Baie de Bourgneuf and �le de Noirmoutier France
The western coast of France has several large and shallow inlets of international importance for birds and the Baie de Bourgneuf, to the south of the Loire Estuary, is one of the most productive. Vast areas of mudflats in addition to disused saltpans and nearby freshwater marshes make this highly attractive to a wide range of waders and waterfowl on passage and in winter. The �le de Noirmoutier and the causeway which links it to the mainland provide shelter to the western part of the bay where oyster-farming is widespread and to the east there are extensive polders behind the sea-wall. The �le de Noirmoutier has a large area of saltmarsh and largely disused saltpans with breeding colonies of waders and terns.
Breeding birds of interest in the area include Little Egret, Northern Shoveler and Common Shelduck and waders such as Common Redshank and Northern Lapwing, Pied Avocet and Black-winged Stilt. Raptors including Black Kite, Marsh and Montagu's Harriers and Common Kestrel can be seen in summer and a few pairs of Short-eared Owl nest in the area. There are colonies of Common Tern and Black-headed Gull, particularly on the �le de Noirmoutier and breeding passerines include White-spotted Bluethroat and Blue-headed Wagtail.
Dark-bellied Brent Goose can reach 10,000 on passage and almost as many may stay on to winter in the area. Other wintering waterfowl include Common Shelduck], Northern Shoveler, Common Teal and Northern Pintail. All the regular northern European waders occur with particularly good numbers of Grey Plover, Dunlin, Bar-tailed Godwit and Eurasian Curlew. Pied Avocet can exceed 1,500 wintering birds at times. Hen Harrier and Merlin can be seen hunting over the fields and marshes in winter and pipits, larks and buntings forage in large flocks in autumn and winter.
The Baie de Bourgneuf can be reached on the D751 west from Nantes, turning off onto the D758 to Bourgneuf-en-Retz. From here the D758 continues through the marshlands of the Marais de Machecoul to Bouin and on to Beauvoir-sur-Mer. Any of these three towns will serve as a good base for exploring the area and there are some excellent old saltpans to the south-east of Beauvoir-sur-Mer which hold Black-winged Stilt, Pied Avocet and Black-tailed Godwit during the breeding season and a variety of waders and passerines on passage. From Beauvoir-sur-Mer take the D948 westwards to Bellevue and cross the bay on the Passage du Gois. This road is built on a sandbar which is covered at high tide so careful timing is essential. Seawatching is possible in season from northern and western points of the �le de Noirmoutier. Following the D38 southwards from the islands leads to the Foret des Pays de Monts dunes and sandy pinewoods with Hoopoe, Wood Lark, Tawny Pipit and Western Bonelli's Warbler.
Birds
Great Cormorant, Great Bittern, Little Bittern, Little Egret, Grey Heron, Dark-bellied Brent Goose, Common Shelduck, Eurasian Wigeon, Common Teal, Mallard, Northern Pintail, Garganey, Northern Shoveler, Black Kite, Marsh Harrier, Hen Harrier, Montagu's Harrier, Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Common Buzzard, Common Kestrel, Merlin, Northern Hobby, Grey Partridge, Water Rail, Moorhen, Eurasian Coot, Oystercatcher, Black-winged Stilt, Pied Avocet, Little Ringed Plover, Ringed Plover, Kentish Plover, Golden Plover, Grey Plover, Northern Lapwing, Red Knot, Sanderling, Little Stint, Curlew Sandpiper, Dunlin, Ruff, Common Snipe PM,W), Black-tailed Godwit, Bar-tailed Godwit, Whimbrel, Eurasian Curlew, Spotted Redshank, Common Redshank, Greenshank, Green Sandpiper, Wood Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, Turnstone, Little Gull, Black-headed Gull, Common Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Sandwich Tern, Common Tern, Little Tern, Whiskered Tern, Woodpigeon, Collared Dove, Turtle Dove, Common Cuckoo, Short-eared Owl, Common Swift, Common Kingfisher, Hoopoe, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, Greater Short-toed Lark, Wood Lark, Crested Lark, Eurasian Skylark, Barn Swallow, House Martin, Tawny Pipit, Meadow Pipit, Tree Pipit, Blue-headed Wagtail, White Wagtail, Common Wren, Dunnock, Nightingale, White-spotted Bluethroat Su), Eurasian Robin, Black Redstart, Common Redstart, Stonechat, Northern Wheatear, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Mistle Thrush, Cetti's Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Marsh Warbler, Reed Warbler, Great Reed Warbler, Melodious Warbler, Common Whitethroat, Western Bonelli's Warbler, Common Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Pied Flycatcher, Long-tailed Tit, Crested Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Short-toed Treecreeper, Common Magpie, Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, Common Starling, House Sparrow, Chaffinch, Brambling, European Serin, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Linnet, Twite, Common Crossbill, Common Bullfinch, Reed Bunting, Corn Bunting
Content and images originally posted by Steve
billybyrom's review
Came down from Grande Briere Pays de loire for trip Plently of Cocklers attracting birds very short vist natives frendly ibis egret avocets etc
Pros
- very open site plenty of space
