Alps Hiking

The Alps have such dazzling panorama’s with quaint mountain villages, snow-capped mountain peaks and crystal-clear lakes reflecting the stunning scenery, that it’s quite easy to forget all about the small natural wonders at your feet. …

Continue reading “Flora in the Alps – Why are lichen so special?”

Winter is an amazing time to get out and about in the Alps. The white beauty and silence create unique opportunities to experience nature. Of course, spotting wildlife is the icing on the cake for …

Continue reading “Snowshoeing in the Alps – How to protect wildlife in winter”

Bearded vultures (Gypaetus barbatus) lay their eggs in the middle of winter. That’s extraordinary because most birds lay their eggs in spring. But then again, most birds don’t eat bones like a bearded vulture does. …

Continue reading “Wildlife in the Alps – Spotlight on the Bearded Vulture”

Coping Strategies of Ibex, Chamois and Deer Hoofed animals in the Alps, such as alpine ibex (Capra ibex) and red deer (Cervus elaphus), have long stick-like legs which make it difficult for them to move …

Continue reading “Coping Strategies of Ibex, Chamois and Deer”

Have you ever heard of vertical migration? When winter arrives in the Alps, many animals (such as birds, mammals and even insects) decend to find protection at lower grounds. After all, a short vertical migration …

Continue reading “Wildlife in the Alps Coping with Winter: Part 6 – Vertical Migration”

Surviving on Food Storage In winter there is not much food around in our mountains, but for the common squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) that’s not a problem at all. When there is a surplus of food …

Continue reading “Surving on Food Storage | Wildlife in the Alps Part 5”

Life Underneath the Snow Snow is such a good insulator that some animals in the Alps have evolved extraordinary strategies to use snow to keep them warm during winter; Small mammals, like voles and shrews, …

Continue reading “Life Underneath the Snow | Wildlife in the Alps Part 4”

One of my most favourite examples of how well animals in the Alps are adapted to their environment is the mountain hare (Lepus timidus). It’s adaptations to winter conditions are phenomenal. A snow hare’s fur …

Continue reading “Wildlife in the Alps coping with winter: Part 3 – Turning White”