Maritime Alps Satyrs and the Ancient King A Greentours Tour Report 16th to 23rd July 2013 Led by Paul Cardy and Stefano Doglio Daily Accounts and Systematic Lists written by Paul Cardy The third of the Greentours summer Alpine trilogy, following on from The Dolomites and Slovenia, was an excellent week in the western Alps, on both the French and Italian sides of the glorious Maritime Alps. Even after more than a decade of leading tours here, and living just to the north in the Cottian Alps, the area still holds some surprises. Plant highlights this year included Lilium pomponium, Allium narcissiflorum, and Saxifraga callosa all in fine flower, the latter locally abundant cascading from cliffs and walls. Special were the endemic Micromeria marginata, the beautiful endemic Viola valderia, and many of the local speciality Nigritella corneliana. New for the tour this year were Orobanche salviae, Phyteuma globulariifolium, Knautia mollis, Achillea tomentosa, Gentiana brachyphylla, and Leuzea conifera. It was also a very good season for butterflies, not quite reaching the lofty heights of 2012’s 124 species, but we recorded approaching 100 species, many in large numbers. The first five nights were spent at a small pleasant family run hotel in the Valdeblore hamlet of La Bolline, a fine location, well situated for all excursions, and with a small grocery and a bakery just along the street where I could do the daily picnic shopping whilst Stefano looked after the group at breakfast. For the last two nights of the tour we moved to the other side of Mercantour National Park, and the hamlet of Casterino, which allowed easy access into the Italian Alpi Maritime, a superbly productive area. Gordon and Heather had been with me in the Dolomites and Slovenia, and having flown from Venice, Stefano met them, and Teresa, at Nice airport on the Tuesday morning. They spent the day travelling via the Vesubie valley, Utelle, and the Tinee valley to Valdeblore, arriving late afternoon. Meanwhile I met Ron and Hilary, Robert and Julia, and John and Anne at Nice in the afternoon and we travelled straight to the hotel, and were all united for dinner that evening. During the week our daily excursions mixed lower Mediterranean influenced sites, through mid altitude meadows and subalpine forests, to alpine pastures above the tree line, producing a wealth of flora and fauna in these different habitats. Greentours Natural History Holidays www.greentours.co.uk 1 The first full day was spent visiting a selection of sites all close to the hotel. Our first stop was in the impressively situated village of Rimplas which affords fine views in all directions. There we walked slowly up a paved road to a Maginot Line fort, where Great Sooty Satyrs were much in evidence, and there were several Great Banded Graylings. Scarce Swallowtails were rather common, and there were a number of Swallowtails, both species nectaring on the abundant Red Valerian. Black-veined Whites, Clouded Yellow, Berger’s Clouded Yellows, Brimstones, and many Cleopatras represented the pierids. Ilex and Blue-spot Hairstreaks were here, and among the blues were Little, Baton, Escher’s, Amanda’s, and Common; Spotted Fritillary was common, and other fritillaries included Weaver’s and Heath. Marbled Whites were numerous, there were a few Dusky Heaths, Mallow Skipper frequented its foodplant, and Lulworth Skippers were rather common. There were many plants here, showing a strong Mediterranean influence. The hillside scrub had both Prickly and Phoenician Juniper, and other shrubs included St.Lucie’s Cherry and Bladder Senna. Lizard Orchids were perhaps the highlight, with many in good flower this year. The tall white-flowered Cephalaria leucantha was here, and Asperula purpurea with small purple flowers was very attractive. Among the many other species were Yellow Chamomile, Large Yellow Restharrow, Spiny Spurge, Shrubby Plantain, Epilobium dodonaei, Scabiosa vestita, Calamintha nepeta and both Artemisia alba and Artemisia chamaemelifolia. The endemic Teucrium lucidum was a feature. Also here was Teucrium montanum and the beautiful grass Achnatherum calamagrostis, and an interesting composite was Catananche caerulea. This was a productive site for umbellifers. The stately Molopospermum peloponnesiacum had been in flower in May, but was yellowing and in fruit now. Tordylium maximum was common around the fort and lower down was the attractive Orlaya grandiflora. Other umbels included Bupleurum praealtum, and Laserpitium gallicum. Pyramidal Orchid was still in flower this year, and of unusual interest were some fine large clumps of Cuscuta epithymum. Short-toed Eagle and Sparrowhawk soared above the fort. The extensive picnic lunch was set out at a riverside site, after which a stroll along the wooded track was cut short by a heavy storm. Before the rain came butterflies included Green-underside and Mountain Alcon Blues; Marbled Fritillary nectaring on the brambles; Wood Whites, Southern White Admirals, and Ringlet. The site produced many new plants, with campanulas a feature, among them Campanula rapunculoides, Campanula trachelium, and Campanula scheuchzeri. There was Aquilegia vulgaris in fine bloom, Digitalis lutea, and the purple bracted Melampyrum velebiticum was very attractive. Nodding Wintergreen was in bloom. Also here were a good number of Dark Red Helleborines, Fragrant Orchids, and Common Twayblade. In the rain we drove to and above Col St.Martin, hoping to escape the bad weather. We waited for some time in the vehicle but the heavy rain persisted. I braved the rain and saw that the hoped for Lilium pomponium was still in fine flower, but we would have to return another day to appreciate it. Returning to the village nearly everyone opted for an early bath, and it was only Teresa who came with Stefano and myself as we drove lower down the Tinee valley in search of dry weather. This we found with little trouble and passed a very productive hour or so in an area new to us. Among notable things seen here were Coris monspeliensis and Nigella damascena; Chapman’s and Chalk-hill Blues; and the very attractive burnet Zygaena occitanica. Greentours Natural History Holidays www.greentours.co.uk 2 Our first full day in the alpine zone saw us driving along the Tinee Valley to Isola, up to Isola 2000 and above to the Col de la Lombardie (or Lombarde), and into Italy. Once above Isola the roadsides became ever more floriferous, with many fine Trumpet Gentians, Pedicularis gyroflexa, and yellow and violet Viola calcarata. The Italian side of the Col de la Lombarde, at about 2,300m, boasted fine views of the surrounding peaks as a backdrop and Marmots whisling their alarm calls. Here we explored the alpine flora around a small lake. Things were very backward this year, as in so much of Europe, with much snow still, and very recent snow melt, evidenced by fine Soldanella alpina. One of the first plants that caught our attention was Adenostyles leucophylla with its distinctive white woolly leaves, and there were some fine patches of Parsley Fern growing among the rocky outcrops. Ranunculus kuepferi was abundantly in flower this year. Here too was a little Alpenrose in bloom, and before long we were finding Small White Orchids dotted around in the turf, there were many this year, and Frog Orchids too. The silver leaved Senecio incanus was not yet in flower, but splashes of yellow were provided by Potentilla grandiflora. The wetter flushes nearer the lake held an interesting selection of rushes and sedges. There were a few False Helleborines in flower whilst Dianthus pavonius was numerous up here and provided a fine show, and Trifolium alpinum was common. Moonwort was found in short turf. On acidic boulders were Silene exscapa, Minuartia recurva and Saxifraga exscapa. Gentiana brachyphylla was in good flower, and among the many other species were Homogyne alpina, Senecio doronicum, Sibbaldia procumbens and the endemic Phyteuma globularifolium pedemontanum. This is usually an excellent site for butterflies, but this year it seemed that none of the specialities were on the wing. Usually we hope to see species such as the endemic False Mnestra Ringlet, Western Brassy Ringlet, Mountain Clouded Yellow, Alpine Heath, and Mountain, Shepherd’s, Grisons and Cynthia’s Fritillaries on these alpine slopes. A site a little further on had many of the endemic vanilla orchid Nigritella corneliana, in superb flower this year, with also Elder-flowered Orchids, whilst Pedicularis rostratospicata was very common indeed. Water Pipit, Black Redstart, and Northern Wheatear were the birds typical of this habitat. A drive further into Italy along the Santa Anna valley took us into superb habitat, bursting with flowers. Lychnis flos-jovis provided splashes of vivid pink; there were some very robust Campanula spicata; fine clumps of Scutellaria alpina; large flowered Lamium garganicum, Digitalis grandiflora, Veronica fruticans; Centaurea nervosa with beautiful feathery bracts; and Polygonum alpinum. A good area for rampions, here were Phyteuma betonicifolium, Phyteuma michelii, and Phyteuma ovatum. Lilies were represented by St.Bruno’s, St.Bernard’s, and Orange Lily. The endemics Veronica allionii and Potentilla valderia were here too. A just emerged Apollo was admired by all, and even spent some time inside the mini-bus! Large Blue, False Heath Fritillary, and Almond-eyed Ringlet were seen too. Back in the Tinee valley a more Mediterranean site with species such as Coriaria myrtifolia yielded several butterflies. The next day first saw a return to St.Martin to see the lilies I had located the other day in the rain. As we neared that site Heather spotted some other fine examples so we stopped to admire those, the endemic Greentours Natural History Holidays www.greentours.co.uk 3 Lilium pomponium (some of us had seen the similar eastern alps endemic Lilium carniolicum in fine flower in Slovenia a few days earlier).