Thursday 5th March 2026

One of the UK’s remaining RAF overseas bases is on Cyprus, it was subject to a drone attack on Monday. It also has a rare endemic orchid growing near its perimeter fence. So, with all the fuss of the drone attack from earlier in the week, and with things getting back to normal, that is where we would be heading this day.

A part of the island that is literally part of Great Britain.

It was a good hour and twenty minute drive there, and we are on course to see all species on the hit list, so we started the day at nine, after a lazy breakfast. Jools headed to Paphos early to join a walking tour round the old town, so I was on my own, with just the cats and Dave, the tour co-lead, to have breakfast on the terrace as the morning warmed, with views over the bay.

We all got in the bus, and we drove to Paphos via the supermarket for supplies of insect repellent and cold juice, before driving to the motorway by way of the phenomenon on the mountain road, then down to the coast and joining the motorway to head east.

First stop was just beyond the airport, a roadside bank covered in orchids with the first new species of the day, Ophrys iricolor, a fine small orchid with an oversize interflorance.

The area around the base is British sovereign territory, and until yesterday there were roadblocks for non-service personnel after Monday’s drone attacks.

We got through with no problem, but once we had bought more supplies at the base Waitrose, we drove to some salt flats beside the base, with strict instructions not to point our fingers of our cameras towards the base, as the military police patrol the area.

Hidden in the long grass and shrbs is the key endemic species, Ophrys kotschyi, a drmatic mono-coloured orchid, and one suffereing from the early heat, as those spikes in the open were already burned.

But we found some in good condition, and took our shots. But also found some that had been apparently trampled, and one spike broken totally. There were several other species, so we snapped them, and two butterfly species, then made our way to the nearby monastery of the cats.

Cats.

And there were cats.

Lots of cats.

As we arrived, something like fifty strays headed towards us. Just as well as we had bought bags of kibbles, so we fed them. But more and more cats came, and soon they were meowing and begging for morsels from our lunches. One cat took half a sandwich from my bag, took the top off, removed the ham and cheese and scoffed them.

It was then that the next suspect drone attack took place.

A long and loud siren, signifying an emergency filed the air. Jets took off, and we stood frozen.

It stopped after ten minutes or so, but more drones had been spotted. And there was us, chasing orchids and feeding cats!

We headed out to another coastal site, where another new species was seen, before we headed to the hills, were more new species were seen.

Orchis x sezikiana is a stable hybrid between two other orchis species, neither found on Cyprus (!), and produce diminutive plants, but wonderfully spotted lips.

We slowed to turn, and three cars behind us crashed, blocking the road. Of this, we were unaware, so we took pictures of the orchids, but upon leaving, the police were there trying to work out what happened.

We drove away quietly.

At the bottom of a deep valley, near a hairpin bend, we found the last new species of the day: Ophrys lapethica, a fine looking orchid, only slightly different from about four other species.

We climbed the low wall to get out shots, then faced with a 90 minute drive back to the hotel, down from the mountain, along the motorway to Paphos, then along the coast to home.

We got back at half five, time for a quick drink before the end of day debrief, then drinks, dinner, more drinks. Phew.