Spring in irati forest, The life explosion

Scilles blooming  in late april

Recently  the snow disappeared, and plants are quick to sprout with the high temperatures.
In the lower parts of the valleys beeches already have their new leaves of light green, while ash trees, walnut trees and oaks take it a bit more quiet.
Those same trees also lost leaves later in the fall. If you go to sleep later, then you wake up later.



 Beech forest flowers called prevernals plants need to rush to make their life cycle before the shade of beech leaves kill them. So even with some snow can start to sprout  and do all their cycle in a month and a half. Most of them are bulbs, like  asturiensis ,bulbocodium and varduliensis daffodils already emerged in April, although poet´s daffodil (narcissus poeticus) will come out in June, They are also bulbs like the asphodels (Asphodelus albus) the dogtooth violet (Erythronium dens-canis ) and others as  the Pyrenean squill, (Scilla lilio- hyacinthus) the upper and following pictures.

Pyrenean squill. One who dares to be different from the crowd violet.

Over the next three weeks, large areas of the beech forest will be covered with these flowers, creating an spectacular colorful, which joined with the leaves of the beech trees that will sprout in the coming days, give us an excellent opportunity to make some of the best picture that We can  made of a beech forest
They are also  blooming anemones (Anemone nemorosa), the golden Liver (Chrysosplenium oppositifolium), or Spurge laurel (Daphne laureola)

After the Pyrenean Squills will be replaced on the fringe of the forest by others such as foxgloves (Digitalis purpurea), gentians (acaulis, Verna, in the few areas lutea), etc

The last liverleaves of the year

Spurge laurel (Daphne lauréola)

Snakehead (Arum maculatum)

 Opening Fern

But not only Pyrenean squills warn us that something is moving in the forest;
Mammals signals are evident wherever we look. From nibbled Squills to badger droppings, deer, roe deer, hare, wild boar, etc ..
The scratch places of  the Roe deers are very curious. Males remove vegetation around a beech small, and rubbed against her so that even damage the bark is scraped. In this way,. others roe deer look and smell, that this territory belongs to someone.

Roe deer scratch place.

Roe deer horn marks

Also insects begin to move, encouraged by the development of their food plants, especially  caterpillars.
These are some kind of noctuidae or Erebidae, moth larvae, which feed on these leaves megaphorbic plants that live only with very high humidity. Here they are eating the  Adenostiles alliariae, that will blossom into June- July. inside the forest.

Birds do not keep quiet, and We can hear the repetitive chanting of finches or Song thrush(turdus philomelos) and sporadic different types of woodpeckers.

Here We have the unfortunate aspect that leave a dead tree, but standing, after to be used as 5 stars restaurant where birds find different menu larvae (Cerambycidae, bark beatles ..) appropriate for each species. Nuthatchs ( Sitta europaea) also come here to eat something

Feed holes of woodpeckers

White backedwoodpecker female eating on the ground

This female woodpecker eating and was rummaging among the leaves for 10 minutes. The photo has taken two weeks before, when I did a tour for a bird watcher. It is by far because we do not approach much to not bother. In fact, while we watched with telescope, she did not notice our presence.
Well, this is what I observed in a space of 1 hour and a half and I thought you might be interested.

Living in a valley in the Pyrenees, although it has many disadvantages, it also has its advantages, as can be in these sites only 5 minutes from home.
Here the last photo of another mammal, trying to leave no trace in the forest, just in your emotions.


If you want to know these places can write to: itarinatura@itarinatura.com

May 16, 2016

Beeches have taken all the leaf and the dimly lit in the forest is full. Yesterday had been a foggy day and it seemed that at any time magical fairies court could appear as something normal.
Ramsons (Allium ursinum) begins to replace the flower of squill, and in the meadows the Gentiana acaulis start the flowering..

Añadir leyenda

Gentiana acaulis

Ramsons (Allium ursinum)

Carnivorous plants in the forest of Irati.The peatlands

Pinguícula/waterworts(Pinguícula grandiflora)

In the forest of Irati Aezkoa Valley, we have two kinds of carnivorous plants. The you see in the picture is the Pinguicula or waterworts (Pinguicula grandiflora) which is now in flower. The black dots on the green leaves are small insects that got stuck in the leaves due to a secretion of mucilage (a sticky substance also found in the fruits of mistletoe formerly used as glue underpowered).

When the unfortunate creature is stuck, begins to secrete a kind of enzymes that act as digestive system in the outside.
It's their way of   to get mainly nitrogen, in areas where the soil is very poor in it.
I always see in areas of runoff water or light build. Zones and PH very acid washed, such as bogs or bogs in formation areas, of which we have some in the Irati  of Aezkoa valley(Navarre)

Common sundew(Drosera Rotundifolia)

The other plant we have is more special, and spend more unnoticed. With less than 5 centimeters, is a little bit  like carnivorous plant that we have in mind, and which sold in stores a tropical species, bigger than ours.
It is the common sundew(Drosera rotundifolia). In Mediterranean areas as Izki Natural Park (Araba, Baasque country) can be found Great sundew(Drosera/anglica longuifolia) species, which as its latin name suggests, has longer leaves.

In the high-Azpegi, in the westernmost part of Irati have peaty ecosystems (peat forming) one of which recently closed with wooden fencing to prevent livestock can step flora before  flowering. The idea is that once this has happend, we can open three wickets for the free entrance of the cattle.

It so happens that cattle trampling those plants, is at the same time preventing the growth of others, such as Gorse (Ulex europaea) that could be cause problems in this ecosystem, but also is  the responsible to create small wells with their hooves in the mud, where they later leave the most interesting plants

Etzangio Board (Azpegi summit/ Aezkoa) in front the bog.

This is the panel explaining the pre-bog ecosystem, developed by us(Itarinatura) recently.
A peatland is a zone with constant supply of water where they grow mainly Sphagnum and other mosses, along with other plants associated with that ecosystem. Over time, new mosses grow on top of the dead, that having low oxygen just rot, and over the years we may have a depth of several meters of peat, which is the type of substrate that you can find in garden stores.

Almost all of Ireland or Scotland is full of such areas as well as large areas of the Pyrenees, where the soil remains waterlogged environment. In these countries cut peat in portions to use as fuel, because long time ago that the great forests disappeared, at least as to get firewood. Literally they burn the ground in fireplaces, and what's left later in these sites is the bedrock sterile because the peat is formed in a slow process of thousands of years.

Among other types of wildlife and vegetation can talk about dragonflies, spiders that eat dragonflies, others that they eat other spiders and dragonflies, if they can, ..
Typical of these ecosystems is the Common cotton grass (Eriphorum angustifolium), a type of rush Shaggy has not still taken the flower. Certain types of orchids and daffodils,mayflowers,gentians,..too.

Common cotton grass(Eriophorum angustifolium)

Spider eating a butterfly

At the peat bog are associated many amphibians like Common frog (Rana temporaria), the Salamander (Salamandra salamandra) webbed Triton (Lissotriton helveticus) or the common toad (Bufo bufo), which attract all kinds of predators. Difficult to see them, but not his tracks. In this way we see that badgers, foxes ,bobcats  and European polecat approached those sites to hunt.

Common frogs(Rana temporaria) matting

Salamander(Salamandra salamandra)

Budger tracks(Meles meles)

If you decide to visit this place, as always, be respectful (I know what you will, but you would not be on this page) with everything you see.

Orchids, a world of colors in the Aezkoa valley

The orchids are, and have always been very striking plants (in the form of flowers and their color), not only for insects,  also for humans too.

 Orchis purpurea

 While in Europe, its length is less than in the tropics, have always had great appeal and what has been discovered later about them, probably caused greater fascination.
His name is related to the tubers with roots as a form it represents. Theophrastus was who named them "Orchis" by the resemblance to the testicles of men. The first orchid  known is dated 65 million years ago, then at the time of the dinosaurs existed orchid species.


The research works of Darwin, on the reproductive mechanism of plants, especially in the study of orchids,  discovered  us the relationship between pollinating insects and orchids: as the result of this bestiality, created flowers are attractive products, means of decoy and also viscous and sticky pollen.
Several species began to have rewards such as food (nectar and oils) and decoy (mimic the shape and smell of female bees, wasps or flies). So some species were eventually specializing in one pollinator to ensure a more efficient pollen transfer.
This is why so extremely varied forms of orchid flowers that attract bees, wasps, flies, butterflies, moths and other parts of the world including birds, bats and frogs.

 Orchis scolopax

The Aezkoa Valley(Navarre) provides a variety of orchids, its intricate relief allows  to create numerous microclimates within this transition from Pyrenean to Atlantic climate. We have many forests within the valley but also numerous grassland or "larreak" some at your disposal N and others in a position S. Not all bloom at the same time, so we have made ​​the list based on their flowering.
   In late May and early June several species begin to bloom Cephalantera genus like and some Orchis.

 Cephalantera longifolia

    Orchis provincialis

  Then it's time, and in the middle in July of Platanthera, Dactylorhiza, Orchis,  Hymantoglossum and some Ophrys. 

 Orchis simia

 Dactylorhiza maculata 

 Orchis mascula

 Serapias lingua 

 Platanthera clorantha

 Platanthera bifolia 

 Hymantoglossum hircinium

   

       In late June, the Anacamptis gives way to forest orchids that in the Irati Forest are of the genus Epipactis.

 Anacamptis pyramidalis

 Epipactis viridiflora 

 Epipactis helleborine

 Orchis purpurea

 While in Europe, its length is less than in the tropics, they always have  had great appeal and what has been discovered later on them, it is probably caused greater fascination.
His name is related to the tubers with roots as a form it represents. Theophrastus was who named them "Orchis" by the resemblance to the testicles of men. The first known orchid is dated 65 million years ago, then at the time of the dinosaurs existed orchid species.

 

The greenest green

Few days ago that 100% of the trees already have worn their leaves, with more intense green which they will be  in a couple of weeks.

Personally, I think that this is the best time for anyone who wants to feel the strength of the nature  obseving  the wake of  the plants.

A challenge for us who like to observe the trees :Try to differentiate them from a distance by the different greens that each species have.

Arrazola 14 mai  2012 (Aezkoa ) Navarre



 Arrazola´s picnic area

Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa)

This Patxaran (Prunus spinosa) as people say in some parts of Navarre  to the plant and  the fruit, is studded  with flowers.
Maybe someone will remember that this specie was one of the first plants begin to flower for almost two months.

It is interesting to see the difference in time that can exist between trees of the same species in different phenological stages (flowering, output and falling leaf ..) sometimes with great differences between two trees of the same species beside each other