Butterflies are probably the easiest to see of the Alps wildlife. Their numbers in the meadows of Tirol are massive during the summer months while the grass and wildflowers are allowed to grow as winter fodder for the cattle.
This squirrel in the Alps is quite active during the winter. The local casino puts out bird feed and nuts regularly through the woods to help support the wildlife during the winter months. The squirrels therefore don't need to store up as much food and are active bird table raiders during the cold season.
It isn't often that you see squirrels in the winter but the ones near Seefeld in Tirol, in the Austrian Alps are active all the time. The food available due to humans is enough to keep them happy in the colder months.
Bees are the medias favourite pollinators at the moment but all small insects are in decline and are equally important. Hoverflies are extremely common but often overlooked.
The fritillary butterfly is very common in the alps in the summer. While we don't have a lot of larger mammalian wildlife left in Western Europe the mountains are still home to lots of smaller wild creatures.
Macro photography is getting easier and easier and is a great way of reminding people of the importance of our pollinators. Flies are as important as bees and don't need to be indiscriminately killed.
Close up photos of flies and insects can bring us into a new world. Modern technology could help remind us of the importance of our pollinators.
It isn't often that Chamois come down from the high mountains. However near my home in Innsbruck there are quite a number that regularly come to a disused quarry at night time. Having the daylight to get a photo is a rare but welcome occurence.
It isn't often that Chamois come down from the high mountains. However near my home in Innsbruck there are quite a number that regularly come to a disused quarry at night time. Having the daylight to get a photo is a rare but welcome occurence.
Despite our attempts to wreck the world the chamois still survived, and this family does so by coming down tot he empty quarry at night to feed on sparse grasses. However the steep sides of the quarry are not the trap for the chamois that they might be for other creatures. At the first sign of threat the chamois are already halfway up the almost sheer cliff faces.
