France Loire Valley (3 Viewers)

[lilsteve]

Hi all, I was wondering if anyone had any experience birdwatching in the Loire Valley in France. I will be going there for a week in July and staying in Saumur. I am particularly keen to try to track down a Golden Oriole to tick it off my lifer list. Even hearing it would be good, but I would like to see if anyone had any places in the area that would be good for lots of species in one area. Many thanks

 

[Richard Prior]

Hi Steve,
You have a great chance of Golden Oriole in any woodland alongside the Loire!
I’d recommend getting a copy of Where to Watch Birds in France ( Pelagic Publishing) which details several sites all down the Loire Valley. Chinon Forest isn’t that far from Saumur and is considered a very good site although birding in July is harder work of course….
Checking on Faune-france.org is always worth doing for up to date sightings (département 49 is the local one for Saumur), I see Hoopoe are already back there!

 

[pbjosh]

Can’t help with site specific advice but the Loire is absolutely lovely. Beyond looking at eBird and the Where to Watch Birds in France that Richard recommended, you can pretty much follow your nose / google maps to any decent looking habitat and it should be pretty birdy.

One of my favorite places… if my life had followed a french speaking route rather than spanish speaking I’d probably end up living in the Loire some day.

 

[lilsteve]

Hi Steve,
You have a great chance of Golden Oriole in any woodland alongside the Loire!
I’d recommend getting a copy of Where to Watch Birds in France ( Pelagic Publishing) which details several sites all down the Loire Valley. Chinon Forest isn’t that far from Saumur and is considered a very good site although birding in July is harder work of course….
Checking on Faune-france.org is always worth doing for up to date sightings (département 49 is the local one for Saumur), I see Hoopoe are already back there!

Thank you Richard, I will look at getting that book to add to my bird guid collection 😀

 

[lilsteve]

Can’t help with site specific advice but the Loire is absolutely lovely. Beyond looking at eBird and the Where to Watch Birds in France that Richard recommended, you can pretty much follow your nose / google maps to any decent looking habitat and it should be pretty birdy.

One of my favorite places… if my life had followed a french speaking route rather than spanish speaking I’d probably end up living in the Loire some day.

Thank you josh. I'm always on the lookout for woods and the like when we holiday abroad, it drives the missus nuts haha usually its in Spain but took a new route this year!

 

[Merlin]

Thank you Richard, I will look at getting that book to add to my bird guid collection 😀

Just find the Poplars, Golden Orioles are often not far away.

regards

Merlin