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The Italian Alps The Dolomites and Stelvio National Park A Greentours Trip Report 22nd June to 9th July 2017 Led by Paul Cardy Daily Reports and Systematic Lists by Paul Cardy Day 1 Thursday 22nd June Arrival and Journey to Barcis Having stayed near Treviso the previous night, I arrived at Marco Polo airport and soon met Stefano fresh from his Dolomites WAL tour. Since last year the terminal had been significantly augmented and was now much more spacious. Before long we met all the Robinsons (Bernard and Margaret, then Alastair and Ruth) and we ordered lunch in a very good new restaurant in the new terminal. Towards the end of our lunch, John and Hilary arrived from Bergen, via Oslo, and now all here we were soon on our way north, away from the busy airport. Initially our journey took us across the predominantly agricultural plains, the line of the Alps stretching ahead of us. Even in the lowlands the vegetation was still surprisingly verdant at this season. The scenery became ever more impressive, and once we’d left the main road the verges had many flowers. There was time for a lengthy stop at Vajont where we walked a quiet lane, with a fine flora, and butterflies much in evidence. Apollos floated along dry slopes covered in their foodplants, stonecrops, and there were also Chalk-hill Blues, Pearly Heaths, Marbled Whites, Arran Brown, and Woodland Brown. High Brown Fritillary was attacted to wet mud near where we parked and some saw a fine Purple Emperor. Burnets were numerous, among them Zygaena transalpina and Zygaena lonicerae. Spiked Bellflowers were impressive, with Campanula persicifolia too. Broad-leaved and Dark Red Helleborines were admired, the latter numerous, and there were a number of Fragrant Orchids, some very robust. There were also a few Lesser Butterfly Orchids, but the Fly Orchids were all but over this year. The Teucrium montanum was attractive, and Centaurea jacea, Hieracium staticifolium and Bupthalmum salicifolium were among the composites. Peucedanum venetum was rather common and Verbascum chaixii austriacum was in flower. Among the many other plants were Linum tenuifolium, Valeriana wallrothii, Swallow-wort, and Wood Pink. Occasionally looking up from the great variety of flowers and insects, the views were pretty good too! It was now only a short drive in the late afternoon sunshine to our hotel, at a new location for us in the lakeside village of Barcis. We all enjoyed an excellent first dinner, the restaurant overlooking the lake, I gave the introductory talk, and we anticipated the productive tour to come. Greentours Natural History Holidays www.greentours.co.uk 1 Day 2 Friday 23rd June Cimoliana We enjoyed a superb first day in the field and saw a wealth of fine things. Whilst everyone enjoyed breakfast in the hotel, with Stefano before he set off for home, I shopped for fresh picnic supplies and bread in the village, in a very small shop! Under clear blue skies we drove the short distance to the village of Cimolais, and from there headed up the Cimoliana valley. The first stop, amid Black Pines and Salix waldsteiniana, had Orobanche gracilis in good bloom, Campanula scheuchzeri, Thesium rostratum, Prunella grandiflora, and there were some fine Fragrant Orchids and Lesser Butterfly Orchids. The endemics Euphorbia triflora kerneri and Rhinanthus pampaninii were here too. Several butterflies were already on the wing and included Black- veined White, Pearly Heath, and Woodland Brown. A short walk took us to cliffs that supported many fine Devil’s Claws, in perfect flower, one of the plant highlights of the Dolomites. They really were in superb form this year, with several in easy reach. In fact it wasn’t far from the vehicle that we saw the first today. The same cliffs had much Spiraea decumbens, leaves of Potentilla caulescens, and Chondrilla chondrilloides flowered abundantly beside the track. The Rhododendron hirsutum was much admired. The scenery was sublime, and more and more butterflies were taking to the wing as the day warmed up. There were Large Wall Brown, Heath Fritillary, and Hungarian Gliders were associated with their foodplant, the Spiraea. The rocks supported a good selection of ferns including Limestone Fern, Holly Fern, Green Spleenwort, Wall- rue, Maidenhair Spleenwort and Brittle-bladder Fern. A highlight was a number of fine yellow day lilies, Hemerocallis lilio-asphodelus, a rather surprising endemic here. There were several on the cliffs above, but also some right beside the track. Here we found a rather striking weevil (I’d like to see a photo of that.....). Back near the car park Bee Beetle was as always a pleasing find, and Spotted Fritillary nectared. Southern White Admiral settled on the road. Next was a knapweed, Centaurea dichroantha, in two colour forms, purple and yellow. Large Chequered Skipper was as always a great find at a reliable site for the species. A little further along we found more of the very special endemic Hemerocallis lilio- asphodelus. Also on the cliffs here were Silene pusilla and Yellow Archangel. Scarlet Tiger was admired and an impressive longhorn beetle settled briefly on the vehicle. Entering fine forest, I set out our first extensive picnic at a well situated shaded table. Bird’s-nest Orchid flowered on the forest floor. A persistant Large Skipper insisted on sharing our lunch. Our drive now took us across a wide stony river bed. River gravels had Alpine Gypsophila, Cerastium subtriflorum, and Saxifraga squarrosa. A distinctive black woodlouse with red spots was a species of Glomeris. Reaching the end of the drivable road we took a short walk and found the attractive Dianthus sternbergii in fine flower, and Willow Gentian in leaf. Some fine Bladder Gentians and Snow Gentians were found nearby. Red Helleborine was a bonus here, at a new site for the species. The cliffs supported Silene saxifraga and below them was the diminutive Hymenolobus pauciflorus. Epipactis microphylla was new for the tour. At this usually reliable site for them, all the Lady’s Slippers were over this year, whereas we usually see good numbers in flower. The distinctive pink Crepis froelichiana dinarica, an endemic subspecies, Greentours Natural History Holidays www.greentours.co.uk 2 was here, and Anemone trifolia and Interrupted Clubmoss were under the trees. A snowbell, probably Soldanella minima, was in fruit. Several Duke of Burgundys were on the wing. Round-leaved Wintergreen was in fine form. Lower down another Hemerocallis site also had the specialities Arenaria huteri and Silene veselskyi, where refreshing water trickled onto us from the springs above. Here, on seeing us, a Swiss vehicle stopped, reversed, the window opened, and a hand came out and handed me a dead Swallowtail, and off they drove! This really happened. We made the short detour to Claut so I could buy some fruit and vegetables for lunch tomorrow, things that were in short supply in Barcis! That night was a celebration in the village with impressive but noisy fireworks, and a procession through the streets. Day 3 Saturday 24th June Cellina Gorge and Transfer to Rocca Pietore The morning in a new area for us gave us the chance to visit somewhere new, and the nearby Cellina Gorge proved a good choice. A little like Sottoguda that we visit later in the tour, this gorge also had a tourist ‘train’ driving people up and down the gorge. We set out along the gorge, a fine walk punctuated by several tunnels giving regular respite from the intense heat. On the cliffs were very many Devil’s Claw, but all already in fruit. Potentilla caulescens was in leaf, Clematis recta was new for the tour, as was Phylittis scolopendrium, and Asarum europaeum was in leaf. Flowering Geranium macrorrhizum was also new for this tour. Hungarian Glider was associated with the Spiraea. Buddleia attracted several butterflies such as Scarce Swallowtail and Silver-washed Fritillary. Common Grayling sheltered from the sun in one of the cool tunnels, and the butterfly highlight was a Stirian Ringlet. Back at the hotel I loaded up our luggage, whilst everyone sat in the welcome shade. Below San Osvaldo pass we found a shady lunch spot in the woods. Here we enjoyed the picnic amid a selection of ferns, with White Admiral flying along a shady ride, and nectaring Heath Fritillaries. Early afternoon saw us heading further west, down to Longarone, and into the Dolomiti Bellunesi, in which we would spend the remainder of the tour. Campanula spicata became rather common on the roadsides. Near the village of Dont were several Marsh Helleborines in a roadside wet flush, in fine flower. Tetragonolobus maritimus was here, but this year the Dactylorhiza lapponica was over. The only Linum viscosum of the tour was in impressive flower. Here too were white-flowered Melittis melissophyllum and Stachys alpina. Further up Phyteuma spicatum became a feature of the roadsides. We stopped at Passo Duran where a floriferous marshy slope had many marsh orchids, and abundant Globe Flowers. There were many other plants here in this fine habitat, such as Senecio alpestris, Ligusticum mutellinoides, Polygonum viviparum, Veratrum viride, Vicia sylvatica, and Lathyrus ochraceus. Sedges were a real feature here. Carex paniculata tussocks characterised the wet flushes at the bottom of the slope, and other sedges were Carex nigra, Carex panicea, Carex davalliana, Carex flacca, Carex pallescens, Carex capillaris, Carex hirta, Greentours Natural History Holidays www.greentours.co.uk 3 Carex lepidocarpa, and Carex rostrata. The views were sublime. Butterflies includede Titania’s Fritillary and Alpine Heath. Some were tempted by coffee (or ice cream) into the refuge. I negotiated the next stretch of this narrow road, as usual busy with motorbikes today, and we headed down to the valley.

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