Naturetrek Tour Report 1-5 October 2009

Transcription

1 Naturetrek 1-5 October 2009 Report compiled by Tony Williams Naturetrek Cheriton Mill Cheriton Alresford Hampshire SO24 0NG England T: +44 (0) F: +44 (0) E: W:

2 Normandy in Autumn Tour Leader: Tony Williams Participants: Catherine Azema Michéle Coudert Tony Shilling Linda Shilling Denis Sewell Day 1 Thursday 1st October The three British members of the group arrived exactly on time (19h30) at Cherbourg ferry terminal where they met by the guide for the trip, Tony. After quick hellos we travelled for forty minutes to reach our hotel for the next two nights, the Hostellerie du Château; the hotel is very well integrated within part of a medieval castle from the 11th and 12th centuries. We arrived, found our rooms, then met up in the comfortable hotel lounge; the group was now complete, the two French ladies having made their own way to the hotel, were already well installed before the British contingent arrived. Night at the Hostellerie du Château Day 2 Friday 2nd October Cloudy in the morning with sunny intervals, sunny and warm in the afternoon St. Vaast-la-Houque and Fort de la Houque, seawatching at the Gateville lighthouse, where we had a picnic, coffee at Barfleur, a walk along the beech overlooking the marsh at Vrasville, back to St. Vaast-la-Houque to look for birds from the break-water, drive back to the hotel arriving at 18h20. During the talk the previous evening it was pointed out how much the success of the trip depended on being at the right place at the right time; winds and tides being the most important factors. So we had breakfast at 8 o clock and departed at 08h45 for the half hour drive to St. Vaast-la-Houque on the coast of the eastern side of the Cotentin peninsular. At high tide waders gather at roosts and are thus easier to find and nearer the shore, ducks and grebes on the sea come inshore to renewed sources of food and seabirds pass closer to land so it s better watching all round. We arrived at our first stop on the causeway leading to the Fort de la Houque just before hide tide and there was lots to see; among the more interesting were large numbers of Sandwich Terns, Common Scoters on the sea, quite a few Black-necked Grebes in winter plumage, some quite close, a few Brent Geese, our first Mediterranean Gulls of the trip (we were to see many) and our only Kittiwake. We continued onto the sea-breaks of the fort in quite pleasant weather. We had good views of a close Arctic Skua chasing Sandwich Terns and various other seabirds; we even looked closely at the local Herring Gulls with distinctive pink legs. The most exciting occurrence was probably that of a pair of Peregrines that flew low over our heads, the larger female calling loudly. It was obvious that seabirds were passing as we saw more Skuas out at sea and so it was decided to head northwards to the north-eastern tip of the peninsula at Gatteville. We picnicked at the Pointe de Barfleur lighthouse as we watched quite a few seabirds go by these included three species of Shearwater, three species of Skua (with reasonable views of all three), with many Gannets, Mediterranean Gulls and Sandwich Terns. Naturetrek March 10 1

3 The skies had now cleared; we had a very pleasant hour-and-a-half eating in the sun in the lee of the lighthouse wall, watching the birds. Back to the minibus and a few minutes drive into the small town of Barfleur for a well deserved café stop, for coffee and a short break and a little talk about what we d seen. But time was getting on so we were quite soon on the road again for a short dive to Vrasville to have a look at the birds on the open marsh at the back of the beach there. An agreeable walk along the beach dividing the marsh from the sea allowed us to see several new species for the day. The Dunlin, Knot and Grey Plover there left after the passage of several Marsh Harriers, the latter appeared to be passing through on migration. Once back at the minibus there was a little time left to have a quick look for birds from the harbour wall at St.- Vaast. The hoped for Eiders were there but along way out to sea and there was little else for our efforts. Time to go back; after a half hour s drive we arrived at the hotel at about 18h20, with plenty of spare time before evening log and a very pleasant evening meal. Night at the Hostellerie du Château Day 3 Saturday 3rd October The northerly wind had moved round to north-west; the weather became cooler, a little windier with a few light showers We had breakfast at eight and said good-bye to the Hostellerie du Château that had been home for two nights. We drove to the north-western corner of the Cotentin Peninsula with a first stop at the semaphore next to the sea near Auderville. The wind was quite strong but we managed to see a few seabirds and had a good look at quite a few Mediterranean Gulls feeding in a large mixed group with other gull species from the shelter of a bunkhouse. We then drove the short distance round to Goury where we eventually had very close views of some 10 Purple Sandpipers; we were all able to have a good look at their distinguishing features. It was relatively windy and cold, the log fire in a nearby bar/restaurant was too much of a pull; so we stopped and had a well-earned hot-drinks break. Back in the vehicle we headed off southwards towards Avranches. Driving down the main road along the west coast of the peninsula we decided to stop at a small reserve that we had been informed might be interesting. It turned out to be disappointing with very little water in a badly arranged site with very few birds to see. By the time we got back to the minibus it was time to eat, so we moved into a sheltered spot just across the road and had our picnic. We d almost finished and were thinking of moving when a shout went up and we all watched as a group of eight Spoonbills glided over our heads and settled on the salt-marsh on the other side of the road. We quickly packed up what was left of the picnic and went for a better look; eventually we all had very reasonable views of the Spoonbills. After that we started heading south again with the next stop in the small seaside town of Agon-Coutainville where we had a warm-up and hot drink in a small bar. It turned out that the bar owner was a motorbike and Isleof-Man fanatic and very happy to have a chat in English with a few British bird-watchers. Once refreshed we went as far as the Pointe d Agon a few miles away; it can be good for waders here but the tide was wrong and there was little to see. Back to the minibus and we moved on south to our next hotel, the Croix d Or, in Avranches; we found it with little trouble, arriving at about 4 o clock; we would be staying there for 2 nights. After a little time to get luggage into rooms we set off again for the Mont-St.-Michel, a 25 minute drive away. We did a little bird watching around the car park of what is one of France s (probably the world s) most visited tourist destinations. 2 Naturetrek March 10

4 Birdwatching wasn t spectacular although there were a lot of birds on the very extensive mudflats around the Mont. We had good views of Yellow-legged Gull and were able to compare them with nearby Herring and Lesser Black-backs. It was soon time to return to the Croix d Or, we were back around 18h30 with enough time to have a short break before dinner. Dinner was French, good; we did log and then talked about the next day s trip to nearby Carolles and the reasons why it is a migration hot-spot; during a few days of the year. Day 4 Sunday 4th October The wind was from the south-west, it was overcast with some sunny intervals Cabane Vauban at Carolle, the Ponts d Ouve visitor centre and reserve; then the Beaugillot national nature reserve at high tide. We left the hotel after another good breakfast just after 08h45 for the twenty-five minute drive to Cabane Vauban on top of the sea-cliffs near the village of Carolles. Here a small area on the headland is protected and managed by the GON (Groupe Ornithologique Normand Normandy Ornithological Group) mainly as it is an exceptionally important migration site renown for the millions of passerines that pass each year; the fact that the site is now a reserve means migrating birds are protection from being hunted. As we walked the few hundred yards (or should it be metres) from the car park to the top of the sea cliff in the WSW wind it was quite obvious that very few birds were on the move. Out over the sea, here part of the Mont-St.-Michel Bay, we could see hundreds of Common Scoters, some groups close enough for us to be able to distinguish between the sexes. There were a few other seabirds but the best sighting was that of three Peregrines that played in the uplifts provided by the 60 metre-high cliffs and gave quite close views for more than 5 minutes. We then moved northwards cross country as far as the Ponts d Ouve reserve and visitor centre. The reserve is normally closed to visitors during the first two weeks of October, for management work, but Naturetrek have a special arrangement with those in charge so that we were able to have access to the reserve and walk around undisturbed. There were a few bird species new for the trip visible from the hides; we had good views of Teal, Snipe, Green Sandpiper and Kingfisher among others. And maybe just as much of interest as the birds were the butterflies we saw including the hoped for Clouded Yellows and some Walls and Speckled Woods, enticed out by the warm, sunny spells we experienced during the walk. We had our picnic in nice weather on the tables next to the visitor centre with time for a short look in the centre and a coffee there afterwards. From there we moved the short distance to the coast on the eastern side of the peninsula to look at the Réserve Naturelle du Domaine de Beauguillot. This involved a mile or so s walk along the side of the reserve as far as the shore and the same walk back. Once again we saw a few new species for the trip, the more interesting being Golden Plover, Wigeon and Greylag Geese. Once on the seawall we had distant views of a few seals (Common probably) and Oystercatchers plus many other distant waders; on the way back we had good views of several Hen Harriers quartering the nearby rough meadows. Once back from the walk it was time to leave for Avranches; we arrived back a little later than usual at the hotel, a bit after quarter-past six. Once again we had time for a little rest before having an excellent meal and doing the species log. Once again we talked about what we had seen that day and what we planned to do tomorrow. Naturetrek March 10 3

5 Day 5 Monday 5th October It was a day of English weather, overcast with prolonged showers Cabane Vauban, Pointe du Roc at Granville, picnic at the Ponts d Ouve, seawatch at the Phare de Gatville at the Point de Barfleur, then Cherbourg for the ferry back to England. So, for the last morning of the trip there was a «copious» self-service breakfast at around 08h00 before a 08h45 start. Packing was finished, bills paid and good-byes said as we left nearly on time for another look at the migration watch point at Cabane Vauban. The wind had swung round to southerly and the sky overcast, conditions that might be better for seeing migrants. We spent an hour at the Cabane Vauban but saw little other than a few Meadow Pipits that were obviously moving south no doubt we were just a day or two too early for good numbers of migrants; this year.. We then drove a short way north along the coast to Granville, picking up food in Carolles for our last picnic of the trip. We parked at the top of the Pointe de Roc at Granville and walked down to the viewpoint at the tip of the headland. The most obviously visible birds were a group of 10 or so Shags with a few Cormorants on a navigation-light tower which allowed everybody the chance to compare these two quite similar species. Very few seabirds were passing so after a while we decided to move on, got back into the minibus and headed northwards. We stopped to picnic at the Ponts d Ouve visitor centre once again, eventually moving into a shelter to get out of the rain. Once finished we moved on towards Gatville lighthouse at the Point de Barfleur for a final chance of some interesting seabirds. The weather had improved somewhat by the time we walked out to the lighthouse, conditions good enough for looking for seabirds. Again Gannet was by far the most numerous seabird, but not the only one; during the hour and a half we were there we saw the three commoner species of Skuas (including good views of Pomarine), a few Shearwaters of each of three different species and several Mediterranean Gulls. With that it was time to leave for the half-hour drive westwards to the ferry terminal in Cherbourg; we managed to fit in a quick stop to admire a flock of roosting Turnstone as we left the car park. With no incidents on the way, the group arrived at the ferry terminal at 17h30 in plenty of time for the 19h00 departure back to Portsmouth. Receive our e-newsletter Join the Naturetrek ing list and be the first to hear about new tours, additional departures and new dates, tour reports and special offers. Visit to sign up. Naturetrek Facebook We are delighted to launch the Naturetrek Facebook page so that participants of Naturetrek tours can remain in touch after the holiday and share photos, comments and future travel plans. Setting up a personal profile at is quick, free and easy. The Naturetrek Facebook page is now live; do please pay us a visit! 4 Naturetrek March 10

6 Bird List October Common name Scientific name Mute swan Cygnus olor 2 2 Greylag Goose Anser anser 5 3 Brent goose Branta bernicla 30 4 Common Shelduck Tadorna tadorna a few a few a few 5 Eurasian Wigeon Anas penelope 50 6 Common Teal Anas crecca 20 7 Mallard Anas platyrhynchos 1 many 8 Eider Somateria mollissima Common scoter Melanitta nigra Little grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis Great crested grebe Podiceps cristatus Black-necked grebe Podiceps nigricollis Sooty shearwater Puffinus griseus Manx shearwater Puffinus puffinus Balearic shearwater Puffinus mauretanicus Gannet Morus bassanus 17 Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo 18 Shag Phalacrocorax aristotelis a few a few Little egret Egretta garzetta 20 Grey heron Ardea cinerea 12+ a few many 21 Eurasian Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia 8 22 Western Marsh Harrier Circus aeruginosus Hen harrier Circus cyaneus 5 24 Common Buzzard Buteo buteo 3 1 a few 25 Common Kestrel Falco tinnunculus Merlin Falco columbarius 1 27 Peregrine Falco peregrinus Moorhen Gallinual chloropus 2 a few 29 Coot Fulica atra Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus 4 31 Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula 4 32 European Golden Plover Pluvialis apricaria 2 33 Grey plover Pluvialis squatarola 2 34 Northern Lapwing Vanellus vanellus Red Knot Calidris canutus 4 36 Purple sandpiper Calidris maritima Dunlin Calidris alpina 4 38 Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres Pomarine Skua Stercorarius pomarinus Arctic Skua Stercorarius parasiticus Great skua (Bonxie) Stercocarius skua Black-legged Kittiwake Rissa tridactyla 1 44 Black-headed gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus 45 Mediterranean gull Larus melanocephalus Common gull Larus canus 2 47 Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus a few 48 European Herring Gull Larus argentatus 49 Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis 2+ Naturetrek March 10 5

7 October Common name Scientific name Great black-backed gull Larus marinus 1 51 Sandwich Tern Thalasseus sandvicensis 52 Common Tern Sterna hirundo a few 53 Rock Dove/Feral Pigeon Columba livia 54 Common Wood Pigeon Columa palumbus 55 Eurasian Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto 1 56 Common Kingfisher Alcedo atthis Skylark Alauda arvensis a few 58 Swallow Hirundo rustica many a few a few 59 Meadow pipit Anthus pratensis a few Rock pipit Anthus petrosus White wagtail Motacilla alba alba many 62 Eurasian Wren Troglodytes troglodytes 63 Dunnock Prunella modularis 2 64 European Robin Erithacus rubecula 65 European Stonechat Saxicola torquata Northern Wheatear Oenanthe oennathe Common Blackbird Turdus rubecula 1 68 Song thrush Turdus philomelos 1 69 Redwing Turdus iliacus Heard 70 Mistle thrush Turdus viscivorus 3 71 Fan-tailed Warbler Cisticola juncidis Cetti's Warbler Cettia cetti h 73 Common Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita h 1 74 Firecrest Regulus ignicapilla 1 75 Blue Tit Cyanistes caeruleus Great Tit Parus major 2 77 Nuthatch Sitta europaea h 78 Eurasian Jay Garrulus glandarius Eurasian Magpie Pica pica 2 a few 80 Western Jackdaw Corvus monedula 81 Rook Corvus frugileus 82 Carrion Crow Corvus corone a few 83 Common Starling Sturnus vulgaris 84 House Sparrow Passer domesticus 85 Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs 10 a few a few 86 European Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis 4 87 Common Linnet Carduelis carrabina 3 88 Yellowhammer Emberiza citronella 1 89 Reed Bunting Emberiza schoeniclus 1 Mammals 1 Coypu Myocastor coypus 1 2 Rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus 3 Common Seal Phoca vitulina 4 6 Naturetrek March 10

8 Butterfly species Red Admiral Painted Lady Peacock Clouded Yellow Common Blue Wall Speckled Wood Large Copper Small Copper Green-veined White Small Whites. Naturetrek March 10 7