Lake Autier

5 points of interest

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  Flora

  Saxifraga florentula

  Until 1990, the National Park adopted this rare and beautiful flower which grows in the Argentera-Mercantour mountains as an emblem.
  This superb rosette of leaves grows on cliffs and in crevices and only flowers once, at the end of its lifespan which lasts from 10 to 70 years.
  This flower, endemic to the park, is classified as a protected species, helping protect it from extinction.

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  Fauna

  Wallcreeper (Tichodroma muraria)

  Recognisable thanks to the carmine red of its wings, which can clearly be seen when it is flying, this small bird looks for insects and their larvae, fluttering and hopping around the cracks in rocks. Its flight pattern is like that of a butterfly.
  This mountain bird only rarely goes into the valley, in winter alone.
  It builds its nest in cavity with moss, lichen and twigs. It lays its eggs between May and June. The 3 to 5 eggs are hatched by the female after around three weeks and the young fledge after around three further weeks.

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  Fauna

  Golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos)

  A pair of golden eagles frequents the high Gordolasque. This bird lives in the mountain skies, flying over its territory looking for prey to feed to its young. The marmot is the main source of food for golden eagles. In winter, when marmots hibernate, the bird of prey has to largely make do with carrion.

  At the start of spring, the female lays two eggs and takes turn with the males to sit on them (43 to 45 days).

  During the first weeks, one eaglet can deliberately prevent the other from eating. This aggressive behaviour is known as “siblicide”. The young eagles leave the nest after 65 to 70 days, but remain dependent for three more months.

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  Flora

  Lichens

  These primitive organisms are the result of an association between a fungus and algae. Some can be spotted due to the yellow colour they give to rocks.

  Lichens can develop thanks only to nutritious mineral substances in the air and in rainwater. They are good indicators of air pollution as the absorb miniscule quantities of pollutants and store them up.

  In the picture below: Rhizocarpon gr. geographicum (specific identification only after examination of spores). Photo: Franck Guigo

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  Lake

  Mountain lakes

  They are numerous in Vésubie (twenty or so) and these lakes were formed around 10000 years ago. They occupy depressions created by the glaciers or the front of the moraine barriers they left behind as they shrank. Despite the fact that they are covered in ice for many months, they are home to invertebrate populations, molluscs, crustaceans, insects. The presence of fish (mainly trout) is due to human intervention, with the fish having been introduced for sport.