On the last day of our holiday, our final target is the Red-Wattled Lapwing. This species breeds in very small numbers in South-Eastern Türkiye. Its breeding habitat here is the flood plains of rivers - those are easy enough to find. But then the Lapwing! Yet...we were lucky! We spotted several adults and a young bird as well. |
Searching for the Red-Wattled Lapwing |
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After having seen the Lapwing, I walked a small distance along the road, when I spotted a patch of Globe Thistles (Echinops spec.)Although these grew is a place rather difficult to reach, I saw too many beautiful wasps not to go there - and I was richly rewarded! This was one of those unexpected finds - a place I wouldn't have visited if it were not for my fellow travellers' desire to spot the Red-Wattled Lapwing... |
Patch of Globe Thistles |
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In this hot environment, there are hardly any flowers alive in June - hence the attractiveness to insects of the Globe Thistles. |
| Exoprosopa cf. lucidifrons |
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| This beautiful Bombylid is not yet known from Türkiye... | |
| Scolia cf. flaviceps |
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| These were the large wasps I spotted from the road side. Spectacular wasps indeed! | ||
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| Although I have no clue but their co-presence with the females above, I expect this is the male of S. flaviceps. |
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| Anthidium (sensu lato) spec. |
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| Sheer beauty...for me maybe the pinnacle of the whole trip! | |
| Euodynerus species novum |
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Most likely a species not known to science! Although this is not too rare with wasps in Türkiye, the thought to have seen and photographed an unknown species is quite exciting! |
| Sphex flavipennis |
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Spectacularly large - the largest Sphecid wasp in Europe. It can already be recognized by the deep sonorous sound of its flight. |
