Day 1
Arrival at the Sant Climent Hostal in Taüll.
Leisurely walk around the outskirts of the village to see Sant Climent i Santa Maria of Taüll. There will be a small excursion leading to an observation point in the village. We will enter a plantation of aspen trees, where we will see birds like the European green woodpecker. We will then go through the meadows in the mountains, which have been harvested every summer for centuries.
Day 2
Breakfast at the hostal.
We head towards the village of Durro. Located at an altitude of 1,400m, we will have some tremendous views of the whole Boí valley.
Day 3
Breakfast at the hostel.
Four wheel drive taxis will take us to the national park of Aigüestortes. Once there, we will leave the taxi for the local transport service, as use of private vehicles is prohibited. We will visit a network of lakes, rivers, and forests of mountain pine and silver fur trees in search of the black woodpecker.
Picnic in Aigüestortes During the afternoon we will walk towards l’Estany de la Llebreta, along the river of Sant Nicolau, enjoying the vegetation nourished by the shore, and the deciduous forests, where we will find traces of the otter.
PYRENEAN TOUR - Pyrenees - 4 days / 3 nights
Tours start on a regular basis from several cities.
You can go on your own to the meeting point of every tour.
THE ALPINE SPRING
The central Pyrenees is an exceptional refuge for animals which are highly specialized and adapted to survive in the harsh conditions of the high mountain. In the higher parts of the mountain there is an abundance of rocks, alpine meadows, and lakes formed from the glaciers of the past. These habitats are favoured by the grey partridge, wallcreepers, golden eagles, the white-winged snowfinch, alpine accentors, marmots, the stoat, and the chamois.
Other habitats, which are typically found in the mountains, are those formed by mountain pines, scots pines and silver fur trees. They are of high ecological value in the Pyrenees since they are considered to be almost free of human intervention. Some species that find this an ideal environment include the wood grouse, black woodpeckers, boreal owls, the Eurasian treecreeper, the pine marten and brown bears.
Below these habitats, and characterized by innovation, strong winds, low temperatures and intense ultra-violet rays, we find deciduous forests mixed with common beech and oakwood trees, these being far more sweet and fertile. The varied woodlands form a mosaic, within which we find the meadows and pastures that have been cultivated by man since antiquity.
This contrast favours species like the nuthatch, the blue tit, the European green woodpecker, the common buzzard, the Eurasian jay, the northern goshawk, the Eurasian sparrowhawk, roe deer, baders, hares, and many others.
It is fitting to mention the habitats closely tied to aquatic environments such as rivers and lakes which are ubiquitous in this area. The otter, white-throated dipper, trout, Pyrenean newt and Pyrenean desman are some of the more specialized species that inhabit these places.
ITINERARY
P.V.P.: 345€/pax*
*Single Extra Fee 40€
INCLUDED :
• Three night’s accommodation
• Full board beginning with dinner on the first night through to lunch on the last day
• Expert local guide
• Transport for the excursions
• Telescopes – one per vehicle
• Basic insurance
NOT INCLUDED:
• Personal expenses
• Drinks (alcoholic and non-alcoholic) or food not mentioned in the program
• Transport to and from the camp needed on arrival and departure day
• Personal insurance policies for cancellations, repatriation etc
Recommendations:
- Rain coat
- Mountain shoes
- Camera
- Binoculars
- ...
Day 4
Breakfast in the hostel.
We set off towards Pont de Suert to observe griffon and Egyptian vultures.
We will be given a guided tour at the Centre of Fauna of Pont del Suert to learn about the ex-situ conservation projects for the Eurasian otter, the Mediterranean trout, and the nearly extinct native crayfish and European mink.
We finish with a picnic and departure.
From here one can see large gliding raptors like the griffon and bearded vulture. Walking slowly and in silence, we enter the mountain pine forest to observe the red crossbill and the great spotted woodpecker, that works on the pinecones fitting them into the roughness of the tree bark.
This area is home to two of the ornithological jewels of the Pyrenees and hangovers from the glacial period: the wood grouse and the black woodpecker. We return to our vehicles to make our way towards the lake of Cavallers, at an altitude of 1,800m. We have lunch in the vicinity and relax. We will attempt to make a sighting of one of the most sought after species of any bird-watcher – the wallcreeper, which occasionally visits the same lake.
During the afternoon, we will take the path along the reservoir to visit a colony of marmots, already within the national park of Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici. If the excursion happens to be during the right season, our guide will focus on observing these large rodents in the mountain. If our visit coincides with hibernating season, our local guide and accompanying naturalist will teach us what the main traces and indicators are used to alert us of these mammals’ presence and location, as well as their biology. In the alpine meadows and rocky grounds inhabited by these marmots, we can also observe the several species of birdlife, although, those observed will depend on the time of year. So it is possible to see the fieldfare, the rockthrush, and the alpine accentor amongst others.
We will observe and listen out for the red-billed and alpine chough, whose jubilations, together with the marmots’ whistles and the passerines’ songs provide the soundtrack which accompanies the mountain views. Among the rocky mountain grounds we will see and hear, if luck is with us, the imitative rock ptarmigan, another avian relict of these mountains.
Then we return to the hostel for dinner
These are habitats where one can appreciate the extraordinary floral richness and the wide variety of butterflies present, amongst which the beautiful and native Parnassius apolo stands out. These open environments are favoured by a large quantity of passerines (perching birds), such as the water pipit, the citril finch, the rock thrush and the red-backed shrike. From the observation point one can see the spectacular views of the high Pyrenees, with Taüll and its mountains in the foreground. It serves as an excellent spot to observe the raptors as they pass overhead.Bearded vultures, griffon vultures, Egyptian vultures, booted eagles, short-toed eagles, the lesser kestrel and the peregrine falcon are some of the species which can be seen from this point.
