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CORSICA & THE FRENCH ALPS
From Mediterranean Maquis to Alpine Tundra
Birdquest's Corsica & The French Alps birding tour visits two of the most scenically spectacular European birdwatching venues at the height of spring. Our Corsica & The French Alps tour targets such mega-specialities as Rock Partridge, Marmora's Warbler, Corsican Nuthatch and Corsican and Citril Finches, but we also see many other great birds ranging from Lammergeier, Yelkouan Shearwater and Little Bustard to Wallcreeper and Alpine Accentor, and enjoy some great French cuisine!
Saturday 27th April -
Sunday 5th May 2013
(9 days)
Leaders:
Pete Morris and assistant
Group Size Limit: 12
Tour Category: Easy almost throughout (one optional fairly Demanding hike for Rock Partridge)
Corsican Finch is now generally split from Citirl Finch and becomes Corsica's second endemic alongside the Corsican Nuthatch (Pete Morris)
Corsica and the French Alps 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. Corsica in particular, with its endemic Corsican Nuthatch and near-endemic Corsican Finch, is a must for those wishing to see all of the Western Palearctic’s specialities, while the French Alps are probably the easiest place to see Rock Partridge, one of Europe’s trickiest endemics. Superb cuisine, excellent 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 13 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 Mediterranean 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 us, however, will be the superb endemic Corsican Nuthatch and the near-endemic Corsican Finch. During our stay we will have a chance to explore much of this beautiful and fascinating island as we search for some of Corsica’s other specialities including Cory’s and Yelkouan Shearwaters, Lammergeier, Audouin’s Gull, Marmora’s Warbler (and an impressive array of other sylvia warblers) and Alpine Chough.
Leaving Corsica behind, we will return to Marseilles from where we head northwestwards up into the French Alps. The scenery here is equally 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 turn to 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 should have a good chance of finding other typical alpine species including the impressive Black Grouse, Alpine Accentor, Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush, Wallcreeper and Citril Finch (an interesting contrast to the Corsican Finches we will already have seen on Corsica). Before returning home we will have time to visit another of the region’s ornithological treasures, La Crau. This beautiful stony plain is home to good numbers of Little Bustards, Pin-tailed Sandgrouse and Calandra Larks.
Birdquest has operated tours to Corsica and southern France since 1991.
(Note: The above is a summary of the tour. For more information please download the detailed, day-by-day itinerary. The button is at the top right of the page.)
Accommodation & Road Transport: The hotels are of normal Birdquest standard throughout. Most participants rate the food on this tour highly. Road transport is by minibus and roads are good.
Walking: The walking is mostly easy, but when we search for Rock Partridge in the Alps there will be one optional fairly strenuous hike.
Climate: 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 quite good.
Tour Price: (provisional): $2900 Ajaccio/Marseilles. Price includes all transportation (including Ajaccio-Marseilles flight), all accommodations, all meals, some drinks, all excursions, all entrance fees, all tips for local drivers/guides and for accommodations/restaurants, leader services.
Single Room Supplement: (provisional): $518.
Deposit: 10% of the tour price (excluding any single supplement).
Air Travel To & From The Tour: Our in-house IATA ticket agency can arrange your air travel in connection with the tour from a departure point anywhere in the world, or you may arrange your own air travel if you prefer. We can tailor-make your itinerary to your personal requirements, so if you would like to travel in advance of the tour (and spend a night in an hotel so you will feel fresh when the tour starts), or return later than the end of the tour, or make a side trip to some other destination, or travel business class rather than economy, we will be happy to assist. Please contact us about your air travel requirements.
Staying in the beautiful and historic town of Bonifacio is a real delight (Pete Morris)
A happy group having just seen Rock Partridge. It took a while as the birds disappeared in the mist for an hour but were refound when the mist lifted! (Pete Morris)
The fantastic Alpine scenery is as dramatic as anywhere in the world (Pete Morris)
67 photos
View Gallery Photos From CORSICA & THE FRENCH ALPS
The shy and elusive Rock Partridge is a prime target for us in the French Alps (Pete Morris)
Among the alpine birds we'll be looking for is the fantastic Wallcreeper (Mike Watson)
Audouin's Gulls can be found in small numbers around the coast of Corsica though generally breed in inaccessible areas (Pete Morris)
A good selection of other species occur on Corsica such as this Cirl Bunting (Pete Morris)
With luck, some gorgeous butterflies can be seen such as this spectacular Two-tailed Pasha (Pete Morris)
... and the endemic Corsican Heath (Pete Morris)
May in the Mediterranean is an excellent time to see some spectacular orchids. This is a Berteloni's Orchid (Pete Morris)
... and nearby was this splendid Woodcock Orchid (Pete Morris)
The endemic Corsican Nuthatch can be found in Corsican Pine forest, especially up towards the tree line (Pete Morris)
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