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France Pays De La Loire

Bullfinch Pyrrhula pyrrhula �Gerd Rossen http://www.digital-nature-photography.com/

The region consists of the Departments of: Loire-Atlantique, Maine-et-Loire, Mayenne, Sarthe & Vendee. The traditional Provinces of: Anjou, Bretagne, Maine & Poitou.

Wine, chateaux, Little Bustards, and Whiskered Terns - all within 20 miles of Saumur. What more could you possibly ask for? This is a superbly biodiverse region with some knockout wildlife which includes breeding European Beavers.

top sites

Foret de Pail - Cornich de Pail

Between Villaines la Juhel and Pre en Pail, the Corniche (an area of heath with a few trees) holds breeding Nightjars and Hen Harriers. Occassional Black Stork, Honey Buzzard, Black Kite and numerous heathland birds. The forest also has Goshawk, Hobby, and Scops Owl all breeding.

Foret de Sill�

Foret de Sill�This is close to Sill� le Guillaume (from which follow signs to La Plage) which is 33kms north-west of Le Mans. Park in the often very crowded car park and visit the lake and the woodland for Black, Middle-spotted, and Grey-headed woodpeckers, Crossbills, Wood, Bonelli`s, and Melodious Warblers. Examine carefully the foraging tit flocks for Lesser-spotted Woodpeckers and Firecrests.

Lac de Grande Lieu

South of the River Loire at Nantes. There are 4 well-known points of access [but there must be more].
1. St. Aignan Grandlieu - A short walk from the signposted car park. Excellent views but a scope is recommended. Good for waders and terns.
2. Pont St. Martin - Park at the side of the river bridge then walk to the lake through various marshland habitats. Excellent in spring and early summer.
3. Passay - Observatory tower for visitors but go down to the lake itself. During one May visit we had Night Heron, Purple Heron, Great White Egret, and Black Kite.
4.St. Lumine-de-Coutais - Drive to informal car park at end of Rue du Stade (D71). We had 7-800 Whiskered Terns here.

contributor

Roy Croucher
Northern France Wildlife Tours
(Averton, Mayenne)
nfwt@online.fr
http://www.northernfrancewildlifetours.com

useful reading

Books, CDs etc

For guides to France n general, or more than one region see the Fatbirder France page...

clubs

Ligue pour la Protection des Oiseaux Anjou

http://www.lpo-anjou.org/
Anjou - a great place for the naturalist in Western France. Throughout the year, the best of Anjou wildlife can be seen in these specially selected birdwatching spots...

Ligue pour la Protection des Oiseaux - Loire-Atlantique

http://loire-atlantique.lpo.fr/
Bienvenue sur le site de la Ligue pour la Protection des Oiseaux de Loire-Atlantique. Vous pourrez y trouver, toutes les informations sur la LPO et ses activit�s, une base de donn�es sur les oiseaux � observer mois apr�s mois en Loire-Atlantique...

reserves

Parc Mayenne

http://www.mayenneparc.com
The Parc and surrounding areas are home to many birds and already growing as a known bird watching retreat...

trip reports

Travelling Birder
http://www.travellingbirder.com
The Travellingbirder.com birding trip report search engine guides you to 7,000+ birding trip reports on the Internet. You can search for trip reports from a specific country and time of year. Not all these reports are in English. So, if you can�t find the trip report you want on this Fatbirder page� give them a try!

tour operators

Birding Pal

http://www.birdingpal.org/France.htm
Local birders willing to show visiting birders around their area...

Northern France Wildlife Tours

http://www.northernfrancewildlifetours.com
Northern France Wildlife Tours Ltd, based in Averton, Mayenne, was born when Roy and Shirley Croucher realised that breeding Black Woodpeckers, Little Bustards and White Storks were well worth stopping for. When they found country lanes lined with orchids and cowslips, over which danced Swallowtail and Clouded Yellow Butterflies and Hummingbird Hawk Moths, they were convinced!

places to stay

Cottage - Mayenne Region of Western Loire

http://www.rentcom.info/Village%20House/711.html
We are in the Mayenne region of Western Loire, 12kms from Mayenne itself. We are within an hour of the famous city of Le Mans, Alen�on, famed for lace making, and the beautiful and historic tourist town of Lassay les Chateaux. Situated on an English owned fermette amid beautiful rolling countryside on the edge of a National Park and long distance path. We are surrounded by accessible woodland and scenic footpaths. There are a variety of lake and water sport sites in the region, including the Coco plage at Sille le Guillaume. Ideal for walking, cycling, fishing (in season) bird watching, nature watching or just plain enjoyment of the gentle pace of life and the local food and wine! Mail Sue Coleman - sue.coleman@wanadoo.fr

La Basse Cour, Ancinnes, Pays de la Loire

http://www.normandie-chambres.co.uk/birds.html
This XVIII century Normandy farmhouse has three beautiful en-suite guest rooms (chambres d'h�tes) approved by G�tes de France. The guest house is in a lovely setting by a lake, surrounded by wooded and planted gardens on the fringes of the Forest of Perseigne, straddling the Orne (Normandy) and Sarthe (Pays de Loire)...

La Confiance - Champ d�oeuf

http://www.laconfiance.net/
WELCOME to La Confiance at Champ d�oeuf our delightful Chambre d�hote and self catering Gite in the South Loire region of France, on the edge of the Brenne National Parc, known as the land of a 1,000 lakes, where you can walk, birdwatch, or even sit on the beach at Bellbouche.

Loire Gites

http://www.loire-gites.com
Here at Le Chant d'Oiseau we don't promise anything but a place to relax, unwind and cast aside the pressures of everyday life. Whether relaxing in the sun with a good read, or meandering the quiet country lanes by bike or on foot, we invite you to soak up the peace and tranquility of rural France at its most enchanting...

Place de l'Eglise - Mayenne

http://www.northernfrancewildlifetours.com/
Place de l`Eglise is a 12th century house with a fascinating history. It rests in the centre of the peaceful agricultural village of Averton in Mayenne and has been sympathetically refurbished to the highest standard. The base of your wildlife holiday will be our home where you will find peace and comfort during your stay. We have three guest bedrooms; one multi, one double and one single. You will have your own first floor shower and toilet facilities. Meals are a shared experience; international dishes prepared and cooked by Shirley, who is a qualified chef.

mailing lists

obs18

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/obs18/
To post to list:obs18@yahoogroups.com
List contact:obs18-owner@yahoogroups.com
To subscribe to list:obs18-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Obs ornithologiques dans le CHER - Voici le lieu o� �changer toutes vos observations Ornithologiques faites dans le Cher.(On pourrait m�me d�border un peu ;traverser la Loire...)

Obs49

http://fr.groups.yahoo.com/group/obs49/
To post to list:obs49@yahoogroupes.fr
List contact:obs49-owner@yahoogroupes.fr
To subscribe to list:obs49-subscribe@yahoogroupes.fr
Mailing List � Discussion Group French group for local observations in Maine-et-Loire (fran�ais)
Cette liste sert � diffuser les observations naturalistes r�alis�es en Maine-et-Loire, France

ObsMaine

http://fr.groups.yahoo.com/group/obsmaine/
To post to list:obsmaine@yahoogroupes.fr
List contact:Pierre-Victor Vandenweghe cvdw@noos.fr
To subscribe to list:obsmaine-subscribe@yahoogroupes.fr
Discussion group for observations, birds and nature in Maine (French). Most members of MNE (Mayenne) and GSO (Sarthe) are on this list. There you may ask for an English-speaking birder guide, or any question about watching birds all around the country.
Liste locale d`observations d`oiseaux �largie � la faune et la flore des d�partements de la Mayenne et de la Sarthe.

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