Bird Watching at the Chateau

Early spring is an excellent time for birding in Paris – late wintering species are still present, while early migrants are arriving. Leafless trees mean the birds are easy to see and the weather can be very comfortable. We search for coastal and wetland birds as well as early passerine migrants in addition to many resident birds. And, on the right cliffs and chateaux, wallcreepers are fairly easy to find. Woodpeckers and raptors, plus farmland and riverine species add further interest.

Riverside cliffs harbor wintering wallcreeper, which can sometimes be seen at close range. Peregrines, ravens and crag martins should also be about whilst the elusive eagle owl may be present.

The Loire is rich in woodpeckers. We’ll visit a variety of key forest areas, searching for black and middle spotted woodpeckers amongst other woodland birds, including crested tit and firecrest.

The farmland areas, have corn bunting, crested lark, rock sparrow, black shouldered kite and hen harrier, also look out for early spring migrants. The Nature Reserves around Orleans have herons, egrets, spoonbill, ducks, waders and various passerine migrants.

Increasingly large numbers of visitors are starting to take notice of the incredible bird life in the region.This is due to the diversity of habitats found here, despite being a landlocked region.

The forests are extensive and varied in The Loire and harbor another of those “wish-list” species as mentioned: the black woodpecker, amongst the other four found here: lesser spotted, middle spotted, great spotted and green woodpeckers. Some other exciting woodland species to keep an eye out for are the crested tit, firecrest, Dartford warbler, hawfinch, dipper and goshawk.

307 species have been recorded in the The Loire area as follows:

 

Black Swan
Mute Swan
Tundra Swan
Ruddy Shelduck
Brent Goose
Greater White-fronted Goose
Eurasian Wigeon
Barnacle Goose
Canada Goose
Bar-headed Goose
Red-crested Pochard
Greylag Goose
Long-tailed Duck
Mallard
Bean Goose
Velvet Scoter
Common Goldeneye
Common Pochard
Smew
Common Eider
Northern Pintail
Goosander
Red-breasted Merganser
Egyptian Goose
Ferruginous Duck
Common Shelduck
Common Shelduck
Common Teal
Tufted Duck
Greater Scaup
Garganey
Northern Shoveler
Gadwall
Ruddy Shelduck
Mandarin Duck
Little Grebe
Red-necked Grebe
Great Crested Grebe
Slavonian Grebe
Common Coot
Marbled Teal
Common Moorhen
Western Water Rail
Corncrake
Spotted Crake
Baillon's Crake
Little Crake
Purple Swamphen
Ring-necked Duck
Solitary Sandpiper
Pectoral Sandpiper
Buff-breasted Sandpiper
Baird's Sandpiper
Eurasian Dotterel
American Golden Ploverr
Black-crowned Night Heron
Black Stork
European White Stork
Common Crane
Little Bustard
Great Bustard
American Wigeon
Purple Heron
Squacco Heron
Eurasian Bittern
Little Bittern
Cattle Egret
Grey Heron
Great Cormorant
Eurasian Oystercatcher
Great Egret
Little Egret
Eurasian Spoonbill
Glossy Ibis
European Shag
Pied Avocet
Black-winged Stilt
Eurasian Thick-knee
Red-throated Diver
Black-throated Diver
Great Northern Diver
Northern Lapwing
Sociable Lapwing
Bar-tailed Godwit
Little Ringed Plover
Grey Plover
Eurasian Golden Plover
Common Ringed Plover
Whimbrel
Eurasian Curlew
Ruddy Turnstone
Red Knot
Ruff
Sharp-tailed Sandpiper
Curlew Sandpiper
Black-tailed Godwit
Greater Flamingo
American Woodcock
Temminck's Stint
Sanderling
Dunlin
Little Stint
Least Sandpiper
Eurasian Woodcock
Common Redshank
Common Snipe
Jack Snipe
Great Snipe
Green Sandpiper
Spotted Redshank
Common Sandpiper
Common Greenshank
Wood Sandpiper
Marsh Sandpiper
Lesser Yellowlegs
Collared Pratincole
Black-legged Kittiwake
Red-necked Phalarope
Grey Phalarope
Wilson's Phalarope
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Yellow-legged Gull
Ross's Gull
Caspian Gull
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Black-headed Gull
Little Gull
Mediterranean Gull
Mew Gull
Arctic Tern
White-winged Tern
Caspian Tern
Little Tern
Whiskered Tern
Rock Ptarmiga
Black Tern
Roseate Tern
Common Tern
White-winged Tern
Elegant Tern
Grey Partridge
Red-legged Partridge
Northern Hazel Grouse
Common Pheasant
Reeves's Pheasant
Common Quail
Rock Dove
European Turtle Dove
Eurasian Collared Dove
Stock Dove
Wood Pigeon
Great Spotted Cuckoo
Common Cuckoo
European Nightjar
Alpine Swift
Pallid Swift
Common Swift
Cinereous Vulture
Griffon Vulture
Golden Eagle
Osprey
Black-winged Kite
European Honey Buzzard
Egyptian Vulture
Short-toed Eagle
Greater Spotted Eagle
White-tailed Sea Eagle
Booted Eagle
Northern Goshawk
Western Marsh Harrier
Hen Harrier
Montagu's Harrier
Pallid Harrier
Eurasian Sparrowhawk
Red Kite
Black Kite
Eurasian Buzzard
Rough-legged Buzzard
Peregrine Falcon
Red-footed Falcon
Merlin Falcon
Common Kestrel
Lesser Kestrel
Eurasian Hobby
Tengmalm's Owl
Tawny Owl
Eurasian Pygmy Owl
Common Barn Owl
Little Owl
Eurasian Scops Owl
Northern Long-eared Owl
Short-eared Owl
Eurasian Eagle Owl
Common Hoopoe
Northern Wryneck
Middle Spotted Woodpecker
White-backed Woodpecker
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Green Woodpecker
Black Woodpecker
Grey-headed Woodpecker
Lesser Spotted Woodpecker
Common Raven
Carrion Crow
Rook
Eurasian Magpie
Red-billed Chough
Alpine Chough
European Roller
Eurasian Jackdaw
Red-backed Shrike
Lesser Grey Shrike
Great Grey Shrike
Iberian Grey Shrike
Woodchat Shrike
Eurasian Jay
Eurasian Golden Oriole
Eurasian Nutcracker
Dunnock
Alpine Accentor
Rose-ringed Parakeet
Common Kingfisher
European Bee-eater
Eurasian Tree Sparrow
Eurasian Rock Sparrow
House Sparrow
Pechora Pipit
Tree Pipit
Red-throated Pipit
Meadow Pipit
Water Pipit
Rock Pipit
Tawny Pipit
Richard's Pipit
Grey Wagtail
White Wagtail
Yellow Wagtail
Common Chaffinch
Brambling
Hawfinch
Eurasian Bullfinch
European Greenfinch
White-winged Snowfinch
Common Linnet
Common Redpoll
Red Crossbill
European Goldfinch
Trumpeter Finch
Citril Finch
European Serin
Eurasian Siskin
Corn Bunting
Rock Bunting
Ortolan Bunting
Cirl Bunting
Snow Bunting
Yellowhammer
Common Redpoll
Little Bunting
Eurasian Reed Bunting
Crested Tit
Marsh Tit
Willow Tit
Coal Tit
Blue Tit
Great Tit
European Penduline Tit
Long-tailed Tit
Horned Lark
Wood Lark
Crested Lark
Eurasian Sky Lark
Greater Short-toed Lark
White-winged Crossbill
Zitting Cisticola
Grasshopper Warbler
Melodious Warbler
Icterine Warbler
Western Bonelli's Warbler
Sedge Warbler
Blyth's Reed Warbler
Marsh Warbler
Common Reed Warbler
Great Reed Warbler
Aquatic Warbler
Wood Warbler
Yellow-browed Warbler
Willow Warbler
Savi's Warbler
Cetti's Warbler
Garden Warbler
Western Orphean Warbler
Eastern Subalpine Warbler
Western Bonelli's Warbler
Dartford Warbler
Spectacled Warbler
Sardinian Warbler
Brown-headed Cowbird
Iberian Chiffchaff
Common Chiffchaff
Barn Swallow
Red-rumped Swallow
Northern House Martin
Eurasian Crag Martin
Sand Martin
Eurasian Blackcap
Common Nightingale
Bohemian Waxwing
Red-billed Leiothrix
Goldcrest
Eurasian Firecrest
Short-toed Treecreeper
Wallcreeper
Eurasian Treecreeper
Eurasian Nuthatch
European Robin
Bluethroat
Eurasian Wren
Rosy Starling
Common Starling
White-throated Dipper
Mistle Thrush
Song Thrush
Lesser Whitethroat
Common Whitethroat
Red-breasted Flycatcher
Spotted Flycatcher
European Pied Flycatcher
Common Redstart
Black Redstart
Blue Rock Thrush
Common Rock Thrush
European Stonechat
Whinchat
Northern Wheatear
Black-eared Wheatear
Pied Wheatear
Redwing
European Stonechat
Eurasian Blackbird
Fieldfare
Ring Ouzel

 

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