Les Cévennes
Wildlife of France's Massif Central
Saturday 30 May - Saturday 6 June 2009 (8 days)
Join Mike Lockwood as he follows in the steps of Robert Louis Stevenson and Rabelais's Gargantua in Les Cévennes World Heritage Site: flowers, birds, butterflies, extravagant landscapes and ... beavers! Here's Mikes tour description:
Strictly speaking the area known as 'Les Cévennes' only corresponds to the area of schists located in the southwest of the Parc National des Cévennes, where vast sweet chestnut forests tumble down into narrow river valleys and surround small areas of pasture. However, we will be spending most of our time on the other two main areas of the National Park - Les Grands Causses, the vast rolling limestone and dolomite plateaux scored open by the immense river gorges of the rivers Tarn and Jonte, and in the contrasting heather moorland and beech forests of the granite mountains to the north and south. Add to this mixture of habitats a diversity of Mediterranean and more Atlantic-type micro-climates, as well as centuries of respectful farming techniques, and you have a perfect recipe for a region of vast biodiversity - in the National Park alone dwell 2,250 species of higher plants, over 200 of bird, probably around 150 of butterfly and 89 of mammal.
Given the tortuous nature of the park's orthography, we will be using two bases: Florac in the centre, handy for the granite and schist regions to the north and west, and then Meyrueis in the south, with better access to the limestone cliffs and plateaux. Late spring is probably the best time for overall wildlife observation, and we may even do better than the thirty species of orchid recorded in 2008. The early spring butterflies and dragonflies will be on the wing and the upland spring flora will be reaching its best.
Price: £ 1,245
Single supp. £ 215 per room
Deposit: £ 300 per person
The price per person includes return scheduled flight from London - Nîmes, airport taxes, 7 nights' accommodation, all meals, transport and the services of the leaders.
The price excludes holiday insurance, drinks, and other personal expenses.
Leaders:
Mike Lockwood & Didier Azema
Itinerary
Day 1
We take a morning flight from London to Nîmes and Mike will be waiting to whisk you off north to Florac. Evening stroll if time permits.
Overnight Florac
Days 2 - 4
The woodlands, pastures and moorlands of the slopes of Mount Lozère, the highest peak in the Parc National, will be one of our main targets whilst we are based in Florac. Lower down on the granite, the meadows and waysides are coloured red by Silene viscaria and pink by a thrift Armeria plantaginea, with streams lined with alpine leek, aconite-leaved buttercup and the huge umbels of molopospermum. Schist outcrops are decorated by creeping snapdragon, rock cinquefoil, forked spleenwort, a mignonette Reseda jacquinii, the bright pink Silene armeria and daisy-leaved toadflax. We will also spend time on the calcareous pastures bordering Mt. Lozère, where the giant Gargantua emptied his clogs and created the rounded hills of Les Bondons. Besides being a fine area of habitats with rolling meadows hiding frog orchids, Short-toed Eagle, Quail, Montagu's and Hen Harriers and more nectaring butterflies, this site is also studded with standing stones and beds of ammonites and belemnites.
The passerines in this area include Common Whitethroat, Red-backed Shrike, Rock Bunting, Whinchat, Crested Tit, Water and Tree Pipits and, on the edge of the highest forests, Ring Ouzel and Citril Finch, which will be our targets as we walk to the sound of a myriad Skylarks. Butterflies will include Sooty Copper, Pearl-bordered and Queen of Spain Fritillaries and Piedmont Ringlet. Part of one afternoon will be spent along the river Tarn, haunt of Dippers and Grey Wagtails, Gomphidae dragonflies and on the first fine evening, local guide Didier Azéma will take us to see some of the region's Beavers and bats.
Three nights Florac
Days 5- 7
Transfer to Meyrueis, stopping on the way to visit a couple of lavognes, permanent water-holes that attract mud-puddling butterflies, dragonflies and amphibians such as Natterjack Toad.
We will spend two days investigating Les Grands Causses and associated river gorges. Up on the plateaux of Le Causse Méjean, carpets of rock-roses, alpine aster, rock soapwort, meadow clary and white flax interspersed with undulating waves of great feather grass await us, with more specialised species such as the endemic Saxifraga cebennensis, alpine mezereon, fairy foxglove and kernera, long-leaved butterwort and the rare endemic gentian Gentiana clusii subsp. costae decorating rocky outcrops. However, the orchids will take centre stage, with over 30 species in flower during the week we will be visiting. The more shaded conditions in the woods on the plateau edge and in the many mature plantations of black pines are ideal for lady's slipper, woodcock, twayblade, bug, bird's-nest, military, monkey, man, fragrant, pyramidal, green-winged and greater and lesser butterfly orchids, white, red and sword-leaved helleborines, and violet limodore and the endemic Ophrys aymoninii, which flower with a supporting cast of various wintergreens, lily-of-the-valley, yellow and sticky flaxes, Aquilegia viscosa, great stands of the large umbellifer Laserpitium siler, Etruscan honeysuckle and Pyrenean bellflower.
Pride of place amongst the birds here goes to the thriving Griffon Vulture colony, whose numbers include a number of pairs of Black Vulture and a single pair of Egyptian Vulture. Our path through the woods overlooking the gorge will also give us fine views of Red-billed Chough, Alpine Swift and Blue Rock Thrush, while more open habitats are home to Black and Red Kites, Montagu's Harriers, Short-toed and Booted Eagles, Ortolan, Rock Sparrow, Orphean, Melodious and Subalpine Warblers, Black Redstart, excellent numbers of Rock Thrush, Woodlark and Tawny Pipit. One evening we will go out to listen to the strange calls of the local Stone Curlews. The large Green Lizard is common here, while the vast numbers of flowering plants provide nectar galore for Provençal Short-tailed, Green-underside, Osiris, and Mazarine Blues, scores of Black-veined Whites, Glanville and Knapweed Fritillaries, Large Wall Browns and Scarce Swallowtails
In sharp contrast, our other day out from Meyreuis will take us up to the granite slopes of Mont Aigoual, where beech woods hide May lily and elder-flowered orchids, and the meadows and peat bogs on the lower slopes are home to butterflies such as Clouded Apollo, Pearl-bordered, Meadow, Niobe and High Brown Fritillaries, Purple-edged Copper and Piedmont Ringlet. Black Woodpeckers are not uncommon in these woods.
Three nights Meyrueis
Day 8
We return to Nîmes via the spectacular Viaduc de Millau for an afternoon flight home.
Accommodation: We stay for three nights at a hotel in Florac in the heart of the Cévennes National Park. Dominated by tall limestone cliffs, Florac gives easy access to the northern section of the limestone plateaux, as well as to the granite hills of Mont Lozère. The next four nights will be at a hotel located in the centre of the attractive town of Meyrueis. All rooms are en suite.
Numbers: Max. 12 clients
Day 1
We take a morning flight from London to Nîmes and Mike will be waiting to whisk you off north to Florac. Evening stroll if time permits.
Overnight Florac
Days 2 - 4
The woodlands, pastures and moorlands of the slopes of Mount Lozère, the highest peak in the Parc National, will be one of our main targets whilst we are based in Florac. Lower down on the granite, the meadows and waysides are coloured red by Silene viscaria and pink by a thrift Armeria plantaginea, with streams lined with alpine leek, aconite-leaved buttercup and the huge umbels of molopospermum. Schist outcrops are decorated by creeping snapdragon, rock cinquefoil, forked spleenwort, a mignonette Reseda jacquinii, the bright pink Silene armeria and daisy-leaved toadflax. We will also spend time on the calcareous pastures bordering Mt. Lozère, where the giant Gargantua emptied his clogs and created the rounded hills of Les Bondons. Besides being a fine area of habitats with rolling meadows hiding frog orchids, Short-toed Eagle, Quail, Montagu's and Hen Harriers and more nectaring butterflies, this site is also studded with standing stones and beds of ammonites and belemnites.
The passerines in this area include Common Whitethroat, Red-backed Shrike, Rock Bunting, Whinchat, Crested Tit, Water and Tree Pipits and, on the edge of the highest forests, Ring Ouzel and Citril Finch, which will be our targets as we walk to the sound of a myriad Skylarks. Butterflies will include Sooty Copper, Pearl-bordered and Queen of Spain Fritillaries and Piedmont Ringlet. Part of one afternoon will be spent along the river Tarn, haunt of Dippers and Grey Wagtails, Gomphidae dragonflies and on the first fine evening, local guide Didier Azéma will take us to see some of the region's Beavers and bats.
Three nights Florac
Days 5- 7
Transfer to Meyrueis, stopping on the way to visit a couple of lavognes, permanent water-holes that attract mud-puddling butterflies, dragonflies and amphibians such as Natterjack Toad.
We will spend two days investigating Les Grands Causses and associated river gorges. Up on the plateaux of Le Causse Méjean, carpets of rock-roses, alpine aster, rock soapwort, meadow clary and white flax interspersed with undulating waves of great feather grass await us, with more specialised species such as the endemic Saxifraga cebennensis, alpine mezereon, fairy foxglove and kernera, long-leaved butterwort and the rare endemic gentian Gentiana clusii subsp. costae decorating rocky outcrops. However, the orchids will take centre stage, with over 30 species in flower during the week we will be visiting. The more shaded conditions in the woods on the plateau edge and in the many mature plantations of black pines are ideal for lady's slipper, woodcock, twayblade, bug, bird's-nest, military, monkey, man, fragrant, pyramidal, green-winged and greater and lesser butterfly orchids, white, red and sword-leaved helleborines, and violet limodore and the endemic Ophrys aymoninii, which flower with a supporting cast of various wintergreens, lily-of-the-valley, yellow and sticky flaxes, Aquilegia viscosa, great stands of the large umbellifer Laserpitium siler, Etruscan honeysuckle and Pyrenean bellflower.
Pride of place amongst the birds here goes to the thriving Griffon Vulture colony, whose numbers include a number of pairs of Black Vulture and a single pair of Egyptian Vulture. Our path through the woods overlooking the gorge will also give us fine views of Red-billed Chough, Alpine Swift and Blue Rock Thrush, while more open habitats are home to Black and Red Kites, Montagu's Harriers, Short-toed and Booted Eagles, Ortolan, Rock Sparrow, Orphean, Melodious and Subalpine Warblers, Black Redstart, excellent numbers of Rock Thrush, Woodlark and Tawny Pipit. One evening we will go out to listen to the strange calls of the local Stone Curlews. The large Green Lizard is common here, while the vast numbers of flowering plants provide nectar galore for Provençal Short-tailed, Green-underside, Osiris, and Mazarine Blues, scores of Black-veined Whites, Glanville and Knapweed Fritillaries, Large Wall Browns and Scarce Swallowtails
In sharp contrast, our other day out from Meyreuis will take us up to the granite slopes of Mont Aigoual, where beech woods hide May lily and elder-flowered orchids, and the meadows and peat bogs on the lower slopes are home to butterflies such as Clouded Apollo, Pearl-bordered, Meadow, Niobe and High Brown Fritillaries, Purple-edged Copper and Piedmont Ringlet. Black Woodpeckers are not uncommon in these woods.
Three nights Meyrueis
Day 8
We return to Nîmes via the spectacular Viaduc de Millau for an afternoon flight home.
Accommodation: We stay for three nights at a hotel in Florac in the heart of the Cévennes National Park. Dominated by tall limestone cliffs, Florac gives easy access to the northern section of the limestone plateaux, as well as to the granite hills of Mont Lozère. The next four nights will be at a hotel located in the centre of the attractive town of Meyrueis. All rooms are en suite.
Numbers: Max. 12 clients