Day 4 - Brenne to Cevennes

Today unfortunately held the promise of another big drive, so I was up pre-dawn to fit everything in. After a bit of watery porridge cooked on the stove, I was off for a quick tour of the various Etangs. First stop the Cherine Nature Reserve..not open till 10 a.m. Whoops, 4 hours too early. Never mind, it was time for a bit of improvisation as I scaled the fence and in doing so flushed 2 Night Herons. A Cetti's Warbler was surprisingly showy from the boardwalk, and I also picked up another Melodious Warbler and a couple of Black Kites quartering the marshes.

Then a noise which would be more at home in the jungle than the middle of France. Golden Orioles. These birds are notoriously difficult to see, but I was in look, as a family party of 3 chased each other round the tree tops. I left them to it and headed to another hide overlooking Cherine. Not much new, but Great White Egrets, Night Herons and Whiskered Terns could all be seen commuting over the reeds.

Next to La Gabriere, a large shallow lake teeming with Mute Swans, Tufted Ducks and Coots. A flash of turqoise materialised into my first Kingfisher of the trip. I'd managed to see most of the Brenne specialities so I decided to try and make some yards towards the Cevennes once I'd refuelled with some Flan and Orangina back in Rosnay.



The raptor count picked up as I drove South East. I didn't have chance to stop and scope the big pale raptor on top of a telegraph pole but I knew from experience it was a Short-toed Eagle. There were 15 Black Kites all together, most of them seen as I drove through the Dordogne. Also, 1 Red Kite, a couple of Kestrels and Buzzards, and a Sparrowhawk as I lunched on rank tuna and cheese sandwiches.

I'd just passed the lovely village of Entraygues when I saw bird of the day. I wasn't really focussing as something big and black dashed across the road in front of me. I was ready when it's mate followed it a few seconds later, though. Big, all black, with a red crest. Black Woodpecker. Definitely a brucey bonus.

Tom Tom took me on a very dodgy track towards Le Rozier in the Cevennes. I had in mind the stories of satnav leading people off cliffs.

All was forgiven, though, as I picked up this Tawny Pipit and another Red-backed Shrike.


Just 2 kilometres to go to the campsite. Surely I could do it without having to stop again for birding. No. 4 huge barn doors were soaring above me on the thermals. This could only mean one thing - Rhys Jones (Griff) was in town. My campsite sits on the Tarn, and they've been in view all evening.

Invigorated after a quick swim in the river, I was off out again, this time on foot, in the hills above the Gorges du Tarn. Plenty of Swifts and House Martins were joined by their more interesting cousins - Alpine Swifts and Crag Martins. Higher up, I heard and subsequently saw a couple of flighty Western Bonelli's Warblers and a wealth of butterflies inlcuding Iolos Blue, Great Banded Grayling and Black-veined Whites.


Finally back to the campsite to relax over dinner listening to Green Woodpeckers, Nuthatches, Spotted Flycatchers, Serins and best of all as I write this, a Nightingale in full voice.

List additions: Black Woodpecker, Golden Oriole, Black Kite, Red Kite, Sparrowhawk, Griffon Vulture, Western Bonelli's Warbler, Tawny Pipit, Tufted Duck, Nightingale, Kingfisher, Alpine Swift, Crag Martin, Grey Wagtail, B.C.N. Heron, Cattle Egret, Serin (103)

Butterflies: Iolos Blue, Black-veined White, Great-banded Greyling