Normandy August 2012
RAD
Introduction:
I visited Normandy for a family camping holiday, with the aim of giving the children a beach holiday, to visit another country and to fuel my eldest’s interest in history prior to covering WWII at school in the year ahead. We also wanted to visit Sword Beach, where my Grandfather took his landing craft. Any birding would be a bonus!
We travelled on the Brittany Ferries “Vomit Comet” from Poole to Cherbourg which gives a 2.5 hour crossing, but lived up to it’s nickname in a rough outbound crossing! The trip out of Poole harbour takes you past the brackish lagoon of Brownsea Island where birds seen included Spoonbill, Black-tailed Godwit and Knot, not recorded in Normandy.
We stayed at Le Grand Large campsite: http://www.campinglegrandlarge.com/campsite-france.html which is on the west coast of the Cotentin peninsula. I would thoroughly recommend this campsite if you are travelling with a family. It has everything you could need; swimming pool, play and sports areas, shop, café, bar and of course a large sandy beach! The supermarket in Les Pieux was also only minutes away.
The weather was predictably changeable, with only a couple of rain affected days. However, we did suffer from a prolonged gale that began at about 1am, continued all through the next day and night and finally blew itself out late the following morning! It certainly tested the durability of our tent which stood the test very well!
The coastline is very picturesque and ranges from long sandy beaches, backed by dunes, such as Utah Beach to cliffs and headlands, particularly in the north of the Cotentin.
As I mentioned, the focus was on fun, culture and history so we visited numerous WWII sites, including all the landing beaches and Le Mont Saint- Michel, as well as several towns both inland and on the coast. We did not visit Bayeux as we had been to see the replica of it’s tapestry in Reading Museum earlier this year!
Unfortunately, I did not have a birding site guide with me but I have been recommended Jacquie Crozier’s Birdwatching Guide to France North of the Loire. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Birdwatching-Guide-France-North-Loire/dp/1900159767 - I’ll know next time!
There seems to be little information on birding in Normandy, in terms of trip reports but thanks to a very helpful person on Birdforum, I was directed to some useful information, including this trip very helpful trip report: http://www.nick-ransdale.com/articles_71999.html.
A large area of the southern Cotentin peninsula is the Cotentin Marshes Regional National Park - www.parc-cotentin-bessin.fr with the Maison du Parc in SAINT-CÔME-DU-MONT near Carentan. The lady there was very helpful, although she spoke no English, testing my French, unused for 25 years, to the limit!
Sites Visited
Maison du Parc Reserve, Saint-Come-du-Mont
This site is marsh and wet grassland with a freshwater lagoon with three hides and a 5.5km circuit, and is the centre for the Cotentin Marshes Regional National Park. The reserve costs €5 for an annual pass. I had an enjoyable afternoon walk around the reserve, especially showing a local family many birds from the main hide. I missed the Spotted Crake, seen the day before and any White Storks but had two mammal ticks in the form of Coypu and Muskrat, both of which are very easy to see and some good Dragonflies.
Beauguillot Reserve
This is a strip of coastal flood meadows, small saltmarsh and beach south of Utah Beach. There are two public hides overlooking the flood meadows and a coastal footpath going south from the main reserve area. Unfortunately, I visited at low tide.
Pointe du Hoc
An interesting historical site, still with many bomb craters. Any nesting seabirds had departed by our visit and the large number of tourists meant any passerines were keeping out of the way. A good site for Butterflies.
Utah Beach
We visited here late afternoon after the strong winds had finished and I managed to scope some seabirds whilst playing with the children in the sand!
Barfleur and it’s Lighthouse
We had fun in the rock pools but I had no time to sea watch from the lighthouse.
Species Lists:
Birds
1. LITTLE GREBE Tachybaptus ruficollis (Maison du Parc Reserve)
2. GREAT CRESTED GREBE Podiceps cristatus
3. MANX SHEARWATER Puffinus puffinus 1 from Utah Beach
4. GANNET Sula bassana Feeding Seen from all beaches, including at the campsite
5. CORMORANT Phalacrocorax carbo
6. SHAG Phalacrocorax aristotelis 1 at Pointe du Hoc
7. LITTLE EGRET Egretta garzetta Numerous everywhere
8. GREY HERON Ardea cinerea
9. MUTE SWAN Gygnus columbianus Maison du Parc Reserve
10. SHELDUCK Tadorna tadorna 2 at Beauguillot Reserve
11. MALLARD Anas platyrhynchos
12. SHOVELER Anas clypeata 10+ Maison du Parc Reserve
13. WIGEON Anas penelope 8 Maison du Parc Reserve
14. TEAL Anas crecca 8 Maison du Parc Reserve
15. GARGANEY Anas querquedula 3 Maison du Parc Reserve
16. EIDER Somateria mollisima 1 female Pointe du Hoc
17. COMMON SCOTER Melanitta nigra 30+ Utah Beach
18. MARSH HARRIER Circus aeruginosus Female Maison du Parc Reserve
19. COMMON BUZZARD Buteo buteo Everywhere
20. SPARROWHAWK Accipiter nisus
21. KESTREL Falco tinnunculus
22. MOORHEN Gallinula chloropus
23. COOT Fulica atra
24. OYSTERCATCHER Heamatopus ostralegus
25. RINGED PLOVER Charadrius hiaticula Beauguillot Reserve and Barfleur
26. LAPWING Vanellus vanellus 50+ Maison du Parc Reserve
27. SANDERLING Calidris maritima
28. TURNSTONE Arenaria interpres
29. DUNLIN Calidris alpina
30. GREEN SANDPIPER Tringa ochropus 4 Maison du Parc Reserve
31. COMMON SANDPIPER Actitis hypoleucos 1 Maison du Parc Reserve
32. REDSHANK Tringa totanus 2 Maison du Parc Reserve, 1 Beauguillot Reserve
33. GREENSHANK Tringa nebularia 1 Maison du Parc Reserve
34. CURLEW Numenius arquata 1 Beauguillot Reserve
35. SNIPE Gallinago gallinago 10+ Maison du Parc Reserve
36. GREAT SKUA Stercorarius skua 1 Off Utah Beach
37. ARCTIC SKUA Stercorarius parasticus 4 off Utah Beach 3 Dark, 1 Light
38. BLACK-HEADED GULL Larus ridibundus
39. COMMON GULL Larus canus
40. HERRING GULL Larus
41. LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL Larus fuscus
42. GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL Larus marinus
43. SANDWICH TERN Sterna sandvicensis Seen off all sandy beaches
44. COMMON TERN Sterna hirundo Common offshore
45. ARCTIC TERN Sterna paradisaea 2 ID’d off Utah Beach
46. LITTLE TERN Sternula albifrons 4 off Utah Beach
47. BLACK TERN Chlidonias niger 1 off Utah Beach
48. WOOD PIGEON Columba palumbus
49. COLLARED DOVE Streptopelia decaocto
50. TAWNY OWL Strix aluco 1 heard from campsite
51. SKYLARK Alauda arvensis
52. SWALLOW Hirundo rustica
53. HOUSE MARTIN Delichon urbica
54. SAND MARTIN Riparia riparia Small colony on Utah beach behind museum.
55. MEADOW PIPIT Anthus pratensis
56. WHITE WAGTAIL Motacilla alba
57. YELLOW WAGTAIL Motacilla flava flavissima 2 adults and 2 juv at Maison du Parc Reserve
58. WREN Troglodydes troglodytes
59. DUNNOCK Prunella modularis
60. STONECHAT Saxicola torquata Pointe du Hoc and behind Utah Beach
61. BLACKBIRD Turdus mirula
62. BLACKCAP Sylvia atricapilla Beauguillot Reserve
63. ZITTING CISTICOLA Cisticola juncidis 4+ at Beauguillot Reserve, one very obliging, giving far and away my best ever views.
64. REED WARBLER Acrocephalus scirpaceus Maison du Parc Reserve
65. SEDGE WARBLER Acrocephalus schoenobaenus Maison du Parc Reserve
66. WILLOW WARBLER Phylloscopus trochilus 1 on Mont St-Michel in tree near the summit
67. GREAT TIT Parus major
68. BLUE TIT Parus caerulens
69. MAGPIE Pica pica
70. JAY Garrulus glandarius
71. JACKDAW Corvus monedula
72. ROOK Corvus frugilegus
73. CARRION CROW Corvus corone corone
74. STARLING Sturnus vulgaris
75. HOUSE SPARROW Passer domesticus
76. CHAFFINCH Fringilla coelebs
77. LINNET Carduelis cannabina Some large flocks on coast, i.e. 80+
78. GOLDFINCH Carduelis carduelis
79. GREENFINCH Carduelis chloris
80. REED BUNTING Emberiza schoeniclus Maison du Parc Reserve
Butterflies
SWALLOWTAIL Papilio machaeon
SMALL WHITE Artogeia rapae
SMALL TORTOISESHELL Aglais urticae
COMMA Polygonia c-album
RED ADMIRAL Vanessa atalanta
PEACOCK Inachis io
PAINTED LADY Cynthia cardui
SPECKLED WOOD Pararge aegeria
GRAYLING Hipparchia semele
WALL BROWN Lasiommata megera
GATEKEEPER Pyronia tithonus
MEADOW BROWN Maniola jurtina
COMMON BLUE Polyommatus icarus
BROWN ARGUS Aricia agestis
HOLLY BLUE Celastrinas argiolus
LARGE SKIPPER Ochlodes venatus
Odonata
MIGRANT HAWKER Aeshna mixta
SOUTHERN HAWKER Aeshna cyanea
EMPEROR Anax imperator
BLACK-TAILED SKIMMER Orthetrum cancellatum
COMMON DARTER Sympetrum striolatum
SCARLET DARTER Crocothemis erythraea
BEAUTIFUL DEMOISELLE Calopteryx virgo
COMMON BLUE DAMSELFLY Enallagma cyathigerum
Mammals
FOX Vulpes vulpes
RABBIT Oryctolagus cuniculus
MUSKRAT Ondatra zibethicus
COYPU Myocastor coypus
Conclusions
Coastal Normandy provided us with a great family holiday and although our visit was not in a prime season for birding, a good range of species were seen in a few snippets of birding time.
A visit earlier in the year would offer the chance of species scarce the other side of the channel such as Bluethroat and Marsh Warbler and given more time, I would have liked to visit the wader site at Pointe de Brevands and search for Butterflies at the reserve at Lessay, which hosts Alcon Blue, amongst others.
RAD
Introduction:
I visited Normandy for a family camping holiday, with the aim of giving the children a beach holiday, to visit another country and to fuel my eldest’s interest in history prior to covering WWII at school in the year ahead. We also wanted to visit Sword Beach, where my Grandfather took his landing craft. Any birding would be a bonus!
We travelled on the Brittany Ferries “Vomit Comet” from Poole to Cherbourg which gives a 2.5 hour crossing, but lived up to it’s nickname in a rough outbound crossing! The trip out of Poole harbour takes you past the brackish lagoon of Brownsea Island where birds seen included Spoonbill, Black-tailed Godwit and Knot, not recorded in Normandy.
We stayed at Le Grand Large campsite: http://www.campinglegrandlarge.com/campsite-france.html which is on the west coast of the Cotentin peninsula. I would thoroughly recommend this campsite if you are travelling with a family. It has everything you could need; swimming pool, play and sports areas, shop, café, bar and of course a large sandy beach! The supermarket in Les Pieux was also only minutes away.
The weather was predictably changeable, with only a couple of rain affected days. However, we did suffer from a prolonged gale that began at about 1am, continued all through the next day and night and finally blew itself out late the following morning! It certainly tested the durability of our tent which stood the test very well!
The coastline is very picturesque and ranges from long sandy beaches, backed by dunes, such as Utah Beach to cliffs and headlands, particularly in the north of the Cotentin.
As I mentioned, the focus was on fun, culture and history so we visited numerous WWII sites, including all the landing beaches and Le Mont Saint- Michel, as well as several towns both inland and on the coast. We did not visit Bayeux as we had been to see the replica of it’s tapestry in Reading Museum earlier this year!
Unfortunately, I did not have a birding site guide with me but I have been recommended Jacquie Crozier’s Birdwatching Guide to France North of the Loire. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Birdwatching-Guide-France-North-Loire/dp/1900159767 - I’ll know next time!
There seems to be little information on birding in Normandy, in terms of trip reports but thanks to a very helpful person on Birdforum, I was directed to some useful information, including this trip very helpful trip report: http://www.nick-ransdale.com/articles_71999.html.
A large area of the southern Cotentin peninsula is the Cotentin Marshes Regional National Park - www.parc-cotentin-bessin.fr with the Maison du Parc in SAINT-CÔME-DU-MONT near Carentan. The lady there was very helpful, although she spoke no English, testing my French, unused for 25 years, to the limit!
Sites Visited
Maison du Parc Reserve, Saint-Come-du-Mont
This site is marsh and wet grassland with a freshwater lagoon with three hides and a 5.5km circuit, and is the centre for the Cotentin Marshes Regional National Park. The reserve costs €5 for an annual pass. I had an enjoyable afternoon walk around the reserve, especially showing a local family many birds from the main hide. I missed the Spotted Crake, seen the day before and any White Storks but had two mammal ticks in the form of Coypu and Muskrat, both of which are very easy to see and some good Dragonflies.
Beauguillot Reserve
This is a strip of coastal flood meadows, small saltmarsh and beach south of Utah Beach. There are two public hides overlooking the flood meadows and a coastal footpath going south from the main reserve area. Unfortunately, I visited at low tide.
Pointe du Hoc
An interesting historical site, still with many bomb craters. Any nesting seabirds had departed by our visit and the large number of tourists meant any passerines were keeping out of the way. A good site for Butterflies.
Utah Beach
We visited here late afternoon after the strong winds had finished and I managed to scope some seabirds whilst playing with the children in the sand!
Barfleur and it’s Lighthouse
We had fun in the rock pools but I had no time to sea watch from the lighthouse.
Species Lists:
Birds
1. LITTLE GREBE Tachybaptus ruficollis (Maison du Parc Reserve)
2. GREAT CRESTED GREBE Podiceps cristatus
3. MANX SHEARWATER Puffinus puffinus 1 from Utah Beach
4. GANNET Sula bassana Feeding Seen from all beaches, including at the campsite
5. CORMORANT Phalacrocorax carbo
6. SHAG Phalacrocorax aristotelis 1 at Pointe du Hoc
7. LITTLE EGRET Egretta garzetta Numerous everywhere
8. GREY HERON Ardea cinerea
9. MUTE SWAN Gygnus columbianus Maison du Parc Reserve
10. SHELDUCK Tadorna tadorna 2 at Beauguillot Reserve
11. MALLARD Anas platyrhynchos
12. SHOVELER Anas clypeata 10+ Maison du Parc Reserve
13. WIGEON Anas penelope 8 Maison du Parc Reserve
14. TEAL Anas crecca 8 Maison du Parc Reserve
15. GARGANEY Anas querquedula 3 Maison du Parc Reserve
16. EIDER Somateria mollisima 1 female Pointe du Hoc
17. COMMON SCOTER Melanitta nigra 30+ Utah Beach
18. MARSH HARRIER Circus aeruginosus Female Maison du Parc Reserve
19. COMMON BUZZARD Buteo buteo Everywhere
20. SPARROWHAWK Accipiter nisus
21. KESTREL Falco tinnunculus
22. MOORHEN Gallinula chloropus
23. COOT Fulica atra
24. OYSTERCATCHER Heamatopus ostralegus
25. RINGED PLOVER Charadrius hiaticula Beauguillot Reserve and Barfleur
26. LAPWING Vanellus vanellus 50+ Maison du Parc Reserve
27. SANDERLING Calidris maritima
28. TURNSTONE Arenaria interpres
29. DUNLIN Calidris alpina
30. GREEN SANDPIPER Tringa ochropus 4 Maison du Parc Reserve
31. COMMON SANDPIPER Actitis hypoleucos 1 Maison du Parc Reserve
32. REDSHANK Tringa totanus 2 Maison du Parc Reserve, 1 Beauguillot Reserve
33. GREENSHANK Tringa nebularia 1 Maison du Parc Reserve
34. CURLEW Numenius arquata 1 Beauguillot Reserve
35. SNIPE Gallinago gallinago 10+ Maison du Parc Reserve
36. GREAT SKUA Stercorarius skua 1 Off Utah Beach
37. ARCTIC SKUA Stercorarius parasticus 4 off Utah Beach 3 Dark, 1 Light
38. BLACK-HEADED GULL Larus ridibundus
39. COMMON GULL Larus canus
40. HERRING GULL Larus
41. LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL Larus fuscus
42. GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL Larus marinus
43. SANDWICH TERN Sterna sandvicensis Seen off all sandy beaches
44. COMMON TERN Sterna hirundo Common offshore
45. ARCTIC TERN Sterna paradisaea 2 ID’d off Utah Beach
46. LITTLE TERN Sternula albifrons 4 off Utah Beach
47. BLACK TERN Chlidonias niger 1 off Utah Beach
48. WOOD PIGEON Columba palumbus
49. COLLARED DOVE Streptopelia decaocto
50. TAWNY OWL Strix aluco 1 heard from campsite
51. SKYLARK Alauda arvensis
52. SWALLOW Hirundo rustica
53. HOUSE MARTIN Delichon urbica
54. SAND MARTIN Riparia riparia Small colony on Utah beach behind museum.
55. MEADOW PIPIT Anthus pratensis
56. WHITE WAGTAIL Motacilla alba
57. YELLOW WAGTAIL Motacilla flava flavissima 2 adults and 2 juv at Maison du Parc Reserve
58. WREN Troglodydes troglodytes
59. DUNNOCK Prunella modularis
60. STONECHAT Saxicola torquata Pointe du Hoc and behind Utah Beach
61. BLACKBIRD Turdus mirula
62. BLACKCAP Sylvia atricapilla Beauguillot Reserve
63. ZITTING CISTICOLA Cisticola juncidis 4+ at Beauguillot Reserve, one very obliging, giving far and away my best ever views.
64. REED WARBLER Acrocephalus scirpaceus Maison du Parc Reserve
65. SEDGE WARBLER Acrocephalus schoenobaenus Maison du Parc Reserve
66. WILLOW WARBLER Phylloscopus trochilus 1 on Mont St-Michel in tree near the summit
67. GREAT TIT Parus major
68. BLUE TIT Parus caerulens
69. MAGPIE Pica pica
70. JAY Garrulus glandarius
71. JACKDAW Corvus monedula
72. ROOK Corvus frugilegus
73. CARRION CROW Corvus corone corone
74. STARLING Sturnus vulgaris
75. HOUSE SPARROW Passer domesticus
76. CHAFFINCH Fringilla coelebs
77. LINNET Carduelis cannabina Some large flocks on coast, i.e. 80+
78. GOLDFINCH Carduelis carduelis
79. GREENFINCH Carduelis chloris
80. REED BUNTING Emberiza schoeniclus Maison du Parc Reserve
Butterflies
SWALLOWTAIL Papilio machaeon
SMALL WHITE Artogeia rapae
SMALL TORTOISESHELL Aglais urticae
COMMA Polygonia c-album
RED ADMIRAL Vanessa atalanta
PEACOCK Inachis io
PAINTED LADY Cynthia cardui
SPECKLED WOOD Pararge aegeria
GRAYLING Hipparchia semele
WALL BROWN Lasiommata megera
GATEKEEPER Pyronia tithonus
MEADOW BROWN Maniola jurtina
COMMON BLUE Polyommatus icarus
BROWN ARGUS Aricia agestis
HOLLY BLUE Celastrinas argiolus
LARGE SKIPPER Ochlodes venatus
Odonata
MIGRANT HAWKER Aeshna mixta
SOUTHERN HAWKER Aeshna cyanea
EMPEROR Anax imperator
BLACK-TAILED SKIMMER Orthetrum cancellatum
COMMON DARTER Sympetrum striolatum
SCARLET DARTER Crocothemis erythraea
BEAUTIFUL DEMOISELLE Calopteryx virgo
COMMON BLUE DAMSELFLY Enallagma cyathigerum
Mammals
FOX Vulpes vulpes
RABBIT Oryctolagus cuniculus
MUSKRAT Ondatra zibethicus
COYPU Myocastor coypus
Conclusions
Coastal Normandy provided us with a great family holiday and although our visit was not in a prime season for birding, a good range of species were seen in a few snippets of birding time.
A visit earlier in the year would offer the chance of species scarce the other side of the channel such as Bluethroat and Marsh Warbler and given more time, I would have liked to visit the wader site at Pointe de Brevands and search for Butterflies at the reserve at Lessay, which hosts Alcon Blue, amongst others.
