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Préalpes d’Azur Regional Nature Park

Natural Park · France

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Photo © Patrick Rouzet

Photo © Patrick Rouzet — CC BY-SA 4.0 — Source: Wikimedia Commons

ABOUT

Limestone terraces and deep gorges define the country around Saint-Vallier-de-Thiey, where the Préalpes d’Azur Regional Nature Park begins its climb from the Provençal lowlands toward the high ridges. This is karst country: pale cliffs, sinkholes, dry valleys and caves that swallow the winter rain and release it slowly through the summer. Under a Csb Mediterranean climate the dry season falls squarely in summer, so the vegetation reads as tough and adapted rather than lush — downy oak and holm oak scrub, box and juniper on the stony plateaus, aromatic garrigue and thyme on the thin soils, with beech and fir holding the cooler, north-facing slopes and damp ravines. Wildlife follows the same logic of habitat and water. Birds of prey work the thermals above the escarpments, woodland songbirds and tits move through the oak canopy, bats roost in the cave systems and hunt the open scrub at dusk, and small forest mammals, wild boar and deer track the mosaic of woodland, pasture and rock.

For photographers and birdwatchers this is a park of edges and hours rather than spectacle. The limestone gives clean, pale backdrops and long sightlines across the garrigue; early morning and late afternoon light rakes the terraces and picks out the texture of the rock, while the middle of a summer day flattens everything and pushes activity into shade. Spring brings the flowering garrigue and the peak of songbird and raptor activity; autumn is quieter, with clearer air and softer colour on the cliffs. Access is by foot on the network of marked trails that link the villages and climb the plateaus — go early, carry water, and treat the caves and cliff faces as sensitive habitat rather than viewpoints. Patience at a single water source or a flowering slope will reward you far more than covering ground.

WILDLIFE

Month

Type

Aquila chrysaetos

Eurasian Eagle-Owl

Common Shelduck

Tadorna tadorna

Tadorna ferruginea

Aix galericulata

Anas platyrhynchos

Reeves's Pheasant

Syrmaticus reevesii

Common Pheasant

Phasianus colchicus

Red-legged Partridge

European Nightjar

Caprimulgus europaeus

Tachymarptis melba

Cuculus canorus

Common Wood Pigeon

Columba palumbus

European Turtle Dove

Streptopelia turtur

Eurasian Collared Dove

Streptopelia decaocto

Rallus aquaticus

Tachybaptus ruficollis

Eurasian Dotterel

Eudromias morinellus

Northern Lapwing

Vanellus vanellus

Lymnocryptes minimus

Pectoral Sandpiper

Calidris melanotos

Western Cattle Egret

Bearded Vulture

Gypaetus barbatus

European Honey Buzzard

Pernis apivorus

Griffon Vulture

Short-toed Snake Eagle

Circaetus gallicus

Eurasian Sparrowhawk

Accipiter nisus

Circus macrourus

Montagu's Harrier

Circus pygargus

Western Marsh Harrier

Circus aeruginosus

Eurasian Scops Owl

European Roller

Coracias garrulus

European Bee-eater

Merops apiaster

Eurasian Wryneck

Great Spotted Woodpecker

Dendrocopos major

Black Woodpecker

Dryocopus martius

European Green Woodpecker

Falco tinnunculus

Red-footed Falcon

Falco vespertinus

Peregrine Falcon

Falco peregrinus

Great Grey Shrike

Lanius excubitor

Red-backed Shrike

Lanius collurio

Garrulus glandarius

Eurasian Magpie

Red-billed Chough

Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax

Pyrrhocorax graculus

Western Jackdaw

Coloeus monedula

Lophophanes cristatus

Poecile palustris

Poecile montanus

Eurasian Blue Tit

Cyanistes caeruleus

Lullula arborea

Eurasian Skylark

Alauda arvensis

Eurasian Crag Martin

Ptyonoprogne rupestris

Hirundo rustica

Western House Martin

Delichon urbicum

Long-tailed Tit

Aegithalos caudatus

Western Bonelli's Warbler

Phylloscopus bonelli

Common Chiffchaff

Phylloscopus collybita

Common Reed Warbler

Acrocephalus scirpaceus

Eurasian Blackcap

Sylvia atricapilla

Western Orphean Warbler

Curruca hortensis

Sardinian Warbler

Curruca melanocephala

Western Subalpine Warbler

Curruca iberiae

Common Whitethroat

Curruca communis

Dartford Warbler

Red-billed Leiothrix

Leiothrix lutea

Common Firecrest

Regulus ignicapilla

Regulus regulus

Troglodytes troglodytes

Eurasian Nuthatch

Tichodroma muraria

Eurasian Treecreeper

Certhia familiaris

Short-toed Treecreeper

Certhia brachydactyla

Common Starling

Sturnus vulgaris

Turdus philomelos

Turdus viscivorus

Common Blackbird

Turdus torquatus

Spotted Flycatcher

Muscicapa striata

Erithacus rubecula

Common Nightingale

Luscinia megarhynchos

European Pied Flycatcher

Ficedula hypoleuca

Phoenicurus ochruros

Common Redstart

Phoenicurus phoenicurus

Common Rock Thrush

Monticola saxatilis

Blue Rock Thrush

Monticola solitarius

Saxicola rubetra

European Stonechat

Saxicola rubicola

Northern Wheatear

Oenanthe oenanthe

White-throated Dipper

Cinclus cinclus

Petronia petronia

Italian Sparrow

Passer domesticus

Alpine Accentor

Prunella collaris

Prunella modularis

Western Yellow Wagtail

Motacilla flava

Motacilla cinerea

Anthus campestris

Anthus pratensis

Anthus trivialis

Anthus spinoletta

Eurasian Chaffinch

Fringilla coelebs

Fringilla montifringilla

Coccothraustes coccothraustes

European Greenfinch

Chloris chloris

Linaria cannabina

Loxia curvirostra

European Goldfinch

Carduelis carduelis

Carduelis citrinella

Serinus serinus

Eurasian Siskin

Emberiza calandra

Emberiza citrinella

Emberiza cirlus

Common Reed Bunting

Emberiza schoeniclus

Coturnix coturnix

Great Spotted Cuckoo

Clamator glandarius

Gallinula chloropus

Black-headed Gull

Chroicocephalus ridibundus

Great Cormorant

Phalacrocorax carbo

Egyptian Vulture

Neophron percnopterus

Cinereous Vulture

Aegypius monachus

Hieraaetus pennatus

Bonelli's Eagle

Aquila fasciata

Common Kingfisher

Rose-ringed Parakeet

Psittacula krameri

Eurasian Golden Oriole

Oriolus oriolus

Iberian Grey Shrike

Lanius meridionalis

Greater Short-toed Lark

Calandrella brachydactyla

Riparia riparia

Phylloscopus trochilus

Moltoni's Warbler

Curruca subalpina

Spectacled Warbler

Curruca conspicillata

Western Black-eared Wheatear

Oenanthe hispanica

Eurasian Tree Sparrow

Passer montanus

Indian Silverbill

Euodice malabarica

Ortolan Bunting

Emberiza hortulana

Cairina moschata

Spatula querquedula

Northern Shoveler

Spatula clypeata

Mareca strepera

Eurasian Wigeon

Mareca penelope

Northern Pintail

Red-crested Pochard

Melanitta fusca

Alectoris graeca

Great Crested Grebe

Podiceps cristatus

Black-necked Grebe

Podiceps nigricollis

Eurasian Stone-curlew

Burhinus oedicnemus

Black-winged Stilt

Himantopus himantopus

Eurasian Woodcock

Scolopax rusticola

Gallinago gallinago

Common Sandpiper

Actitis hypoleucos

Green Sandpiper

Tringa ochropus

Tringa glareola

Common Redshank

Common Greenshank

Tringa nebularia

Calidris pugnax

Chlidonias niger

Yellow-legged Gull

Larus michahellis

Scopoli's Shearwater

Calonectris diomedea

Ciconia ciconia

Northern Gannet

Eurasian Bittern

Botaurus stellaris

Black-crowned Night Heron

Nycticorax nycticorax

Egretta garzetta

Ardeola ralloides

Pandion haliaetus

Western Barn Owl

Aegolius funereus

Eurasian Pygmy Owl

Glaucidium passerinum

Lesser Spotted Woodpecker

Dryobates minor

Eleonora's Falcon

Falco eleonorae

Falco columbarius

Nymphicus hollandicus

Northern Nutcracker

Nucifraga caryocatactes

Corvus frugilegus

Eastern Red-rumped Swallow

Cecropis daurica

Cetti's Warbler

Great Reed Warbler

Acrocephalus arundinaceus

Acrocephalus schoenobaenus

Melodious Warbler

Hippolais polyglotta

Common Grasshopper Warbler

Locustella naevia

Zitting Cisticola

Cisticola juncidis

White-winged Snowfinch

Montifringilla nivalis

Spanish Sparrow

Passer hispaniolensis

Eurasian Bullfinch

Pyrrhula pyrrhula

Marmota marmota

Lepus europaeus

European Rabbit

Oryctolagus cuniculus

European Fat Dormouse

European Garden Dormouse

Eliomys quercinus

Eurasian Red Squirrel

Sciurus vulgaris

Southwestern Water Vole

Arvicola sapidus

West European Hedgehog

Erinaceus europaeus

Alcathoe Whiskered Myotis

Myotis alcathoe

Brown Long-eared Bat

Plecotus auritus

Savi's Pipistrelle

European Badger

Northern Chamois

Rupicapra rupicapra

Western Roe Deer

Capreolus capreolus

Western Red Deer

Eurasian Wild Boar

Przewalski's horse

Equus ferus przewalskii

European Mouflon

Ovis aries musimon

Muscardinus avellanarius

Eurasian Beaver

European Snow Vole

Chionomys nivalis

Yellow-necked Field Mouse

Apodemus flavicollis

Long-tailed Field Mouse

Apodemus sylvaticus

Rattus norvegicus

Greater White-toothed Shrew

Crocidura russula

Suncus etruscus

Schreibers's Long-fingered Bat

Miniopterus schreibersii

Bechstein's Myotis

Myotis bechsteinii

Long-fingered Myotis

Myotis capaccinii

Myotis crypticus

Daubenton's Myotis

Myotis daubentonii

Geoffroy's Myotis

Myotis emarginatus

Common Whiskered Myotis

Myotis mystacinus

Natterer's Myotis

Myotis nattereri

Greater Noctule

Nyctalus lasiopterus

Leisler's Noctule

Nyctalus leisleri

Kuhl's Pipistrelle

Pipistrellus kuhlii

Nathusius's Pipistrelle

Pipistrellus nathusii

Common Pipistrelle

Pipistrellus pipistrellus

Soprano Pipistrelle

Pipistrellus pygmaeus

Western Barbastelle

Barbastella barbastellus

Gray Long-eared Bat

Plecotus austriacus

Mediterranean Horseshoe Bat

Rhinolophus euryale

Greater Horseshoe Bat

Rhinolophus ferrumequinum

Lesser Horseshoe Bat

Rhinolophus hipposideros

European Pine Marten

Mustela erminea

Mustela nivalis

European Polecat

Mustela putorius

Genetta genetta

Common Fallow Deer

View Complete List (279 more) →

COMMUNITY

0 Community observations

No community observations yet — be the first to log a sighting here.

Natural environment

Préalpes d’Azur Regional Nature Park

Generally mild conditions, with noticeable seasonal changes.

Usual climateTemperate with dry, mild summersUpland · Mountain

Average annual temperature 9.7 °C Average of the twelve monthly means

Average elevation 1,074 m Upland

Climate pattern Temperate with dry, mild summers Also: Humid temperate with mild summers · Cold humid with mild summers

A year of temperatures

Monthly means, with the coldest and warmest highlighted

Monthly minimum · January 1.4 °C Monthly maximum · July 18.9 °C

Global temperature scale

−40°−20°0°20°40°

Terrain and elevation

1,074 m · Upland

Average terrain elevation estimate across the hotspot; the figure does not represent its highest summits.

Elevation scale

1,074 m

02,0004,0006,0008,000m

Upland

Long-term climate averages, not live weather.

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