Adam
Since there were few responses to my request about "Italian Alps in July, esp. Wallcreeper" http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=53444 (though there is good information in the new bird-finding guide by Ruggieri and Festari), I should report my findings.
The book describes the best area of the Parco Nazionale dello Stelvio as the Zebrú valley on the western side, but we were staying on the east side of the same Cevedale range, based in Ossana in Trentino - Alto Adige province. We did a long day's hike north of Peio on 19 July, up to about 2800 m, hoping to encounter steep canyons for Wallcreeper and also talus slopes for birds like Snowfinch.
When we arrived at the trailhead at Malga Mare for our hike, there on the big stone hydroelectric building were a pair of recently fledged wallcreeper! They were there all day, and the mother came to feed them periodically. Without a telescope, I could only get some photos of the young (attached; of course never could quite time it to catch them flicking their incredible wings).
We saw a couple of Alpine Accentors at Lago di Càreser, and on 21 July saw a flock of Alpine Chough and a Rock Thrush at about the same altitude at the Passo de Gavia (a terrifying drive), but overall saw remarkably few birds, with almost no bird song in the morning. We were looking for the reintroduced Lammergeier, but saw no raptors at all.
But the wallcreepers made up for a lot of misses...
Stephen Greenfield
Excellent find.
Adam
So glad you saw Wallcreeper. They are superb little birds, aren't they. Dipping on Lammergeier is just good excuse for another trip to Europe.