Walking Catalonia

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I took the one less traveled by, and that has made the difference. (Robert Frost – The road not taken)

Walking and Wildlife

"The anatomical characteristics of the human body permit humans to move through the environment at a velocity which is ideal for capturing ... all the immense life within the surrounding space. On foot, you can see easily trees, birds, grains of sand, ants ...; by car you loose all type of seasonal contact with the landscape".

(Joan Nogué i Font – 'La percepció del bosc')

This quote stands as the credo of the wildlife walker - travel on foot and you'll see so much more than if you attempt to cover too much ground by vehicle - and provides an excellent introduction to these wildlife walks.

The walks are almost all within a little more than an hour's drive from the centre of Girona and are grouped according to the months of the year: choose your month, choose your route, choose your subject and get in touch.

FOR SOME PHOTOS OF THE AREA, CLICK HERE

Date	Region	Interest	Species to look out for
January- February	Vall d'en Bas and Parc Nou, Olot	Wintering passerines; vulcanism.	Finches (hawfinch, bullfinch, brambling), larks (skylark, woodlark), short-toed treecreeper, firecrest.
	Aiguamolls de l'Empordà	Wintering waterfowl	Ducks, herons, gulls and raptors.
	Zona Volcànica de la Garrotxa	Types of volcanic activity, geology and lithology of La Garrotxa Volcanic Zone Natural Park PNZVG.	Tits, short-toed treecreeper, firecrest.
	Biure	Cork oak forest, scrub formations, post fire succession; geology of the Pyrenees.	Scrub species including Erica multiflora; first giant orchids.
March	Cap de Creus	Geology	Thekla lark, Dartford and Sardinian warblers, blue rock thrush.
	Cap de Norfeu	Early spring bulbs and ferns	Cheilanthes vellea, Ch. pteridioides, Narcissus dubius, Tree spurge, Coronilla minina, Iris lutescens, Cneorum tricoccon
	Massís del Montgrí	Early spring orchids; coastal garrigue	Giant orchid, dull ophrys, Iris lutescens.
	Serra del Corb	Flowering of the herbaceous strata of the Garrotxa beech and oak forests.	Wood and yellow anemones, Pulmonaria affinis, rue-leaved isopyrum, pinnate coralroot, Pyrenean squill.
April	Aiguamolls de l'Empordà	Early spring breeding birds, flora of the granite outcrops, hilltopping swallowtails.	Bittern and other herons, marsh harrier, white stork, great-spotted cuckoo, hoopoe, crested lark. Cistus crispus, sawfly orchid, Euphorbia serrata, grape hyacinthScarce and common swallowtails
	Darnius	Cork oak forest and acid scrub; spring butterflies.	Cork oak, strawberry-tree, green heather, Genista monspessulana. Chapman's green hairstreak.
	Aiguamolls del Baix Ter	Birds, coastal flora	Waders, terns, gulls and herons on migration. Tragacanth, early spider and tongue orchids.
	Montmajor	Limestone flora; geology of L'Alta Garrotxa	Endemic milkwort Polygala vayredae, limestone flora.
	Santa Magdalena	Influence of orientation on the flora	Ramonda myconi, Alyssum spinosum, Pyrenean saxifrage, Wild jasmine, Iris lutescens.
	Etang de Canet and dunes	Migrating birds	Greater flamingo, gulls and herons. Dune flora.
	Cap de Creus	Coastal flora, seabirds.	Tragacanth, Thymelaea hirsuta, Armeria ruscinonensis, Plantago subulata, Silver ragwort. Tawny pipit, Sardinian, Dartford and spectacled warbler, black-eared wheatear, blue rock thrush, red-rumped swallow.
	Estanys de la Jonquera	Amphibians, reptiles, birds, flora	Stripeless tree frog, painted frog, natterjact toad, ocellated lizard. Tawny pipit, hoopoe, short-toed eagle, golden oriole. Narrow-leaved lupin, birthwort.
May	Coll de Malla and El Far	Birds, butterflies and limestone flora	Alpine swift, red-backed shrike, short-toed eagle, honey buzzard, cirl and rock buntings, crested tit, woodlark, crested tit. Wall brown, orange tip, Glanville fritillary. Ophrys catalaunica, rock soapwort, Saxifraga corbariensis, bird's-nest orchid.
	Les Agudes	Flora (endemic saxifrages), birds and butterflies	Saxifraga genesiana, S. vayredana, pheasant's eye daffodil, wild tulip, European silver-fir. Rock bunting, alpine accentor. Queen of Spain fritillary
	Serra de Bac Grillera	Ridge flora	Monkey orchid, Helianthemum canum, hoary rockrose, felty germander, violet limodore, hedgehog broom, Thymelaea dioica;
	Salt de Sallent, Plana Mitjana	Beech forest, butterflies, moths orchids	Beech forest with Pyrenean squill, wild tulip, elder-flowered orchid, trumpet and spring gentians. Tau emperor, Duke of Burgundy's fritillary. Rock bunting.
	La Barroca	Butterflies, orchids and birds	Scarce swallowtail, Berger's clouded yellow, Provence chalkhill and Adonis blues, marsh fritillary. Monkey and man orchids, lesser and greater butterfly orchids, twayblade sword-leaved helleborine. Subalpine warbler, golden oriole, woodlark.
	La Mare de Déu del Mont	Wild peony; changes in floral communities with altitude	Wild peony, Ramonda myconi, Pyrenaen bellflower, Valeriana montana, fairy foxglove, blue aphyllanthes, fly orchid. Palmate newt, fire salamander. Chiffchaff, Bonelli's warbler, Subalpine warbler. Berger's clouded yellow, Adonis and Escher's blue.
	L'Albera	Flora, birds and butterflies	Potentilla hirta, spotted rock rose, Dianthus pyrenaicus, everlasting flower, Cytinus hypocistis. Tawny pipit, ortolan bunting, spectacled and Orphean warblers, rock thrush, rock sparrow, alpine swift, blue rock thrush. Scarce swallowtail, Spanish gatekeeper, western marbled white.
	Vall d'en Bas	Last hay meadows in La Garrotxa; raptors, beech forest.	Pyrenean squill, leopard's-bane, ransoms, livelong saxifrage, Saxifraga corbariensis, Rhinanthus mediterraneus. Short-toed and booted eagles, peregrine falcon.
June	Basses de Monars Comanegra	Subalpine orchids, birds.	Black vanilla, elder-flowered, fragrant, frog, bee, burnt-tip and military orchids, lesser and greater butterfly orchids, livelong saxifrage, Ramonda myconi, clustered bellflower. Skylark, water pipit, raven, chough, golden eagle.
	Puigsacalm La Garrotxa	Birds, orchids, rock flora, butterflies.	Marsh tit, nuthatch, chough, peregrine falcon, hedge sparrow, tree pipit. Elder-flowered, black vanilla, frog and fragrant orchids, livelong and Pyrenean saxifrage. Moroccan Orange tip, de Prunner's ringlet, scarce swallowtail, Duke of Burgundy's fritillary, Glanville fritillary, turquoise blue, black-veined white.
	Barranc de la Coma de l'Infern	Reptiles, amphibians, flora, birds.	Ocellated lizard, viperine snake, painted frog, stripeless tree frog. Cork oak forest, chaste-tree, Jersey fern, Tree lavatera. Golden oriole, woodchat shrike, Orphean and melodious warblers, wryneck, bee-eater, short-toed eagle, corn bunting, hoopoe.
	El Pasteral and river Ter La Selva	Dragonflies, birds, flora.	Scarlet darter, Gomphus pulchellus, Onychygomphus forcipatus, demoiselles, Platycnemnis spp., Crag martin.
	Les Salines	Butterflies, ridge flora,	Cardinal, marbled and Queen of Spain fritillaries, de Prunner's ringlet, black-veined white, grayling, purple-edged copper. Green lizard. Dartford and garden warblers, firecrest, crested tit, raven. Arenaria grandiflora, creeping snapdragon, crested lousewort, dwarf's sheep-bit, angular Solomon's seal, martagon lily
	Rocacorba	Riverine forest and butterflies	Martagon lily, Canary oak. Marbled fritillary, white and southern white admirals.
	Estany de Banyoles	Dragonflies, wetland vegetation	Great fen-sedge, marsh fern. Emperor and lesser emperor, Norfolk hawker, scarce chaser, golden ring dragonfly. Golden oriole.
	EspinavellTorre de Mir	Flora, butterflies and birds	Globeflower, trumpet and great yellow gentians, Luzula nivea, tufted catchfly, Pyrenean honeysuckle, reddish and livelong saxifrage, common butterwort, fairy foxglove. De Prunner's ringlet, chestnut and pearly heaths, swallowtail, silver-studded blue. Quail, skylark, tree pipit, rock bunting, chough, bullfinch.
July	Vall del Bac La Garrotxa	Butterflies	Large, silver-studded, Damon, Escher's, Chapman's, turquoise and Osiris blues, chestnut and pearly heaths, false ilex and sloe hairstreaks, knapweed and Glanville fritillaries, southern white admiral.
	Pic de la Dona Ripollès	Alpine flora, birds and butterflies	Water, starry, livelong, mossy, geranium-like and hairless mossy saxifrages, Pyrenean poppy, mountains avens, viscid primrose. Lammergeier, griffon vulture, chough, wheatear, rock thrush, water pipit, citril finch. Many ringlets, Eros and Glandon blues, shepherd's and mountain blues.
	El Montseny	Butterflies.	Ilex hairstreak, high brown fritillary, great banded grayling, violet fritillary, Camberwell beauty, white admiral.
	Cabrera	Mature beechwoods	Xilophagous beetles. High brown and marbled fritillaries, Amanda and Ripart's anomalous blues.
August	Rivers Borró and Fluvià	Dragonflies and damselflies	Orange-spotted emerald, Calopteryx haemorrhoidalis, southern migrant hawker, lesser emperor, Platycnemis acutipennis, Lestes virens.
	Canigó Conflent	Alpine flora and fauna	Lammergeier, alpine chough, ringlets. Saxifrages.
	Bastiments	Alpine flora and fauna	Lammergeier, griffon vulture, ring ouzel, citril finch, crossbill. Shepherd's and pearl-bordered fritillaries, Apollo, dewy ringlet, marsh (alpine) fritillary, Glandon blues. Water, starry and mossy saxifrages, Pyrenean lousewort, southern gentian, Senecio leucophyllus.
	Bosc de Tosca	Geology	Volcanoes and lava flows.
September	Les Gavarres	Butterflies	Two-tailed pasha.
	Pla de Martís	Karstic scenery
	Cadiretes	Ferns, migrating raptors	Royal fern, black kite, honey buzzard, white stork.
	Cap de Norfeu	Seabirds; autumn flowers	Autumn narcissus, autumn squill. Gannet, gulls, shearwaters.
October- November- December	L'Albera	Raptor migrant, autumn colours	Sweet chestnut, downy oak and Montpellier maples.
	Vall d'Hormoier	Autumn colours, limestone scenery..	Field, Italian and Montpellier maples, downy and English oaks.
	Massif de Cadiretes	Geology
	Fluvià valley	Birds	Cormorant, lesser spotted woodpecker, kingfisher, cirl and corn buntings, skylark, crested lark.
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