‘Corsica – mountains in the Mediterranean’, a talk by Mike Read
Mike started his talk by explaining that Corsica belongs to France but the island’s inhabitants consider themselves Corsican. Not long after they gained independence from Genoa, Napoleon Bonaparte, who was born on the island, invaded, defeated the Corsicans and claimed the island for France. The people are very friendly and welcoming to British visitors.
Geographically Corsica is much closer to Italy than France. It is 115 miles from north to south and 51 miles at its widest. The highest mountain is twice the height of any in the UK.
Because of its location there are a number of endemic plants and two endemic birds plus several endemic sub-species. The Corsican nuthatch is smaller than the Eurasian nuthatch and forages at the end of twigs and branches. The Corsican citril finch has a rather browner back than the citril finch and its range extends from high in the mountains down to sea level. There are endemic sub-species of jay, chaffinch, coal tit, crossbill and great spotted woodpecker, the only woodpecker to occur on the island.
Mike took most of his photos while leading wildlife tours in spring, the best time of year to visit. They land at Bastia airport and head for Corte, the Restonica Valley and their hotel. The river running past the hotel is wonderfully clear and home to dippers. They wait for the melt-water to pass through before building their nest behind a waterfall.
The Restonica Valley is rugged with stunning scenery. In spring there are masses of the endemic Corsican crocus. Ruined buildings provide nesting sites for black redstart and sometimes blue rock thrush. Any all black corvid will be a raven or an alpine chough; all the crows are black and grey hooded crows. At a picnic site high up the valley alpine choughs expect to be fed!
In the Asco Valley milky orchid and pink butterfly orchid are usually in flower. Woodlarks sing from bushes and sometimes also in flight. Other species encountered here include rock sparrow, tawny pipit, hoopoe, corn bunting and woodchat shrike. Mike is puzzled by the absence of dippers as the river looks eminently suitable. Lammergeier is sometimes seen. There are seven to ten pairs on the island. In winter mouflon, wild sheep with magnificent horns, come down from the mountain tops but in spring they make their way up again and may be encountered. Corsican nuthatch can be seen in this area.
The third valley which the group visits they call “The Gentle Valley”. It runs from north to south and is a good site for seeing birds on spring migration. If the timing is right nightingales may be heard singing from the scrub all along the way and pied flycatchers, blackcaps and Sardinian warblers are likely to be encountered. Once during a picnic lunch, a golden eagle flew over mobbed by ravens and Mike got a photo which shows just how large the eagle is.
The Group’s second hotel is on the coast near Bastia. On the way they see polyanthus narcissus, spring cyclamen, three cornered leeks, dark ophrys (a dense flowered orchid) and three species of cistus. They pass lakes where marsh harrier, garganey, red-crested pochard, zitting cisticola and cattle egret may be seen. Holes in old buildings provide nesting sites for Italian sparrows and spotless starlings, a species primarily associated with the Iberian Peninsula. Great tits and blue tits visit the flowering cherries in the hotel car park. Once on a pre-breakfast walk swallows passed over north at a rate of about 500 per minute. Some 100,000 birds had been held up by bad weather. If Mike goes into the car park after dinner and calls “ho ho” a scops owl will normally reply!
The group visits Etang de Biguglia, a nature reserve and the largest area of open water on Corsica. Great white egrets and great crested, little and black-necked grebes nest here and Audouin’s gull occurs. In hard winters flamingos from the Camargue visit on their way to Tunisia and some over-winter here. Ospreys occur and may possibly be nesting in the area.
Next day they head north to Cap Corse with the village of Barcaggio at its head and the Ile de la Giraglia out to the north. Audouin’s gull nests on the island and Cap Corse is one of the best migration watchpoints in the western Mediterranean. In spring this is the best place to see subalpine and melodious warbler, yellow wagtail and both marsh and Montagu’s harrier. Barcaggio Pool is a good site for squacco and purple heron, wood sandpiper and black winged stilt. On one occasion hundreds of whinchats were held up on migration and in 2009 hundreds of painted lady butterflies were seen heading out to sea into a northerly headwind (see December talk report).
We thank Mike for a most enjoyable and informative talk illustrated by his superb photos.
Helen Baker
