Jon Dunn

Thank you, Beata 🙏

Ophrys iricolor, Orchids of Cyprus © Dr Richard Bate

Ophrys alasiatica, Orchids of Cyprus © Dr Richard Bate

Postcard just received from tour leader @thenewgalaxy.bsky.social in Cyprus:

Our #OrchidsOfCyprus group have seen two spectacular Asian species on the edge of their world range today. These two (Ophrys iricolor & endemic Ophrys alasiatica) aren't them - but what utter beauties they are!

Serapias carica tongue-orchid with a patient Laphria aurea robberfly resting upon it, Orchids of Rhodes © Jon Dunn

Inspired by my orchid tour co-leader @thenewgalaxy.bsky.social's fabulous orchid / insect predator image this morning, here's another for my countdown to #OrchidsOfRhodes - a robberfly waiting for an unwary bee to visit this Serapias carica tongue-orchid. What a beautiful way to go...

Ophrys mammosa with Empusa sp. mantid, Orchids of Cyprus © Dr Richard Bate

Postcard from the field from tour leader @thenewgalaxy.bsky.social, leading our #OrchidsOfCyprus tour:

#Orchids can be a trap* for the unwary. Pity the busy, busy bee that's attracted to this Ophrys mammosa; danger lurks in the form of an Empusa mantis.

*and seriously addictive for their admirers!

Orchis troodi © Dr Richard Bate

Ophrys lapethica © Dr Richard Bate

Postcard from the field from tour leader @thenewgalaxy.bsky.social, leading our Orchids of Cyprus group:

We've still got two full days ahead of us in which to enjoy Cyprus, and we're revelling in the glorious habitats and sheer orchid abundance and diversity to be found here.

#orchids

Same story with my grandmother too. The most incredible woman.

He's brilliant, isn't he? His memories of his relationship with his father resonating strongly here.

Naked Man Orchid (Orchis italica), Orchids of Rhodes © Jon Dunn Just two places remain available on the 2028 Orchids of Rhodes tour...

Ophrys cretica ssp beloniae, Orchids of Rhodes © Jon Dunn

Our 2026 & 2027 #OrchidsOfRhodes tours are both fully booked, and have been for a long time now. The 2028 tour has just two places left available on it - it's the ultimate orchid-hunting holiday, 50+ taxa in a week, donation to
@bsbibotany.bsky.social, top craic.
mariposanature.com/tours/botani...

Wow - that’s intriguing!

Ophrys parvula, Orchids of Rhodes © Jon Dunn

Sometimes great things come in small packages. Ophrys parvula is one of the tiniest of the #OrchidsOfRhodes, a diminutive bee #orchid that hides in dry, stony, phrygana habitat. When fresh, their flowers have a silvery lustre - they're well worth a closer look.

Giant orchids found growing wild in UK for first time Range typically found in southern and central Europe is expanding north as climate warms

They're near Didcot, Ellie. It's become a bit of an open secret these days, so if you're back there at any point, just drop me a line...

There was a piece about their discovery in the Guardian that may be of interest:

www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Ophrys kotschyi, Orchids of Cyprus © Dr Richard Bate

Imagine going to Cyprus and not seeing the jewel in the Ophrys #orchid crown, Ophrys kotschyi...

Fortunately for our guests, that's the stuff of abstract nightmares only, for our brilliant guide @thenewgalaxy.bsky.social knows exactly where the best of them are to be seen.

#OrchidsOfCyprus

Thanks Rob. Something a little different. I do love all the waders.

Jon Dunn is seated in the library. Super Sheltie looks on. Jon holds his new book Butterflies

We were delighted to get a visit from @dunnjons.bsky.social today who presented SuperSheltie with a copy of his new book, Butterflies, for the library!
What a lovely new addition to the library for #WorldBookDay
Thank you Jon!

My absolute pleasure! It was lovely to hang out with Shetland’s foremost literary star, SuperSheltie. Turns out ponies love butterflies as well as sugar lumps 🐴 ❤️ 🦋

#mylovelyhorse #WorldBookDay

False Comma (Nymphalis vau-album) © Janos Olah

Puddling group of Clouded Yellow (Colias crocea) & Berger's Clouded Yellow (Colias alfacariensis) © Clive Burrows

Tour update 🚨

As of this morning, our 2027 Summer Butterflies of Serbia tour now has just four places remaining available to book upon it. Naturally, like *all* our butterfly tours, it generates a donation to support the work of @europebutterfly.bsky.social.

mariposanature.com/tours/butter...

European Golden Plover breeds here every year, but American Golden is a rare vagrant - I’ve seen just two on my island in almost 25 years.

Now if we could all stop arguing about World Book Day costumes and buy some fucking books, that would be just lovely. www.hive.co.uk/Search/Searc...

Oh, that's a lovely one! Thanks for sharing, Ellie.

Ophrys blitopertha, Orchids of Rhodes © Jon Dunn

Returning to my countdown to the keenly anticipated @mariposanature.bsky.social #OrchidsOfRhodes tour, another velvet beauty from the Ophrys bee orchids, Ophrys blitopertha.

It's a novelty of its kind, pollinated not by bees or wasps, but by a small scarab beetle, Blitopertha lineolata.

#orchids

American Golden Plover (Pluvialis dominica) & European Golden Plover (Pluvialis apricaria), Shetland, September 2017 © Jon Dunn

Good morning. Today's #BirdOfTheDay theme is #MixedPairs, a photo with two birds of different species.

I've a couple of 'garden' birds to share here - a one-off event to date, an American Golden Plover that joined the regular flock of European Golden Plover beside my Shetland house.

#birds

Orchis troodi, Orchids of Cyprus © Dr Richard Bate

Orchis troodi, Orchids of Cyprus © Dr Richard Bate

Postcard from the field from Orchids of Cyprus tour leader, @thenewgalaxy.bsky.social:

Yesterday was packed with orchids, including the delicate and elegant endemic species Orchis troodi - available in pale violet, but more rarely in snow white.

Thanks so much, Helen. I hope my words live up to the beautiful illustrations created by Georgina and Hanako. 🦋

It’s all a bit much, isn’t it.

And the person in question went on to stoop lower still in the weeks that followed, petitioning two conservation charities in a naive attempt to get them to refuse to accept donations from Mariposa. Also deeply unpleasant, and at odds with his public claims to care about conservation.

Orchis punctulata, Orchids of Cyprus © Jon Dunn

Ophrys kotschyi, Orchids of Cyprus © Jon Dunn

Tour update 🚨

The current Orchids of Cyprus tour may be in just its second day, but next year's tour now has its first booking. This wonderful island is a tremendous destination at this time of year for orchids, and other wildlife besides.

www.mariposanature.com/tours/botani...

Customer service really matters to us.

It should go without saying that clear and prompt communication is important; as is the simple principle of treating people as we'd like to be treated ourselves. We know it's disappointing when other companies fail to do that - but that's not the Mariposa way.

Thanks Amanda - though that's all the hard work of Georgina and Hanako, the illustrators, who have made the book so beautiful throughout. I just wrote some words!

Safe travels, Benedict. I’m delighted to have found you here where the skies are blue!

Serapias aphrodite, Orchids of Cyprus © Dr Richard Bate

Ophrys galilaea, Orchids of Cyprus © Dr Richard Bate

Our Orchids of Cyprus tour is safely under way. We'd like to take this opportunity to thank our guests for their patience and understanding, and our guides Dr Richard Bate & Dave Fairhurst for their calm, organised assistance while events unfolded. Here's to a world with more flower power.