ITINERARY: 

Day 1 – Marais de Goulaine– Nantes – 14th June
Plan to arrive by mid-morning at Nantes Atlantique Airport, France, code (NTE). We will then begin the tour at the nearby Marais de Goulaine, a large wetland complex east of Nantes. The area combines reedbeds, wet meadows, woodland edges and vineyards creating high habitat diversity. Glossy Ibis is a key species here often seen feeding in shallow pools alongside Western Cattle Egret, Little Egret and Grey Heron. Great Crested Grebe is abundant on open water and Black Kite frequently patrols the area. Woodlark occurs in dry, sandy patches and open woodland edges. Common Nightingale is regular in scrubby sections and Eurasian Golden Oriole is possible in mature stands of Poplar trees though often detected only by song. Zitting Cisticola, European Stonechat and Common Reed Bunting are widespread while Short toed Treecreeper and Firecrest inhabit the nearby woodland. The reedbeds support Common Reed Warbler, Sedge Warbler and occasional Savi’s Warbler. Western Marsh Harrier is regular and Black-winged Kite has been recorded in surrounding farmland. The wet grasslands attract Northern Lapwing, Green Sandpiper and feeding herons and both Roe Deer and European Hare are often encountered in the open meadows. Dragonflies are abundant with Emperor, Black-tailed Skimmer, Four-spotted Chaser and Variable Damselfly all common. Butterflies include Meadow Brown, Gatekeeper and Small Skipper. The mosaic of wetland and vineyard edges also supports good plant diversity, including Purple Loosestrife, Yellow Iris and Sea Lavender in saline pockets. In the early evening, we will return to Nantes where we can explore the city’s exceptionally green centre. The riverside corridors and botanical garden offer relaxed walking and more opportunities for urban species such as Short toed Treecreeper and Firecrest, plus various woodpeckers which could be seen among the mature oaks.
Night at Nantes, L,D

Day 2 – The Erdre River – Marais Audubon – 15th June
Nantes has undergone a major ecological transformation in recent years. Naturalised riverbanks, meadow style parks and reduced chemical management have created thriving wildlife corridors that run straight through the city. We begin along the River Erdre, a surprisingly wild stretch of riparian habitat, where Grey Heron, Little Egret, Common Kingfisher, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Eurasian Blackcap, Common Reed Warbler, Cetti’s Warbler, Eurasian Nuthatch and Eurasian Wren are regular whilst the backwaters often hold Little Grebe, Tufted Duck and Gadwall. A discreet riverside heronry supports breeding Black crowned Night Heron, Little Egret and Grey Heron. Near the university in the mature oaks and hornbeam European Green Woodpecker, Middle Spotted Woodpecker, Short-toed Treecreeper, Eurasian Jay and Common Chaffinch can be found. Mixed woodland edges can produce Firecrest, Goldcrest, Long-tailed Tit, Eurasian Blue Tit, Great Tit and singing Common Chiffchaff. The Jardin des Plantes provides a contrasting but equally biodiverse environment. Its mature specimen trees and shaded lawns support European Robin, Song Thrush, Common Blackbird, Common Chaffinch, Eurasian Wren, Great Tit and Eurasian Blue Tit. Overhead we can see and hear screaming calls of Common Swifts, plus Barn Swallow and Western House Martin. Flowering borders attract Holly Blue, Red Admiral, Comma, Painted Lady, Speckled Wood and Meadow Brown butterflies while damp corners hold ferns, mosses and a surprising diversity of urban wildflowers. After lunch, we travel east to the Marais Audubon, a mosaic of wet meadows, hedgerows, reedbeds and shallow pools. This landscape is now a stronghold for White Stork, with several active nests visible from public tracks. Hedgerows and rough grassland support Red-backed Shrike, Whinchat, European Stonechat, Woodlark, Eurasian Skylark and Corn Bunting. Reedbeds often hold Sedge Warbler, Common Reed Warbler and Zitting Cisticola while open fields may produce Eurasian Kestrel, Common Buzzard and occasionally Black Kite drifting overhead. Freshwater pools will be looked at as they can attract Black tailed Godwit, Eurasian Curlew, Green Sandpiper, Common Snipe, Little Ringed Plover and increasingly regular groups of Glossy Ibis. Larger ponds may hold Northern Shoveler, Eurasian Teal, Little Grebe, Eurasian Coot and Greylag Goose with Western Marsh Harrier quartering over the reedbeds in late afternoon. Invertebrate life is equally rich, and on warm days the butterflies can include Swallowtail, Common Blue, Small Copper, Gatekeeper and Meadow Brown. Drainage channels and wet ditches hold Marsh Frog and Edible Frog while dragonflies such as Emperor Dragonfly, Black-tailed Skimmer, Four-spotted Chaser and Blue-tailed Damselfly patrol sunny edges. The combination of restored wetlands, meadow management and wildlife friendly farming makes the Marais Audubon one of western France’s most rewarding lowland birding landscapes; a perfect complement to Nantes’ surprisingly wild urban habitats.
Night  Nantes – B,L,D

Day 3 – Lac de Grandlieu – 16th June
Lac de Grandlieu is one of France’s key wetland systems and a major breeding centre for herons, egrets and marsh terns. Access to the lake is restricted, so we will focus on the main observation points: Maison du Lac, Pierre Aigue and the communal marshes around Sainte Lumine de Coutais. The route from Maison du Lac passes through reedbeds, wet meadows, alder carr and open marsh. June activity is high, with regular Purple Heron, Great Egret, Little Egret, Eurasian Spoonbill and Whiskered Tern feeding along reed margins where Sacred Ibis are now well established. Reed vegetation holds Common Reed Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Cetti’s Warbler and Great Reed Warbler with Zitting Cisticola in drier grassland sections. Open water often supports Great Crested Grebe, Black-headed Gull, Yellow-legged Gull and Western Marsh Harrier. Dragonflies are also numerous in this area and we will look out for some of these aerial jewels. After lunch at Pierre Aigue, we continue to an area of marshes. Shallow pools are home to Black winged Stilt, Little Ringed Plover, Green Sandpiper, Common Snipe, Eurasian Curlew and feeding groups of Glossy Ibis while grassland edges hold European Stonechat, Whinchat, Zitting Cisticola and occasional Eurasian Hoopoe. The hedgerows may produce Red-backed Shrike and Common Linnet with Eurasian Kestrel and Black Kite frequently overhead. By late afternoon we transfer west to the Marais Breton, our base for the following days.
Night Saint Gervais – B,L,D

Day 4 – Île de Noirmoutier and Marais Breton – 17th June
We will start our day early and cross to Île de Noirmoutier via the Passage du Gois. The exposed mudflats may attract Eurasian Curlew, Grey Plover, Bar-tailed Godwit, Kentish Plover, Dunlin and feeding groups of Common Redshank. Channels along the causeway often hold Little Egret and Grey Heron with Common Shelduck using the shallow margins. On the island we meet a salt worker who will explain how the traditional salt production works and its value for breeding waders. Salt pans support Pied Avocet, Black-winged Stilt, Common Redshank, Little Ringed Plover, Common Greenshank and occasionally Spotted Redshank. Adjacent scrub and low vegetation may harbour Lesser Whitethroat, European Stonechat, Zitting Cisticola, Common Whitethroat and Melodious Warbler. Open fields nearby often produce Eurasian Skylark and Corn Bunting. At Port du Morin, dunes and saltmarsh transition into open beach. This area can produce Tawny Pipit, Kentish Plover, Crested Lark, Meadow Pipit and Northern Wheatear. Dune vegetation supports butterflies such as Meadow Brown, Queen of Spain Fritillary, Small Copper and Common Blue. Saltmarsh channels hold Blue tailed Damselfly, Black-tailed Skimmer and Four-spotted Chaser. At Mullembourg Reserve we will observe a large gull colony with several thousand Mediterranean and Black-headed Gulls. June is the key period to check for Elegant Tern which has returned repeatedly in recent years. Sandwich and Common Terns breed nearby, and Little Tern may be seen fishing close to shore. There are often Eurasian Oystercatcher, Common Ringed Plover and Sanderling on the lagoon edges. After dinner we explore the Marais Breton at dusk. This landscape is productive for evening raptors including Montagu’s Harrier, Black-winged Kite, Eurasian Hobby, Western Marsh Harrier and Common Buzzard. In the hedgerows and wet fields, we might find European Turtle Dove, Whinchat, European Stonechat, Common Reed Bunting and the occasional Bluethroat. Whilst on the open grassland we may see Short-eared Owl in some years, while Western Barn Owl often hunts at nightfall. Reed margins can often play host to Savi’s Warbler and Eurasian Reed Warbler singing after sunset.
Night Saint Gervais – B,L,D

We will depart early for the Brière Marshes, one of western France’s largest reedbed complexes. A two-hour freshwater boat trip from Saint Joachim will provide close observation of reedbed and open water species. Regular birds include Purple Heron, Black-crowned Night Heron, possible Little Bittern, Great Crested Grebe, Common Kingfisher, Western Marsh Harrier, Grey Heron, Little Egret and Eurasian Coot. The reed margins are attractive to Common Reed Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Cetti’s Warbler, Great Reed Warbler and Bluethroat. Savi’s Warbler may be detected by its continuous reeling song while Eurasian Bittern is possible, mostly in flight or hearing its distant booming call. After the boat trip we will view an area of peatbog, reedbeds and open water. From our vantage point we could see Black Kite, White Stork, Western Cattle Egret, Grey Heron, Little Egret and Western Marsh Harrier. The larger pools may have Mute Swan, Gadwall, Mallard, Northern Shoveler and Little Grebe as well as dragonflies including Emperor Dragonfly, Migrant Hawker, Four-spotted Chaser, Black-tailed Skimmer and Blue-tailed Damselfly. In the afternoon, we will continue to the Loire Estuary where the Marais Audubon adds further wetland diversity. Wet meadows and hedgerows can attract Red-backed Shrike, Whinchat, European Stonechat, Woodlark, Corn Bunting and European Turtle Dove. Pools and mudflats may hold Glossy Ibis, Black-tailed Godwit, Eurasian Curlew, Common Greenshank, Green Sandpiper, Common Redshank, Little Ringed Plover and Common Snipe whilst the reedbeds can produce Sedge Warbler, Eurasian Reed Warbler and Zitting Cisticola. Amphibians include both Marsh Frog and Edible Frog. We will then continue on to Nantes Atlantique Airport where we will expect to arrive at around 17:00 local time. Please arrange your international flight departure no earlier than 19:00 – B,L