Harold Stiver
Well-known member
I've put up a bit of info on the Parc naturel régional de la Brenne in central France for those who may have an interest.
Birding La Brenne, France
Birding La Brenne, France
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La Brenne area (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Harold Stiver
- Start date
Thankyou for the information.
We are off to France for 10 days and as we would normally go to Scotland and look for wildlife I have been at a loss as to where to go in France, as if we did not look for the wildlife we would not know what to do with our time.
This area of France may well be what we are looking for - any further information would be greatly appreciated.
We are off to France for 10 days and as we would normally go to Scotland and look for wildlife I have been at a loss as to where to go in France, as if we did not look for the wildlife we would not know what to do with our time.
This area of France may well be what we are looking for - any further information would be greatly appreciated.
TwoDipsfromAmsterdam
Anything About?
You will find some reports on La Brenne here: http://www.travellingbirder.com/tripreports/default.php
Click on Europe and then select France.
La Brenne is a good area although it's probably at its best in May/June.
Click on Europe and then select France.
La Brenne is a good area although it's probably at its best in May/June.
Please can you recommend anywhere worth visiting? We have no set itinary and have no idea where to go in France - at the moment depends on how I get on with the driving - we do like to see wildlife of any sort though.
TwoDipsfromAmsterdam
Anything About?
I'll try and do my best! But please let me know when you intend coming to France and at which port you will arrive. This will help to narrow the options as arriving at Calais in August will throw up a whole separate bunch of options compared to arriving at Roscoff in September!
David
David
TwoDipsfromAmsterdam
Anything About?
OK, thanks; that's helpful.
Brittany is a great place, particularly the coastal areas. But like Devon and Cornwall it will be heaving with tourists in August. You can try your luck around Roscoff (Goulven Bay just to the SE of the port can be good at high tide). You could then work your way eastwards towards Mont St Michel via St Brieuc Bay but you will have a lot of tourists (and traffic) to contend with.
My preference would be to head south to the Loire around Saumur and Angers (the river can be good, especially the sandbanks) then on down to La Brenne. As I said before it will be past its best in terms of breeding birds by August but should still turn up some good birds, including returning waders. Those trip reports I pointed you towards on an earlier post will be very useful in terms of getting to know your way around the area.
Wherever you decide to go I hope you have a good trip.
David
Brittany is a great place, particularly the coastal areas. But like Devon and Cornwall it will be heaving with tourists in August. You can try your luck around Roscoff (Goulven Bay just to the SE of the port can be good at high tide). You could then work your way eastwards towards Mont St Michel via St Brieuc Bay but you will have a lot of tourists (and traffic) to contend with.
My preference would be to head south to the Loire around Saumur and Angers (the river can be good, especially the sandbanks) then on down to La Brenne. As I said before it will be past its best in terms of breeding birds by August but should still turn up some good birds, including returning waders. Those trip reports I pointed you towards on an earlier post will be very useful in terms of getting to know your way around the area.
Wherever you decide to go I hope you have a good trip.
David
A little info
I had a few hours in La Brenne on 19 May: obviously this is nowhere near enough but just a couple of observations :
1. For the first-time visitor, I would recommend the Chérine NNR and its visitor centre, the "Maison de la nature et de la Réserve", on the D6a a little east of Saint-Michel-en-Brenne. There are several hides and trails, very well waymarked and well-placed, with good notices explaining what's going on. I was particularly taken with the Etang de la Sous, on the same road, with a very well-placed carpark and hide: here I had superb close-up views of Purple Heron, Red-crested Pochard and Great Reed Warbler.
2. The Etang Purais, near Lingé, is drained this year for its decennial maintenance.
3. There is a smallish heron colony at the Etang Massé, not quite so easy to find but it is on the D17a just west of Le Blizon. The colony seems to contain mostly Cormorants but there are also Grey Herons, Night Herons, Little Egrets and Cattle Egrets.
My guess is the whole area is worth dedicating at least a couple of days.
Recommended !
I had a few hours in La Brenne on 19 May: obviously this is nowhere near enough but just a couple of observations :
1. For the first-time visitor, I would recommend the Chérine NNR and its visitor centre, the "Maison de la nature et de la Réserve", on the D6a a little east of Saint-Michel-en-Brenne. There are several hides and trails, very well waymarked and well-placed, with good notices explaining what's going on. I was particularly taken with the Etang de la Sous, on the same road, with a very well-placed carpark and hide: here I had superb close-up views of Purple Heron, Red-crested Pochard and Great Reed Warbler.
2. The Etang Purais, near Lingé, is drained this year for its decennial maintenance.
3. There is a smallish heron colony at the Etang Massé, not quite so easy to find but it is on the D17a just west of Le Blizon. The colony seems to contain mostly Cormorants but there are also Grey Herons, Night Herons, Little Egrets and Cattle Egrets.
My guess is the whole area is worth dedicating at least a couple of days.
Recommended !
Jonathan Williams
Well-known member
This could possibly be useful:
http://www.nick-ransdale.com/
A brit birder ( I hesitate to say English in case he's Welsh or Scottish and I gravely insult him!! ) who has a blog about the area.
Cheers
Jonathan
http://www.nick-ransdale.com/
A brit birder ( I hesitate to say English in case he's Welsh or Scottish and I gravely insult him!! ) who has a blog about the area.
Cheers
Jonathan
schiffornis
AWBirder
I've just got back from a couple of weeks just to the south of the Brenne and visited the park quite a few times, details on my blog: http://awbirder.blogspot.co.uk
The Brenne really is a spectacular place! I loved it there and will be going back.
Nicks website is great and really useful for a whole range of information on birds/wildlife etc.
Cheers Andy
The Brenne really is a spectacular place! I loved it there and will be going back.
Nicks website is great and really useful for a whole range of information on birds/wildlife etc.
Cheers Andy
