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The Cerdagne

Straddling the border between France and Spain, the Cerdagne plateau is sheltered by the Carlit, Peric and Puigmal d'Err massifs, some of the peaks of which tower above 3,000 metres. The region enjoys exceptionally high sunshine levels - around 3,000 hours each year - something that attracted early settlers (the Romans also took advantage of the thermal springs at places such as Dorres) and continues to attract tourists nowadays. For us, the attraction has always been the beauty of the landscape - from craggy peaks to forests of Scots pine, from high mountain tarns to rushing streams - and the unique culture and traditions of this corner of Catalonia.

Wildlife of the Cerdagne

The Parc Naturel Régional which encompasses a large part of the Cerdagne shelters more than 50 species of mammal, including the lynx, which had been thought to be locally extinct since 1917, but was rediscovered in the late 1980s. There is also a very small population of brown bears in the most remote parts, but the last wolf in the Pyrenees was killed in 1929. Walkers fairly frequently see isards, which exist in quite high numbers in the region. This slender, antelope-like creature prefers the higher slopes between 1,600 and 2,500 metres, its great agility allowing it to cross the steep, rocky slopes with ease and considerable speed if necessary. Its blond summer coat is replaced by a dappled white and brown coat in winter. The isard is very similar to the ibex, though the latter has longer, thicker horns almost a metre long and is usually only found on the Spanish side of the mountains. In the forests, wild cats, pine martens and wild boar are relatively abundant, though sightings are rare - the pine marten, which is roughly the size of a domestic cat with a dark brown coat and a yellowish breast, is mostly nocturnal, while the wild boar is very shy, often only betraying its presence by leaving roots disturbed when it searches for worms and other insects. Marmots are frequently seen (or at least heard) in the meadows, having been introduced to the region in the 1950s. They live as family groups in burrows in meadows and expanses of grassland and feed as a group, some keeping a look out while the others eat. If a danger is spotted, the 'guards' whistle loudly to alert the others, which disappear quickly into their holes. Marmots hibernate during the winter in well-lined winter burrows, their heart rate dropping to just two beats per minute during this time.

Among the birds that patrol the skies is the bearded vulture (or lammergeyer), whose long, diamond-shaped tail and slender, angled wings (each measuring almost 1.5 metres) give it a distinctive silhouette which makes it easy to differentiate when in flight. Adults have a yellow-orange underside, a predominantly buff-coloured head and grey-black upper body and wings. In the past it was wrongly believed that the bird preyed on sheep, goats and even new-born babies, but in fact it feeds on carrion, dropping larger bones onto rocks from on high to break them open and reveal the bone marrow. Other birds of prey include the royal eagle, the adult of which is entirely dark-coloured bar its lighter head and boasts a wingspan of up to 2 metres, the peregrine falcon, the kestrel, and the harrier. There are many other relatively rare varieties, including the huge hibou grand duc owl.

A bird that is found on barren expanses of loose rocks at altitudes of up to 3,500 metres is the ptarmigan. The male's plumage, which changes at least three times a year, varies from pure white with a black tail in winter, to black-brown during the breeding season and mottled grey in autumn, providing excellent camouflage. Special feathers cover the legs to insulate them against the cold. Lower down, the capercaillie used to be abundant in lowland forests, but hunting has drastically reduced numbers and it is now usually found amid bramble and myrtle in middle-mountain forests and on steep clearings. Related to the grouse but much larger - adult males weigh 4-6 kilos - it has an ample tail. While the female is mostly brown with a reddish breast, the male is more colourful, with blue-green markings on the breast and a scarlet streak above the eye.

Just as fascinating as the region's fauna is its flora. There are 150 flowers endemic to the Pyrenees, including the Pyrenean valerian, found in woodland, the Pyrenean fritillary, which grows in meadows, the Pyrenean ramonda and long-leaved saxifrage, both found on limestone cliffs, the Carline thistle, which buries its roots in scree, and the Ciliate androsace, which creates a pink carpet on high peaks. The beautiful valleys of the Cerdagne offer a variety of different habitats - pine woods, expanses of broom, open meadows, peat bogs and slopes covered in loose stones and scree - in which numerous flowers, including various types of orchid, can thrive, attracting plenty of colourful butterflies.

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