Pyrenean Escapade with Birding Languedoc Part 3

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On the afternoon of day 2 we visited Lac de Balcere. Unfortunately we didn't see the dozens of dragonflies that had been seen here the previous year (a few weeks later) but the wild flowers made up for it.

Looking up on the rocks we spotted some interesting lilies and a few of our group climbed up to explore, but rock climbing isn't my forte! I relied on my zoom.

They are yellow Turk's Cap or Martagon Lilies (Lilium pyrenaicum), native to mountain areas, mostly in the Pyrenees.

We found a few more orchids near the lake edge - this is the Broad-leaved Marsh Orchid (Dactylorhiza majalis) that we had seen in the damp meadows of the Vallée du Galbe..

This was a lovely find, shining brightly all on its own near the lake edge. It's Pyrenean Pasque Flower (Pulsatilla alpina subsp. apiifolia).

We found another orchid after doing the loop of the lake - this one is either the Heath Spotted (Dactylorhiza maculata) or the Common Spotted Orchid (Dactylorhiza fuchsii), probably the latter.

This is the gite that we stayed at, Maison Sarda in the tiny village of Espousouille. The rooms were basic but comfy and most had en suite bathrooms, although some were with compost toilets. The price was incredibly cheap - 66 Euros for half board, with a delicious three course evening meal!

On our last morning we went for a short walk along the road as we'd been told that a group of Marmots (Marmota marmota) were living in the dry stone walls. Luck was with us and we saw a few of them - a first for K and me! Alpine Marmots are large ground-dwelling squirrels which were reintroduced to the Pyrenees in 1948 as they disappeared after the Pleistocene epoch (according to Wikipedia). They live up in the mountains where they sleep in burrows, and hibernate during the winter.

The rest of the day will be in a final post as there would be too many photos otherwise!