France - The Loire Valley

Transcription

1 France - The Loire Valley Naturetrek Tour Itinerary Outline itinerary Day 1 Day 2 Day 3/4 Day 5 Ferry from Poole to Cherbourg (or fly from Stansted to Tours), then transfer to Sandillon Sandillon, near Orléans Bracieux, in the Sologne Ferry from Cherbourg to Poole, or fly from Tours to Stansted Departs June Focus Birds, butterflies, plants and mammals Grading Grade A. Easy walks only (all of them optional) Dates and Prices See Website (FRA14) Highlights Golden Orioles & Nightingales in riverside woodland Explore wetland areas at Sologne for breeding birds Lesser Purple Emperor & Adonis Blue among a host of butterflies Up to 17 species of orchid Optional pre-breakfast walk to look for re-introduced Beaver Expert all-round naturalist leader with exceptional local knowledge The River Loire, Glanville Fritillary and Wild Boar by Tom Brereton Naturetrek Cheriton Mill Cheriton Alresford Hampshire SO24 0NG England T: +44 (0) F: +44 (0) E: info@naturetrek.co.uk W:

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3 France - The Loire Valley Tour Itinerary NB. Please note that the itinerary below offers our planned programme of excursions. However, adverse weather & 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. Introduction The Loire Valley is famed for its wine, food, scenery, and cultural highlights especially its old cities and glorious chateaux s, for which it has been designated a world heritage site. However, what must be one of northern Europe s best kept natural history secrets is that the region ranks equal highly for its vast and rich natural habitats, supporting many specialist and sought-after species. This trip provides an introduction to the region, with a full itinerary developed to explore some of the many memorable wildlife-watching sites this beautiful region has to offer, centred around the mighty River Loire one of Europe s last great natural rivers. We will be visiting the eastern Loire region around the historic old cities of Blois and Orléans. We will explore the immense forests, north east of Orléans, then head south spending some time along the Loire, before passing the remainder of the holiday in the Sologne a huge, yet intimate wilderness of forests, ponds and heaths. We will utilise two comfortable and traditional country hotels as our bases for this holiday. The first east of Orléans at Sandillon on the River Loire, which is conveniently situated for exploring the river and Orléans Forest; and the second at Bracieux, in the western Sologne, close to historic Blois and just a few kilometres from the most famous and grand of all Chateaux Chambord. In an area with such a prestigious reputation for gastronomy, like all Naturetrek trips to northern France, we shall endeavour to eat heartily through well-stocked picnics and by sampling regional cooking in the hotels. Day 1 Sandillon During the early morning we will leave Poole on the fast Brittany Ferry service to Cherbourg. During a four-hour drive we will enjoy a lavish picnic in the Normandy countryside before continuing south and stopping, during the late afternoon, as time allows, either on the edge of Orléans Forest to get our first taste of French forest birding or further south along the River Loire, looking for fishing Ospreys and other specialities. Alternatively you may prefer to fly from Stansted to Tours, from where we will transfer by minibus to our hotel. Please let us know your preference upon booking. We hope that the group will naturally split into two equal subgroups, with one group travelling by ferry, and the other flying. Later in the day we will drive to our hotel for the next two nights, ideally situated close to the south bank of the River Loire in Sandillon, and with a good reputation for regional cooking. Day 2 Sandillon This day will be spent exploring the vast Orléans Forest located north of the River Loire, which at nearly 35,000 hectares, is the biggest state-owned and managed forest in France. Birds of prey will feature highly on the Naturetrek November 14 1

4 Tour Itinerary France - The Loire Valley itineraryas breeding species include Hobby, Black Kite, Honey Buzzard, Booted Eagle, Short-toed Eagle, Goshawk, and most famously of all Osprey, with around 15 breeding pairs. Birds of Prey can be hard to see in the forest, but a visit will be made to the l'observatoire du Ravoir to watch Ospreys on the nest, and we may also visit a canopy hide with a panoramic view of the forest where raptors may be soaring. We will also spend time looking for the forest s many other specialities including Bonelli s Warbler (surprisingly very common), Grey Headed Woodpecker (fairly common, with several core areas pinpointed), Black Woodpecker, Middle Spotted Woodpecker, Red-backed Shrike, Redstart, Melodious Warbler, Golden Oriole, Dartford Warbler and Hawfinch. This is a well-maintained forest with an extensive ride system that is very attractive to butterflies. Species we may see (weather permitting) include Chequered Skipper, Glanville Fritillary, Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary, Marsh Fritillary, Swallowtail and Wood White. As time permits, in the afternoon we will make a further visit to the River Loire, to look for specialities such as Golden Orioles and Nightingales in riverside woodland; Stone Curlew, Little Ringed Plover, Little and Common Terns on the extensive gravel beds; and Crested Lark on bordering, sparsely vegetated, areas. Butterflies we might see along the River Loire include Mallow Skipper and Swallowtail. By early evening, we will have returned to Sandillon for our final night at the hotel, in good time for a relaxing communal evening meal in the hotel restaurant. Day 3 Bracieux In the morning, we will spend further time visiting access points along the River Loire, looking for specialities we may not have seen, such as Golden Oriole which can be easier to locate in the morning. A pre-breakfast walk is a possibility to look for Beavers, which were re-introduced to the river in After bird watching along the River Loire, we will travel south-west a short distance into the Sologne. The Sologne is a huge area extending over nearly 500,000 hectares and comprises wet meadows, scrub, heathland, woodland and more than 3,000 ponds! This is an area of immense importance for wildlife, yet due to its size and complexity has been overshadowed by the better-known La Brenne to the south, and has largely been ignored by British naturalists visiting France. By stopping at several ponds, especially around St Viâtre, we will hope to see a good selection of wetland breeding birds, including Black-necked Grebe, Purple Heron, Night Heron, Garganey, Whiskered Tern, Mediterranean Gull and Fan-tailed Warbler. Nightingales will be abundant in surrounding forest areas, where we may also see woodpeckers and a good variety of butterflies, including Southern White Admiral and Lesser Purple Emperor. In the evening we will transfer to the Hotel Le Cygne in Bracieux, set in peaceful countryside close to the mighty Chateau at Chambord and some 15km south of Blois. Day 4 Bracieux Today there will be an exciting opportunity to visit one of the hides in the grounds of the Chateaux of Chambord at dawn, which is a reliable place to watch Wild Boar (normally difficult to see in northern Europe) and deer at close range. En route, in the early morning twilight, mammals we may encounter along the roads in this sparsely 2 Naturetrek November 14

5 France - The Loire Valley Tour Itinerary populated region include both Pine and Beech Martens. After mammal watching, we will make a detour to marvel at the immense (440 rooms!) Chateau of Chambord. After our early start, we will then have a more leisurely day, heading south, stopping at more ponds between Chambord and Romorantin-Lanthenay to look for wetland birds. We will then move onto a rich calcareous grassland site near Chémery to look for orchids (up to 17 species present in a day in spring), and butterflies such as Adonis Blue and Pearly Heath. We will end the day in the south of the Sologne beyond Romorantin - Lanthenay, visiting a heathy area with low intensity farmland, which supports a small population of Little Bustards another highly prized species for north European birdwatchers. Other birds we may encounter in this important area for farmland birds include Redbacked Shrike, Hoopoe and Stone Curlew. Day 5 London We must now leave our base in Bracieux and head either west to Tours for our flight home, or north to Cherbourg for our ferry. En-route we will keep a look out for Crested Lark, as we pass the industrial fringe of Orléans, as associated areas of roadside waste ground can be good areas to see them. Tour grading This is a relatively relaxing, two-centre holiday based in charming small hotels with good local food. From these bases, we will explore the grasslands, marshes, heaths and forests of this attractive region, searching for its rich and varied natural history by means of regular minibus stops followed by short walks, and by simply pottering in the richer areas, of which there are many. Our pace will be gentle to allow us to examine the birds, butterflies and flowers. Weather Early June is an excellent time to visit this region in search of wildlife. We will hope for warm, sunny mid-summer weather, but as this is a temperate region, with a similar climate to Britain, we need to be prepared for some wet and cool days, so bring a range of clothing. Food and accommodation All food and accommodation is included in the price of this holiday, apart from refreshments en route during the ferry journey/flight. Naturetrek November 14 3

6 Tour Itinerary France - The Loire Valley How to book your place In order to book a place on this holiday, you will need to read our main Naturetrek brochure and complete and return the enclosed booking form together with a deposit of 20% of the holiday cost. If you do not have a copy of this brochure, please call us now on Naturetrek November 14