Deux Loutres - 20 August 2012

For a final trip to Brenne, we returned to the Cherine reserve and had a look around La Maison de la Nature - visitor centre (closed on Tuesdays remember). We collected a few maps and brochures and headed for the main viewing hide,  crossing a boardwalk on the way where we found a number of flowering Water Lilies.

The hide (open to public 10:00am - 12:30pm) looks out on a rather picturesque Cistude Lake. We first watched a Grey Heron fishing and eventually saw it take a fish of about 500g. To our left, we had an ebony and ivory scene as a Cormorant and Little Egret were busy preening next to each other. Further out on the lake we saw Mute Swans, Coot, Mallard and a congregation of Cormorant roosting on a sunken tree.

As this would be our last day here, we decided to make a return trip Sous Lake, as we were still wondering why the hide had been so full on our previous visit. On the walk to the hide we spotted lots of dragonflies and darters, plus the remnants of a few orchids that were long past their best days for this summer. The hide was again busy and although the Whiskered Tern were still present, there was nothing out of the ordinary. We stayed for over an hour watching disappointed faces leave, until we had the place to our selves.

A little later, as I studied the Terns, PK unleashed one of her excitable intakes of breath. "Otter" she whispered. We watched the nearby reeds moving for some time with me declaring that it was probably just a Mallard. Then, all went still and and there they were... Out in the open water in front of us was an adult female otter with a young pup. We were no more than 5 yards from them as they swam past the hide and disappeared. Mystery solved!

Quelle magnifique finale.

Water Lily at Maison de la Nature

Whiskered Tern - post breed adult at Sous Lake

Fermé le Mardi - 14 August 2012

Parc Natural Régional de la Brenne* is a 646 mile² nature park in Indre, France. Tagged colloquially as 'Land of a thousand ponds', it was within a 1 hour drive of our holiday base on the River Creuse near Eguzon.

*Not to be confused with the large naturist camping park in the same area, where sun-factor 50 is essential on certain parts!

We made our first visit on the first Tuesday of the holiday but arriving at the visitor centre in Cherine Nature Reserve near Rosnay, we were greeted by the sign 'Ferme le Mardi'. It was closed every Tuesday throughout the year, a fact that had somehow eluded my regimental forward planning, Doh! Fortunately, it only applied to the centre and the viewing hides on the adjoining Cistude Lake. So, back in the car and with only our road map as a guide, we set off to explore the area...

Just 5 minutes away we found Ricot Lake where a short footpath led us to a viewing hide. Our first sighting and what would have been a fantastic first French bird, was a probable Bittern disappearing into the reeds on the far side, but I couldn't say for certain. The lake held a number of Mallards and 2 Cormorant but the real excitement here was immediately in front of the hide. Sunning themselves on a strategically placed fallen tree trunk were 5 European Pond Turtles (Cistude d'Europe). From the information posted in the hide, we gathered that they were now relaxing after the breeding season (May to July) having buried their eggs somewhere away from the lake. This turtle is now a protected species (the French having almost eaten them out of existence early in the nineteenth century) and this lake is home to more than 100.

Next stop was Etang des Essarts where we walked to the lake accompanied by a good number of Swallows, either feeding all around us or perched in nearby trees. We spotted our first Whiskered Terns as they sailed through the air flying to and from the lake which we eventually arrived at. Here we found lots of them including many recently fledged birds, and a cordoned area of nesting trays, some of which still contained a few youngsters being fed by adults. The lake also held Mallard, Coot, Great Crested Grebe, Cormorant and PK spotted our first Purple Heron across in the far reeds.

Another short drive found us at Sous Lake where we found a near-packed hide for the first time. After 30 minutes or so and only a brief raptor fly-through (we missed it), the hide emptied - probably another piece of PK witchery - and I wondered what, if anything, had brought them here. Here we saw more Whiskered Tern and hundreds of tufted Duck.

On the drive home we stopped briefly at a small lake where a Great White Egret was perched on a sunken tree.

Bonne Journée

European Pond Turtle at Ricot Lake

Swallow (juv.) - part of a large flock near Etang des Essarts

Whiskered Tern (juv. and adult) at Etang des Essarts