France - SE Bretagne & Vendée 29 April - 7 May 2007
Birding trip report John van der Woude  -  http://johnbirding.wolweb.nl
From a cottage along the river Villaine we visited several birding areas mentioned in the new Where to watch birds in France (Dubois 2006). We got a nice array of bird species, both coastal and inland species. We had hoped to see lots of migrating waders in the estuaries etc. but in general this is not comparable to Holland where the numbers are far higher. The weather was generally good, the sunny climate of SW France starts about here.
Map of the northern part of the area, from Google Maps. Numbers refer to the sites of the photos below.
Same for southern part of the area. Same scale.
(1 on map above) A first glance at the Golfe de Morbihan, N of Sarzeau.
(2) Marsh reserve at the Chateau de Suscinio, S of Sarzeau. Bluethroat, Cetti's Warbler.
(3) View from Sissable in the Guérande salt marsh area.
(4) View at the Atlantic ocean from the Pointe de Croisic. Many Wheatear having a stopover.
(5) The Grande Brière inland marsh area. Whiskered Tern.
(5) Grande Brière just before a thunderstorm.
(6) Tidal mudflats along the old causeway to the Noirmoutier island. Mostly Dunlin.
(7) Gull colony in the Sébastopol polder reserve on the Noirmoutier island. Here, a Slender-billed Gull was paired to a Mediterranean Gull. Many Med Gulls.
(8) At the Pointe de l'Herbaudière in the NW corner of the Noirmoutier island. Turnstones.
(9) Good polder area E of Noirmoutier island although June is a bit late for this habitat.
(10) Back in the Golfe de Morbihan, at the Séné marsh reserve.
(11) Wet meadow along the Vilaine, near our village Béganne. Fan-tailed Warbler.
On the way back home, a short visit to the seabird colony of Cap Fréhel along the North coast of Bretagne. We also had our only Dartford Warbler here.
Further North, a view of the scenery of inland Normandy, near Pont-d'Ouilly.
Species list: Great Crested Grebe Fulmar Cormorant Shag Cattle Egret Little Egret Grey Heron Sacred Ibis Spoonbill Mute Swan Greylag Goose Shelduck Gadwall Teal Mallard Garganey Shoveler Tufted Duck Black Kite Marsh Harrier Hen Harrier Montagu's Harrier Buzzard Kestrel Hobby Pheasant Moorhen Coot Oystercatcher Black-winged Stilt Avocet Little Ringed Plover Ringed Plover Kentish Plover Grey Plover Lapwing Sanderling Curlew Sandpiper Dunlin Snipe Black-tailed Godwit Bar-tailed Godwit Whimbrel	Curlew Redshank Greenshank Turnstone Great Skua Mediterranean Gull Little Gull Black-headed Gull Slender-billed Gull Common Gull Lesser Black-backed Gull Herring Gull Great Black-backed Gull Kittiwake Sandwich Tern Common Tern Little Tern Whiskered Tern Guillemot Rock Dove Stock dove Wood Pigeon Collared Dove Turtle Dove Cuckoo Tawny Owl Swift Kingfisher Hoopoe Green Woodpecker Great Spotted Woodpecker Wood Lark Sky Lark Barn Swallow House Martin Tree Pipit Meadow Pipit Rock Pipit Yellow Wagtail Grey Wagtail White Wagtail Wren Dunnock	Robin Bluethroat Black Redstart Stonechat Wheatear Blackbird Song Thrush Mistle Thrush Cetti's Warbler Fan-tailed Warbler Sedge Warbler Reed Warbler Dartford Warbler Lesser Whitethroat Whitethroat Garden Warbler Blackcap Wood Warbler Chiffchaff Willow Warbler Goldcrest Firecrest Long-tailed Tit Crested Tit Blue Tit Great Tit Nuthatch Short-toed Treecreeper Jay Magpie Jackdaw Rook Carrion Crow Starling House Sparrow Chaffinch Serin Greenfinch Goldfinch Linnet Yellowhammer Reed Bunting