Northern France

Northern France - 30^th June-4^th July 2006

by Ben Macdonald

Introduction:

This was a family holiday based largely in southern Brittany around the Briere. Considering most birding was done on hot July afternoons, we found most of the area’s species that you would expect to see at this time of year and some good butterflies. Many thanks to Geoff Dicker for his excellent 2004 trip report from the area, at www.surfbirds.com. The Michelin 1cm: 2km mapping series was also invaluable.

Key Sites around the Vannes-St Nazaire area in July

Briere Marshes

The entire area produced numerous sightings of such birds as Marsh Harrier, Black Kite and the inescapable escapee, the Sacred Ibis. Though this area is vast on the map, most of it is largely inaccessible except by boat.

At the Chausée Neuve Reserve, there is a small observatory at the end of the D127 from St Andre des Eaux. The main attraction is a huge colony of Whiskered Tern though no black tern were present, though these had probably dispersed. Spoonbill, Black-winged Stilt and Little Egret were nesting, as were Sacred Ibis in huge numbers.

Another site recommended is the Reserve Naturelle at Rozé just off the D50. Common breeding birds were Yellow Wagtail, Fan-tailed Warbler. Purple Heron breed far out in the reeds, affording distant flight views, but we achieved stunning views of Night Heron here. White Stork was seen, and Little Ringed Plover breed on the scrapes. Obviously in May-June, many more specialities such as Bluethroat will be easier to see.

Better than both of these sites put together was one we found ourselves - a tract of marshland just east of the village of St Lyphard. Access is off the D47, opposite the Chaumières-du-Lac Hotel. Walk towards the poplars and turn left along a narrow grass lane to reach a wooden bridge. You can walk left or right alongside the marshes. Dawn and dusk were very productive, with watches from 6-8am producing Bluethroats, Savi’s Warblers, Bearded Tit, Night Heron and Spoonbill. Evening watches over the reedbeds produced many Night Herons, Purple Heron, probable male Little Bittern and many egrets all flying to roost. Mammals in this area included Coypu, Muskrats and Otters.

Golfe du Morbihan

The official reserve at the Golfe is the Marais de Sene just south of Vannes, accessed off the D779, follow signposts to Sene. Again, late summer is not particularly productive but good numbers of nesting Avocets and Black-winged Stilts were present, as were Fan-tailed and Dartford Warblers. Since Geoff’s 2004 trip report, it might be useful to add that neither Bee-eater nor Roseate Tern breed in the Golfe anymore, but Larmor-Baden is an excellent passage site for the latter, with up to 50 present throughout August. We did not visit the Golfe extensively, but the Point de Penvins is a good site for Kentish Plover; we easily found them on the mudflats just N of the church. Good numbers of the commoner terns were also present.

Forêt de Gavre & Nantes-Brest Canal

This excellent forest is a fantastic site for woodpeckers - but not in July. Though Black and Middle-spotted were heard, neither were seen. There are numerous access points best mentioned in Geoff’s report, but an excellent walk is the Allée Forestière de la Chausée, the track running south from the Carrefour de la Belle Etoile in the forest centre. This produced good numbers of Crested Tit, Short-toed Treecreeper and Bonelli’s Warbler and many calling woodpeckers. Clearings along the Route Forestière de Carheil from the D164 produced displaying Honey Buzzards, with calling Dartford and Melodious Warblers in the scrub. Out of interest, up to 15 Nightjars were seen here by another observer one evening. Very close to the forest is the excellent Nantes-Brest canal at Guenrouet. Park off the D2 and walk south along the canal towpath. You can easily see double figures of Turtle Dove, we had calling Hoopoe too. By far the best bird is the Golden Oriole - these are present in both the poplar plantations at Guenrouet and further south near Carheil but in July, family parties move into the surrounding oaks, becoming easier to see.

Other Sites

The saltpans at Guérande will produce huge numbers of Avocet and smaller numbers of Black-winged Stilt, with passage waders in July. This is also an excellent site for Bluethroat, though again these are very elusive in July. As usual, we only scratched the surface on our visit, and would be glad to hear from anyone else visiting the region.

Daily Summaries:

30.6.06 : Birding around Caen

A quiet day’s birding. In coastal fields at Bernière-sur-Mer, a Fan-tailed Warbler was in flight over crops, while some stops along the D83 near Fontaine-Henry produced a Short-toed Treecreeper and calling Turtle Dove. At the abbey of Thaon, we found a family of Marsh Tit, singing Nightingale and a pale-phase male Honey Buzzard. The afternoon was quiet too, with a stop at the River Dives on the D78 producing Marsh Harrier and more surprisingly, a single White Stork. A pair of Serins at the Pegasus Bridge Café finished the day.

1.7.06 : Caen to Briere Marshes

Our stop en-route today was the Forêt de Rennes. We spent three hours in an area off the D358 near some pools. Birding was appalling in the afternoon sunshine, but butterflies were excellent, with huge numbers of White Admiral and smaller numbers of Silver-washed Fritillary and Large Chequered Skipper, as well as a single Purple Emperor. Wood Warbler, Short-toed Treecreeper and Marsh Tit were seen.

Normally French motorway journeys are made interesting by raptor sightings. Today, it was a Purple Heron flying over the N137 S of Rennes that provided the interest.

We arrived at St Lyphard, Briere Marshes, early evening. A pre-dinner walk from the hotel produced a good range of butterflies including four Purple Hairstreak, a Purple Emperor, White Admiral and several each of Large Chequered and Silver-spotted Skipper. We soon came upon two Sacred Ibis. A Honey Buzzard overhead was presumably passing through, and there were four each of Marsh Harrier and Black Kite. Over the reed beds, we saw our only decent Purple Heron of the holiday, which gave excellent flight views. Soon, an adult Night Heron came flying in but a probable Little Bittern, flying low over the reeds, was too brief for a 100% ID.

2.7.06 : Briere Marshes

We left the hotel before 6am this morning with a beautiful sunrise over the marshes and some less appealing horse flies and mosquitoes thrown in too. Turtle Dove was purring, and emerging onto the marsh we found three Spoonbill feeding close-by with the ibis. As we walked around the marsh, a Bluethroat popped up right next to me - sadly it had its back turned so the best part of the bird went unnoticed as it soon dived into cover! Two Night Heron flew overhead and soon the dull reeling of a

Savi’s Warbler was heard. Over the next two hours, we got closer and closer until they seemed right next to us, but despite at least four birds singing at the same time not one was seen. A pair of Yellow Wagtail flew over, a Black Kite flew in to catch fish and another Bluethroat gave excellent views singing from bush tops within the reeds. A Cirl Bunting was in a nearby tree. A very productive morning visit.

After breakfast we visited the Chausée Neuve, where the colony of Whiskered Terns - easily up to 80 birds - was in full action. Three pairs of nesting Black-winged Stilt were present, as was a nesting Spoonbill. Turtle Dove and Little Egret were common here. The heronries mentioned in previous reports were only very small, consisting entirely of Greys, though a tree-full of Sacred Ibis was an impressive sight.

In the afternoon we took a trip to the reserve naturelle at Rozé, stopping en-route for the cormorant colony N of Saint-Joachim. At the reserve we soon found Fan-tailed Warbler, with Spoonbill, Little Ringed Plover and Green Sandpiper on the scrapes. Over the marshes we picked up a single Black Tern, some very distant Purple Herons, a flying White Stork and many Black Kite. Returning down the path, a Night Heron gave stunning views - first flying, then in a tree 10ft away, as did a Yellow Wagtail.

To avoid any more heat, we took a walk in a small wood near Herbignac, which produced two Cuckoo and a very brief female Hen Harrier flushed off a haystack, as well as more White Admiral and Silver-washed Fritillary.

3.7.06 : Briere & Golfe du Morbihan

This morning’s early morning start was hampered by light rain, and the only bird seen was a Night Heron, though both Bearded Tit and Savi’s Warbler were heard. Flocks of Sacred Ibis were an impressive sight overhead, and we enjoyed views of both Coypu and a more distant Otter.

We reached the Marais de Sene Reserve at lunchtime, where we wondered if the combination of Turtle Dove and Cirl Bunting on the same wire would still be possible in England. The marshes held limited species; many Avocets, two flying Black-winged Stilts, a Greenshank and calling Dartford Warbler in addition to a showy Fan-tailed Warbler.

Our last birding stop of the day was the Point de Penvins, where Sandwich and Common Terns were fishing offshore. Kentish Plover was soon picked up on the large area of mudflats - at least three in total - but these were quite distant as the tide was out.

This evening back at St Lyphard, the roost provided three Night Heron, a Spoonbill and a reeling Savi’s Warbler, but the best sighting was an Otter that popped up right next to us before taking a fish.

4.7.06 : Briere Marshes & Forêt de Gavre

The same morning walk provided excellent views of Night Heron again and prolonged if distant views of a territorial Bluethroat. Cetti’s Warbler joined Savi’s on the growing “heard” list, but several Coypu were a bit less subtle as they crashed across the path.

The Foret de Gavre is a brilliant place filled with clear, well-marked paths. We walked south of the central crossroads, soon picking up families of Crested Tit which gave stunning views. Short-toed Treecreepers were quite common and Marsh Tit showed. Hours later, several woodpeckers had called, including at least one Middle-spotted and a Black, but neither showed. Much later in the walk, a pair of Bonelli’s Warbler was a personal highlight but a Spotted Flycatcher was good to see as well. A further stop along the Route Forestière de Carheil produced a brief Dartford Warbler, calling Melodious Warbler and Middle-spotted Woodpecker, and two Large Tortoiseshell around the pines. In the evening back at St Lyphard, we enjoyed excellent views of some quite cuddly Muskrats - though initially mistaking them for beavers!

5.7.06 : Guérande, Foret de Gavre and Nantes-Brest Canal

After a brilliant morning’s visit to Guérande, we had a brief look at the saltpans, where hundreds of Avocets outnumbered the less common Black-winged Stilt (two) and Ruff (one). It was too late for the Bluethroats in the scorching heat, so we moved on to the Foret de Gavre.

Stopping at the Rond Point de Carheil off the D164, a pair of Honey Buzzard gave a brilliant aerial display, but another stop in a clearing produced the same “heard” ticks as yesterday. Giving up, we moved off the Guenrouet.

As soon as we got out of the car, we heard at least two Golden Oriole calling from the poplars beside the Nantes-Brest canal, but the density of these trees made viewing them impossible. A walk south along the canal produced numerous Turtle Doves and calling Hoopoe. It was looking like a washout when a Golden Oriole suddenly fluted right next to us, and two birds shot away overhead. Half an hour later we were still struggling to see any, with at least six birds calling to each other from trees across the canal. Suddenly, a static gleam of yellow showed in an oak and there it was - a stunning male oriole sitting in the open, soon followed by up to five others - another male, two females and two juveniles. What a bird - “best till last” again!