
	World Birding British Birding Miscellany & Fun Birdnews Travel Library Bird Families Ornithology Sight & Sounds Equipment/Supplies

birding...

France Poitou Charentes

dshank Tringa totanus ŠAshley Beolens http://www.beolens.co.uk/digiscoping/

The region consists of the Departments of: Charente, Charente-Maritime, Deux-Sevre & Vienne. The traditional Provinces of: Angoumois, Aunis, Poitou & Saintonge.

top sites

Brenne National Park

This vast unspoilt park is a well kept secret and is approximately a 3 hour drive south of Paris. It covers 166,000 hectares and includes 2,234 lakes so is an ideal location for anyone who enjoys picturesque scenery. There are no charges for access to this vast park. The celebrated La Creuse River cuts a wide arc across the Brenne centre, from Argenton-Sur-Creuse in the east to Tournon Saint-Martin in the west. The many resident and migrant birds found within the Brenne include: Purple Heron, Black necked Grebe, Bittern, Whiskered Tern, Short Toed Eagle - This is a fraction of the total of 267 recorded within the Brenne. When booking with Les Maisons http://www.lesmaisons.co.uk/ [see below] remember to request your free 50-page Guide to the Brenne. Amongst the facts and other information, it offers suggested routes around the park. The wealth of interest in the Brenne is diverse covering subjects such as fish-farming and bee-keeping. It also includes a variety of exciting sports, a number of gourmet restaurants and other places to eat, a host of artists & crafts, a number of impressive chateaux, along with a wide variety of farm honey and cheeses, and other tasty produce, much of which is exclusive to this very special, unspoilt region of France.

useful reading

Books, CDs etc

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

clubs

Le Groupe Ornithologique des Deux-Sčvres

http://gods.free.fr/
Le Groupe Ornithologique des Deux-Sčvres est une association de protection de la nature. Elle a pour vocation l`observation, l`étude et la protection des oiseaux sauvages, nicheurs, hivernants ou migrateurs du département des Deux-Sčvres. Le GODS se veut ętre un acteur primordial de la conservation des oiseaux qui constituent un patrimoine naturel du département. Notre association regroupe tous ceux pour qui l`ornithologie, au delŕ d`une passion, constitue la marque du respect de notre environnement.

L`Observatoire de L`Environnement de Poitou-charentes

http://www.observatoire-environnement.org/OBSERVATOIRE/
L`objectif est de soutenir les projets visant ŕ valoriser les données et de mettre en place les conditions d`une meilleure connaissance partagée de notre environnement dans la perspective d`un développement durable des territoires.

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 cant find the trip report you want on this Fatbirder page give them a try!

2001 [Spring] - Daryl Rhymes

http://www.birdtours.co.uk/tripreports/france/charante2/charante2001.htm
This was a short holiday to the Atlantic coast of France from 4th-12th May 2001. It was not a birding holiday as I was with my (non-birding) partner Laura, but nonetheless I did spend most early mornings out locally and we did drop in at other sites during the day. The area we stayed was near Les Matthes, about 20 minutes drive from Royan to the east. We stayed in a mobile home in a Haven Holidays park, which, because we visited outside the main holiday periods, was very cheap and very quiet. This would not be the case during the school holidays!

2004 [August] - Les Hull

http://www.birdtours.co.uk/tripreports/france/charante3/char-04.htm
...First two days stayed on Ile de Re staying at Rivedoux Plage, plenty of birds in the sea, flying past and on the shore with plenty of Little Egrets present. We did go to The Lilleau des Niges Nature Reserve that is at the far end of the island. There is a visitor centre there but no hides or map but they do speak English. Follow the path then any of the numerous paths that skirt some of the salt marshes...

local guides

Birding Pal

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

places to stay

Chez Touvenot - Charente-Maritime

http://www.cheztouvenot.com/
Chez Touvenot is situated in the pretty little village of Nieul le Virouil. It is approximately five minutes drive from the A10 autoroute from Paris to the South. It is in the Charente-Maritime department close to the Gironde estuary and the beautiful unspoilt beaches of and around Royan. The village lies between the two market towns of Mirambeau and Jonzac. The regional capital, the Romano town of Saintes and the historic city of Bordeaux are both approximately forty minutes drive away...

Les Maisons - Apartments

http://www.lesmaisons.co.uk/
The edge of the amazing Brenne National Park is a 10-15 minute drive from Les Maisons Apartments in St Benoit du Sault....

mailing lists

Obsvpc - Obs-Vendée-Poitou-Charentes

http://fr.groups.yahoo.com/group/obsvpc/
To post to list:obsvpc@yahoogroupes.fr
List contact:obsvpc-owner@yahoogroupes.fr
To subscribe to list:obsvpc-subscribe@yahoogroupes.fr
Discussion group for observations, birds and nature in Vendée-Poitou-Charentes (French). Most members of local ornithological societies or LPO are on this list. There you may ask for an English-speaking birder guide, or any question about watching birds all around the country.

back to the top of this page

Site developed by
PlanetWorks
and Firecast