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Loire Valley & Loire-Anjou-Touraine (1 Viewer)

Jonny Rankin

Formerly Jonny Crossbill
Hi All,

I am visiting family in the Loire during August.

I have being promised a lift to Loire-Anjou-Touraine one day. I wondered if any birders on here have visited the region recently or know some good areas to visit? Any info / website links very gratefully received :t:

I found a couple of sites, but non list the species of the Loire or any specialities going.

Cheers,

Jonny
 
Loire Valley...

Few days over in Loire were superb.... not really anytime for proper a birding sesh but took bins everywhere and clocked up over 50 sp including Melodious Warbler, Short-toed Treecreeper and plenty of Cirl Bunting.

Best thing I did was a boat trip led by a lady from the LPO (http://www.lpo-anjou.org/) sadly she spoke only in French & I understood nowt!

The boat left from Saint Clement des Levees just a couple villages up stream from where I was staying and was on the water for around an hour and half - it allowed great views of 4 Osprey fishing, and the many Common Sands and LRP's along the sand bars, I also clocked 4 Curlew off the boat. The companies website is: http://www.loiredelumiere.com/ and it was a reasonable 8 euros for the trip.

That aside all the birds I saw were around the village of Saint-Martin de-la-Place, nothing exceptional but Hobby, Turtle Dove and Serin within the garden and immediately surrounds of the house.

I wasnt affored a chance for any more hardcore birding or to explore differnet habitats but there was massive potential with endless poplar plantations, deciduous and mixed forest, plenty of arable land, rocky outcrops and of course the wide river valley.

With the affordable Ryanair flights I'd defo consider a pure birding holiday over in the Loire :t:
 
Jonny

I too went to the Loire, just south of Tours, and found it difficult to find information on where to watch birds. I go to France every year but find the lack of information on birding and birding sites to be very frustrating. Don't get me wrong I have seen many birds which if it wasn't for the location I wouldn't have seen but you have to go out and find them.

I think we take it for granted that in the UK we have such a diverse network of birders that if you want information on what or where to watch it is there on request.

This year we were driving along a country road amongst farmland when my wife asked what were those birds in that field? A quick screech to a halt and reverse along the road revealed 8 white stork feeding in a farmers field.

A fabulous area for birds but I wish there was a better network to give information to those visiting the area. Having said in the next few years I plan to live over there for at least part of the year so hopefully I will be able to give much more information on the birding sites and what to look out for.

Brian
 
Jonny

I too went to the Loire, just south of Tours, and found it difficult to find information on where to watch birds. I go to France every year but find the lack of information on birding and birding sites to be very frustrating. Don't get me wrong I have seen many birds which if it wasn't for the location I wouldn't have seen but you have to go out and find them.

I think we take it for granted that in the UK we have such a diverse network of birders that if you want information on what or where to watch it is there on request.

This year we were driving along a country road amongst farmland when my wife asked what were those birds in that field? A quick screech to a halt and reverse along the road revealed 8 white stork feeding in a farmers field.

A fabulous area for birds but I wish there was a better network to give information to those visiting the area. Having said in the next few years I plan to live over there for at least part of the year so hopefully I will be able to give much more information on the birding sites and what to look out for.

Brian

Hi Brian,

Very jealous of your White Stork - I had hoped to connect with one on me last visit.

Agreed its definitely a fabulous area for birds... & largely unexplored I believe.

I found a little more info online about the Dordogne when I went last year... & had a much more productive few days there than in the Loire; Woodchat and Red-backed Shrike, Golden Oriole and Honey Buzzard which I didnt manage on my last trip.

You'll have to start a thread on here when you move and show everyone the potential ;)

Cheers,

Jonny
 
Jonny

I wish I had found these before:t:

Some excellent and very informative reports on that site. Needless to say it has now been bookmarked for a lot of winter reading;)

Brian
 
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