France - The Cevennes Naturetrek Tour Report 16 - 23 May 2018 Short-toed Snake Eagle Botanising on the Causse Mejean View down into Tarn Gorge near Saint Enimie Little Blue butterflies at edge of River Tarn Report and images by Jenny & John Willsher Naturetrek Mingledown Barn Wolf's Lane Chawton Alton Hampshire GU34 3HJ UK T: +44 (0)1962 733051 E: [email protected] W: www.naturetrek.co.uk Tour Report France - The Cevennes Tour participants: Jenny & John Willsher (Tour leaders) and 14 Naturetrek clients Summary In the southernmost part of the Massif Central are the rugged and dramatic landscapes of the Cevennes and Causses surrounding the attractive town of Florac. This area, with its diversity of landscapes, meant a wildlife rich week in this beautiful and peaceful part of France, enjoying masses of colourful and intriguing plants, many species of butterflies and some great birds. As we ascended the Corniche de Cevennes on our arrival day the roadsides were dotted with orchids and Meadow Saxifrage, and a meadow of Poet's Narcissi gave us a flavour of the week ahead. The colours of the forests, meadows and rocky roadside banks were wonderful. The weather was better than the early forecast had suggested, indeed there had been snow on the Causse Mejean only a few days earlier, and even on the notorious Mont Aigoul we had sunshine but it was not quite clear enough for the promised views to the Camargue, the Alps and the Pyrenees. Orchid species were prolific, with drifts of the red and yellow Elder-flowered Orchid and banks of Monkey, Lady and Military Orchids in profusion, and the air was rich with the scent of various broom species. Birding highlights included regular sightings of Griffon Vultures, plus Egyptian Vulture, Hobby, Northern Goshawk, and migrating Honey Buzzards. Crag Martins, Serins and Black Redstarts were common around the hotel and we had regular sightings of Red-backed Shrikes and the constant sound of Nightingales and Cuckoos. A week of great wildlife, enthusiastic company, lovely food and stunning scenery in this beautiful area of France. Day 1 Wednesday 16th May Arrive Montpellier, drive to Cocures along the Corniche de Cevennes The flight made good time and, as John and Jenny already had the paperwork sorted for the vehicles, we were soon on our way. Once away from the busy roads around Montpellier and onto much quieter roads we could appreciate the attractive small towns and villages we passed through, some with classic avenues of plane, lime or poplar trees and rose-clad houses, with surrounding vineyards. The landscape around Montpellier was dotted with Maritime and Umbrella or Stone Pine - trees typical of a Mediterranean landscape. The roadsides were colourful with Red and Pink Valerian, Spanish Broom, Cow Parsley and we also saw Chicory, the lemon yellow Urospermum (Urospermum dalechampei), Pink Bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis), French Lavender and Robinia trees. The Corniche des Cevennes gave us views across a wonderful rolling landscape of wooded hills and we stopped at a viewpoint to admire the scenery, hearing our first of many Cuckoos and our first close look at the flowers and plants. We found Meadow Saxifrage, Snow-in-Summer, Rock Soapwort, Italian Catchfly, White Rockrose and the white flowered Pyrenean Flax. A Greater Butterfly Orchid (Platanthera chlorantha) and a few spikes of Early Purple Orchids (Orchis mascula) were also seen. Many areas were a mass of wildflower colour including a meadow of Poet’s Narcissi (N. poeticus), all to be discovered on subsequent days. We descended into the Tarnon Valley, bypassed Florac and headed for Cocures and our hotel. Anthony and Liz joined us, having travelled independently to Cocures, and after a drink at the bar we enjoyed the first of many delicious meals. © Naturetrek July 18 1 France - The Cevennes Tour Report Day 2 Thursday 17th May St Laurent-de-Treves, Col de Rey, Col de Faisses Some took a cool and misty pre-breakfast walk opposite our hotel up to a ridge overlooking the River Tarn. There had been a fire here but many plants were re-generating and we found Box, Manna Ash, Meadow Saxifrage, the bi-coloured variant of Crimson Clover (Trifolium incarnatum ssp molinerii), the diminutive plants Annual Knawel and Trinia glauca, Cyprus Spurge, Pignut, Pyrenean Broom, Tassle Hyacinth, Star-of-Bethlehem, Thick-leaved Stonecrop, Alpine Plantain and spikes of Thyme Broomrape (Orobanche alba). Western Bonelli’s Warbler, Cuckoo and a distant Nightingale could be heard. No Dipper was seen on the river today but a Grey Heron flew up the valley. Our first stop after breakfast was at the supermarket in Florac for our picnic provisions. John had suggested to those waiting by the vans to keep an eye on the cliffs above for Griffon Vultures but instead they had a brilliant spectacle of two groups of migrating Honey Buzzards circling high above the supermarket. After such a good start we headed south along the valley of Le Tarnon, to the hamlet of St-Laurent-de-Treves, where dinosaur footprints can be seen on a rocky limestone knoll. As we walked through the hamlet a Nuthatch could be heard calling from a large Sycamore but it was hiding in the lush new leaves. The weather was cool and windy and we had views west across to the Causse Mejean, south towards Mont Aigoul and north-east to Mont Lozere. As we looked north several Griffon Vultures passed over us, A Cirl Bunting was singing nearby and we also saw Serins and a Black Kite. Plants found were Swallow-wort, Common and Hoary Rockrose, Yellow Rattle, Shining Cranesbill, Little Robin, Spiked Speedwell, Stinking Hellebore, and on the rocks and walls of this small settlement an intriguing collection of tiny plants including Rue-leaved saxifrage, Ivy-leaved Toadflax, Maidenhair Spleenwort, Wall Rue, Rusty Back Fern and Brittle Bladder Fern. We drove a little further south up to the Col de Rey, where we explored Box and Prickly Juniper scrub. The grassy banks were dotted with many orchids including spikes of the handsome Lady Orchid, Military, Monkey and Man Orchids and some interesting hybrids. Also Early Purple, Green-winged Orchids and the tiny Burnt Tip Orchid. Other plants included Grape Hyacinth, Salsify, the silvery-foliaged Mountain Kidney Vetch, False Vetch, Pyramidal Bugle, Cowslip and our first specimens of the large Acanthus-leafed Carline Thistle, locally called Cardabelle. The dried heads of this plant, with its huge ruff of bracts (up to 50cms across), can be seen pinned to doors in some of the villages where various myths are attached to it. Skylarks and a Woodlark sang and another three Honey Buzzards passed over us heading north. We had good views of a male Red-backed Shrike and then we heard two groups of Bee-eaters, the first, a larger group, going by the sound, were high and frustratingly we could not see them, the second group consisted of three which although high we did see, again moving northwards. The sound of Cuckoos was also a constant backdrop we would become accustomed to for the rest of the week. We then moved on to a wooded area where we found many spikes of the endemic Aymonin's Ophrys and Twayblade. The nearby meadow was studded with Early Purple and Elder-flowered Orchids (in both its colour forms) and a few small spikes of Frog Orchid. Some of the Early Purple Orchids were huge spikes. A Firecrest and Western Bonelli’s Warbler sang from the pines and in the distance a Mistle Thrush was heard. There were more Honey Buzzards overhead and a close Cuckoo. A large Green Lizard was spotted and we tried to catch up with some fast flying large Fritillary butterflies - probably Silver-washed. 2 © Naturetrek July 18 France - The Cevennes Tour Report We ate our picnic, in the breezy sunshine, from a huge stone table and seats but we had to hang onto our crisps! Moving up to the Can de l'Hospitalet (Can means small causse), we stopped at the field of Poet’s Narcissi to take photos and then took a walk to a viewpoint on the edge of the Causse. We were soon diverted by a flowery vista which included handsome spikes of Lady and Military Orchids and their hybrids, the purple Cevennes Pasque Flower (Pulsatilla rubra ssp rubra) and the dainty gold petalled Wild Tulip. In a dip in the landscape there was a carpet of Grass-leaved Buttercup. From a rocky viewpoint we looked out across extensive Beech forest to the edge of the Causse Mejean. More Honey Buzzards flew over along with a Red Kite and Hobby, Yellowhammers, more Woodlarks, and Red-backed Shrikes were seen and as we returned to the vehicles we watched a Black Kite harassing a Red Kite for a several minutes. At our furthest stop we explored another area of Broom scrub and rough pasture colourful and fragrant with many plants. In the low turf beside the road we found more spikes of the Cevennes Pasque Flower with its fluffy seed heads, Tuberous Valerian, Mountain Pansy, Heath Dog Violet with its pale spur, Star of Bethlehem (Ornithogalum angustifolium), Green-winged Orchid and more Burnt-tip Orchid. Further along the road several more Red-backed Shrikes were seen - it was looking as though this year was going to be particularly good for this species. We then headed back towards Cocures, stopping to look at Sword-leaved Helleborine on the grassy verge, and many more were seen in the woods below the road. Just before Florac we stopped at an attractive bridge over the Tarnon. Looking from the bridge we had White and Grey Wagtail and some had a fleeting view of a Dipper speeding past.