La Brenne - Part 2

Since the La Brenne has become a Parc Naturel Regional, and the development of  any commercial business is restricted, the local population has gone down with people moving out of the area to find work so tourism is becoming one of the only sources of income in the area.  The other main income is from the export of fish mainly carp to eastern Europe.  There is also some dairy and arable farming but much of this is outside of the park. 

Though this isn't very good for the people living in the area it is good for those of us visiting to see the local wildlife, as there is little traffic and an abundance of wildlife.

1st-3rd June
Continuing, on one of our walks at Etang des Essarts we came across a couple of interesting insect the first was the Caterpillar of the Hedge Burnet and the second was found by one of the group and it was a Mole Cricket a first and a second for us.

Hedge Burnet-Aglaope infausta caterpiller © Nick Hull & adult internet photo.

Mole Cricket-La Brenne © Nick Hull

Later in the day we we had an 'orchid fest' when Nigel took us to a superb piece of unspoilt grassland where we found Greater and Lesser Butterfly, Loose-flowered and new to us was Tongue Orchid another really stunning plant.

Tongue Orchid - La Brenne © Jackie Hull

This site was excellent for Nightingale as is the La Brenne as a whole, they seem to be in every hedgerow where ever you go. The following recording is a Nightingale and a Blackbird that seemed to be getting annoyed with its load neighbour.

Other birds here were Turtle Dove still seemed relatively common in the area, Corn Buntings Marsh Harrier and Black Kites were seen daily on our walks around the La Brenne.  We also learnt the sound of Marsh Cricket here which resembles Grasshopper Warbler though perhaps not so loud.  We had our alfresco lunch at Romefort and during lunch had fly by Stag Beetles which always look amazing when they fly. Here we also recorded Brown Argus, Proveçal Short-tailed Blue.  After Lunch we headed off to see Bee-eaters which are always great to see though to far away to get any photographs unfortunately.  The Bee-eaters had there colony along a high river bank with Sand Martins as neighbours.

On our way way back to the hotel we came across some resting cattle and amongst them were the usual accompaning Cattle Egrets. What was quite interesting was that the cattle were quite content allowing the egrets to catch flies and take them from very close to their eyes but the egrets seemed to know that when the fly was near an eye they seemed to take great care to catch the fly without stabbing the cow.

Cattle Egret about to take fly from near the eye of the Cow © Nick Hull