The Cabane de Joubelle

The Western Bonelli's warbler is a small passerine in the family Sylviidae. Greyish green-brown on the upper side, its very white breast and belly are an identifying feature. It can be differentiated from similar species by its dark legs, its flight feathers and wing coverts edged with yellowish green and its yellowish rump. An insect lover, it is migratory and can be found in the Les Écrins massif and around Serre-Ponçon between April and August.

The goldfinch is a small passerine bird. It has a brown back, black wings with a conspicuous yellow wing bar, a red face and a black and white head. It is found in forests but also in rural farmland and gardens. They form into groups which can often be seen on bird feeders. Essentially it is a granivore, or seed eater, and is particularly fond of the fruits of the globe thistle, (chardon in French hence the bird's French name “chardonneret”). Its beak is designed to winkle out the seeds from behind the spikes. The young are fed on insects, however.

The wood nuthatch is a small resident bird the size of a tit. Its speciality is working its way down tree trunks upside down. It nests in cavities in trees, most of which are excavated by woodpeckers (green woodpecker, spotted woodpecker, black woodpecker). When the entrance to the hole is too big, it reduces the diameter to a suitable size using mud which forms a wall. The aim is to protect its nestling from predators. This special characteristic has earned it the French nickname torche-pot (a reference to edging the rim of a vessel).

This small glacial lake nestles amidst larch forest at an altitude of 1,452 metres and its shores make for a pleasant walk. It forms a green backdrop and constitutes a fine vantage point looking over the valley. It lies at the end of a narrow road leading from the village of Saint-Apollinaire. The nearby campsite and the few tourist amenities in no way detract from the beauty and tranquillity of the site. There are two car parks, one on the lakeside, making the lake accessible to all and another further downhill on the road, offering a pleasant countryside walk. The lake is reserved for fly-fishing, and a no-kill policy is practised, that is to say, the fish must be returned live into the water. It is populated by chub and trout.

This species is a bioindicator of its environment, that is to say, it signals the good ecological health of its living environment. It is greenish brown on its back and underside and, as its name suggests, its claws are white. It can grow up to 12 cm in length and can live between 8 and 10 years. Its outer shell has several small characteristic lateral spines. Its mouth is edged with a pair of lateral "teeth". It feeds on plants, small invertebrates, amphibians and dead fish. It can lay 40 to 200 eggs. The young hatch between May and July.