Winter Wonderland, Spring Thaw (2/3)

Winter Wonderland, Spring Thaw (2/3)

In the winterly Pyrenees, the snow piles up meters high and covers just about everything. It is bitterly cold and food is rare for all animals. Those animals not hibernating have to fight for their survival. Chamois are searching the valleys for the last edible delicacies. Wolves roam huge areas in their forage for prey and even the bearded vulture has an increasingly hard time. The carcasses and particularly their bones which are the most important food for the scavengers, are buried by the snow.  

As of mid February, the first heralds of Spring reach the Pyrenees. Thousands of cranes come from their wintering grounds in central Spain to have a last rest in the mountains' water reservoirs before they cross the Pyrenees on their way to France and Northern Europe. In the woods the capercailzies utter their gargling mating calls and the first hoopoes show up in the mountain villages. The bearded vultures have squabs. They, however, will only survive the next four months until they can fly if there is enough food to be found.