Mike's Natural Musings: France May/June 2016, Day 10. Orchids and Dramatic Scenery in the Tarn Gorges.

Sunday 29 May 2016

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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