Trip reports
LA BRENNE 11 - 15 May 2009
Monday, 11 May 2009
La Brenne is a relatively small area, 30km x 20km, containing a patchwork of many different habitats: meadows, hedgerows, lowland heath, woodland and many lakes (etangs). The whole area is criss-crossed by a multitude of narrow lanes and footpaths with flower-filled verges: in the spring, there's birdsong everywhere. Fish, primarily carp, are farmed in the mostly privately owned lakes. Each year, some are drained and repaired, the fish being harvested and usually exported to eastern Europe.
The Brenne's wildlife visitor centre - La Maison de la Nature et de la Reserve - is the best starting point, as Tony Williams (TW), an English naturalist who has lived in Brenne for 25 years, can help you with the latest information on where to find the birds and prevent you visiting lakes which are dry and relatively birdless, (email lpo.brenne@aliceadsl.fr). You can also request an annual newsletter, sent out every January, by using this address.
On Day 1, we arrived at Champ d'oeuf at 4.30pm, in hot and sunny conditions, to be greeted by Sue and Chris with very welcome tea and freshly baked cakes. This set the trend for our visit, as Chris is a trained chef and Sue an excellent cook. (Evening meals are 5 course, 3 hour affairs, using much local produce, and preceded by aperitifs!). Garden birds include blackcap, black redstart, nightingale, cirl bunting and turtle dove - not a bad start!, but perhaps eclipsed by stone curlew in the large sunflower field opposite the entrance to the property, and Montague's harriers nesting within 1km of the house, and frequently seen from the garden. Although we were having our meals at La Confiance, it is not large enough for 9, so 3 of our party were located at a lovely private house, 4km north, near Azay. The minor road between the two properties passes through farmland and a couple of hamlets. Driving this road gave excellent views of harriers, both Montague's and Hen, which also nest locally, plus a number of species not recorded elsewhere, including breeding wheatear.
After a spectacular late evening thunderstorm, day 2 started dry and bright, with a delicious continental style breakfast. The drive to the visitor centre only takes 20 minutes, provided that you ignore the birds! TW had agreed to meet us on a day when the centre is normally closed. What's more, he opened the Cistude hide for us, revealing not just great views of whiskered terns, which breed here in their hundreds, but also stunning black necked grebes, with their golden ear tufts and bright red eyes gleaming in the sunshine. Several purple herons were being admired, before one of our party spotted possibly the best bird of the trip, a female little bittern, only a few yards from the hide. TW told us that a pair of these rare herons was nesting close by. The allocated hour passed very quickly; so armed with information on the best places to visit we first drove the short distance south towards Etang Miclot. As the road bends slightly right (southwest), there is a pull-in on the left, from where the sentier (footpath) to Miclot starts. It is well worth standing on the raised section of the pull-in and looking west across a large reedbed, especially if the weather conditions are good. In 30 minutes, we saw osprey, female hen harrier, 2 black crowned night herons and displaying zitting cisticola. TW had advised us of the latter, adding that finding another might be difficult. Sedge and reed warblers were in song here, and an unseen Bonelli's warbler was singing 200yds up the sentier. Several tree pipits were also in song, with one indulging in a full display flight. The area is well known for black kites. Many were seen, outnumbering marsh harriers ten to one.
Our next stop was the Etang Foucault. We visited just the main hide which faces west, so is ideal during the morning. This year, this lake hosted breeding black winged stilts - such strange looking waders. By now it was time to find a place for our packed lunch, and in the hot dry weather it was decided to visit a small reserve south of Rosnay. Les Communaux is accessed from the D32 and is important more for flowers than birds, with tongue orchids the most prominent plant. Nevertheless, birdwatching from a small hillock proved profitable, as the scrub played host to our first melodious warblers and corn buntings of the trip. Additionally, a distant red backed shrike was 'scoped and 3 participants managed to see a "normally invisible" male golden oriole that perched briefly in full view. After lunch we drove back past Foucault to the Etang du Blizon. A short walk north along the sentier allowed us to overlook the southern end of the lake. Here several red crested pochards were watched. These birds normally breed on the Etang de Gabriere, further west, but this huge lake is dry this year, so the birds have relocated. Three black terns, uncommon breeders amonst the whiskered terns, were also found at Blizon. We finished the day at the Etang d'Essarts, which has a large east facing hide. The black headed gull colony was in full swing and more black necked grebes were enjoyed, including one individual that sailed right in front of the hide. Outside the hide, a yellowhammer was singing, and then a pair of much nearer red backed shrikes was spotted investigating a dense bramble bush. The checklist that evening revealed that 73 species had been recorded.
After more overnight rain, Day 3 dawned cooler, with the rain moving away slowly to the east. Our primary location today was the Foret de Lancosme, on the eastern side of the Park. Various woodpeckers breed here but are notoriously difficult to find. We started in a clearing by the D11/D21 junction, southeast of Vendoeuvres. Here, a great spotted woodpecker was at a nesthole feeding noisy young, a short toed treecreeper was singing and tree pipits were collecting nesting material from the woodland floor. With coffee/trail mix time beckoning, we drove the short distance to Chappelle St Sulpice. The chapel is set in a pretty clearing with a small picnic area and wildflower meadow. With the sun now fully out and the temperature rising rapidly, conditions for soaring raptors were good, and this is the perfect place to watch them from. In fact we liked the spot so much we returned for lunch. Common buzzards, honey buzzards, a hobby and a pale phase booted eagle were all seen from here. Between coffee and lunch we walked back to the D21 and then northwestwards on a track recommended by TW to give us a chance of other woodpeckers. Unfortunately none were detected but, having given us the runaround, a singing Bonelli's warbler was well seen by all, and a short toed treecreeper was watched taking nesting material to a dead tree right by the track. There was also the bonus of a singing wood warbler.
Our second location, for the afternoon session, was Neons sur Creuse, to the west of the Park, with the target species being bee eater. However, driving back to Vendoeuvres, via the D11A, we chanced upon a short toed eagle, with a snake dangling from its bill. The bird was soaring low over the road, gaining sufficient height before overflying the forest to the west. TW had advised us that the bee eaters (4 pairs), had arrived a few days earlier, but were not at their usual site on the river Creuse, but instead were with sand martins at a roadside colony just south of the neighbouring town of Tournon St Martin. We duly located his spot on the map and watched these lovely birds circling above the sand bank. Neons sur Creuse was still worth a visit however. You access the river by driving around the church to a small park with a children's play area and loos. The lane which runs parallel to the river has good views of riverside poplars and here 2 male golden orioles were disputing territory, allowing everyone excellent looks at this stunning species. Whilst doing so, a pair of bee eaters arrived, so maybe the site will be used after all.
Day 4 was much damper and cooler. As most of the region's specialities had been seen, it was decided initially to drive the local roads. This gave everyone the chance to catch up with the only serin of the trip, plus several crested larks. Both species were at a roadside farm at La Cordasserie, midway between Champ D'oeuf and Azay. Just north of the D14 at La Couture, southeast of Azay, a pair of red legged partridges were new birds, and a second stone curlew was seen. A second visit was then made to the Cistude hide, but this time there was no sign of the little bittern. TW had advised of another possible woodpecker site, just north of the village of La Caillaudiere, near Vendoeuvres. The drive there took place in rain, but just before the D24/D21 intersection, a black woodpecker flashed past the front of the vehicle. Alas only 4 of the party saw this bird. However, there was some recompense in the orchards just south of La Caillaudiere, when the only hoopoe of the trip was found feeding on short grass, and then on several occasions in flight ,while we stopped for lunch. The subsequent forest walk gave only distant calls of middle spotted woodpecker - alas no sightings. Our final birding stop was at the Etang de la Mer Rouge, where the best bird was a very obliging reed warbler, and another red backed shrike in a bush opposite the car park. The role call that evening revealed that the trip had recorded a very respectable 102 species.
Species recorded
Great Crested Grebe - very common, on most etangs.
Little Grebe - common
Black necked Grebe - common
Cormorant - found in small numbers on most etangs.
Black crowned Night Heron - just the 2 seen
Grey Heron - common
Purple Heron - found in small numbers. Nest visible from Cistude hide
Little Bittern - just the 1 seen
Little Egret - small numbers
Cattle Egret - found near livestock
Great White Egret - just 1 seen (not yet a breeding bird in La Brenne)
Mute Swan - small numbers
Canada Goose - 2 pairs noted
Mallard - common
Northern Shoveler - a few seen, Cistude and Foucault
Tufted Duck - reasonably common
Common Pochard - plentiful
Red Crested Pochard - 3 at Le Blizon
Gadwall - 3 pairs seen
Osprey - just the 1 sighting
Honey Buzzard - up to 5 birds seen
Black Kite - common
Short toed Eagle - just the 1 seen
Booted Eagle - just the 1 seen
Marsh Harrier - 3 birds seen
Hen Harrier - 4 males and 1 female seen
Montague's Harrier - 3 at Champ D'oeuf and 3 elsewhere
Sparrowhawk- 2 brief sightings
Common Buzzard - common
Hobby - 1 over Champ D'oeuf and 1 at St Sulpice
Common Kestrel - reasonably common
Pheasant - only 2 sightings
Moorhen - uncommon
Coot - reasonably common
Black winged stilt - 10 at Foucault
Stone Curlew - 2 sightings
Red legged partridge - just the 1 sighting
Lapwing - quite common
Common Sandpiper - 1 at Neons, seen just by 1 of the party
Black headed Gull - very common
Black Tern - 5 birds seen
Whiskered Tern - very common
Feral Pigeon - noted and then ignored
Wood Pigeon - reasonably common
Collared Dove - seen near habitation
Turtle Dove - quite common, particularly at Champ D'oeuf
Cuckoo - seen and heard frequently
Swift - common
Hoopoe - just the 1
Black Woodpecker - 1 heard and 1 seen
Green Woodpecker - seen on 3 occasions
Great Spotted Woodpecker - 4 sightings
Wheatear - breeding in a log pile on just southwest of Azay
Skylark - several seen and heard
Crested Lark - at La Cordasserie and La Couture
Sand Martin - only at Tournon
Swallow - very common
House Martin - common in towns and villages
Tree Pipit - seen on several occasions
White Wagtail - a few seen throughout
Wren - remarkably uncommon - several heard, but only 2 sightings
Dunnock - only 2 seen
Nightingale - many heard, only 2 brief sightings by some of the party
Stonechat - very common
Robin - as wren above, strictly a forest bird in La Brenne
Black Redstart - common in towns and villages
Mistle Thrush - 1 at St Sulpice
Song Thrush - several heard, but only 1 sighting
Blackbird - very common
Zitting Cisticola - just the 1 sighting
Melodious Warbler - quite common, including 1 just north of the Sue & Chris'garden
Chiffchaff - several heard, 2 sightings
Blackcap - very common
Garden Warbler - seen briefly at the Le Blizon car park, 2 others heard
Common Whitethroat - quite common throughout
Reed Warbler - heard regularly, seen twice
Sedge Warbler - best view at the Miclot pull in, several others heard
Western Bonelli's warbler - several heard, 1 seen
Wood Warbler - just the 1 seen
European Bee eater - as noted
Blue Tit - a few seen
Great Tit - as above
Long tailed Tit - feeding party at St Sulpice
Nuthatch - just 1 seen in the Foret de Lancosme
Short toed treecreeper - several heard, 3 sightings
Red backed shrike - 5 sightings
Jay - quite common, seen mostly in flight
Magpie - seen daily in small numbers
Carrion Crow - as magpie
Jackdaw - best viewed at the Foret
Starling - seen daily in small numbers
Golden Oriole - some exceptional views at Neons, heard daily
House Sparrow - seen daily in small numbers
Chaffinch - very common
Goldfinch - common
Greenfinch - uncommon
Linnet - 2 pairs seen
Serin - just the 1 singing male
Corn Bunting - 1 roadside male, otherwise several at Les Communaux
Yellowhammer - 3 males noted
Reed Bunting - uncommon, but best at the Miclot pull in
Cirl Bunting - quite common, with males in song easy to spot.
Additionally, the following butterflies were identified - Painted Lady, Wood White, Green veined White, Peacock, Southern White Admiral, Scarce Swallowtail, Brimstone, Red Admiral, Wall Brown, Small Heath, Speckled Wood, A Blue, possibly common blue was on the meadow at St Sulpice, and a small unidentified fritillary was also seen.
European Pond Tortoises ("cistude") were observed; coypu was seen on several etangs. Wall lizards were noted on several occasions, and an unidentified bright green lizard was in a bush on the sentier du blazon. Marsh frogs were common, including a large specimen at the Maison du Parc pond.
Reported by Steve Oakes