France - Cranes and Woodpeckers

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1 France - Cranes and Woodpeckers Naturetrek Tour Itinerary Outline itinerary Day 1 Eurostar from St Pancras to Lille. Drive to Lac du Der Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Birding around Lac du Der Lac du Der; drive to Forêt d Orient Forêt d Orient Day 5 Early morning birding. Re turn to Lille for Eurostar to London Common Cranes in flight D eparts March Focus Birds Grading A. Birdwatching walks only Dates and Prices See website (Tour Code FRA08) Highlights Lenteilles Watch up to 30,000 Common Cranes flying to roost at dusk Waterfowl including Smew, plus White - fronted & Bean Geese White - tailed Eagl e, plus Merlin, Marsh Harrier & other raptors Middle Spotted, Black & elusive Grey - headed Woodpeckers C ommon Crane feeding Naturetrek Mingledown Barn Wolf s Lane Chawton Alton Hampshire GU34 3HJ UK T: +44 (0) E: info@naturetrek.co.uk W:

2 France - Cranes and Woodpeckers Tour Itinerary NB. Please note that the itinerary below offers our planned programme of excursions. However, adverse weather and other local considerations can necessitate some re-ordering of the programme during the course of the tour, though this will always be done to maximise best use of the time and weather conditions available. Day 1 Vitry-Le-Francois We will leave St Pancras (departures may also be available from Ebbsfleet or Ashford) mid morning on the Eurostar service direct to Lille, arriving just after lunchtime. On arrival we will drive the four hours or so south eastwards to our hotel at Vitry-Le-Francois. Although we cannot hope to see many birds during this drive, towards the end of our journey, time permitting, we may be able to have a short glimpse of what the next few days have to offer. Day 2 Vitry-Le-Francois The Lac du Der-Chantecoq (often shortened to Lac du Der), less than half an hours drive from our hotel, is the target of today's outing. Built during the 1930 s in order to help prevent flooding in Paris, this is the largest manmade waterbody in France. It has become well known to ornithologists for its concentrations of waterfowl in winter as well as two special species the Crane and the White-tailed Eagle. Directly on the Crane s migration route between northern Europe and Spain, the site is an ideal stop-over and some birds now even over-winter. During the autumn many thousands of birds pass through the Lac du Der, feeding in surrounding maize fields and roosting on the lake s undisturbed islands, before moving further south. The spring movement northwards is more contracted and in mid March tens of thousands of Cranes congregate here for a few days. The late afternoon fly over of these magnificent birds, gliding in to roost, must be one of western Europe s finest bird spectacles. The White-tailed Eagle is far less numerous, two or three having been wintering here since the 1960 s, indeed the Lac du Der and nearby Lac de la fôret d Orient are France s only regular sites for this species. They can be very hard to find, however with local knowledge we have as much chance as anyone of tracking one down. During the day, we will of course be looking at many of the other species of bird the area attracts in winter: geese and ducks, maybe a sawbill or two and we may even find a few early migrants including Barn Swallow and Black Kite. Day 3 Magnant Today we will explore the large lakes farther to the south: Lac Amance, Lac du Temple and the well known Lac d Orient, all these lakes within the Forêt d Orient Parc Naturel Régional.

3 Naturetrek January 15 1 Tour Itinerary France - Cranes and Woodpeckers The area is known worldwide as the home of Champagne, but for the ornithologist it has other interests. The lakes hold many of the same wetland species as the Lac du Der, thus giving us another chance if necessary for such species as White-tailed Eagle and maybe some new species for the trip such as Bean Goose or Smew. However, as its name implies, within the Parc there is also a lot of forest with many areas of mature deciduous trees, many beech and oak, and its here that we ll be looking for woodpeckers. The Parc is home to no less than six species of woodpecker and we will be making a special effort to have a good look at those three that do not occur in Britain. At this time of the year they have all started setting up territory and are actively calling, so are a little easier to search out than at other times of the year. And, with only the first signs of greenery on the trees, the birds are not yet hidden by leaves. It is here that we will search and have the best chances of finding the very impressive Black Woodpecker. We will also search for the specialist Middle-spotted, which is usually relatively easy to find. The rarer Grey-headed generally needs a lot more looking for. As the sun starts to set we ll head to our second hotel in Magnant, to the east of Troyes, under an hours drive away. Day 4 Magnant The last full day of the trip will be spent trying to find those species that we have not yet seen, or to try for better views of what we ve already seen. Very much depending on the previous days events, we ll either have another look at the lakes within the Forêt d Orient, or return into the forest for woodpeckers; probably both. We will probably have time to look at other habitats, searching for other species that are rare in Britain but still very much part of the French countryside; such species as Crested Tit, Woodlark, Cirl Bunting, or Short-toed Treecreeper. If the weather is particularly warm and sunny we could even hear, and look for, a few of the earlier migrants they would include some better known species such as Blackcap and Chiffchaff and perhaps even some more unusual ones such as Bonelli s Warbler, Black Redstart or Serin. We return for a final night in our hotel in Magnant. Day 5 London This morning we ll be up relatively early for the return back to Lille, in plenty of time to check in for our early afternoon train back to the UK.

4 2 Naturetrek January 15 France - Cranes and Woodpeckers Tour Itinerary Accommodation and meals Comfortable hotels with ensuite facilities. All meals included in the price, except for any refreshments required on the Eurostar journey. Grading This tour is graded A and will consist of day walks only and as such is suitable for any age and level of fitness. It is based on two hotels from which we will take day trips by minibus visiting the various sites looking for birds and taking a picnic lunch with us. There will be some gentle walking involved at nearly all of the sites. Weather Very variable at this time of year. It may be mild and sunny but be prepared for cold weather. Lac du Der is very open and a chilly wind can make fleeces and wind-breaking waterproofs a must on the other hand if warm and settled we may be in T-shirts. How to book your place In order to book your place on this holiday, please give us a call on with a credit or debit card, book online at or alternatively complete and post the booking form at the back of our main Naturetrek brochure, together with a deposit of 20% of the holiday cost plus any room supplements if required. If you do not have a copy of the brochure, please call us on or request one via our website. Please stipulate any special requirements, at the time of booking.

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