Cap de Creus
Parc Natural de Cap de Creus was declared a Natural Reserve in 1998. It was the first Land and Marine Reserve in Catalonia, comprising a total of 13,886 hectares (10,386 hectares of land and 3,090 of coast).
There is quite a variety of land and sea animals in the park, especially in the range of birds. Bonelli's eagle (Hieraaetus fasciatus)(left) the Peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus)(right) and the Eurasian eagle owl (Bubo bubo) are all birds of prey that can be seen in the park. Typical sea birds that can be seen are the gannet (Sula bassana), the shearwater (Puffinus sp.), the white tern (Sterna sp.) and the common shag or cormorant (Phalacrocorax aristotelis)(below left).
Other species of animals or insects that can be seen are Hermann`s tortoise (Testudo hermanni)(below right), the occelated lizard (Timon lepidus)(below left), the stripeless tree frog or Mediterranean tree frog (Hyla meridionalis)(right) and the coleopteron (Coleoptera), beetle like insects.Typical sea animals are the red scorpionfish (Scorpaena scrofa), the grouper (Epinephelus guaza) and the saddled seabream (Oblada melanura).
Typical sea plants are the Neptune grass or Mediterranean tapeweed (Posidonia Oceanica), common eelgrass (Zostera noltii), brown algae (Cystoseira mediterranea) and (Lithophyllum lichenoides).The vegetation on land is conditioned by the influence of the sea and the strong winds, especially La Tramuntana. Most of Cap de Creus is scrubland although there are some trees scattered about the peninsula. The Allepo pine (Pinus halepensis), Cork oak (Quercus suber)(below left), Holm oak (Quercus ilex), Shrubby oak (Quercus humilis), Field elm (Ulmus minor) and the European alder or common alder (Alnus glutinosa) are the most common.
Typical plants that can be seen in the park are the evergreen shrub (Pistacia lentiscus), the prickly juniper (Juniperus oxycedrus), tree heath (Erica arborea)(below right) and the narrow leaved cistus (Cistus monspeliensis).
La Serra de l'Albera
Moving westwards away from Cap de Creus and the sea we can see how the surrounding vegetation changes. Trees become much more plentiful as well as diverse and the whole landscape takes on a different colour, especially over to the west side of the Albera region. In fact, on the south side of La Serra de l'Albera there are two different areas. The vegetation on the eastern side is drier and more Mediterranean with a lot of shrubbery whereas on the west side it is more of a Central European type with humid forests of beech and oak trees. On the eastern side we can find one of the most valuable and protected animals in the park, the Hermann's tortoise (Testudo hermanni).
Birds of prey that can be seen in the area are Bonelli's eagle (Hieraaetus fasciatus), the Golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos), the Eurasian sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus) and the Eurasian eagle owl (Bubo bubo)(above right). Other birds that can be sighted are the Eurasian nuthatch (Sitta Europaea), the spotted woodpecker (Dendrocobos major)(above left) or the warbler (Sylvia cantillans) to name a few.Other species of animals such as reptiles or amphibians that can be found in the Albera region are the European green lizard (Lacerta viridis), the ocellated lizard (Lacerta lepida), the large Psammodromus (Psammodromus algius), the common frog (Rana temporaria), the Iberian water frog (Pelophylax perezi), the ladder snake (Elaphe scalaris)
The diversity of mammals in the area is quite incredible and it is said that they make up 66% of all mammals in Catalonia. The presence of the wild boar (Sus scrofa), the European hare (lepus europaeus) and the European rabbit or common rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) is quite notable. Recently the presence of other animals such as the roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), the fallow deer(Dama dama)and the mouflon (Ovis musimon) has been detected.
As regards carnivorous animals, there is the fox (Vulpes vulpes), the marten (Marten), the weasel (Mustela nivalis), the genet (Genetta genetta) and the wildcat (Felis silvestris).
One of the most notable things about The Paraje Natural de l'Albera is its botanical diversity. Some of the most predominant trees are the cork oak (Quercus suber), the holm oak (Quercus ilex), the shrubby oak (Quercus humilis), the sweet chestnut tree (Castanea sativa), the strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo), the sessile oak (quercus petraea) and the common juniper (Juniperus communis).
Typical vegetation that can be found on the Mediterranean side is the Montpellier cistus or narrow leaved cistus (Cistus monspeliensis), rock rose (Cistus albidus)(left), salvia cistus (Cistus salvifolius), gorse (Ulex parviflorus)(right), Spanish broom (Spartium junceum) and tree heath (Erica arborea) among others. It is also important to point out that there are certain species of orchids that are protected ; the violet limodore (Limodorum abortivom), the burnt-tip orchid (Neotinea ustulata) and the tongue orchid (Serapia lingua) to name a few.
The Paratje Natural d'Interes Nacional de l'Albera covers a total surface of 4,108 hectares and forms part of the municipalities of La Jonquera, Espolla and Rabós.
Vall de Camprodón
Camprodón Valley (Vall de Camprodón) has a diverse climate due to the fact that it ranges in altitude from Vall de Beget (500 m.) to Bastiments (2,881 m.). Therefore, the variety of flora and fauna is as diverse as the climate itself.
As regards fauna, the chamois (rupicabra rupicabra), a goat-antelope species, has increased in numbers in recent years mainly due to the disappearance of poaching. There are approximately 10,000 chamois between Puigmal and Canigó. It's a fast and very agile animal which is difficult to see most of the time. You can also find mouflons (Ovis aries orientalis) which is a subspecies group of wild sheep. The chamois and mouflons seem to get on well together!
Other animals found in Vall de Camprodón are the Western Capercaillie or Wood grouse (Tetrao Urogallus), the European Pine Marten (Martes martes), the Wild Cat (Felis silvestris).
To be continued.
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