Wildlife ecotourism making its first steps in the Lake Arpi National Park. Although the territory of the Park has been occasionally visited by foreign birdwatchers, amateur entomologists, botanists and wildlife photographers, it still remains unexplored by leading tour operators in the industry of ecotourism, both local and foreign.
A Seminar “Ecotourism in Protected Areas of Armenia: Opportunities and Limitations” was organized at AUA to discuss issues of Lake Arpi National Park and other Specially Protected Areas of Armenia. Read about the seminar here>>>.
Objectives of this project included development of the missing basic information materials for a visitor of the Lake Arpi National Park. The Materials are presented here>>>.
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Some of the most rewarding activities in the Park could be birdwatching, butterfly-watching and botanical excursions. Specifically for these activities there were conducted field and desk studies to develop a map pointing to the most interesting sites in the Park for a visitor interested in local birds, butterflies or wild flowers.
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Tourist map to the birds, butterflies and wild flowers
of the Lake Arpi National Park
(Click to view larger image) |
Birds
The Park is an excellent destination for a visiting birdwatcher, where a good selection of Caucasian specialties could be found amongst beautiful landscapes of the Lesser Caucasus Mountains.
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| Squacco Heron |
The best time to visit in breeding season is mid April to late June.Earlier at this period it is possible to observe late migrants, including Great White Pelican, Squacco Heron, Glossy Ibis, Eurasian Spoonbill, Black-winged Stilt, Temminck’s Stint, Curlew and Terek Sandpipers, Great Snipe, White-winged and Whiskered Terns, and European Bee-eater. Migrant raptors may include European Honey Buzzard, Black Kite, Pallid Harrier, Common Buzzard, Lesser Spotted Eagle, Osprey and Lesser Kestrel. Various passerines are found in the area during the spring passage, among them are Red-throated Pipit, various races and forms of Yellow Wagtail, Reed, Marsh and Icterine Warblers, Red-backed and Lesser Grey Shrikes.
Migrant waterbirds could be found at the north-eastern and western shores of the Lake Arpi, where they gather on mudflats, shoals and on the islands of the lake, as well as around marshes along the Akhuryan River, particularly in between the Paghakn, Ardenis and Aravet villages. A number of various waders and ducks frequently occur on the small Ardenis lake. Many migranting passerines are attracted to wooded areas near the Shaghik and Garnarich villages, and to the woodland in the Akhuryan River gorge.
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| Little Owl |
Local breeding avifauna is particularly notable for the diversity of birds associated with wetlands and mountain meadows. Islands of the Lake Arpi hold one of the largest world colonies of Armenian Gull and a small colony of Dalmatian Pelican. Other birds breeding on the islands include Greylag Goose, Ruddy Shelduck, Mallard, Great Crested Grebe. Marshes south of the Ardenis villages are home to a pair of Common Crane, Western Marsh Harrier, Northern Lapwing, Common Redshank, and various ducks, like Common Teal, Garganey, Common Pochard.
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| Ruddy Shelduck |
Meadows at the edges of woodlands near the Shaghik and Garnarich villages are breeding sites for Corncrake, Black-headed Wagtail, Meadow Pipit, Scarlet Rosefinch and Montagu’s Harrier. Wooded areas at western shore of the Lake Arpi and Akhuryan River gorge attract Common Kestrel, Eurasian Jay, Greenfinch, Spotted Flycatcher and Caucasian Chiffchaff. Meadow-steppes of the Park’s hillsides and western foothills of the Javakheti Range in the eastern part of the Park host European Roller, Eurasian Hoopoe, Ortolan Bunting, Skylark, Water Pipit, Whinchat, while rock outcrops at higher elevations are inhabited by Horned Lark, Northern Wheatear, Crimson-winged Finch, White-winged Snowfinch, Twite and Western Rock Nuthatch.Water Pipit and Twite.
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| Northern Wheatear |
In the southern rocky part of the Akhuryan River gorge Egyptian Vulture, Black Stork, Long-legged Buzzard and Golden Eagle could be found, as well as other characteristic species, including Alpine Swift, Crag and House Martins, Rufous-tailed and Blue Rock Thrushes, Ring Ouzel and Barred Warbler. In villages, Citrine Wagtail, Black Redstart and Little Owl occur. Autumn visit to the National Park in late August through to late October would be particularly rewarding for observing raptor migration. A good selection of West Palearctic raptors is seen here, with most common migrants including Common Buzzard, Pallid and Montagu’s Harriers, Lesser Spotted, Steppe and Booted Eagles, various falcons and hawks.
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| Peregrine |
Among the rare species that are regularly seen in the Park are the Greater Spotted and Imperial Eagles, Saker and Red-footed Falcon. Migratory parties of raptors are found throughout the area, but are tend to concentrate near the plateaus, ploughed fields adjoining mountain slopes, and along the ridges stretched in south-northward direction. Some of such areas are the slopes of Javakheti Range, Akhuryan River gorge near the Pokr and Mets Sepasar villages, hillsides in between the Tavshut and Zorakert villages and the fields along the Gyumri-Bavra highway.
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| Ortolan Bunting |
Wooded areas and bushes in the Park in the Akhuryan River gorge and near the Shaghik and Garnarich villages attract various migrant passerines, such as Garden, Green and Wood Warblers, Red-breasted and Semi-collared Flycatchers, Common Redstart and Common Nightingale.
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Butterflies
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| Balkan Copper |
There are 89 species of butterflies known from the Lake Arpi National Park. The Park area holds a number of Caucasian species and races along with the species widespread in Europe in a native wet meadows, alpine grasslands and rocky slopes.
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| Purple-shot Copper |
While some common species like Clouded Yellow, Small Heath, Painted Lady, Small Copper, Adonis and Common Blues give several generations and could be observed throughout the summer season and almost anywhere in the Park, the others can be found in certain type of habitat only. Some of them attached to wet meadows and marshlands, while others require specific sedimentary rocks, where their host-plants may grow, and others need rocky slopes to warm themselves on the stones in high-mountain conditions.
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| Sovinsky's Green Hairstreak |
Marshlands and wet meadows in vicinity of Zorakert village attract Chestnut and Russian Heaths, Purple-shot and Balkan Coppers. Mountain Alcon and Large Blues also can be found in this area. The grassy slopes with some rock outcrops in the same area are destination for Orange Tip, Dingy Skipper, Old World Swallowtail, Berger's Clouded Yellow, Woodland Ringlet, Grey Asian Grayling, Spotted and Glanville Fritillaries, Balkan Copper, Silver-studded and Pontic Blues. Оpen grasslands alternating with rocky outcrops on the main road to Lake Arpi north-west of Amasia town are habitat for Essex, Small and Olive Skippers, Hermit, Dark Green Fritillary, Marbled White, False Grayling, Lesser Fiery and Scarce Coppers, Sovinsky's Green Hairstreak, Idas, False Chalk-hill and Meleager's Blues. The subalpine grassy slopes of the Javakheti Range in the north-eastern part of the Park are alternating with rocky “rivers” and are situated above 2,300 meters. In beginning of July here the first Orange Tips and Dingy Skippers may be encountered. The other species, which can be found here until mid August are Cinquefoil Skipper, Clouded Apollo, Dark-veined White, Pale Clouded Yellow, Woodland Ringlet, Geranium Argus, Turquoise, Gavarnie, False Chalk-hill, Meleager's, Damon and Ripart's Anomalous Blues.
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| Clouded Apollo |
The Akhuryan River gorge starts with less steep grassy slopes and then becomes deeper with rocky outcrops and high cliffs. The slopes of the gorge are home for Orange Tip, Dingy and Yellow-banded Skippers, Old World Swallowtail, Red Admiral, Grey Asian Grayling, Purple-shot and Fiery Coppers, Greek Mazarine, Amanda's and Chapman's Blues.
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Flowers and other plants
There are about 700 species of higher plants from 80 families and 269 genera growing in the territory of the Lake Arpi National Park. Many of these are very ornamental: orchids , gladiolus species, poppies and many others.
In spring (April – early June) it is possible to see in bloom near the Lake Arpi Rosen's Squill with large, rose-blue flowers. One can find scattered in the region tiny Reticulated Iris with blue and purplish flowers and yellow asterisks of Alexenko’s and Doubtful Gageas. Very attractive Siberian Iris with narrow leaves and elegant dark-blue flowers and Auriculate Primrose with purple dense inflorescences grow near the Lake Arpi and in Akhurian River gorge near small tributary streams in the unique Aspen open forest with scattered Hairy Birch trees and spreading on the soil and rocks Depressed Juniper and very rare in Armenia Savin Juniper.
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| Oriental Poppy |
In June-July the banks of the Lake Arpi are full of Caucasian Gladiolus and Slender Gladiolus (Caucasian endemics) with purple and violet flowers. One can find also Dzavakhetian Gladiolus - a Transcaucasian endemic. Beautiful poppies with huge red flowers, including Oriental Poppy and False Oriental Poppy, as well as Armenian Poppy with elongated inflorescence of pale-red flowers grow in the region.
Szowits’ Lily with luxurious inflorescence of large yellow flowers occurs above the Lake Arpi. Small Forked Iris has 2 branches of stem ending in a solitary rather large blue-violet flowers grows near the Lake Arpi and in the mountains. Dwarf Iris is almost without stem and has blue, violet or yellow flowers. It occurs in the northern part of the Park. Very rare for Armenia Shrubby Cinquefoil with small bright yellow flowers is flowering in the valley of Akhuryan River along the riverside. Here grow Scarlet Mullein with dark brownish-violet petals, a Flax (Linum hypericifolium) with large pink flowers. Different orchids blossom on humid and swampy places - Spheroid Traunsteinera, Fragrant orchid, Dactylorhiza species.
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| Sword Lily |
It is possible to see here whitish dense inflorecences of Transcaucasian endemic Wooly-leaved Valerian which grows in Armenia only in Upper Akhuryan and Shirak floristic regions. The species occurs in subalpine meadows, on stony slopes and screes. In the high mountain belt blossom Caucasian endemics Pallas’ Primrose and Ruprecht’s Primrose with pale yellow flowers.
In July-August Spatterdock is in bloom. This water plant with floating leaves has solitary, rising above water bright-yellow, almost globose flowers. The species occurs in Armenia only in the old river bed of Akhuryan River in the territory of the National Park.
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| Iris furcata |
An Armenian endemic - Akhuryan Currant with small pale red fruits also occurs in the gorge of the Akhuryan River. Caucasian Cat’s Ear with roundish inflorescence inhabits only the Caucasus region. Billberry with black berries and rare in Armenia Bog bilberry with bluish berries occur in high mountains.
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