Nature-watching in Europe - September

Nature-watching in Europe

September Contents

Cover: Speckled Wood Butterfly.

Like us on Facebook

Contact

Nature-watching in Europe is produced by Annie Haycock, who is a professional naturalist living and working in Pembrokeshire, in south-west Wales. All items in this magazine are copyright Annie Haycock unless otherwise stated.

Contents

Nature-watching in Europe This magazine aims to fulfil four simple objectives:

•

To tell you about the wonderful places we have in Europe for enjoying nature

•

To tell you about the wonderful array of plants, birds, butterflies, mammals, etc, that you can see in these places

•

To share people's experience of visiting these places, and encountering the wildlife.

•

To encourage the use of local guides and responsible ecotourism.

Clicking on a logo/banner or a green bar should take you to relevant websites. Please let me know if a link is broken.

If you buy a book through our bookshop, we get a small commission which helps towards the cost of producing the magazine.

Contents

Main destinations this issue Scotland: Mull of Galloway,

Italy: Val d’Aosta

Contents

Contents Cover story—butterflies in winter

Butterfly Conservation Italy— the Alta Vie of the Aosta Valley Scotland—Mull of Galloway Scotland—the Big Picture September moths

Contents

Cover story:

Speckled Wood Butterfly Pararge aegeria

September is the end of summer for many creatures in Europe, especially the north. Butterflies are naturally decreasing in variety and number.

Some species, like the small tortoiseshell and red admiral will overwinter as adults, hiding in cool dark and undisturbed places. Others, like the 'whites' will overwinter as pupae. These species will be the first to emerge in spring.

The fritillary butterflies mostly overwinter as caterpillars, often hidden in leaf litter. Many of the blues and hairstreaks overwinter as eggs.

The life cycle for the various 'brown' species suggest that most species overwinter as caterpillars.

Contents

The speckled wood, however, has to be different.

There may be two or three generations a year, and the caterpillars of the final generation may either overwinter as they are, or pupate and overwinter as a chrysalis. Either way, it is one of the latest-flying species in central and northern Europe.

There is an advantage to this strategy. Butterflies over-wintering as pupae are ready to emerge as soon as the conditions are right. But if there is an early warm spell followed by a period of bad weather, a lot of those new adults could die. However, those that over-wintered as caterpillars will have used that warm spell to feed and grow, and then gone into pupation during the colder weather (like a mini-winter), ready to emerge with the next warm spell. The weather patterns are variable so there is no longterm advantage or disadvantage to either strategy.

It's more surprising that few other species do this.

The more orangy southern European form seems to fly throughout the year.

More detailed information here

Contents

Contents

Scotland: The Mull of Galloway There's something slightly romantic-sounding about the Mull of Galloway, though it may have something to do with the Paul McCartney song about the Mull of Kintyre (1970s).

Mull, it seems, comes from the Gaelic word for bald, bare.

But another definition says it is a geographical term used in south-west Scotland to denote tip of a promontory or headland.

The RSPB's Mull of Galloway reserve is certainly at the tip of a headland - a relatively small piece of land around the lighthouse. And if the lack of trees makes the landscape bald, then that fits too. But the views make up for it. To All around is the Irish Sea, running into the Solway Firth to the east (below). To the west is Ireland, and to the south is the Isle of Man.

Contents

The frenzied activity of breeding seabirds - complete with noise and smell is now long gone. A few fulmars (left) remain with chicks that should be fledging any time now. Gannets still hunt nearby, again waiting for chicks on the nearby (well, 10 miles away) Scare Rocks to fledge.

Perhaps the odd guillemot, razorbill or puffin swims in the distance, and the odd kittiwakes dips to the water below, looking for tidbits. But the masses are now out at sea, moulting, growing, fattening up, preparing for the winter to come.

A few others pass by on migration shearwaters, terns, skuas, etc. Meanwhile the resident ravens and peregrines seems to play on the air currents along the 80m high cliffs.

A footpath takes you around the reserve, past the lighthouse where the walls are 'decorated' with thousands

Contents

of garden snails sheltering from the elements, down to a viewpoint by the old foghorn. A few plants retain their flowers, but most are brown and rapidly drying out in the salt-laden air.

Nevertheless a few butterflies find enough shelter amongst the heather, and show themselves whenever a lull in the wind coincides with a shaft of sunlight. Red Admiral (middle left), painted lady (bottom left), even a clouded yellow. Silver-Y moths flutter in the vegetation, displaying the white mark that gives them their name only when they rest.

Small birds are migrating down the coast now - linnet, twite, goldfinch flit from patch to patch, which swallow and house martin speed past overhead.

Wheatears and meadow pipits feed in the more open areas, fuelling up on insects and spiders. A kestrel hovers in the wind, somehow keeping still enough to find a small mammal that inadvertently showed itself, swooping down, and then flying to a stone wall to devour it.

A patch of willow, stunted by the wind, attracts other migrants - chiff-chaff, sedge warbler, whitethroat, goldcrest and others keeping as far into the shelter as they can.

Set on the cliff top just outside the re-

Contents

serve - and almost invisible under a grass roof - the Gallie Craig cafĂŠ provides welcome shelter for human visitors - coffee and cake with a magnificent view down the cliffs.

The head of a seal pops up, looks around and disappears back underwater.

A small pod of common porpoise move through the swell - no easier to see from this height than from down by the foghorn.

Otters and Minke whale have been seen too, but not today.

Contents

Top—Raven Middle—Meadow pipit Bottom—Wheatear Below—Whitethroat Opposite—Linnets

Contents

This is the first book to explore in detail every RSPB reserve in Britain, from the wild forests of Caledonia and teeming seabird cities of the northern coasts, to the rolling heathlands, pristine wetlands and urban oases of the south.

Here you'll find everything you need to plan and enjoy days out at some of the best wildlife-watching places anywhere, with full details of access arrangements, visitor facilities, advice on when to visit and the wildlife you can expect to see throughout the year.

For every reserve you'll find a map of how to get here and, where appropriate, the trails around the reserve and the habitats you'll find, so you can plan your visit according to what you'd like to see and how much time you have to visit.

Illustrated throughout with colour photographs of these beautiful wild places and the animals and plants that live in them.

Contents

Essential field guide for seawatching, whether it be from land or at sea, specifically designed to address the particular problems and limitations of this type of birding. Over 650 colour photographs show every seabird species likely to be encountered in European waters, in all plumages. Key features of each species are depicted in typical field conditions, with particular attention paid to shape and flight action, as well as plumage.

Detailed text provides practical field advice and essential guidance on identification.

Re-issue of the 2003 edition in a new format.

"This book is an excellent help; a must for anyone wanting to get to grips with identifying birds at sea."

- BTO News (July/August 2007)

"The book acts as a primer for beginners and a tester for the experienced; a real bargain – don't go seawatching without it."

- Bird Watching (September 2007)

Contents

Resources for Mull of Galloway

The Galliecraig cafe The Lighthouse Nearest fuel and railway station are in Stranraer 27 miles away. There is a bus to Port Logan, but still five miles to go.

Mull of Galloway Website with information about accommodation and other local attractions

Information about Scotland for visitors from elsewhere

Contents

So you think you know what Scotland looks like?

Or what it should look like?

Click below for more information and videos

Contents

Moths in the garden

Contents

Over 2500 species of moth live in Britain, in a wide range of habitats. The variety across mainland Europe is much greater.

There is no absolute distinct difference between butterflies and moths. Although we tend to think of moths as flying at night, many fly during the day.

Moths play a vital role in telling us about the health of our environment—as they are so widespread in so many habitats, and are sensitive to changes, they are useful as indicator species.

Monitoring moth numbers and ranges can therefore give us clues to changes in the environment, such as the effects of farming practices, pesticides, air pollution, and climate change.

Both adult moths and their caterpillars are important food sources for a variety of other wildlife: insects, spiders, frogs, toads, lizards, bats, and birds to name just a few.

Blue-tit chicks alone are estimated to consume some 35 billion caterpillars a year!

Moths are important pollinators of plants - including many food-crops.

Caterpillars eat plant leaves, leading to plants evolving chemicals to deter them, some of these chemicals are also useful to humans in the form of drugs and natural pesticides.

Contents

Silver Y Autographa gamma The silver Y moth rose to public fame during the June 2016 European football championships final in Paris, when they invaded the pitch and one specimen landed on the face of the Portuguese striker Ronaldo.

It is one of the commonest migrant moth species reaching the UK and northern Europe, and one of the most commonly seen day-flying moths. It is also found in north Africa, and south-east Asia.

The silver Y mark on its wings is clearly visible when the moth is at rest.

Although it can be seen at any time of year, it is most common in late summer and early autumn when immigrants mix with the emerging broods of earlier arrivals.

The caterpillars feed on a variety of plants, including nettles, dock, bedstraws, dandelion, common toadflax and clovers. They are also found in allotments and farms, especially beet, pea and cabbage crops, where they may be considered pests. Caterpillars of late broods are usually killed by frost.

Adults nectar on a variety of flowers, hovering on whirring wings as they extend their proboscis to feed, or settling on the top of larger blooms.

Contents

Rush Veneer Nomophila noctuella Adults are found in Britain between May and September.

They are easily recognisable from its very elongated shape when at rest Migrant from North Africa and the Mediterranean region, reaching northern Europe in some years - can often be found in large numbers at coastal observatories, especially in the south of Britain.

The caterpillars feed on a variety of plants, but especially grasses and clovers. On lucerne especially it can become a pest species - it is closely related to the North American lucerne moth.

Contents

Pearly Underwing Peridroma saucia The pearly underwing seems to be found around the world but mostly north of the Equator in Mediterranean and temperate zones.

It is migratory, reaching as far as southern Scandinavia in some years.

It is on the wing from May to November, depending on the location, and the season.

In northern Europe it arrives with other migratory species.

The caterpillars (cutworms) are a major agricultural pest in warm climates, feeding on various grasses and herbaceous crops, but can also affect trees and shrubs. However, they do not normally breed successfully in northern areas.

Contents

Setaceous Hebrew Character Xestia c-nigrum A widespread and common species in Europe, Asia and North America Two broods in the southern part of the range, with small numbers flying in May and June, and much larger numbers in August-September. Some of the latter are migratory, swelling numbers and extending the season in the north where it would otherwise fly only in July and August.

The Hebrew character of the common name is a black mark on the wing which vaguely resembles the Hebrew character 'nun'. The mirror image on the other wing vaguely resembles a C, which is the c-nigrum of the scientific name. Setaceous refers to hair– or bristle-like projections—presumably this species has something that the other Hebrew Character moth Orthosia gothica doesn’t.

The larvae feed on nettles and other herbaceous plants at night, but hide at ground level during the day.

This species overwinters at the larval stage.

Contents

Frosted Orange Gortyna flavago An attractive moth, common in England and Wales, and found through central Europe and southern Scandinavia.

The larvae feed inside the stems of thistles and burdocks, in woodland, waste ground, and marshy areas.

It flies from August to October

Brindled Green Dryobotodes eremita Distribution similar to Frosted Orange.

Frequents woodland and parkland.

The single generation flies in August and September.

Overwinters as an egg The larvae feed initially on oak buds.

And then later on the leaves.

Contents

Autumnal Rustic Eugnorisma glareosa Widely distributed but not common in Britain and across continental Europe.

Caterpillars feed on a wide variety of grasses and plants, at woodland fringes, moorland, on sandy or chalky soils.

Flies in August-September.

Beaded Chestnut Agrochola lychnidis A variable species that flies in September and October.

Larvae feed on low plants at first, later moving up to feed on the leaves of various plants and shrubs.

Recorded across mainland Europe.

Sallow Cirrhia icteritia A species perhaps more adapted to colder climates as its distribution on mainland Europe seems to be Scandinavia and the Alps.

Flies in September and October in damp woodland, heathland and marshy places.

Larvae feed initially on Sallow catkins, then move to herbaceous plants.

Contents

Found across central and northern Europe eastwards to Japan. Introduced and now naturalised in north-eastern America, where it is known as the potato stem-borer.

It is on the wing from August to October and frequents waste ground, marshy areas, and other places where the foodplants grow.

Rosy Rustic Hydraecia micacea

The larvae live on a range of low plants, but especially dock (Rumex spp.), feeding beneath the ground on the roots.

A distinctive large and longwinged black moth when at rest. In flight, the males have white hind-wings, while the female’s hind-wings are greybrown.

Widespread across Europe, east to the Caucasus, and into southern Scandinavia

Black Rustic Aporophyla nigra

Flies in September and October, and sometimes later, in Britain, over heathland and downland where the larvae feed on heather, dock, grasses and other low plants.

Contents

The third edition of the Field Guide to the Moths of Great Britain and Ireland has been fully revised, updated and restructured, bringing it in line with the latest thinking in taxonomy.

Moths are illustrated in their natural resting postures, and there are also paintings of different forms, underwings and other details to help with identification. New descriptions and illustrations have been included for species that have been newly recorded in Britain and Ireland since the last edition of Field Guide to the Moths of Great Britain and Ireland was published.

The text descriptions of all other species – covering field characters and similar species, flight season, life cycle, larval foodplants, and habitat – have been revised and updated where necessary, and particular attention has been paid to updating the distribution information, which is now supported by maps.

The revised general introduction explains how the methods of identifying and recording moths have evolved over recent years with the advent of new technologies and as a result of data analysis.

Contents

Interested in recording moths?

The National Moth Recording Scheme is based upon a national network of County Moth Recorders. These skilled and dedicated volunteers act as the central point for moth recording in the county or counties that they cover.

They receive records, verify (check) and computerise them and maintain a local database. Periodically, typically once a year, County Moth Recorders will transfer copies of all the records that they have received to the National Moth Recording Scheme. The National Moth Recording Scheme could not function without the enormous effort put in by County Moth Recorders in their free time.

An essential role of County Moth Recorders is to ensure the accuracy of the records that they receive. The many ways in which moth records can be used to improve conservation and knowledge will be severely compromised unless a high standard of accuracy is maintained in local and national data sets. County Moth Recorders will, from time to time, need to question the accuracy of records. Recorders should regard such queries as constructive efforts to safeguard data quality within the scheme.

Please submit all of your moth records to your County Moth Recorder. If you record moths in other parts of the UK, Isle of Man or Channel Islands, please forward your records to the appropriate County Moth Recorder.

Records submitted via the NMRS online recording system will also be passed automatically to County Moth Recorders. Records can only enter the National Moth Recording Scheme via a County Moth Recorder.

Current lists of contact details for County Moth Recorders are provided below: County Moth Recorder list - County format County Moth Recorder list - Vicecounty format

Contents

While some moths fly by day and are easy to see, most are well-camouflaged and fly only at night.

They are often attracted to light, and can be found on windows and entering lit buildings. The best way to see them is to attract them to a moth trap, a light trap designed to hold them safely until morning when you look at them, identify them, and release them back into the wild.

Go out with a local moth recorder to find out how it is done, and then try for yourself. A few moths remain on the wing in winter and you can trap hundreds in one night in the summer. Best to start in early spring when there are enough about to be interesting, but not over-whelming.

A small, portable trap particularly suited to trapping at remote sites, as it is light and runs from a 12 volt supply (a small motorbike battery will power a trap all night).

The light source is a white 6W actinic tube. Catches tend to be lower than with a mercury vapour trap but this is still a very useful trap, particularly if trapping takes place over a number of nights or if several traps are used within the recording area.

A replacement bulb can be purchased.

This is a 12V trap which will run from a 12V supply. An adapter is also available for this trap which will allow you to run it from the mains.

Features: * Portable trap is easy to carry * Runs off 12V battery * Optional mains adapter

Contents

Packed with stunning photographs, this photographic guide is the most comprehensive collection of British moth images ever published. Over 3,200 photographs create a visual feast that not only showcases the wealth and variety of moths in Britain and Ireland, but also provides an invaluable identification tool for experts and amateur naturalists alike.

Uniquely, all the photographs are of living insects taken in natural conditions. The photographs are accompanied by a concise text that includes wingspans, status and distribution,

flight periods, habitats and larval foodplants. This is the definitive photographic guide to British moths.

In a nutshell, the new book has 2,147 species, comprising 871 macros and 276 micros. This is 800 more species than the last edition. The extras are mainly micros. For the first time, all resident species are mapped. On the minus side, the new edition omits butterflies and caterpillars, so the new edition is simply the most comprehensive collection of photos of British Moths ever assembled."

Contents

Nature-watching in Europe Full edition available on the Apple News-stand.

September contents: Finding information about Norwegian National Parks Getting to the top of Mount Teide—the top of Tenerife Where to go next year: the best places for nature-watching in Europe in September All in addition to what you have seen in this version.

More information here

Contents

Contents

Italy: hiking the Aosta Valley The Giant’s Trek is a 7-stage round-trip itinerary through the Aosta Valley, around 4 of the highest mountains (giants) in Europe. Fortunately, it doesn’t have to be done in one go, or even in seven stages (roughly 20 hours trekking per stage!).

The trek follows the route of the Alta Via, a high-level trail around the Aosta Valley in northern Italy. Part of the trail runs through the Gran Paradiso National Park, another part along the southern edge of Monti Bianco (Mont Blanc). This trail, divided into Alta Via 1 (on the northern side) and Alta Via 2 (the southern half), is further divided into some 35 sections, often linked by others trails and roads so that you can walk shorter routes, with time to enjoy the scenery and the wildlife, without wearing yourself out.

On this occasion, I had stayed overnight with friends at Villeneuve. From their place it takes about an hour to drive along the valley to Courmayeur, where the main road continues to the tunnel through Monti Bianco.

Glacier du Miage in September 1996 Glacier du Miage is the longest in the Italian Alps (though not the largest by area). It flows from Col de Bionnassay at 3892 m via the Glacier de Bionnassay for 10 km into Val Veney at an elevation of about 1770 m.

Click here for more information about the glacier, and photos of how much it has retreated since 1982.

Mont Blanc itself dominates the landscape from well down the valley, and just grows ever bigger in the scenery. In fact, the massif is some 50km from east to west, and the highest point is about 4,800m (nearly 16,000 feet). There is a cable car system that allows you to go over the top into France to Chamonix. One day, I would like to take that ride. Skip takes a road to the west, along the Val Veny on the south side of Mont Blanc. Cars are allowed to go only as far as the ski resort at Visaille, so we park at the end and have lunch in the car - bread, cheese, ham and wine, followed by a cappuccino at the nearby ristorante.

Thus refreshed, we begin the hike to the lake. It is uphill all the way, but I am used to that now. Skip's long legs soon take him ahead, while Jeannie and I follow at a more sedate pace. At first the road is paved as it wends its way up through larch woods. On the south side of the road is a deep fluvial valley, with trees and rocks washed down with the spring-summer torrents. Willow and coal tits inhabit the Contents

trees, and the few butterflies include red admiral and a fritillary. Behind us, a magnificent view of the east end of Mont Blanc - les Grandes Jorasses, and other mountains.

The road gives way to a rougher track, then a flat plain opens out ahead. Lake Miage is immediately above us, behind a huge moraine left by a glacier. We have to climb that moraine. Jeannie is suffering with the cold wind, and decides to take the short, straight-up route which other much younger people are following. Skip tells me the longer route is easier, and we ignore the wind to follow that.

The pack makes it hard work, but knowing that I will have a longer steeper climb tomorrow, I practice on this short one.

We arrive before Jeannie, who is struggling almost on hands and knees on the steeper part of her route. From the top, it looks quite a feat for anyone to climb that path, let alone someone of her age. She succeeds, and I loan my jacket and water bottle as we sit in a sheltered spot in the sun while she recovers.

Contents

The local language is a patois of French and Italian. Hence the Alta Via is also called the Alte Vie.

The lake itself is at the base of a glacier - the one which left the huge moraine as it retreated. Skip said they had previously seen small icebergs in the lake, which is milky with ice and rock particles. Bits of ice and rock drop into the water as we watch, and with the magnificent backdrop it is hard to stop taking pictures - I suspect I have taken quite a few exactly the same. With Jeannie recovered, we make our way back down the easier path, and part company at the bottom.

The sign says it is an hour to the Rifugio Elisabetta Soldini, which is visible at the far end of the valley. I expect it to take two hours. At first the road is flat and straight, though a boggy plain, then uphill to the Rifugio. The plain is glacial outwash gravel, now partially vegetated with even a few willows and birches growing in the drier parts. A marsh marigold is still showing its golden blooms, indicating how late the seasons are at this altitude. Marsh marigold flow-

Contents

ers are gone by May/June in Wales. A fisherman plies his rod in one of the bigger pools. The uphill part is hard work, and I take any rock of suitable height as an excuse to stop and admire the view behind. The sun sinks behind Mont Blanc, and the lengthening shadows gobble up the plain. By the time I reach the Rifugio, only a distant mountain glows orange in the evening light. I ask if this is Monte Rosa, the highest peak in the Alps, but am told that it is le Grand Combin.

I am glad to find there are only about 25 people booked into the Rifugio, so I can have a bed. The Rifugio Elisabetta has some small bunk rooms, but up in the loft are three long low bunks, each taking 6-12 people laying side by side.

Sleeping like sardines in a can takes some getting used to, especially as there is no segregation even by sex. I was lucky - I had an end bed with a space between myself and the two French lads at the other end. Everybody has to put

Contents

up with everybody else's snoring, restlessness etc, though most people are too tired after a day's hiking to care. One of the French lads makes a very loud fart, which has them both in hysterical giggles for the next few minutes. Then the peace returns.

A New Day People seem to be getting up while it is still dark, then I see faint daylight coming through a window. After a while it isn't getting any lighter, so I get up too (I am not the last). I discover that I am in the darkest part of the loft, and the shutters have fooled me again. Outside it is bright sunlight.

Most people have breakfasted and left by the time I get downstairs. A Swiss lady asks if am travelling alone. I try out my rusty German - how long is she in the mountains only for the weekend, Monday is for working. She and her husband are carrying daypacks. The younger people with Contents

them have mountain boots and are equipped perhaps for glaciers and high routes.

There is no sign of other human life on the Alta Vie as I set out. I walk in the sun for a while, along another flat outwash plain. Then I am in the shadow for the uphill - 400m of it. It is hard work, with nothing but chough and marmot calls for company. I the distance I see a large group of hikers on the skyline, they seem to cluster around the cairn which marks the French border. They venture a little way into Italy, probably to find shelter. The air is so clear, that even at this distance I can see them getting out the coffee flasks. Then they return towards the cairn.

My progress up the mountainside is slow. I have all day, so there is no point in rushing. I stop frequently, looking out for other birds and animals. The path is frozen, and there are patches of ice and snow. There are weasel tracks on the snow. Staying in the shadow keeps me cool, and the path looks as though it could be slippery when it thaws Contents

out. I am surprised to see mountain bike tracks - but then I remember Jeannie saying that one year they met someone who they had earlier seen carrying a mountain bike over one of the glaciers on Mont Blanc. He was a city bus driver and this was his idea of getting away from it all and relaxing. Looking back towards the Mont Blanc glaciers, I see two tiny figures hiking across a high snowfield, heading towards a glacier.

About three quarters of the way up I am in the sun, and find a flat grassy area looks ideal for a much-needed rest.

My view is dominated by Mont Blanc and its glaciers, with almost every stone standing out in the clear air. The path ahead does not look so steep, but appears to cross a scree slope before reaching the pass - the Colle di Chavannes. A guy pushes a mountain bike past me, I will watch where he goes. Water pipits, goldfinches and redpolls fly past. There is a light but cold breeze coming off the mountains. The cyclist finds it hard work on the scree and resorts to carrying the bike as the path gets steep again. However, he has nothing else to carry. Now I see where the path goes.

Someone looks over the ridge from the other direction. I have rested for an hour, and it's about time I moved myself.

The cyclist went up the path like a mountain goat, my progress is more like an old woman's. It is steep and narrow in places, and great care is needed.

The pack makes me top heavy, and the monopod is again useful as a hiking cane. Again most of the path is in shadow, and I find mountain hare tracks in a snow patch.

The figure who appeared at the top earlier is having lunch when I get there, the cyclist is Contents

long gone. The view into the next valley contrasts sharply with the grey rocks and gleaming glaciers of Mont Blanc.

Everything looks more green, the mountains are not so high, and apart from one huge vertical north-east-facing cliff, the slopes are more gentle.

A group of about 20-25 alpine choughs are feeding on the slopes, they are widely spaced but keep in contact through little high-pitched calls which sound as though they belong to smaller birds. Their ‘chough' call is higher and thinner than the red-billed chough in Wales. There is also another un-chough-like sound, and it takes me a while to be sure that it really does come from the birds. A group of small birds fly over the pass after me, and land close enough that I can identify them as wheatears and black redstarts. The ubiquitous marmots call from the valley below.

My feet are screaming to be let out of the hiking boots, and sandals will be no problem on this track. I walk as

Contents

slowly as I can, with lots of stops, even though it is all downhill. I want to camp on a mountainside tonight, not in the main Aosta valley. I noticed last night that my eyes were puffy and sore. Today they are badly affected by the bright sunlight, and my lips are also sunburnt.

A young golden eagle drifts up from the valley, and is mobbed by the choughs. A pair of kestrels hovering below, looking minute, are the only other raptors. Below 2,200m the variety of wildflowers increases, but most are beyond their best for photography. Fortunately I have photographed many of them before. Grasshoppers are also abundant, including the banded grasshopper, whose distinctive call I remember from 1989. One of them jumps onto a stone, tries to jump again as I try to take its photo, lands in some vegetation and panics as it cannot get a purchase on anything to jump again. I help it out of its predicament, and it poses for the camera. Painted lady butterflies bask in the sun, or whizz along the valley.

Contents

From mid-afternoon the path is in shadow from the huge rock face, and I walk faster to keep warm. Eventually I reach sunshine again. A small herd of diary cows hangs around a decrepit building, and there are more tumbledown buildings beyond. A new building, higher up the hillside, overlooks it all. It's time to find a campsite, and after a while I come across a cleared patch - rocky but level in places, with black redstarts flitting around. There is now a strong cold breeze, which blows my hat off into the vegetation where I risk life and limb to rescue it - I will suffer if I am walking in the sun without it tomorrow. It is also difficult to put up the tent - the ground is too hard for tent pegs, so I tie the guys round lumps of rock instead. The last sounds of the evening are a green woodpecker calling, and cowbells from the huge herd in a pasture across the valley.

Contents

Another new day My tent gets the first rays of sun this morning - desperately welcome after a cold night at 1900m. The wind also dropped during the night. A nearby marmot screams at the strange intrusion into its view. After breakfast I look around for marmots, and find one basking at the entrance to its burrow - it looks like a doormat soaking up the sun.

Scanning further around I find a red fox hunting voles. He pounces on one, misses, but gets it at the second attempt.

He works his way up the slope, away from me, and soon disappears over the ridge.

Up on the ridge is a thrush of some kind, perched on a stone and singing. Frustratingly, it is too far away to be identified beyond the shape, and I don't recognise the song—perhaps a rock thrush or a ring ouzel.

A handful of black redstarts chase each other from boulder Contents

to boulder, recognisable even at that distance by their grey bodies and orange rumps. Later one sings its strange little ditty from the roof of a derelict building. There are also wheatears, whinchats, grey wagtails, coal tits, crossbills and rockbunting. It is hard to work up the enthusiasm to leave such a place.

Valdostan coffee A traditional object from Valle d’Aosta, the Friendship Cup (Coppa dell’Amicizia), is a wide shallow bowl made of wood with a lid and several spouts from which to drink “à la ronde” (passing it round a group of friends). It was traditionally used for drinking “Valdostan coffee” with family or friends on important occasions to show a strong feeling of group belonging.

Drinking from it is a true ritual, following strict rules. Each person takes a sip then passes it to the friend sitting at his or her side who takes a “coupe”, this continues in a clockwise direction until the cup is empty. Once the “ronde” has begun, the cup should not be put down until all the contents are finished, otherwise it will bring bad luck.

Caffè alla Valdostana (Valdostan coffee), drunk in the Friendship Cup, is made according to an ancient recipe combining grappa, sugar and coffee, plus a dash of orange, juniper, cloves and cinnamon

On the southeast horizon is a huge glacier which partially blocks the Col di Planaval. Unfortunately you need ice equipment and some experience, to negotiate this col, which is on the Alta Vie, and so I will be going by road from now on. (NB the glacier has retreated enough that this area is now passable on a footpath) It is 1030 by the time I have packed up. More birds greet me as I go downhill - jay, wren, willow tit, crow, chiffchaff, chaffinch willow warbler, more whinchats, even a blackbird. Alpine chough call from way up the slope. Then a female goshawk flats past, low over the pasture and swooping up to land on a rock. A while later she moves to perch on top of a larch. Four buzzards circle and call overhead.

I stop where the mountain road joins the main road over the Colle di Piccolo San Bernardo. A constant sound of traffic comes from the few vehicles making their way up the switchbacks.

I sit here for an hour, enjoying the sounds of the birds, grasshoppers and crickets. A crag martin hawks along and above the river channel, a sparrowhawk struggles to find a thermal over the trees. The grasshoppers include one that tries to eat me, and a very large green bush-cricket which makes ridiculously tiny chirps with its wing cases. There are an amazing variety of stridulation rhythms. Among the butterflies are an Apollo, clouded yellows, some very faded fritillaries and Damon blues.

Contents

Val d’Aosta resources Between them, these two websites have most of the information that most tourists need: Val d'Aosta local website Val d'Aosta official tourist website For the Alta Via/Alte Vie hiking trails (from the tourist website): Alte Vie hiking trails

Wikitravel - general information for travelers to Italy

The Colle de Piccolo San Bernardo is the westernmost end of the Aosta valley, which is described as the smallest and least populated Italian region, a mountain territory lying in the heart of the Alps.

The history and economy of the valley have always been influenced by the role of the Piccolo and Grande San Bernado Passes, which have been controlled by the town of Aosta itself, some 70km down the valley. Habitation here goes back to ancient times, with the Ligurian and Celtic people in 3,000 BC, and the local ‘Salassi' tribe in the 2nd century BC. The Romans gained control of it as a strategic route into Gaul and Germany in the 1st century AD. Then the Burgundians, Goths, and Byzantines struggled for possession, but the Franks eventually won in the sixth century AD. After more feudal authorities gained control over the next few centuries, the Savoy Family claimed rights in the 11th century, and the French influence remains til this day.

The area now has some legislative, economic and administrative autonomy, and the local language is a patois of French and Italian. Hence the Alta Via is also called the Alte Vie. Contents

With illustrated walks ranging from short strolls to multi-day traverses, this guide explores both highlights and little-visited places, and plenty of panoramic peaks. The excellent rifugi network allows walkers to rest overnight at high altitudes as well as feast on local gastronomic specialties. This brand new fullcolour edition also includes a detailed description of the rewarding 12-stage Alta Via 2 that crosses the southern Valle d'Aosta, passing beneath the foot of Mont Blanc to culminate at Courmayeur. It also includes full details of local transport and accommodation.

A little over 100 years after Alpine pioneers George Yeld and Rev. W.A.B. Coolidge compiled their celebrated guide "The Mountains of Cogne", this detailed book retraces some of their itineraries. It opens up a wonderful world of rugged mountains and breathtaking valleys densely populated with an extraordinary variety of wildlife. First and foremost of these is the magnificent ibex, saved from extinction by the establishment of a Royal Game Reserve in the 19th century. The Gran Paradiso National Park inherited 450kms of tracks from that period, a marvellous benefit for present-day visitors.

Contents

Language: French, with English, French, Italian, German, and Slovenian nomenclature

A complete and accessible guide to on one of the richest territories of France in number of wild mammal species. Often shy and difficult to observe, mammals are fascinating animals whose study is made exciting by the diversity of forms and behaviours that characterize them.

This guide details the 89 species of mammals from the Alpine arc, from species with a broad ecological spectrum to animals specially adapted to mountain environments, not to mention mythical species such as the bear or wolf and the emblematic chamois and ibex.

After a general presentation of the Alps and advice for the observation of animals, the book presents each species in detail, giving a general description, ecology, biology, a map, and altitudinal distribution. The numerous photographs offer a very complete picture of each species, thus aiding identification. Common names are given in English, French, Italian, German and Slovenian. Accessible to all, this guide allows hikers and nature lovers to become familiar with the alpine fauna.

Contents

If you have enjoyed this magazine, please click the like button, and perhaps add it to a stack and/or share it.

Thank you

If you’d like to contribute to the magazine, articles are always welcome.

Please contact me here

If you’d like to advertise in the magazine, please contact me here

Contents

Bird Journal is the best way to record, explore fully supported, so you can conveniently conand share your bird & wildlife observations and tribute to conservation efforts*. experiences. It has thousands of users across ACCESS ANYWHERE the world and works on a variety of devices.

Access and enter your records on any supportStart keeping a record of your bird & wildlife ed device or computer. Data is stored on each observations now with a free account. device, meaning you always have access even RECORD ANYTHING when on the move, in the field or abroad.

Enter bird & wildlife observations, photos*, habitat and more with customisable data entry. Bird Journal's growing library contains hundreds of checklists and taxonomies, with over 100,000 species and subspecies worldwide.

EXPLORE YOUR RECORDS

Enjoy looking back through your data with beautiful entry reports, species lists, graphs**, maps**, reports** & photos. Search instantly by date, species, location & more.

SHARE YOUR RECORDS Export or print records and species lists for use anywhere*. eBird and BirdTrack systems are

REMEMBER FOREVER Never lose your data. Everything added to Bird Journal is safely and securely stored in Bird Journal's cloud. If you lose your device or your computer malfunctions, simply sign back in to your account to carry on from where you left off.

BRING YOUR DATA Get started quickly by importing existing records from any other system or app*. eBird, BirdTrack & Wildlife Recorder records can be imported directly. * Requires the free desktop version ** Requires an upgrade to a Premium account.

Birdjournal.com Contents

Widen your macro

Learn how to create stunning, beautiful wide-angle portraits of small plants and animals in this detailed and comprehensive eBook from well-known nature photographers Paul Harcourt Davies and Clay Bolt. The ‘close and wide’ approach not only generates images with impact but can convey maximum information about a subject and its habitat. This makes it an excellent way of imparting information, especially when it comes to conservation and education. When used in conjunction with other ‘macro’ approaches it becomes an essential part of the bag of varied tricks that creative photographers can have at their disposal.

Contents