Birding in France or Birding Forum Help (1 Viewer)

Hi,

I am staying in Baugé at the beginning of June next year and was wondering where the best local spots are for birds? Target species are :

European Bee-Eater
Hoopoe
Cirl Bunting
Red Backed Shrike
Little Butard
Whiskered Tern
Heron Species eg. Night Heron, Squacco Heron, Cattle Egret, GW Egret, Purple Heron

Also wondering if there is a forum dedicated to birding in france, either in french or english!

Alex

http://www.faune-anjou.org/

this site has plenty of sightings for the region and you can also input your own sightings.

Thanks, that will come in very handy!

Are there any forums as I would really like to find out where the Bee Eater (colony) is at SAINT REMY LA VARENNE? Unless any one on here has any of that info?

Alex

just been looking through the site for you to see if I can give any more info - for Cirl Bunting, they seem to be well distributed, if you know the song, they shouldn't be too hard to find in suitable habitat, in my region they like hillside meadows and scrub. Whiskered Tern seems to be only a passage migrant, but June is a good time to connect, check any gravel pits or lakes. For the Bee Eaters, I have no better info but I imagine they will be in the riverbanks of the town, bearing in mind they will nest in any pile of sand they find suitable. If you know the call, you'll find them near the river as they hunt for insects, they sometimes go quite high though.

Thanks so much Nick.

We are staying next to farm which should have some good wildlife. Would you expect to see bee eaters in the town itself, or on the river bank?

Alex

bee eaters will normally be over fields or near water, where there are sandy river banks (think sand martin/kingfisher breeding habitat) learn their "proop, proop" call and you can't go wrong.

http://www.ornithomedia.com/phorum/index.php

here is the French ornithomedia forum website - not really used it, but you may get some better information from people who know the area rather than my speculation!