Revisiting La Brenne & Le Veudre July 2010

At the end of July we took the eurotunnel and drove down to La Brenne, in the Indre-et-Loire area of France. It was to be a re-visit to the place of my conservation trip last October and a first visit for Joel. Our accommodation in the village of Rosnay was equisite and I would recommend to anyone. Tres chic et rustique! http://lacrapaudine.monsite-orange.fr/

Our accommodation was situated opposite the church and there were barn swallows [Hirundo rustica] nesting everywhere and darting about. Also noticed a few bats at dusk flying around the courtyard, but as I don’t yet have a bat detector I don’t know what they were.


Over the course of the next few days we visited a variety of places; Le Blizon, Chérine, La Maison de la Nature, Maison du Parc, Bellebouche, Le Blanc and Mézières-en-Brenne. We saw a huge variety of wildlife during our 4 days in La Brenne:


• Eurasian Jay [Garrulus glandarius]

• Grey Heron [Ardea cinerea]

• Common Buzzard [Buteo buteo]

• Rat [Ratus ratus]

• Mute Swan [Cygnus olor] & 4 cygnets

• Carrion Crow [Corvus corone]

• Comma [Polygonia c-album]

• House Sparrow [Passer domesticus]

• Northern Lapwing [Vanellus vanellus]

• Great Cormorant [Phalacrocorax carbo] [drying it’s wings and 5 fishing]

• Castle Egret [Bubulcus ibis]

• Mallard [Anas platyrhynchos]

• Great Crested Grebe [Podiceps cristatus]

• Eurasian Coot [Fulica atra]

• Juvenile Great Crested Grebe [Podiceps cristatus]

• Purple Heron [Ardea purpurea]

• Little Grebe [Tachybaptus ruficollis]

• Red Admiral [Vanessa atalanta]

• Common Chaffinch [Fringilla coelebs]

• Scarce Swallowtail [Iphiclides podalirius]

• Small White [Pieris rapae]

• Black-veined White [Aporia crataegi]

• Green Frog [Rana clamatins]

• A variety of unidentified lizards

• Blue-tailed Damselfly [Ischnura elegans]

• Gatekeeper [Pyronia tithonus]

• Brimstone [Gonepteryx rhamni]

• White Admiral [Limenitus camilla]

• Common Swallowtail [Papilio machaon]

We then travelled a couple of hours east to Joel’s family’s lake near le Veudre in the Allier region. We spent the next 5 days relaxing, Joel fishing and me scurrying about trying to find nature in every nook and cranny. I was surprised by how much I found. It was a butterfly and dragonfly haven. I also saw a red underwing moth on my last day which was amazing. It was resting on the side of the lodge and I was intrigued by it because it was so large. Then, disturbed by me and my camera, it took off to reveal the red underwing. It was beautiful.

• Black-tailed skimmer [Orthetrum cencellatum]

• Barn Swallow [Hirundo rustica]

• Green frog [Rana clamatins]

• Northern Lapwing [Vanellus vanellus]

• Common Swallowtail [Papilio machaon]

• Common Buzzard [Buteo buteo]

• Common Blue [Polyommatus icarus]

• Brimstone [Gonepteryx rhamni]

• Grey Heron [Ardea cinerea]

• Common Pond Skater [Gerris lacustris]

• Blue-tailed Damselfly [Ischnura elegans]

• European Goldfinch [Carduelis carduelis]

• Meadow Brown [Maniola jurtina]

Map Butterfly [Araschnia levana]

• White Admiral [Limenitis camilla]

• Gatekeeper [Pyronia tithonus]

• Ringlet [Aphantopus hyperantus]

• Small White [Pieris rapae]

• Slow Worm [Anguis fragilis]

• White-tailed bumblebee [Bombus lucorum]

• Common Coenagrion [Coenagrion puella]

• Red Admiral [Vanessa atalanta]

• White Stork [Ciconia ciconia]

• Red Squirrel [Sciurus vulgaris]

• Red Underwing [Catocala nupta]

• Kingfisher [Alcedo atthis]

• Magpie [Pica pica]

• Tawny Owl [Strix aluco] [heard]

• Barn Owl [Tyto alba] [heard]

• Lizard [unidentified]

• Bat [unidentified]

• Map Butterfly [Araschnia levana]


You can view all my pictures at: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=195320&id=644387329&l=4ae50da9f0