Blanzaguet - Nature

La partie en francais: en cours d'aménagement!!(voir Resumé)

Introduction
Since 1999 I am spending some time in Blanzaguet; it gives me the possibility of getting an impression of the nature in this part of France. Amongst the true "birders" it is not known as a region of particular interest, but the list below proves otherwise!! I include also some information on other features of this beautiful area.

A. Birds:
Most of the common breeding birds of France breed here. They won’t be included (the raptors will be treated in full detail)

This is an area with a wide variety of habitats, which make the next species (quite/very) common:
Honey Buzzard, Black Kite, Sparrowhawk, Buzzard, Hobby and Kestrel.
Red Kite is sometimes migrating through the area; Goshawk is not breeding in the immediate vicinity.
Booted eagle is migrating during may and august. Montagues harrier occurs on the causses.
Shorttoed eagle is breeding on the Causses and can be seen hunting in this area.
Peregrine is breeding in the vicinity on the rocks of the Dordogne.

Red and Grey Partridge, Quail are breeding birds
All 5 species of doves / pigeons occur in the valley and/or near Rocamadour

Eagle owl is breeding in the valley and heard/seen hunting. In some places the Scops owl can be heard
Nightjar is a common breeding bird
The Alpine swift lives here on the NW edge of the French distribution. It is possible to see groups of 30 -40 individuals flying and singing overhead in the area.
European Bee-eater, though not a breeding bird, as far as I know the bird sometimes occurs in migration - time
Hoopoe and Wryneck are breeding in variable numbers throughout the area
Green woodpecker, Great spotted, Middle spotted and Little spotted woodpecker are common breeding birds.

Crag martin, breeding in the Dordogne valley and near Rocamadour
Tawny pipit prefers arid habitats, in this regions by nearly treeless part of the Causses (de Gramat).
Zitting cisticola is a bit surprising but can be heard in some places on the agricultural parts of the causses.

As for the warblers you sometimes feel being in the Mediterranean:
Dartford warbler, Orphean warbler and Moustached warbler breed on the Causses (de Gramat).

Raven is not common but can be heard everywhere.
Cirl bunting is very common, whereas the Yellowhammer is rare and confined to higher altitudes. Corn Bunting is still common in parts of the causses (Montvalent - Gramat)

B. Butterflies
The numbers of butterflies is also surprising. I will only mention a few species (scientific names only); the full list comprises over 60 species. These are (quite) common. I left out species like “atalanta” and the rare species

iphiclides podalirius
papilio machaon
leptidea sinapis
colias hyale
colias crocea
gonopteryx cleopatra
polyommatus adonis
lasiommata megera
pyronia tithonus
hypparchia fagi
apatura ilia
argynnis paphia
speyeria aglaja
azuritis reducta
melitaea cinxia
melitea parthenoides
melitaea didyma

C. Lizards and snakes
Wall lizard is of course very common
Green lizard and Ocellated lizard are quite common
Asp - viper is quite common

D. Orchids
Especially in the period april - may the following orchids are quite common:
Anacamptis pyramidalis - along the roads
Cephalanthera longifolia - everywhere in the woods
Cephalanthera rubra - in the woods
Himantoglossum hircinum - along the roads
Limodorum abortivum - in lightly wooded areas
Oprhys insectifera - in lighly wooded areas
Ophrys scolopax - along the roads
Orchis ustulata in lightly wooded areas, open meadows
Orchis militaris -
Orchis pupurea - quite obvious in various places
Orchis mascula
Orchis morio - very common in meadows
Orchis laxiflora - less common than morio, but common
Orchis simia - along roads
Platanthera bifolia - in lightly wooded areas
(in the departement Lot there is a claim of 44 species!)

Resumé
Les oiseaux les plus signifiants sont:
Busard cendré, Circaete jean le blanc, Faucon pélérin; l’Aigle botté seulement pendant la migration.
Des autres “rapaces” sont le Hibou grand duc et le Hibou petit duc.
Naturellement les especes comme l’Engoulevement, le Huppe fasciée et le Tourcol formillier sont assez commun dans la region. Plus surprenant est le Martinet à ventre blanc.
L’Hirondelle de rochers, le Pipit rouseline, une grande variété des fauvettes soulignent le méridional caractère de l’avifaune.
Sous le chapitre “Butterflies” on trouve une liste des papillons. Pour les orchidées on consulte les “Orchids”. (Seulement les noms scientifiques)