Birdquest: Europe, North Africa & Western Asia Tours 2008–2009
THE FRENCH ALPS
Alpine Birds and Haute Cuisine
Saturday 10th May – Wednesday 14th May 2008 (5 days)
Leaders: Pete Morris and assistant
Group Size Limit: 12
The French Alps (and the adjacent
stony plains of La Crau) are a great
destination for those wishing to
combine some of the most stunning
scenery that Europe has to offer with
some of its most sought-after bird
species. From Marseilles we head
northwestwards up into the French
Alps. The scenery here is stunning:
crystalline mountain rivers cascade
off the peaks and rush through
alpine meadows and on through
forests, some of which have not
been logged for centuries. Higher
up, colourful alpine meadows lie at
the foot of lofty alpine peaks and are
home to herds of Chamois. Here our
attention will be focussed on one of
Europe’s least-seen endemics, the
Rock Partridge. We will scour the
alpine meadows strewn with juniper
scrub and nearby rocky outcrops
and screes for this elusive gamebird.
As well as looking for our chief
quarry, we will have a good chance
of finding other typical alpine
species including the impressive
Black Grouse, Alpine Accentor,
Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush, Alpine
Chough, the magical Wallcreeper,
Citril Finch and White-winged
Snowfinch. Before returning home
we may have time to visit another of
the region’s ornithological treasures,
La Crau. This beautiful stony plain
formed by the River Durance as it
debouched from the Alps is home to
good numbers of Little Bustards and
Stone-curlews.
Pete Morris has thoroughly explored
this part of southeastern France.
Birdquest has been operating tours
to the French Alps since 2000.
Itinerary
Day 1 Morning flight from London
to Marseilles. From the airport we
will travel a short distance to a
small nature reserve situated on the
shores of the enormous Etang de
Berre. During a short exploration
of the marshes, scrub and grassland
here we should find good numbers
of Greater Flamingoes and gaudy
Red-crested Pochards, as well as
Great Crested, Black-necked and
Little Grebes, Western Cattle and
Little Egrets, Grey Heron, Mute
Swan, Mallard, Gadwall, Black Kite,
Western Marsh Harrier, Eurasian
Coot, Black-winged Stilt, Blackheaded and Yellow-legged Gulls,
Common Swift, Eurasian Hoopoe,
Sand Martin, Barn Swallow, Zitting
Days 2-4 The Alps hold a number
of interesting species but we will
be devoting much of our time to
tracking down one of Europe’s most
elusive endemics, the seldom seen
Rock Partridge. Always difficult
to find, we will be scouring the
southeast-facing slopes just above
the tree line where this species
exists at low densities. Although
they will sometimes feed in the
open in the flower-covered alpine
meadows, they soon vanish into
the juniper scrub and are seemingly
invisible most of the time! We may
hear their distinctive calls from the
meadows, screes or crags at dawn
and with some diligent searching we
will have a good chance of seeing
one or two. Our other principal
target, although much easier to find
than the partridge, will be Citril
Finch (this green-backed species
looking quite different from the
split Corsican Finch) and other
birds likely in this fine area include
Golden Eagle, Black Redstart,
Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush, Ring
Ouzel, Red-billed Chough and
Rock Bunting. With luck, we will
get good views of the spectacular
Black Grouse, and we should also
find Alpine Marmot and Chamois
during our alpine ramblings. We will
also have time to explore the pine,
fir and beech forests in the valleys
below, where we may well find
Western Bonelli’s Warbler, Crested
Tit and Short-toed Treecreeper, and
while visits to a high alpine pass or
two will yield a very good chance
of seeing White-winged Snowfinch,
as well as more opportunities to
observe Rock Ptarmigan, Water
Pipit, Alpine Accentor, Wallcreeper
The French Alps
Rock Partridges (Nik Borrow)
Cisticola (or Fan-tailed Warbler),
Cetti’s Warbler, Woodchat Shrike
(here of the interesting form badius,
which lacks white in the primaries),
Eurasian Magpie, Western Jackdaw
and Carrion Crow. From the
Marseille area we will drive north
to Saint Disdier, not far from Gap,
for a four nights stay. Leaving the
coast behind us, we will follow
some twisting and narrow gorges
(haunted by Eurasian Crag Martins)
which will lead us into the Alps
proper where we will be surrounded
by some daunting, snow-covered
peaks. Provided we have time
today, we will make a first visit to a
spectacular high pass from where
we can explore the surrounding
rocky and partly snow-covered
slopes. Here we will have our first
chances for an encounter with
Rock Ptarmigan, Water Pipit, Alpine
Accentor and Alpine Chough. We
will also make an extended stop at
a narrow gorge with towering cliffs
where we have an excellent chance
of finding the magical Wallcreeper.
Other species today are likely to
include Common Kestrel, Eurasian
Collared Dove, Common Wood
Pigeon, Eurasian Skylark, Common
House Martin, Grey and White
Wagtails, Winter Wren, Northern
Wheatear, Common Blackbird,
Coal, Blue and Great Tits, Eurasian
Jay, Common Raven, Common
Chaffinch, European Serin, European
Greenfinch, European Goldfinch and
Common Linnet.
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Birdquest: Europe, North Africa & Western Asia Tours 2008–2009
Corsica
and Alpine Chough. Other birds of
the area include Common Cuckoo,
Tree Pipit, Dunnock, European
Robin, Common Redstart, Whinchat,
Mistle Thrush, Lesser Whitethroat,
Blackcap, Garden and Wood
Warblers, Common Chiffchaff,
Goldcrest, Long-tailed, Willow
and Marsh Tits, Eurasian Nuthatch.
Eurasian Treecreeper and Common
Crossbill.
Day 5 This morning we will set off
early and visit the region known as
La Crau, a stony, steppe-like plain to
the northwest of Marseilles that was
formed by the river Durance before
its course altered to the north. On
arrival in this unusual habitat we
will be greeted to the ‘raspberry’like calls of Little Bustards and we
should get great views of several
strutting across the flowery plains.
The air will be filled with lark song
and among the more common
Crested Larks we will keep a
lookout for Greater Short-toed and
Calandra Larks, while other new
species are likely to include Tawny
Pipit, Common Nightingale, . Very
large numbers of Black Kites visit a
rubbish dump in the area and we
will endeavour to pick out a Shorttoed Eagle or an Egyptian Vulture
from among the horde. We will also
visit a Lesser Kestrel breeding site
where artificial holes have been
made in the roof of an old building
especially for them. We should see
numerous Stone-curlews and, with a
bit of luck, one or two of the scarcer
species of the area such as Pin-tailed
Sandgrouse, Great Spotted Cuckoo,
Black-eared Wheatear and Southern
Grey Shrike. After an action-packed
session we will return to Marseilles
and catch an afternoon flight to
London.
Accommodation & Road Transport:
The hotel at St Disdier is of
nmormal Birdquest standard. Most
participants rate the food on this
tour highly. Road transport is by
minibus and roads are good.
CORSICA
The Mediterranean’s Most Beautiful Island
Wednesday 14th May – Sunday 18th May 2008 (5 days)
Leaders: Pete Morris and assistant
Group Size Limit: 12
Walking: The walking is mostly
easy, but when we search for Rock
Partridge there are two options: wait
below watching (with a telescope)
while those ‘enjoying’ a steep hike
attempt to locate the partridge, or
join in the fun!
Climate: At this season warm, dry
and sunny weather is interspersed
with cool, wet and overcast periods.
At higher altitudes in the Alps it
may be cold, especially early in the
morning.
Bird Photography: Opportunities
are worthwhile but somewhat
limited.
Tour Price: 2008: £750, €1110,
$1410 London/London (or £630,
€932, $1184 Marseilles/Marseilles).
Single Room Supplement: £112,
€166, $211.
Deposit: £150, €222, $282.
Linking Birdquests: This tour can be
linked with our Corsica tour.
Wallcreepers (Nik Borrow)
Corsican Nuthatch (Nik Borrow)
Corsica, with its endemic
Corsican Nuthatch and nearendemic Corsican Finch, is a
great destination for those wishing
to combine some of the most
stunning scenery that Europe
has to offer with some of its
most sought-after birds. Superb
cuisine, good local wines and
comfortable accommodation all
add to the attraction! Corsica (or
‘Corse’ as it is known locally)
has a unique character which
has developed as a result of its
long and complicated history.
From the delightful Romanesque
churches overlooking olive groves
in the north to prehistoric statues
lurking on stark plains interspersed
with green valleys in the south,
Corsica has a character all of its
own. Invasion and resistance have
been common themes throughout
Corsica’s history and have only
served to strengthen the islanders’
self-identity. The geographical
location of the island, on the west
Mediterranean trade routes, and its
sheltered harbours and protective
mountains has historically made it
of strategic importance for traders.
The close proximity of several
colonizing powers led to invasions
by the Greeks, Carthaginians and
Romans, each landing on the east
coast of the island and driving the
native Corsican people to take
refuge in the mountains. Since
the Romans were driven out 14
centuries ago, the island has
undergone a succession of attacks
and occupations, each fiercely
resisted by the local folk. A period
of independence in the 18th
century has since been followed by
French rule. However, even today
Corsica still has her own language
and many of the islanders would
love to revert to an autonomous
state! Corsica boasts an astonishing
array of natural landscapes and
habitats making it a fascinating
island for naturalists: splendid and
relatively undeveloped coastlines,
plains of tangled, aromatic maquis
(Mediterranean heath), rolling
verdant foothills, unspoilt ancient
forests of endemic Corsican Pine
and towering, snow-covered alpine
peaks can all be found within a
short distance of one another. The
long-term isolation of the island
has led to the evolution of a large
number of endemic species of
both plants and animals. At this
time of year the flowers (which
include numerous orchids) are truly
fantastic and a number of interesting
butterflies will be on the wing. Of
greatest interest to birders, however,
will be the endemic Corsican
Nuthatch and the near-endemic
Corsican Finch, and also Cory’s and
Yelkouan Shearwaters, Lammergeier,
Audouin’s Gull, Marmora’s Warbler
and Alpine Chough.
Pete Morris has thoroughly explored
Corsica. Birdquest has been operating
tours to the island since 1991.