From boar to butterfly
If a small core population of deer and hinds is mainly located in the Bouriane, the roe deer is present throughout the department, as well as the wild boar, the badger and the hare. Finally, there is the coypu, an aquatic mammal whose population has exploded in recent years. Its overpopulation causes significant damage to the environment: collapse and weakening of river barges, erosion and progressive silting of waterways, destruction of young crop shoots ...
Among the birds of prey, besides the common buzzard, the peregrine falcon, which seemed to be threatened about forty years ago, is now counted in sufficient numbers to ensure the survival of the species. It can be found on the cliffs of the Dordogne and Lot valleys. The short-toed eagle, a migratory bird of prey that feeds on reptiles - snakes and lizards - settles in the summer on the causses and in the south of the department where it finds the dryness that suits it. Contrary to other neighbouring departments, the Lot is still home to a large number of red-legged partridges, always close to cereal crops, throughout its territory, except in the Ségala. The crimson egret, which the people of the Lot call "the curlew of the fields", is a typical bird of the causses, also migratory, which feeds on insects. We also note the presence of the noisy ortolan, a migratory passerine: it looks like a brother to a common sparrow, and is much sought after in other departments of southwestern France: its delicate flesh is, it seems, very sought after. More unexpected and magnificent to observe in winter in its silent swooping flight, the great cormorant. It flies up the Garonne and takes up residence on the banks of the Lot where it seems to find a place to stay (the cliffs) and a place to eat (the river, rich in large and small fish). This is a source of concern for fishing and ecology associations: a single cormorant can swallow 500 g of fish per day, enough to damage the river if a colony is established. And, of course, tits (nonnettes, charbonnières, blue), finches, robins and other nightingales - if you are lucky, in summer - offer a permanent festival of varied songs.
The river Lot, one of the most fishy in France, is rather the domain of carnivorous fish where pikes can reach more than 10 kg and pike-perches from 7 to 8 kg. We also deplore the presence of catfish, these enormous inedible beasts that wreak havoc on the aquatic fauna. Carp sport fishing is also practiced and the biggest specimens can reach 20 to 25 kg. The streams are more or less rich in trout and white-clawed crayfish. There will be more of them in the tributaries of the Célé, the Dordogne and the Cère. The streams of the Ségala, in the east of the department, have the same qualities as their neighbors in the Massif Central and trout are fished there "au toc", i.e. with a worm. The Céou watershed, as well as the Vers and the Vert are also rich in trout.
The Causses du Quercy are the refuge of a specific fauna, adapted to this environment, such as the Nacré de la filipendule (a rare butterfly of the south of France).
Orchids in a land of heather
The landscapes of the Causses vary along the kilometers, which gives a disparate vegetation according to the territories of the Lot. On the limestone soils, oaks dominate the landscape while in the valleys, alder and ash are the lords of the flood plains. Passing through the Bouriane, you can admire the chestnut trees, planted in the forest. In summer, the heathers bloom in abundance. The Quercy region is strongly influenced by the Mediterranean, so you will find many typical species such as thyme, lavender and small green shrubs (alaterne, filaria, corroyère). Finally, the Segala, very common with the Auvergne, is a choice ground for the beech and the birch.
From a floristic point of view, the Lot has several remarkable orchid stations which during the months of March to June, allow to discover species like the ophrys lutea (yellow orchid), the ophrys scolopax (woodcock) or the ophrys militaris (military), the limodorum (limodore) or the ophrys insectifera (insect). So many species that can be discovered during organized walking tours or alone if you are smart. In the life-size gardens of the Lot countryside, junipers, boxwoods, cypresses and dwarf oaks populate the arid soil of the causses where the stone outcrops. There are about 30 000 orchids, so delicate, but which are perfectly adapted to these difficult conditions. Be careful, it is better to observe than to pick some of these rare flowers. After the summer, walnut and plum trees will provide the solitary walker or the thirsty hiker with delicious sustenance.
Nature, a treasure of the department
Fauna, flora, landscape and heritage. Here is a summary of the assets of the department and the Lot, well aware of the fragility of its ecosystems, has been working for years in the direction of protection and enhancement of its territory and its natural areas. Thanks to everyone's efforts, remarkable sites have been labeled Sensitive Natural Areas (ENS). They benefit from a management and development program led by the Department to ensure their sustainability. today, 35 sites are labeled ENS by the Department (representing 8,300 ha). Here are the 10 major natural sites: the valley of the Masse, the moors of Frau-Dégagnazès, the valleys of the Ouysse and Alzou, the couasne of Floirac, the massif of Brauhnie, the cirque of Autoire, the marsh of Cléjoux-Lamothe, the marsh of Saint-Cirq-Madelon, the mount Saint-Cyr, the caselles of Marcilhac-sur-Célé. Eight circuits have been established to allow the visitor to circulate in the sensitive natural spaces and to visit them in complete freedom. To help understand the environment and educate to the preservation, interpretation circuits have been developed. These are short walks accessible to all and can be downloaded from the department or Lot Tourisme website.
