May 30, 2006
Alps trip day 3: south Vanoise and Queyras
After a night spent in Moutiers, we had a quick jaunt down to Meribel-Mottaret where we saw more Nutcrackers (Cassenoix mouchete - much easier to find than I expected), before racing down the peage to the Termignon entrance to the Vanoise National Park.
The rocky slopes held a few Alpine Ibex...
... and Chamois.
This cheeky White Wagtail landed on our wing mirror.
The winding road up to the car park at Bellecombe allowed access to some nice high alpine meadows, where the stars of the show were a nesting Snow Finch (Niverolle alpine - barely visible leaving the nest hole in this first shot)
... a stunning male Rock Thrush (Monticole de roche)...
... and an equally stunning adult Lammergeier (Gypaete barbu).
Add to this numerous Whinchat (Tarier des pres), Wheatear (Traquet motteux), Water Pipits (Pipit spioncelle) and Alpine Chough (Chocard a bec jaune), and you have a site that's well worth visiting!
Following this we had a loooong winding car journey to our next destination - the chalets de Clapeyto in the Queyras National Park. The scenery at the Col d'Izoard was impressive.
Birding around the car park closest to the chalets produced a decent assortment of species, including Willow Tit (Mesange boreale), Bonelli's Warbler (Pouillot de Bonelli), Treecreeper (Grimpereau des bois) and yet more Nutcrackers (Cassenoix mouchete).
Best of all were a few flighty Citril Finch (Venturon montagnard). I set off in hot pursuit and after about 40 minutes finally pinned down this pretty singing male.
However, while chasing this bird, Marcel was enjoying his life Wallcreeper (Tichodrome echelette) above the chalets - he came back down to fetch me, but we couldn't relocate it! It now has the dubious privilege of joining a list of 'bogey birds', including Great Spotted Cuckoo, White-tailed Ptarmigan, Least Storm-Petrel and Short-tailed Shearwater which have eluded me on multiple occasions (even when others around me have got on them). Guess it's a good excuse to come back to the Alps!
Posted by rjhall at May 30, 2006 3:17 PM