France - The Vercors (Summer) Naturetrek Tour Report 10 -17 July 2019 Broad-bordered Bee Hawk-moth Epipactis meulleri Silene nutans Mountain Clouded Yellow Report and images compiled by Paul Harmes & Pete Stevens Mingledown Barn Wolf’s Lane Chawton Alton Hampshire GU34 3HJ England T: +44 (0)1962 733051 E: [email protected] W: www.naturetrek.co.uk Tour Report France - The Vercors Tour participants: Paul Harmes & Pete Stevens (leaders) with 15 Naturetrek clients Day 1 Wednesday 10th July Travel London Heathrow - Lyon St.Exupery Airport – La Chapelle en Vercors Twelve group members met Paul and Pete at Heathrow’s Terminal 3 for the 1.55pm British Airways flight BA362 to Lyon St. Exupery. Upon our arrival, we soon completed passport control and baggage reclaim and made our way out to the arrivals area, when we met with the three remaining group members, who had arrived from other airports. Outside the terminal, we found the bus stop for the bus to the car-rental area, in order to collect the minibuses. Soon the luggage was stowed, and we boarded the vehicles for the journey to the Vercors region. We drove south-westwards on the A43 and A48 Motorways, stopping to buy water and for a short comfort break at Aire L’Isle d’Abeau service area, before continuing south towards Grenoble. Along the way, we recorded Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, Common Blackbird, Grey Heron and White Stork. Just outside Grenoble, we joined the A49 Valance motorway, which we left at St. Marcellin, making our way through Pont en Royans, the Petit Goulets and the Grand Goulets and on to La Chapelle en Vercors and the Hotel Bellier, our base for the week. After settling into our rooms, we met up again and Paul and Pete outlined the plan for the next day and the hotel logistics, before it was time for our evening meal. Day 2 Thursday 11th July Font d’Urle – St. Jean en Ryans An early wander by the birders produced Swift, Serin, Chaffinch and Goldfinch We started the day with a short excursion to Vassieux en Vercors, where we made a short stop at the cemetery where the victims of the Nazi massacre at that village, during the Second World War, are buried. Whilst we were here, Great Banded Grayling, Marbled White, Meadow Brown, Small Tortoiseshell and Black-veined White butterflies were recorded. Plants included Carduus nutans (Nodding Thistle), Helianthemum nummularium (Common Rock-rose), Himantoglossum hircinum (Lizard Orchid) and Asperula rupicola (a Squinancywort). For the birds, there was Barn Swallow and a fleeting glimpse of Red-backed Shrike. We now moved to the Font d’Urle, an area of open limestone crags and meadows used for skiing in winter. Here we recorded Alpine Chough, in some numbers, Black Redstart, Serin, Yellowhammer, Water Pipit, Griffon Vulture and Skylark. Campanula rhomboidalis (Broad-leaved Bellflower), Veronica spicata (Spiked Speedwell), Dianthus monspessulanus (Fringed Pink), Trausteinera globosa (Round-headed Orchid), Orobanche alba (Thyme Broomrape), Aster alpina (Alpine Aster) and Phyteuma orbiculare (Round-headed Rampion) were also seen. Insects were quite active, with Common Blue, Mazarine Blue, Almond-eyed Ringlet, Apollo, Dark Green Fritillay, Mountain Ringlet and Queen of Spain Fritillary butterflies, Forester, Ochraceous Wave and Purple Treble-bar moths, and Green Mountain Grasshopper and Wart-biter Bush-cricket, all noted. Small numbers of Alpine Marmot were the mammal highlight today. © Naturetrek March 20 1 France - The Vercors Tour Report Returning to the vehicles, we made our way to the Foret de Lente, where we set up out picnic lunch. Whilst eating, Scarlet Tiger Moth and Scarce Copper, Large White, L:arge Skipper and Heath Fritillary butterflies, and Stachys alpina (Alpine Woundwort), Clinopodium grandiflorum (Large-flowered Calamint) were all added. Blackcap was heard singing. Following lunch, we moved on through the precipitous Route Combe Laval towards St. Jean en Royans, where we visited the Hypermarket, to do the week’s picnic shopping. Whilst our leaders were shopping, we explored a small, rough field, sometimes use to graze horses. Here we found Small Heath, Provence Short-tailed Blue and Common Blue butterflies, before setting off on the return journey to La Chapelle. At the end of the Route Combe Laval, we stopped at the Col de la Machine, where we admired the spectacular view. Here we added Crag Martin and House Martin to the bird list, before making our way back to our hotel. Day 3 Friday 12th July Bois de Mures - Les Bruyeres – Les Merciers Following a splendid breakfast, we made our way up to the northern end of the Vercors plateau, to the town of Lans en Vercors. On the way some of the group got brief views of a Hoopoe. Here, we made our way to the forest of the Bois de Mures, in search of the elusive Epipogium aphyllum (Ghost Orchid). After much searching, we had not managed to find any plants at all. We did, however, find Epipactis muelleri (Mueller’s Helleborine), Luzula nivea (Snowy Woodrush), Melampyrum nemorosum (a Cow-wheat), Galium rotundifolium (Round-leaved Bedstraw) and Prenanthes purpurea (Purple Lettuce). We now made our way to the wet meadows at Les Bruyères, hoping to try and find Marsh Warbler. In fields beside the road a single White Stork was hunting. A small pond had a good stand of Typha angustifolia (Lesser Bullrush), Beautiful Demoiselle, Common Goldenring Dragonfly and a substantial population of the hybrid Edible Frog. Other plants included Vicia cracca (Tufted Vetch), Trifolium hybridum (Alsike) and Sanguisorba officinalis (Great Burnet). Butterflies included Niobe Fritillary, Silver-washed Fritillary, Small White, Marbled White and Pearly Heath. Initially, we only heard the Marsh Warbler, but eventually it was spotted low down in a solitary bush, and all group members had views of the bird. Moving on we made our way to the small hamlet of Les Merciers, where we had our picnic, before setting off to explore a steep path, rocky lane-sides and some meadows. It was a bright, sunny afternoon, and insects were active. As we left the minibuses and walked up a steep wooded path, Heath Fritillary, Meadow Brown, Marbled White, Large Wall Brown, False Heath Fritillary and Black-veined White butterflies were all noted. Aslpenium viride (Green Spleenwort), Dianthus sylvestris (Wood Pink), Asplenium trichomanes (Maidenhair Spleenwort), Epipactis atrorubens (Dark-red Helleborine) and Dianthis gratianopolitanus (Cheddar Pink) were all recorded. Some rocky meadows produced Gentiana cruciata (Cross gentian)), Buphthalmum salicifolium (Yellow Ox-eye), Laserpitium siler (a Sermountain), Teucrium chamaedrys (Wall Germander) and Lilium Martagon (Martagon Liliy). Silver-washed Fritillary, Scotch Argus, Niobe Fritillary, Comma Butterfly, Pearly Heath, Small Skipper and Arran Brown butterflies were also added. Making our way back to the buses along a a quiet rocky lane, we added Cuscuta europaea (Great Dodder), Briza media (Quaking Grass), Sedum sediforme, Acer opalus (Italian Maple), Sedum dasyphyllum (Fat-leaved Stonecrop) and Rumex scutatus (French Sorrel). Meanwhile some of the group headed for a rocky promontory overlooking the valley. Here they were lucky to see two Chamois on the cliff below then a 2 © Naturetrek March 20 France - The Vercors Tour Report fairly close fly-past of Short-toed Snake Eagle. Alpine Swifts and Crag Martins patrolled the cliff faces and above while a single Cirl Bunting and a Red-backed Shrike were found in fields near the path. We now made our way back to La Chapplle en Vercors, for dinner. After eating, Paul set a moth trap. Day 4 Saturday 13th July Presles – Foret Communuale des Coulmes – Pont en Royans At 6.30am, we met in the hotel garden to examine the catch in the moth trap. Among the macros, there were Pine Hawk-moth, Guernsey Underwing, Heart and Club, Maple Prominent, Beautiful Hooktip, Reddish Light Arches, Rosy Footman, White Satin Moth, Least Carpet, Double Square-spot, Leopard Moth and the Noctuid Hoplodrina respersa. Micros included the Elachistid Ethmia bipunctata, the Pyralid Dioryctria abietella, the Crambid Catoptria pinella, Codlin Moth and the Tortrix Agapeta hamana. Following another excellent breakfast, we left the hotel and drove south once again through the Grand Goulets Tunnel, down to Ste. Eulalie en Royans and up through Pont en Royans to where we turned west and began to climb up towards the Route de Presles. This is a magnificent limestone cliff formation, overlooking the Commune de Châtelus and the valley of the River Bourne. We made our first stop about three-quarters of the way up, where we explored the banks and woodland and meadows beside a quiet lane. Here we found Catanache caerulea (Blue Catanache), Cepahalanthera rubra (Red Helleborine), Quercus pubescens (Downy Oak), Epipactis muelleri (Mueller’s Helleborine), Ophrys scolopax (Woodcock Orchid), Betonica officinalis (Betony), and Anthericum ramosum (Branched St. Bernard’s Lily). Butterflies included Black-veined White, Marbled White, Wall Brown, Woodland Grayling, Weaver’s Fritillary, Adonis Blue and Scarce Swallowtail, together with the Burnet Zygaena loti and the Cicada Tibicen plebejus. We now moved on up to the higher cliffs of the Route de Presles, and on into the Forêt Domaniale des Coulmes to a picnic site at the Fontaine de Petouze, for our picnic. During the lunch stop, Titania’s Fritillary, Large White, Wall Brown, Woodland Grayling, Large Skipper, Wood White, Purple-edged Copper, Large Blue, Dark Green Fritillary, Lullworth Skipper and Black-veined White butterflies were seen. For the plants, Saxifraga rotundifolia (Round-leaved Saxifrage), Lilium martagon (Martagon Lily), Stachys alpina (Alpine Woundwort) and Sambucus ebulus (Dwarf Elder) were also recorded. After exploring, we rejoined our vehicles and made our way back down through Presles and the splendid cliffs of the Route de Presles, and on towards Pont en Royans, parking on the outskirts of the town.