France - The Vercors Naturetrek Tour Report 22 - 29 May 2011 Cypripedium calceolus Purple-edged Copper test The 2011 Naturetrek Group Traunsteinera globosa Report and images compiled by Paul Harmes and Alan Miler Naturetrek Cheriton Mill Cheriton Alresford Hampshire SO24 England 0NG T: +44 (0)1962 733051 F: +44 (0)1962 736426 E: [email protected] W: www.naturetrek.co.uk Tour Report France - The Vercors Tour Leaders: Paul Harmes (Botanist) Alan Miller (Ornithologist) Participants: Helen Bedford Bernie Bedford Sue Bignal Chris Bignal Mark Ogden Andrew Eadie Edna Evison Robin Evison Hazel Haywood Phil Haywood Karin Munro David Williams Day 1 Sunday 22nd May Weather: Fine, hot and sunny Ten tour participants met Paul and Alan at Lyon Exupery Airport, arriving at 11.15am local time. We soon cleared passport control and baggage reclaim, and made our way to our minibuses for the journey to the Vercors region, travelling down the A43 and A48 motorways towards Grenoble. We had a brief lunch stop at the L'aire Burcin service area on the motorway. A short exploration of the area produced some interesting sightings including Marbled and Meadow Fritillary, Scarce Swallowtail and Black-veined White butterflies, Garden Tiger and Burnet Companion moths, and a Field Cricket. Three spikes of Ophrys apifera (Bee Orchid) were found and Yellowhammer and Chaffinch seen. Moving on, we turned west with the intention of visiting Grenoble-Isere Airport to look for raptors. However, it soon became obvious that there was an air show on, so we abandoned the idea and continued south to St. Marcellin, and on up the D518 to Pont en Royans, before taking the Grand Goulets tunnel towards La Chapelle en Vercors and the Hotel Bellier, our base for the next seven nights. At 6pm we met in the garden and were joined by Hazel and Phil who had made their own way to the hotel. After introductions, Alan and Paul outlined the weeks’ itinerary. Day 2 Monday 23rd May Weather: Fine, hot and sunny For some, the day started with a pre-breakfast bird walk around the village with Alan. Some new birds were added to the list including Marsh Tit, Coal Tit, Whitethroat, Blackcap and Serin. © Naturetrek March 12 1 France - The Vercors Tour Report After breakfast we all set off in the vehicles, and our first venue was Vassieux en Vercors where we made a short stop at the cemetery. Here the victims of the Nazi massacre at Vassieux during the Second World War are buried. While we were at the cemetery, we explored a small quarry to the rear, and saw Northern Wheatear, Red- backed Shrike, Skylark and Stonechat. Cerastium arvense (Field Mouse-ear), Orchis militaris (Military Orchid) and Viola calcarata (Long-spurred Pansy) were also recorded, as well as Burnet Companion moth, and Scarce Swallowtail, Mazarine Blue and Almond-eyed Ringlet butterflies. A Green Lizard was also obliging for the photographers. A short stop was made on the way up to the Col de la Chau to look down into the valley and across towards the Hauts Plateaux. Saponaria ocymoides (Rock Soapwort), Lactuca perennis (Mountain Lettuce), Erinus alpinus (Fairy Foxglove) and Rhamnus alpinus (Alpine Buckthorn) were all seen. Several Apollo butterflies were seen and Cuckoo and Chiffchaff were heard. From here we made our way over the Col de la Chau and on to Font d’Urle, an area of open limestone crags and meadows used for skiing in winter. We began by exploring some slopes adjacent to the car park we had stopped in. These produced hundreds of Narcissus poeticus (Pheasant's-eye Daffodil), Dactylorhiza sambucina (Elder-flowered Orchid), and Potentilla crantzii (Alpine Cinquefoil). Alpine Chough circled above us at regular intervals, and Wheatear, Black Redstart and Water Pipit were also present. As we moved towards the viewpoint we added Gentiana clusii (Clusius' Gentian) and Androsace villosa (Woolly Rock Jasmine) and we had the first of several wonderful encounters with Alpine Marmots. Gentiana verna (Spring Gentian), Orchis mascula (Early Purple Orchid), Dryas octopetala (Mountain Avens) were added, as well as Little Blue, Grizzled Skipper and Clouded Apollo butterflies and Mother Shipton moth, before we were returned to the vehicles. Lunch was taken using the picnic tables at Font d’Urle before we set of for St Jean en Royan via the spectacular Col de la Machine, and the route Combe Laval, where House Martin and Crag Martin were seen. With our shopping complete, we left the hypermarket to make our way back, when Alan spotted a Black Kite, and Paul a verge with a number of Himantoglossum hircinum (Lizard Orchid) on it. With photos taken, we made our way back to Col de la Machine to enjoy the spectacular views, before returning to La Chapelle. Day 3 Tuesday 24th May Weather: Fine, hot and sunny Our first stop today was at the head of the spectacular Col de Rousset – there are truly magnificent views from here. We scanned the adjacent slopes looking for ungulates, and initially we were unlucky. However, a Golden Eagle was spotted and followed to a distant perch on the edge of a clearing. When a telescope was used to look for it, a single Chamois was seen lying down in the clearing. There were good numbers of Artemisia absinthium (Wormwood), Anthyllis montana (Mountain Kidney Vetch) and Rhamnus alpinus (Alpine Buckthorn). 2 © Naturetrek March 12 France - The Vercors Tour Report Moving on down the valley, we made a second stop to watch Griffon Vultures leaving their roosts – counting about 25 birds in total, along with Alpine Swifts. We also located some sitting birds in the telescope too, so everyone managed to see them. On the verge there were two emerging spikes of Limodorum abortivum (Violet Bird's-nest Orchid) and Cotinus coggygria (Smoke Bush). At the bottom of the valley we turned east through the town of Die and on through Pont de Quart and Chatillon en Diois, and on through Menee and up to Les Nonniaires, where we parked by some splendid meadows. Here, in the woods we found a good stand of Cypripedium calceolus (Lady’s Slipper Orchid), Cephalanthera longifolia (Sword-leaved Helleborine), Neottia ovata (Twayblade), Platanthera bifolia (Lesser Butterfly Orchid) and, on a grassy bank, Orchis purpurea (Lady Orchid). In the adjacent meadows we found Berger's Clouded Yellow, Silver-studded Blue and Swallowtail butterflies, and Hummingbird Hawk-moth and Plain Golden Y moth. Western Bonelli’s Warbler was also seen. From here, we moved down to the Vallee de Combau and found our way to a ford in a small mountain stream beside which we set up lunch under Pinus uncinata (Mountain Pine). There was a fine stand of Pinguicula grandiflora (Large-flowered Butterwort), Meum athamanticum (Spignel) and Gymnadenia conopsea (Fragrant Orchid). There were Crossbills passing through the treetops, and we also saw Little Blue, Dingy Skipper, Clouded Apollo, Northern Wall Brown, Duke of Burgundy Fritillary and False Heath Fritillary Butterflies. After lunch we stopped to admire a small stand of Orchis spitzelii (Spitzel’s Orchid), as well as Arctostaphylos uva-ursi (Bearberry) and Gentiana angustifolia (Narrow-leaved Gentian). We then moved on to the village of Menee, where we turned north and up into the Cirque d’Archiane, a splendid amphitheatre of towering rock faces and cliffs, where we stopped to have some well-earned refreshments in the warm afternoon sun. Antirrhinum latifolium (Broad-leaved Snapdragon) and Turritis glabra (Tower Mustard) were recorded as well as 4-spotted Moth and Transparent Burnet and Brimstone and Orange Tip Butterflies. On a stone bridge, Common Wall Lizards were sunning themselves. Retracing our steps back up towards the Col de Rousset, we made a brief stop to enjoy very good views of a Short-toed Eagle, before continued our journey back to La Chapelle en Vercors for dinner. Day 4 Wednesday 25th May Weather: Fine, hot and sunny Four members of the group joined Alan on an early excursion to try and see Black Grouse lekking. Leaving the hotel at 4am, they drove south to the Reserve Naturelle des Hauts Plateaux, parking at the La Coche car park, before walking out to the lekking site, arriving just as it was getting light, and the bubbling calls of the Grouse were beginning. The first sighting of the morning was the alpine race of Ring Ouzel, but it was not long before the first of the Grouse appeared, and began to perform. The display lasted about two hours, with the last bird disappearing at about 8am. In all, three birds were seen on the ground and a further four in trees. During their stay on the plateau bird sightings included Red Crossbill, two pairs of Citril Finch, Dunnock and Firecrest. Also a solitary Honey Buzzard drifted effortlessly over. On the descent to meet with the botanists, Tree Pipits were seen, displaying very well, and Common Blue, Little Blue, Red-underwing Skipper and Swallowtail butterflies were noted. However, apart from the wonderful wildlife experiences, the abiding memory would be the dawn on this peaceful and remote plateau. © Naturetrek March 12 3 France - The Vercors Tour Report The remaining group members, with Paul, began by driving south from La Chapelle en Vercors, making a first stop just south of St Agnan en Vercors to explore the verges and adjacent meadows. In a wet flush we found Dactylorhiza alpestris (Alpine Broad-leaved Marsh Orchid) and Coeloglossum viride (Frog Orchid). Yellowhammer, Chaffinch, Carrion Crow and Red-backed Shrike were also recorded. Moving on, we made our way up on to the Reserve Naturelle des Hauts Plateaux, stopping briefly at a viewpoint, where Paul pointed out the differences between Cardamine heptaphylla (Seven-leaflet Bitter-cress) and Cardamine pentaphyllos (Five-leaflet Bitter-cress), and we also recorded Convallaria majalis (Lily-of-the-Valley) and Paris quadrifolia (Herb Paris).