LINKS

WALLIS

La Loeche

This name indicates the extent of uneven below the town of Loeche-les-bains (Leukerbad), located in the canton of Wallis, at boundary of french and german part; Loeche-les-bains, reputed spa-town, is a small city located within a pleasant environment at an altitude of approximately 1400m; as this place attracts many tourists each year (there is also skiing practising here), this is not much favoured place by hikers no nature-lovers but those can largely be comforted with the downward part which provides superb trails paths and spots for observation.

The alpine lawns of the highest points (as for example Torrenthorn) can provide an ideal habitat for the rock-trush but to tell the truth, I have not been able yet to observe this passerine in the area.

Downwards, it is possible to find good points of observation on the steep cliffs which overhang mountain's waterways; these cliffs are the place of which is fond a singular and fascinating bird: the wallcreeper; this species is largely widespread in the high moutains of the Eurasian continent, from the Pyrenees until China but it is nowhere common; however many photo-shots of this bird can be found on the Internet, it generally show individuals taken in winter because at this season, wallcreepers may be found at lower altitude, sometimes near the inhabited places, photo-shots of this bird were even taken in suburbs of big cities.

But to take a picture of the male at the summer (in spring for example) is more difficult thing, this one being much élusive than the young birds or the females. I have noticed, for several years that I visit the site, that it is possible to see the male wallcreeper et the morning at around 9:00AM but its passage seems irregular and to make a correct photo-shot of this bird requires a powerful hardware and a good amount of patience.

The wallcreeper is a discrete and solitary bird, whose individual concentrations remains never dense; in Switzerland, it is generally admit that density in individuals is higher in the German part than the French part. The other common birds of the site are the alpine chough, the craig-martin, the eurasian jay, the singing bunting and several species of raptors; more occasional are the woodlark, the hoopoe and the european quail (downwards); some rarer species as the orphean warbler would be also present near the waterways.

The shrubby slopes located below the cliffs are primarily for me the place where it is possible to be exerted with macro-photo, so much this place is rich in insects of any kind; arrived all in bottom, proximitéé of the waterways attracts also quantity of species of insects and a hive is also present; the bees are not only the pollinating ones, they have complex interractions with their environment and with much of other species of insects, thus, it is still possible there for me to have fun with the macro-photo.

And in the neighboroughs: Derborence

It is about a circus enchased at an altitude of approximately 1500m, comprising vast lawns and gravel pits which offer an adequate habitat for many typical animals such as the ibexes, chamois and marmots; many a fringilles the such mountain finch are present at this place but Derborence is especially famous to provide an ideal refuge to the bearded vulture who already reproduced at this place.