France May/June 2016, Day 10. Orchids and Dramatic Scenery in the Tarn Gorges.

Lying in bed seems to be a good time for birding:  in the Auvergne, golden oriole, while in the Tarn we lie and listen to the nightingale’s throbbing call outside the tent and during the night the curious ‘pong’ of the local scops owl.  Outside, round our tents a spotted flucatcher hunts and vultures drift like prehistoric aircraft over the valley.  Today turned out to be a wet day after last night’s dramatic storm which wet on through the night, although it would appear I slept through most of it.  We had planned to walk today, but altered that to car based orchid hunting with occasional forays out for walking.  We began by driving up the ever narrowing gorge with increasingly towering limestone cliffs to Les Vignes, scene of canoeing adventures from years past with the children.  From here we took a road which zigzagged vertiginously up out of the gorges onto the high 3000 foot plateau of the Causses, the high, wild limestone plateau of the Cevennes.  It turned out to be cracking day for orchids with almost 20 species falling to our lenses, several of them new to me.  All the time we had wonderfully close views of squadrons of griffon vultures cruising the skies above.  Tea this evening was a wonderful casseroles made with the BBQ pork loin from the night before made with white wine.  Fingers crossed for improving weather.

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Violet Limodor

St Bernard's Lilly

Meadow Clary

Miltiary Orchid

Vipers Bugloss

Pyrenean Bellflower

Fly Orchid

Burnt Tip Orchid

Birds Nest Orchid

Birds Nest Orchid

Man Orchid

Man Orchid

Sword Leaved Helleborine

Monkey Orchid

Rockrose

Burnt Tip Orchid

Military Orchid

Monkey Orchid

Monkey Orchid

Lady Orchid

White Helleborine

Greater Butterfly Orchid

Natural Bonzai

Woodcock Orchid

Green Winged Orchid

Poppies

Poppies

Alpine Aster

Lizard Orchid

France May/June 2016, Day 9. The Tarn Gorge

Despite last night’s dramatic and torrential thunderstorm we were up early on a cool and misty morning as we had a day of travel ahead of us.  Fog came and went and the valley sides were wreathed in mist.  Before too long the cloud burned off and the sun came out and we finally had everything packed relatively dry.  We were on the road for 11.00 for our 170 mile drive, virtually all on motorway.  Although this sounds as if it could be boring, much of it was at over 1000m altitude, higher than all but the highest mountains in the UK, and through the fabulous Auvergne scenery.  As we passed Clermont Ferrand we could see Les Volcans to our right, the highest summit and scene of dramatic Tour de France mountaintop finishes being the distinctive Puy de Dome.  Further south we stopped by yet another viaduct built by Gustave Eiffel and then passed St Flour and Puy de Sancy with snow on its highest slopes.  Before long we turned off the motorway to head down a narrow, flower strewn road into the Tarn Valley and Riviere sur Tarn the location of our site of Les Peupliers.  By the side of the Tarn River with towering limestone cliffs on either side we met up with Peter and Lin and set up our camp with vultures spiralling over head.  After a quick trip into Millau, within site of the famous modern viaduct, we settled down to an excellent BBQ with potatoes cooked with mint collected from the side of the lane at Ebreuil.  As we go to bed with thoughts of tomorrow’s orchid hunting, thunder rolls amongst the hills around us.
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Photos of the site at Ebreuil as we left.

France May/June 2016 Day 8: An Orchid and Butterfly Fest

Yet another deliciously lazy start and breakfast this morning.  After breakfast, having heard tales of fuel shortages I went to the local filling station for a fill up.  I had no problems but they were not allowing people to fill cans.  It seems half of France is on strike unbeknown to us, but Madame Le Camping says it won’t last much longer as they won’t want to jeopardise the football!!  Cynical or what!!  Once fuelled up we set out on our planned local walk over some low limestone hills behind Ebreuil.  The weather was the best we had experienced this year and the campsite thermometer (in the shade) read 33 degrees when we got back.  The hope was to find orchids and in that were successful with lady, lizard, man and two bee orchid types which yet require identification.  Lizard orchids were most numerous but only one was in flower – but one was enough!!!  We found plenty of other interesting plants too, including cornflower, sanfoin and ...... thistle.  Red kite and buzzard spiralled in the thermals above the hillside.  At the top of the hill the village of St Foy was attractive and from the Chapel of St Michael on the lip of the scarp views over Ebreuil and the Sioule valley were expansive.  Our way down led through a sunken lane or hollow way and in parts was delightfully shaded by trees.  Butterflies down here were superb with marsh fritillary, orange tip, common blue, speckled wood , possible duke of burgundy and best of all a southern white admiral.  Heather also found a very cooperative slow worm.  Once back in Ebreuil a beer and coffee and cake lunch were welcome before wandering back along the lane to the site and another cooling pint of the amber nectar.  Tea was salad with cold sausages from last night’s BBQ.  After tea we had a tremendous thunderstorm and now it is over the valley is full of mist.  Hopefully it will warm up again tomorrow. Now an early night ready for tomorrow’s pack up and journey down to the Tarn to meet up with Peter and Linda.

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Lizard Orchid

Lizard Orchid

Lizard Orchid

Lizard Orchid

Man Orchid

Man Orchid

Cornflower

Sanfoin

Slow Worm

Slow Worm

Speckled Wood

Southern White Admiral

Southern White Admiral

Southern White Admiral

Southern White Admiral

Southern White Admiral

Southern White Admiral

Fritillary

Fritillary

Fritillary

Fritillary