Le Fort

The Short-toed Snake Eagle is a large bird of prey, easily recognisable by its white underside and large, often chocolate-brown head. But it can be confused with some very light common buzzards. This trans-Saharan migrant feeds mainly on reptiles, which it hunts in steppe areas, scrubland, wasteland and rocky areas, but also in the mountains, even in alpine meadows. Its fairly small nest is often built in pine trees.

Each generation has stripped the soil to feed their families and livestock, creating well-exposed, irrigated terraces. As the land made mechanical farming difficult, farming began to decline around 1955.

The Rock Partridge lives in the mountains on well exposed slopes, like those here at Roche Méanne. Every two years, the Ecrins National Park rangers count how many there are on this slope. Before sunrise, they take position in their different « sections » with small tape recorders to imitate the song of these birds. « We listen attentively in case there is an answer ». The song indicates the presence of a « singing male ». « Sometimes we only hear their song, but other times, suddenly, the silence in the mountains is interrupted by the crashing of beating wings which makes us jump. We just have the time to count them and then we see them diving off at top speed ».

Did you know that the squirrel uses a very elaborate language? It is a sign language, with mimics and expressions, without forgetting the movements of its tail.  It also possesses quite an extensive range of sounds. It cackles, yelps, growls or groans, it also chatters. So if you don’t see it come out of the woods, don’t make a sound, maybe you will be lucky enough to hear this animal secretly expressing itself.

Hidden in the larch forest, the Roe Deer sometimes shows its fine head at dawn or at dusk. Not always easy to see this discreet animal but a few tracks or droppings can give its presence away.: the heart shaped print of its delicate hooves, the trunks of shrubs nicked by young fallow deer rubbing  new antlers there to remove the last shreds of velvet, the ground scratched by the young male to mark his territory during the rutting season. Its little round black droppings in piles called « moquettes » in French! Sometimes it is a deep sonorous and guttural bark that resonates in the woods. Have a listen!

Oaks and pines live here together. They replace the ancient hay meadows once maintained by the inhabitants of Réallon. The pine forest consists of Black Pines and some Scots Pines. The Austrian Black Pine has long, rigid, prickly dark green needles; those of the Scots Pine are short, twisted and bluish green. Due to its hardiness, The Austrian Black Pine was introduced in the 19th century and was often used to restore the eroded soil of the Southern mountains. This was the case on the « sunny » (Southern slope) at Réallon where it was planted by the Mountain Restoration Service at the beginning of the 20th century to stabilize the slopes and to protect the village and the road.

The Réallon valley, fertile and rich in game and fish, was occupied as early as the 8th century BC by a Ligurian people.