimni Lake 4/1/2023 – Cyprus

Laughing dove VS Black rat - Cyprus