 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi
a bit of a random question here....
I've spent a week in the Swiss Bernese Oberland, and a week in Austrian Tyrol 4 years back, and do not belive that i saw ANY wild animals/birds at all  . I was told beforehand this about the Bernse Oberland, as its notorious for its lack of creatures....
What wild animals have you seen in the European Alps, & where?
Cheers
James.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Chamois, bouquetin, marmottes, hares, eagle - in the Beaufortain, Frace. However, only the last was spotted from a ski piste, and only then because of sharp eyed French ski instructor. You won't see marmottes in winter, they hibernate - maybe towards the end of the season if it's a mild spring. Did you see any tracks under lifts? They like to forage for dropped sandwiches.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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JT1, did you have your eyes closed? 
Add to Pam's list: alpine choughs, squirrels, buzzards, grouse, pine martens, foxes, black redstarts, wild boar, deer. There are alleged to be wolves in the Parc des Ecrins, though I've never seen one. We don't appear to have rabbits, even in the valley - never seen any at all.
You certainly see more wildlife in the summer, partly because some of it hibernates (squirrels, marmots), and also because shy beasties tend to steer clear of noisy human habitations such as ski resorts. On the other hand, you're more likely to see things like ibex, boar and chamois in winter because they come down from the higher ground looking for food and shelter. There is usually a herd of ibex grazing at the bottom of the col du Lautaret before you get to Monetier.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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JT1, I am amazed that you didn't see any deer or chamois in the Bernese Oberland. You're obviously not the first onto the slopes in the morning....
Last edited by You need to Login to know who's really who. on Sat 24-11-07 12:36; edited 1 time in total
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Saw quite a few marmots on the EOSB last season.
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achilles, the marmots were up early last year, result of the warm weather. They've gone to bed early now as well.
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brian
brian
Guest
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Today's interesting marmotte fact (courtesy of Davie Attenborough): Did you know that the dominant female in a marmotte family will knock that season's young females around prior to hibernation ? That way she ensures that if any are pregnant they'll miscarry and so there won't be too many marmottes in the burrow over winter. The body heat of the adults can only sustain so many youngsters.
Brutal thing, nature.
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Marmottes . Also a rather large eagle when we were in Val d'isere end of April '05. 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I'm told there's a tame Lizzard to be spotted in the Oisans area........!
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Alpine choughs, and they were feeding from the scraps/bread we put out on our balcony last year.
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NewSkier, I prefer to think of myself as a seven metre long Nile crocodile with nasty pointy teeth.
Add to the wildlife list lizards, badgers and slow worms.
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You know it makes sense.
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george owen, there are golden eagles in the Val d'Isere valley - I saw one there too - and at the top of the Aeroski in Tignes there are always several snow finches
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Nice marmot!
Here's a baby ibex at Argentiere:
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Poster: A snowHead
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firebug, surely that's a chamois? Splendid picture, whatever it is.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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chamois at Cervinia, Caribou in Banff, Bald Eagle in (I think) Breck
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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firebug, nice picture.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Seen plenty of Chamois, the usual mountain crows and a crested Tit in the forests near Avoriaz.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Lizzard, Excellent Marmotte pic, we saw 15 on one summers day above Plagne centre but never managed to get a picture that good 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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I had a Golden Eagle swoop to within 6ft of my head whilst walking in the Bernese Oberland one summer, and though I've not seen them I'm told that in addition to the creatures mentioned above you can still find Lynx in the mountain areas
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Most amusing - a Polecat legging it beside the piste in La Clusaz.
Most impressive - Lammergeier (bearded vulture) just metres above the chairlift we were on heading up from Le Chinaillon.
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If anyone wants to interact with Marmottes, it doesn't get much better than at Mount Dauphin, around 20kms south of Briancon. They are completly tame and love Dandylion leaves. Pic of daughter no.1 feeding.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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chris, my picture was taken by the Lac de Lautaret, where they are similarly tame. To the extent where someone else up there put his rucksack down in order to take a picture of the critter, only to find that said marmot was in there in a flash, rootling in his bag looking for the sandwiches. We all felt a bit foolish about all our careful creeping about and being quiet in order not to startle the cheeky animal.
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Lizzard, where is the Lac de Lautaret? We always take visitors to M Dauphin but I'm guessing your place is nearer?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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chris, Veneon valley - walk starts from La Danchere, turning on the right shortly before you get to Venosc. Nice walk, but not one to do in July/August as it's one of the most popular in the area and can be teeming with people. I did it in September last year and had it virtually to myself.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Lizzard, thanks, we will give it try next spring.
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OK, it's not Europe. But two years ago I got a close-up view (less than 20 feet) of a mountain lion, aka cougar, in Panorama, British Columbia. It crossed the trail just ahead of me, stopped in the trees and stared me out for 30 seconds or so before disappearing into the blizzard.
It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience: simultaneously fascinating and terrifying. The beast was big and looked horribly vicious; you don't have the same perception of a big predator when it's safely stuck behind the bars in a zoo. I might have thought that I'd been imagining things, but its footprints were all over the resort and back in the bar everyone was talking about the cougar visit - the resort staff said that it was the first definite cougar appearance in the area for a couple of years.
Catching a good view of the beast was an enormous privilege. It helped me to realise that mountains aren't tame places.
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