Peter Moore's Wildlife Blog: Pyrenees trip report day 7: back to Pic du Midi

Monday, 31 August 2026

Pyrenees trip report day 7: back to Pic du Midi

I was sufficiently impressed with Pic du Midi on my first solo trip on 30th June that I persuaded the family that they should come back with me a few days later and make a day of it. So on 3rd July we did just that and booked ourselves on to the second cable car of the day. It was another warm day but without the low mist of my first visit, so although we didn't get to enjoy the spectacular cloud seas of a few days before, the views on the way up were clear and spectacular.

Female Wallcreeper, Pic du Midi, 3rd July

Female Wallcreeper - I had hoped to get photos of Wallcreeper in the sun as they spent most of their time in the shade - this is as close as I got with the bird just out of the shadows

Female Wallcreeper, Pic du Midi, 3rd July

On arriving at the top, while the rest of the family checked out the observatory buildings and interpretation, I, having got my bearings on my first visit, knew exactly where to head: the outer wall on the north side of the compound where I had watched a pair of Wallcreeper returning to an apparent nest hole with food on multiple occasions. The female had remained mostly in the shade on my first visit, so I was hopeful I might get some photographs of her in the sun on this occasion. Earlier in the morning would be better for this before the north wall fell deeper into shade.

Female Wallcreeper, Pic du Midi, 3rd July

Two Wallcreepers in this photo - top left and bottom right

I met a German birder as I approached the wall and let him know about the Wallcreeper, as well as the Snowfinch nesthole in one of the compound buildings. He was very keen to see Wallcreeper so we staked out the north facing wall and hoped for the best. It wasn't long before we saw our first Wallcreeper but rather than coming to the nest, it remained distant on the slabs opposite.

I like this image - find the Wallcreeper!

Wallcreeper in flight

Wallcreeper, Pic du Midi

Wallcreeper, Pic du Midi, 3rd July

Eventually it was joined by the other of the pair and we watched them feeding and dust-bathing, wishing we had brought a telescope as they were quite distant. Although we waited patiently for some time, the female came over to the wall near the nest hole only once that day, and unfortunately that was while the German birder had wandered off to get a better look at the breeding Snowfinches. I managed a few shots but she was in an out before I could get his attention.

Not often I get this lot above 9,000 feet!

Griffon Vulture, Pic du Midi, 3rd July

When the female did come close to the nest site, I noticed she was not carrying food, unlike on my last visit when both adults invariably returned with a bill full of insects. There was no evidence of juveniles around, leading me to conclude that the young must have fledged and dispersed between my last visit on 30 June and this visit 3 days later. I didn't want to contemplate the alternative explanation - that the nest had failed - but that seemed unlikely given how much food was being brought in a few days previously, and the fact that the weather had been pretty good in the intervening days.

Alpine Accentor, Pic du Midi, 3rd July

Juvenile Alpine Accentor, Pic du Midi, 3rd July

Alpine Accentor, Pic du Midi, 3rd July

Crag Martin, Pic du Midi, 3rd July

Black Redstart, Pic du Midi, 3rd July

Low cloud on my last visit kept the raptors at bay but as the morning warmed up Griffon Vultures started to appear below us, eventually thermalling up to eye level and above. Lunch with the family enabled some more time with the Snowfinches and Alpine Accentors around the picnic tables, and the Crag Martins continued to entertain.

Pyrenees from du Midi - the notch in the ridge on the right is La Breche de Roland on the French/Spanish border - I hiked miles up to it in 2006 to see my first Wallcreeper. Seeing them at Pic du Midi was much easier!

Pyrenees from Pic du Midi

Clouds built up as the morning went on on 3rd July

The family walking the plank at Pic du Midi, 3rd July

Crag Martin, Pic du Midi, 3rd July

So despite the slight disappointment that we weren't treated to repeated views of the Wallcreeper coming back to the nest site, it was still a great day for close encounters with alpine species and I would strongly recommend Pic du Midi be included in any itinerary to the Pyrenees.