Eastern Pyrenees
Garrotxa and the Coast
Saturday 3 - Saturday 10 May 2008 (8 days)
We return for a fourth visit to Mike Lockwood's home patch for a tour to the highly varied eastern flourish of the Pyrenees, and the superb wetlands and rocky headlands of the coast. Including, as it does, a visit to the Hermann's Tortoise Recuperation Centre, this trip is, surely, irresistible!
Behind the infamous beaches of the Costa Brava lies a hinterland bursting with a fine mixture of Mediterranean and more northern species of flora and fauna. From our base in Besalú, a beautiful medieval town, famous for its remarkable bridge and Romanesque churches (and notable amongst naturalists for its Great Reed Warblers, Nightingales and Rock Sparrows!), we will explore both the Mediterranean habitats of the Empordà to the east and the thick upland beech- and oakwoods of the La Garrotxa to the west.
On the coast in L'Alt Empordà, we shall visit a wide range of habitats: the lowland marshes of the Aiguamolls de lEmpordà, with a fine collection of breeding herons and, notably, Purple Gallinule and Roller, the stark scrubby landscapes of Cap de Creus coated in narrow-leaved cistus and with gullies full of myrtle, Christs-thorn and tree lavatera, and L'Albera with its cork oak forests and almond and olive groves replete with Woodchat Shrikes and Orphean Warblers, and sandy plains and temporary lagoons full of amphibians and reptiles.
Inland, in contrast, in the jagged limestone mountains of L'Alta Garrotxa, butterflies will be much more abundant and we will have time to practice our identification on numerous blues and fritillaries. True Pyrenean fissure plants such as the fern Asplenium fontanum and Ramonda myconi appear amongst the flora, while abandoned meadows and terraces provide perfect habitats for a wealth of orchids and plants such as blue aphyllanthes, Astragalus monspelienis and wild gladiolus. In complete contrast, we visit too the oak- and beechwoods that cover the 40 dormant volcanic cones and many lava flows that form part of the La Garrotxa Volcanic Zone Natural Park.
On the coast in L'Alt Empordà, we shall visit a wide range of habitats: the lowland marshes of the Aiguamolls de lEmpordà, with a fine collection of breeding herons and, notably, Purple Gallinule and Roller, the stark scrubby landscapes of Cap de Creus coated in narrow-leaved cistus and with gullies full of myrtle, Christs-thorn and tree lavatera, and L'Albera with its cork oak forests and almond and olive groves replete with Woodchat Shrikes and Orphean Warblers, and sandy plains and temporary lagoons full of amphibians and reptiles.
Inland, in contrast, in the jagged limestone mountains of L'Alta Garrotxa, butterflies will be much more abundant and we will have time to practice our identification on numerous blues and fritillaries. True Pyrenean fissure plants such as the fern Asplenium fontanum and Ramonda myconi appear amongst the flora, while abandoned meadows and terraces provide perfect habitats for a wealth of orchids and plants such as blue aphyllanthes, Astragalus monspelienis and wild gladiolus. In complete contrast, we visit too the oak- and beechwoods that cover the 40 dormant volcanic cones and many lava flows that form part of the La Garrotxa Volcanic Zone Natural Park.
Price: £ 1,095
Single supp.: £ 155
Deposit: £ 300 per person
The price per person includes return scheduled flight from London - Barcelona, airport taxes, 7 nights' accommodation, all meals, transport and the services of the leaders.
The price excludes holiday insurance, optional tips to local driver and guides, drinks, and other personal expenses.
For an ex-flight cost (starting and finishing the tour in Barcelona) please deduct £105 from the tour cost.
Principal Leader: Mike Lockwood
Itinerary
Day 1
We take a scheduled flight London Barcelona and transfer to our hotel in Besalú and, if time permits, will have a chance for a first sortie into the field in search of orchids and roosting butterflies.
Overnight Besalú
Days 2 - 7
During our stay, well be trying to alternate between the coastal and inland areas, although inland rain or coastal heat may cause us to alter our plans. Our coastal days will take in the Aiguamolls de lEmpordà whose hides including an amazing tower-hide in an old rice silo provide good viewing of breeding White Stork, Purple Heron, Purple Gallinule and Black-winged Stilt, and passage waders. Amongst the passerines, well be listening out for Cettis and Great Reed Warblers, whilst in the drier inland areas our targets will be Roller, Great Spotted Cuckoo and Melodious Warbler.
Just to the north, the rugged granites of Cap de Creus and L'Albera mountains loom over the lowland marshes and we will drive up to the Romanesque monastery of Sant Pere de Rodes. On our walks we will be looking out for wild tulip, creeping snapdragon, whorled spurge and daisy-leaved toadflax, as well as a variety of ferns. Amongst the fauna, our sights will be set upon Dartford, Sardinian and Orphean Warblers, Thekla Lark, and Pallid and Alpine Swifts, Red-rumped Swallow and Bonellis Eagle, as well as Midwife Toad and the gaudy Ocellated Lizard. In L'Albera, after a visit to the Hermanns Tortoise Recuperation Centre, we will head up to the tranquil valley of Sant Quirze and to some of the areas many temporary lagoons in search of Blue Rock Thrush, Tawny Pipit, Ortolan Bunting, Stripeless Tree Frogs and Stripe-necked Terrapins, as well as butterflies such as Western Marbled White and Spanish Gatekeeper and an interesting variety of aquatic plants including lax-flowered and common tongue orchids, adder's-tongue spearwort and lesser water-plantain.
Inland, one of our objectives will be La Mare del Déu del Mont, a 1,124m limestone crag which dominates Besalú and the valley of the River Fluvià to the north. Here we will drive gradually to the top and note how the vegetation changes with altitude and orientation: carpets of blue aphyllanthes, common rock rose and Pyrenean germander lower down and on south-facing slopes, giving way above 1,000m to Valeriana montana, fairy foxglove, Moehringia muscosa, rock soapwort and Pyrenean honeysuckle. We can expect also fine butterflies in the abandoned terraces and Subalpine and Bonellis Warblers, Firecrest, Crag Martin and Griffon Vulture amongst the birds.
Further inland still, we will search out orchid- and butterfly-rich abandoned terraces and meadows: on the agenda are Knapweed and Marsh fritillaries, as well as blues such as Panoptes, Green-underside, Adonis, Provençal Chalk-hill, with a supporting cast of Scarce Swallowtail, Bergers Clouded Yellow and Southern White Admiral. Abundant orchids will include the locally endemic Ophrys bertolonii subsp. catalaunica, woodcock, monkey, man and yellow bee orchids, and white and small-flowered helleborines. We will also make an obligatory visit to La Garrotxa Volcanic Zone Natural Park to visit some of its volcanic features, look for Booted Eagles, and check out the nearby river Fluvià for Golden Orioles and dragonflies Gomphus pulchellus, Platycnemis acutipennis and the Iberian subspecies of Beautiful Demoiselle.
Further inland we will head to the top of an impressive inland cliff frequented by Alpine Swift, with pastures and forests that provide perfect habitat for Honey Buzzard, Rock Bunting, Woodlark, Firecrest, Crested Tit and Short-toed Treecreeper, as well as Ramonda myconi and the sticky-leaved Saxifraga corbariensis on the cliff-faces. Elsewhere inland the high pastures above the beech forests that hide a few remaining Pyrenean squills will reveal spring and trumpet gentians and the first elder-flowered orchids.
Six nights Besalú
Day 8
We return to Barcelona for our flight home
Accommodation: We stay at a characterful hotel with all rooms en suite and good views over the mediæval bridge and town of Besalú. We will dine in a selection of restaurants in and around Besalú.
Numbers: Max. 12 clients
Day 1
We take a scheduled flight London Barcelona and transfer to our hotel in Besalú and, if time permits, will have a chance for a first sortie into the field in search of orchids and roosting butterflies.
Overnight Besalú
Days 2 - 7
During our stay, well be trying to alternate between the coastal and inland areas, although inland rain or coastal heat may cause us to alter our plans. Our coastal days will take in the Aiguamolls de lEmpordà whose hides including an amazing tower-hide in an old rice silo provide good viewing of breeding White Stork, Purple Heron, Purple Gallinule and Black-winged Stilt, and passage waders. Amongst the passerines, well be listening out for Cettis and Great Reed Warblers, whilst in the drier inland areas our targets will be Roller, Great Spotted Cuckoo and Melodious Warbler.
Just to the north, the rugged granites of Cap de Creus and L'Albera mountains loom over the lowland marshes and we will drive up to the Romanesque monastery of Sant Pere de Rodes. On our walks we will be looking out for wild tulip, creeping snapdragon, whorled spurge and daisy-leaved toadflax, as well as a variety of ferns. Amongst the fauna, our sights will be set upon Dartford, Sardinian and Orphean Warblers, Thekla Lark, and Pallid and Alpine Swifts, Red-rumped Swallow and Bonellis Eagle, as well as Midwife Toad and the gaudy Ocellated Lizard. In L'Albera, after a visit to the Hermanns Tortoise Recuperation Centre, we will head up to the tranquil valley of Sant Quirze and to some of the areas many temporary lagoons in search of Blue Rock Thrush, Tawny Pipit, Ortolan Bunting, Stripeless Tree Frogs and Stripe-necked Terrapins, as well as butterflies such as Western Marbled White and Spanish Gatekeeper and an interesting variety of aquatic plants including lax-flowered and common tongue orchids, adder's-tongue spearwort and lesser water-plantain.
Inland, one of our objectives will be La Mare del Déu del Mont, a 1,124m limestone crag which dominates Besalú and the valley of the River Fluvià to the north. Here we will drive gradually to the top and note how the vegetation changes with altitude and orientation: carpets of blue aphyllanthes, common rock rose and Pyrenean germander lower down and on south-facing slopes, giving way above 1,000m to Valeriana montana, fairy foxglove, Moehringia muscosa, rock soapwort and Pyrenean honeysuckle. We can expect also fine butterflies in the abandoned terraces and Subalpine and Bonellis Warblers, Firecrest, Crag Martin and Griffon Vulture amongst the birds.
Further inland still, we will search out orchid- and butterfly-rich abandoned terraces and meadows: on the agenda are Knapweed and Marsh fritillaries, as well as blues such as Panoptes, Green-underside, Adonis, Provençal Chalk-hill, with a supporting cast of Scarce Swallowtail, Bergers Clouded Yellow and Southern White Admiral. Abundant orchids will include the locally endemic Ophrys bertolonii subsp. catalaunica, woodcock, monkey, man and yellow bee orchids, and white and small-flowered helleborines. We will also make an obligatory visit to La Garrotxa Volcanic Zone Natural Park to visit some of its volcanic features, look for Booted Eagles, and check out the nearby river Fluvià for Golden Orioles and dragonflies Gomphus pulchellus, Platycnemis acutipennis and the Iberian subspecies of Beautiful Demoiselle.
Further inland we will head to the top of an impressive inland cliff frequented by Alpine Swift, with pastures and forests that provide perfect habitat for Honey Buzzard, Rock Bunting, Woodlark, Firecrest, Crested Tit and Short-toed Treecreeper, as well as Ramonda myconi and the sticky-leaved Saxifraga corbariensis on the cliff-faces. Elsewhere inland the high pastures above the beech forests that hide a few remaining Pyrenean squills will reveal spring and trumpet gentians and the first elder-flowered orchids.
Six nights Besalú
Day 8
We return to Barcelona for our flight home
Accommodation: We stay at a characterful hotel with all rooms en suite and good views over the mediæval bridge and town of Besalú. We will dine in a selection of restaurants in and around Besalú.
Numbers: Max. 12 clients