Abruzzo in Autumn Naturetrek Tour Report 8 - 15 September 2016 Abruzzo Chamois by Terry Coult Colchicum lusitanum by Jessica Turner Val di Rose by Wendy Mattingley Spotted Fritillary by Alan Smith Report compiled by Jessica Turner Images courtesy of Terry Coult, Jessica Turner, Paul Harmes, Wendy Mattingley & Alan Smith 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 Abruzzo in Autumn Tour Participants: Jessica Turner and Paul Harmes (leaders) with 12 Naturetrek clients Summary This was the second year for our autumn trip to the Abruzzo National Park. The wildlife was more elusive this year, but we were fortunate to have, albeit distant, views of a young Marsican Brown Bear learning to fend for itself. Red Deer were rutting, and the roars of stags echoed round the hillsides. We enjoyed a good range of late- summer butterflies and an interesting selection of plants, especially in the Sagittario Gorge where the Cyclamen and the Sternbergia were a particular delight. Bird life was fairly quiet, but the Golden Eagles and the migrating Marsh Harriers and Bee-eaters were a pleasure. We also enjoyed the picturesque and historic towns and villages of the area. Our hosts at the Albergo Paradiso, Geraldine and Marco, gave us a warm welcome and excellent hospitality, introducing us to several local specialities. A delightful week in a stunning location! Day 1 Thursday 8th September London Heathrow - Rome - Pescasseroli Ten group members met Jessica at London Heathrow, Terminal 5, for our 10.45am flight to Rome, where we met with Paul, John and Wendy, who had arrived independently. Having sorted out the minibuses, we successfully negotiated the Rome ringroad, noting the flowering Oleanders (Nerium oleander) along the central reservation, and Hooded Crow, Starling, Swallow and House Martin overhead; one group member reported a Black Stork in a field as we drove eastwards towards the Apennine mountains. The road passed through several tunnels and over deep valleys, bordered by a number of hilltop villages, and the countryside became more wooded. We stopped for a break and a leg-stretch just into Abruzzo Province, where a Sparrowhawk was seen. As we continued, we admired the evening light, giving a pink tinge to the mountains. We were soon passing the great plain by Avezzano, the site of Lake Fucino, once the third largest lake in Italy and now a fertile agricultural area. Skirting the plain, we started the climb into the Abruzzo National Park, noting the thickly-wooded hill- slopes, so characteristic of the area. The sunset behind the distant peaks was stunning. Once we were in the park, it was a steady descent to Pescasseroli where, on the far side, we reached the Albergo Paradiso, our base for the week. On the way we saw two Red Foxes. We received a warm welcome, and were soon settled into our rooms, before an excellent dinner. Jessica outlined some of the plans for the week, and we retired for the night. Day 2 Friday 9th September Round the hotel; Val Fondillo; Opi This morning, before breakfast, we explored the area round the hotel so we could get our bearings. Many moths had been attracted to the overnight light in the porch and, among them, were Brimstone, Feathered Gothic, Orange Swift, Burnished Brass and Four-spotted Footman. A Spotted Flycatcher was sitting on the top of one of the Spruces in the garden, and a small flock of Linnets were in the bushes on the hillside beyond. We climbed the small hill behind the hotel, enjoying the views and spotting Red Deer on a far hillside. Plants included the © Naturetrek September 16 1 Abruzzo in Autumn Tour Report Acanthus-leaved Carline Thistle (Carlina acanthifolia) with its large, stemless flower, the ‘stemmed’ Stemless Carline Thistle (Carlina acaulis subsp. simplex) with slightly smaller flowers, and Carlina corymbosa with small flowers, along with the delightful Blue Eryngo (Eryngium amethystinum). After breakfast, while waiting to leave, two Crossbills were seen in the conifers, and a Chalk-hill Blue butterfly was on the car park wall. Our destination today was Val Fondillo. We parked at the entrance to the valley, split up the components of our picnic, and set off in warm sunshine. Wild Boar had been foraging in the car park, digging up roots and bulbs. We noted heavy fruit crops on Sloe (Prunus spinosa), Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna), Spindle (Euonymus europaeus), Wild Pear (Pyrus communis subsp. pyraster) and Crab Apple (Malus sylvestris). Red Deer stags could be heard roaring, and distant ones were seen. Many House Martins and Swallows were feeding low over the meadows, Common Buzzard was seen, and Common Wall Lizards were sunning themselves on a wooden fence. Plants in flower included Common Dodder (Cuscuta epithymum), Ox-eye Daisy (Leucanthemum vulgare) and Nice Milkwort (Polygala nicaeensis). Butterflies were on the wing and nectaring on Mint and Carline Thistle flowers, including Adonis, Common and Chalk-hill Blues, Lang’s Short-tailed Blue, Brown Argus, Silver- spotted Skipper, Clouded Yellow and Great Banded Grayling. Up to three large raptors over the hillside were identified as Golden Eagles, their size particularly apparent when they were being mobbed firstly by Hooded Crows and then by Ravens. A flat grassy area held bright blue Fringed Gentians (Gentianopsis ciliatum) and a display of Autumn Crocuses (Colchicum lusitanum), some of the latter having been dug up by Wild Boar for their bulbs. We had our picnic of delicious local cheeses and meats, and some enormous local plums, enjoying our surroundings. A male Red-backed Shrike was seen to add to the juvenile spotted earlier, and a female seen as we returned later. A boulder forming a cave held the endemic Reddish Saxifrage (Saxifraga porophylla), now past flowering, and a variety of ferns: Rustyback (Asplenium ceterach), Maidenhair Spleenwort (Asplenium trichomanes) and Wall-rue (Asplenium ruta-muraria); a flash of red alerted us to a beautiful Red Underwing moth, resting on the rock face. Our path took us along a stream, and we could see Brown Trout in the clear waters. It climbed from the stream, where Jupiter’s Distaff (Salvia glutinosa) was growing on the bank. As we retraced our steps, we took a wide circuit of the valley, looking for the shrikes. Here, we found Spotted Fritillary and Silver-spotted Skipper enjoying the Carline Thistles and Blue Eryngo flowers. After a rest and refreshments, we left the valley, noting the black clouds further down towards Villetta Barrea. As we went, we saw two Marsh Tits feeding on seed heads by the road. The threatened storms had not yet materialised, so we visited the little hill-top village of Opi, turning the minibuses and parking on the steep main street. From here we had excellent views both up and down the Sangro valley, where we could see and hear the thunderstorms around us. We learnt a little of the wartime history of this community, and Northern Wheatear was spotted. We then headed back to the hotel, meeting to discuss our day before another excellent meal. Afterwards, we finished updating our lists before bed. 2 © Naturetrek September 16 The Apennines: Italy's Abruzzo National Park Tour Report Day 3 Saturday 10th September Gioia Vecchio; La Difesa; Vallone Pesco di Lordo; Bisegna viewpoint This morning we woke to grey skies that gave rain as we drove towards Gioia Vecchio before 7am. The conditions meant that visibility was very poor, but we recorded Red Deer, Roe Deer and two Common Buzzards from the road, and a Black Redstart at Gioia Vecchio. The rain did not last too long, but we decided to walk near the hotel, returning there for our picnic. Consequently, we took the vehicles the short distance to the start of our walk through La Difesa and the Vallone Pesco di Lordo. Here, there are ancient Beech trees (Fagus sylvatica), making it a potentially good habitat for woodpeckers, although none were seen today. Green and Great Spotted Woodpeckers and Nuthatch were heard, and birds seen included Firecrest, Marsh and Willow Tits, and Long- tailed Tits. Under the Beech trees, there was a fine stand of Herb Paris (Paris quadrifolia), each spike with its single black berry: an ancient woodland indicator species. A wide variety of mosses, lichens and ferns, including Brittle Bladder-fern (Cystopteris fragilis) and the lichen Lungwort (Lobaria pulmonaria) were growing over the exposed network of tree roots. A series of drinking troughs by a spring was a reminder of the days of ‘transumanza’, when the enormous numbers of sheep that used to graze the mountains of Abruzzo were driven south, down to Puglia for the winter months. In the stream were a large number of Common Toad tadpoles. Red Hemp-nettle (Galeopsis ladanum subsp. angustifolium), Purple Toadflax (Linaria purpurea) and Sedum hispanicum were in flower, and insect life included Clouded Yellow, Meadow Brown, Little Blue and Holly Blue butterflies, ‘Flash-colour’ grasshoppers that showed red or blue as they jumped, and a possible Wood Cricket (like a smaller Field Cricket). A caterpillar covered in white hairs but with three ginger ‘tufts’ was identified as the caterpillar of Nut-tree Tussock moth. We returned to the hotel for a late lunch in the sun on the terrace, meeting there later in the afternoon to update our lists. Meanwhile, some of the group opted to explore locally or to walk into town. Two Red Squirrels were seen round the hotel, with their characteristic, very dark coloration, and a Violet Carpenter Bee was noted on Soapwort (Saponaria officinalis). We then met at 5.30pm to take a slow drive along the valley.