The Dolomites are a paradise for naturalists thanks to their incomparable diversity of ecosystems, with high-altitude alpine flora, dense coniferous forests, world-renowned rock formations and the suggestive lakes found on different alpine floors. A trio of hikers got together to enjoy the freshness of the mountains and discover the biodiversity of the Alps… and, if we were lucky, spot some new species of dragonflies.
A classic nature trip: The Italian Dolomites. Views from the Passo di Giao.
On this week-long summer nature trip, we changed accommodation every two or three days to discover a wide area and new landscapes. We first explored the Lombard Alps and then headed to the Trentino – Alto Adige / Südtirol region. What a beautiful country! The Austrian heritage of Northern Italy never ceases to amaze us. Of course, we enjoyed the local products and cuisine. Chats in Italian – Spanish: it’s great fun to talk to each other in their own language and understand each other 😉 … more or less.
Marbled white (Melanargia galathea).
Trip from 13 to 19 July, meeting point in the afternoon at Milan airport. Aï with the Milano Est barrier. What a toll disaster! We stopped on the road at a random restaurant where we enjoyed an exquisite dinner. Despite arriving very late, we were very well received at the Casa Acero Rosso, near Edolo, on the mountain road to the Dolomites. It helps a lot for the traveller to stay close to the owners and, without a doubt, it is more pleasant to engage in face-to-face conversations.
Day 1
Lombardía – Valle di Sant’Antonio
A perfect route to start our journey with a linear path of about 3 km in length and 200 metres in altitude that allows us to test our physical condition without wearing ourselves out. The Brandet valley, at around 1,300 metres above sea level, is very narrow and crossed by a torrent that carries its waters with great energy. We greatly enjoyed the intense freshness and the greenery of the environment. Soon the slope becomes very gentle and cabins appear next to small hay meadows. The path ends in a small glacial cirque dominated by peaks of more than 2,600 metres. Everything is very well kept and with beautiful views of the summits.
Brandet Valley stream in the Valle di Sant’Antonio Natural Reserve
We enjoyed the scorpion fly (cf. Panorpa communis), abundant butterflies (Erebia, Melitaea, Lycaena, etc.) feeding on broad-leaved undergrowth vegetation and the endemic grasshopper Nadigella (=Miramela) formosanta. My favourite insect of the day was undoubtedly the unmistakable Red wasp (Vespula rufa L.), widely distributed in the Palearctic but restricted to cool areas, and present e.g. in NW Spain.
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There was a lot of activity in the mountains with the locals collecting hay from the grass by hand. We stopped on the way back at the Val Brandet mountain hut for a drink. We watched with delight how Italian families interact on a summer Saturday.
Day 2
Passo di Gavia
We were looking for easy access to the high mountains and their sparse vegetation, heading for the Passo de Gavia, a mountain pass perched at an altitude of about 2,600 metres and with the Italian-Austrian Alps as a backdrop. As we could not undertake this excursion on a day other than a Sunday, we were surprised by the large number of bikers riding along its famous curves. A blessed time when mass was obligatory. The road can be extremely narrow and the noise quite intense near the refuge, culminating in that stressful anti-climax an hour before lunch.
Lago Bianco en el Passo di Gavia
We explored the shores of Lake Bianco and Lake Nero, but were unsuccessful in spotting dragonflies due to the high rates and intense cold of their waters. We had fun with a group of 45 Yellow-billed Choughs (Pyrrhocorax graculus) and showy pairs of Wheatears (Oenanthe oenanthe). More surprising was the detection of a juvenile Grass Frog (Rana temporaria) that we found at its highest known altitude in Europe (van Rensburg et al., 2021). We were also able to enjoy a rich alpine flora of which I could only name the genus… Soldanella, Primula, Pulsatilla, Ranunculus, Myosotis, Gentiana, Pinguicola, among others, as well as the beautiful Eriophorum grasses and the spectacular mountain rhododendrons in full bloom.
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We stayed for one night in the charming town of Bolzano, impressed by the apple orchards that stretch across the Adige Valley. Half of Europe’s fruit must come from this area! The sticky heat at such a low altitude (250 m above sea level) is very noticeable. Pleasantly, the historic centre provides a welcome cultural break during the trip.
Day 3
Alpe di Villandro
We are not content to leave the high mountain lagoons behind and we set out again in search of aquatic environments that are easily accessible to our small group. Today, we will stop in Villandro… although Villanders is perhaps better. A young local woman makes it very clear that it is better to say “danke” in this South Tyrolean village, about 50 km from the border. The town seems very promising according to the detailed article by Assandri et al. (2022).
Stone, or Arolla, pines (Pinus cembra) next to high-altitude pastures and specimens of dwarf mountain pine (Pinus mugo).
From the Gasser Refuge car park to the Toten Chapel (2,200 m above sea level), there is a distance of 5 km and a gradient of 400 metres to walk. We come across the Alpe di Villandro, one of the largest alpine pastures in the area (20 km²) with a strong human presence and a hundred alpine huts that bear witness to a great tradition of shepherding. The day is hot and there is little shade among the dwarf mountain pines (Pinus mugo)… So we suffer a little in the sun. The whole area is a place of pilgrimage and the path to the chapel is a via crucis. It turns out that “toten” refers to the dead in German… Things fit together. We enjoy up there with a girl who briefly sings a very soft, soul-satisfying Tyrolean song.
Schwarzsee or Seebergsee lagoons (you would have to decide between black and green…).
Behind the hill, there is a group of three lagoons, too far apart because it would be necessary to go around their banks quite a bit. Fleetingly, a Ring Ouzel (Turdus torquatus alpestris) passes by and chases a Common Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus). We explore a closer lagoon, but without success due to its depth and lack of emergent vegetation. We stop for a drink at the neighbouring refuge, somewhere between rustic and fashionable. The view over the Dolomites massif is truly spectacular, despite the cloudiness that surrounds it, and worth a visit… Nothing beats a slow approach to the goal… On the descent, we are lucky enough to find the beautiful Coenonympha gardetta butterfly.
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We have a long 2-hour drive ahead of us (How the hell do you open a gas cap?) before reaching San Vito di Cadore. We arrive late and somewhat exhausted… But on the way, we spot the most famous of all the peaks in the region, the famous Three Peaks (Tre Cime di Lavaredo). We are finally in the Dolomites. Tomorrow we will get serious 😉
Day 4
Antelao, the “King of Dolomites”
We spent the day exploring habitats near Monte Antelao (3,264 m above sea level) on short excursions. The dolomitic rock stripped of pure white in the torrential streams is particularly impressive. First we walked along a path with good access above the village, with lots of insects flying between the forest clearings and the grassy borders. Then we took a comfortable walk along the Boite river in a very quiet area near Barco di Cadore. Finally, after a delicious meal, we enjoyed the sunset from the urban lake of Mosigo with unbeatable views of the mountain.
¡Lopinga achine!, a truly rare butterfly, present in the best preserved forests.
We had a good collection of butterflies throughout the day, highlighting the ever-rare Lopinga achine (Woodland Brown) and the Coenonympha arcania, among other species. We were able to photograph three species of long-horned beetles, some orthopterans such as the Small gold Grasshopper Euthystira brachyptera or the very elegant Pholidoptera aptera (Ensifera). It was a great impression to discover on the banks of the Boite a beech (Fagus sylvatica) completely purple and that looked wild. And, of course, the sighting of a Bumblebee Sphinx (Hemaris fuciformis) always brings joy to the entomologist.
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The sunset by the lake was a peaceful moment that left time to enjoy the landscape and appreciate a discreet “enrosadira“, the famous changes of colour and play of colours on the powerful walls of the mountains, formerly known as Monti Pallidi. We were able to contemplate the dolomitic geomorphology, a type of limestone rich in magnesium, with its cones of dolomitic sand that look like snow in the distance. The relaxed atmosphere of the families strolling along the shores of the lake contributes to the serene atmosphere. On a nearby hillside, the orthopterans (Pholidoptera, Leptophyes, etc.) are active among thick undergrowth and grass.
Day 5
On the road, passing through Giau
We left the central Dolomites to head west, another very interesting area of this great mountain range. An extra day in San Vito would have been very useful to explore at least the surroundings of the Three Peaks… But we could not cover so many kilometres. First stop: a bucolic and forest excursion, where we again observe the Woodland Brown, next to the lake of Ajal. Although quite isolated, it is too urbanized with lawnmowers, eutrophic waters and a family of mallards. The picture is somewhat grotesque.
Alpine meadows at Passo di Giau.
The mood soon rises. The views from the Giau pass (2,200 m above sea level) are fabulous, pointing to peaks of more than 3,000 metres above sea level such as the Marmolada. We are in the alpine zone, the area above the tree line where alpine meadows predominate with a great variety of wild flowers. Again, time and knowledge are scarce to name the plants we see, but the density is impressive, this time with a good representation of orchids and many other families. We are struck by the beauty of the False edelweiss, or Cat’s foot, Antennaria dioica (L.), a composite also present in Sierra Nevada (photo).
Lago d’Alleghe.
We passed the beautiful lake of Alleghe, without any fuss, with our first dragonflies (?): Ischnura elegans (Blue-tailed Damselfly) and Orthetrum brunneum (Southern Skimmer)… At least the Italian coffee is delicious.
Facalde in the rain.
Finally, we approach Falcade, a pretty, untouristy village with shops and a bookstore on the doorstep. We settle in for three nights at our last stop. We enjoy the spectacle of the rain on the church. We better understand why the whole region is so green and dense despite the extremely draining carbonate geological substratum.
Day 6
Passo San Pellegrino – Lago di Carreza
Lago di Carezza
We first stop at the San Pellegrino Pass at 1,500 metres above sea level to avoid the traffic jams expected in Vigo di Fassa and walk along the steep, wooded slopes of the valley of the same name. In the morning we hope to spot forest birds, which we have so far missed… but we have very little success and our harvest is limited to a very inconspicuous Eurasian Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes). We observe indeterminate dragonflies of the Aeshnidae family in a couple of clearings… Frustration! We leave it behind quickly, contemplating shade-loving and somewhat exuberant plants, such as the buttercups of the Aconitum spec. genus and bright beetles such as Chrysolina fastuosa.
Photo gallery
Resulta complicado no ser decepcionado por el Lago di Carreza, una de las atracciones más populares de Los Dolomíticas. Junto a la carretera, con un aparcamiento inmenso rápidamente saturado, un centro comercial con tienda de ropas y una multitud de turistas algo desinhibidos. Aconsejamos visitarlo muy temprano por la mañana para disfrutar un momento contemplativo. Más allá de la masificación y de fotos siempre preciosas, llama la atención la muerte masiva de coníferas alrededor del lago con laderas enteras esquilmadas y recortadas. Observamos este fenómeno desde el primer día en todos los bosques visitados con piceas (Picea abies) muertos en pie. Parece que las coníferas del Treventino sufren especialmente del ataque de coleópteros scolítidos estos últimos años. Añadimos un par de libélulas muy comunes incluso en Andalucía: la Azulado de copa (Enallagma cyathigerum) y la Esna verdeazulada (Aeshna cyanea).
It is difficult not to be disappointed by Lake Carreza, one of the most popular attractions in the Dolomites. Right next to the road, with a huge car park that quickly fills up, a shopping centre with a clothes shop and a crowd of somewhat uninhibited tourists. We recommend visiting it very early in the morning to enjoy a moment of contemplation. Beyond the crowds and always beautiful photos, the massive death of conifers around the lake is striking, with entire slopes cleared and trimmed. We observed this phenomenon from the first day in all the forests we visited with spruces (Picea abies) dead standing. It seems that the conifers of Treventino suffer especially from the attack of scolytid beetles in recent years. We add a couple of dragonflies that are very common even in Andalusia: the Common Bluet (Enallagma cyathigerum) and the Blue Hawker (Aeshna cyanea).
Photo gallery
On the way back, we improvised a stop at Lake San Pellegrino, although it did not look very attractive from a distance, especially after so many places we had visited… Its peaty banks — with Sphagnum spec., Comarum palustre, Eriphorum spec., etc. — were a pleasant surprise. Finally, we saw clearly northern dragonflies (at least from our perspective): brilliant emerald (Somatochlora metallica), four-spotted dragonfly (Libellula quadrimaculata), spearhead bluet (Coenagrion hastulatum) and the white-legged damselfly (Platycnemis pennipes), species present in the Spanish Pyrenees.
Our spirits were lifted. In the evening, we went to the restaurant to try specialties that we do not find in Spain.
Day 7
Finaly…
Last day of our 2024 Alpine excursion. Heading to Passo Valle, its refuge, ski resort and hike to Lake Calvia. Where there is water, there is life, and you have to try it. The weather forecast for the day is good, the route is easy with about 200 meters of elevation gain, and after a week of travel, our bodies were already in shape… However, we were not prepared for what was to come very soon.
Azure hawker (Aeshna caerulea), one of the most iconic dragonflies of the European fauna, with a boreal-alpine distribution and absent from the Iberian Peninsula.
The day soon turns into a great day: a well-marked, gentle path crosses an area of open forest with peat patches. What a beautiful landscape… We succeed with a group/family? of no less than five Spotted Nutcrackers (Nucifraga caryocatactes). Luck continues to be on our side when we overcome the entire incline effortlessly thanks to the cable car. At the top of the mountain (2,200 m above sea level), we successively visit two small ponds that are more suited to our interest than the immense and probably very deep Lake Calvia. In a very short time we spot the Moorland Hawker (Aeshna juncea), and again the Spearhead Bluet, together with A. cyanea and L. depressa. In the surroundings, the Water Pipit (Anthus spinoletta) calls out, perched on a spruce. And finally! …the finishing touch, the surprise, the long-awaited and dreamed of… Azure Hawker Aeshna caerulea, a beautiful female sunbathing against a large rock in the same pond.
Photo gallery
We don’t have much time to enjoy it because it starts to drip. And what could have been a harmless shower turns into a real deluge. At around 13:00, we are caught off guard. We set off and get completely soaked. After a stop at the cable car hut and before the uncertain weather of the afternoon, we continue on our way, down a fairly steep and very wet slope… We carefully make our way through the route and arrive at the car park when the sun comes out again. We were very lucky with the weather throughout the trip… it reminds us of the dangers of the mountains and the necessary caution at high altitudes.
Now we know them, at least a little, those Dolomite mountains that we talk about so much. We hope to see them again soon.
Day 8
From Milá-no to Sevi-lla
Our journey is coming to an end and it is time to return to our homeland. A long day awaits us with more than 6 hours of driving and passing through the fearsome Barriera Milan Est again. We get up early in the morning and reach Andalusia around 8:00 pm. A very long day… But we leave with memories of the Dolomites forever.
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