We´re also back from Corsica and here is a little summary.
We were considering flying and driving, finally we decided to go by car. Two days before our departure I was handy enough to broke my car (It´s not a good idea to park a car with an open trunk.. :/), so we have to go by my girlfriend´s tiny swift. After all It showed as an ideal car for all those corsican serpetines. After work, we drove to our friend house in Austria, stay over night and than continue to Savona to a ferry.
Next morning we woke up in Bastia and due to rainy forecast in eastern coast we decided to move to the western one to recover from long driving.
Beach with a fresh water lagoon looked great for resting and also for meet some first herps.
Quick walk around delivered a lot of Tyrrhenian Wall Lizards, some Italian Wall Lizards and Moorish gecko. Behind the trees I spoted a well known fluttering flight of European Hoopoe.
We liked the beach so we decided to stay there over night and sleep under the sky. What a great idea
Around midnight I was woken up with a fox biting to my hand. First I though it was a stray dog, I do not expect a fox on the beach. After a while it showed again and when I saw a silhouette with a long tail it was no doubt about a fox. Wound was not serious, but in was quite swollen so we decided to visit hospital in Corte. I have to told a story couple times to enterain all hospital crew. No rabies in Corsica for 30 years, so I leave with just antibiotics for a swelling. Some photos from Corte.
After this successful start, we can finally move to mountains. Tyrrhenian Wall Lizard were everywhere around and we also found some good looking streams for Brook newts.
Some mountain sceneries, another Tyrrhenian Wall Lizard, Monte Cinto and Brook newts.
Hike around Monte d´Oro and first Tyrrhenian Rock Lizards and Corsican salamanders.
probably most beautiful tiliguerta of our trip.
More cascades.
Tyrrhenian Rock Lizards in a typical habitat.
I tried to find a barred grass snake but with no luck. Near this swamp I saw "slow disapearing" snake behind the fence which I believe was a grass snake. I returned couple times to that place but only found a whip snake basking high up in the grass.
Our apartment walls were occupied by huge Moorish geckos and I also find a tiny Turkish gecko.
Our apatment was also equiped with chairs with holes, ours like to wear socks.
Cliffs of Bonifacio, stunning views but no herps due to very strong wind.
Water reservoir nearby, again no luck with grass snakes, only water frogs. I can not believe my eyes when I spotted European Pond Terrapins in the small muddy puddle. It was a puddle as a remain of dry stream flowing to a lake. It was full of some (I believe) live-bearing fish and about a dozen od Emys of all sizes.
Another basking whip snake.
Typical noice from a bushes delivered a Hermann’s Tortoise.
I was almost ready to leave without grass snake, but not without Euleptes. Jeroen was kind enough to reveal me an easy spot, thanks again!
Some Euscorpius?
It was realy great trip with not so great start, Corsica is really beautiful island and especially the mountain area is really incredible.
On the way back we stoped to a final swiming. Goodbye from European goldfinches and Hermann’s Tortoise.
Cheers,
t.