Champagne, May 2013 (3): Foret d'Orient & Lac Amance

After overnighting in Troyes and enjoying the old town, I awoke to spend my birthday - 21 again - out in the sunshine around Foret d'Orient Regional Nature Park. Unfortunately the sun hadn't read the script and it was a tad overcast and showery.

Foret du Temple (above & below)

After a quick stop at the Maison du Parc (where the D43 and D79 meet in the north-east corner of Lac d'Orient) to look at the books and leaflets, I drove to my favourite area of the park: Foret du Temple, accessed by the Route Forestiere du Temple just under 3km east of the Maison du Parc. This area of forest is known to be good for woodpeckers in the winter and spring, although I had no expectation of what I might find in May - I was just hoping for a better return than my trip to Cornee du Der the day before.

I initially headed out away from my favourite area and instead followed the Salamander discovery trail which runs through the forest and along the south-east margins of Lac du Temple. It was an interesting stroll but only commoner woodland birds were around for the most part. However, a Great-Spotted Woodpecker drummed nearby and a Green Woodpecker laughed at me from out of sight somewhere. Halfway along the trail, the heavens opened for a few minutes and I sheltered under a tree to keep my kit dry. Afterwards, the clouds disappeared and it was blue skies for the rest of the day.

Heading back along the trail I had a little more luck, with a Marsh Tit alighting very close to me and a Golden Oriole singing away. Under my feet, too, there was something to look at - a group of four Dor Beetles seemed to be feasting on one of their own dead, not something I was aware that these dung beetles did - although if you'll eat dung, I suppose there's not much that'll put you off!



Back at the car park, I headed east into the more mature woodland where I'd had the greatest success in the past. But, again, birds were few and far between and the thick canopy meant relying on my ears more than my eyes for identification. A singing Wood Warbler made the effort all worthwhile though with stunning views.

Wood Warbler, by Frank Vassen under CCSA

With birdlife at a premium I instead strolled back via the sunny forest rides, enjoying the wild flowers and butterflies. Looking more at my feet than where I was going, I looked up to see three Wild Boar crashing out of the undergrowth no more than a dozen yards in front of me - I'm not sure who was more startled! They ran as if for their lives down the ride away from me, before making a sharp right back into the thick understorey. My best views ever of this elusive species!






With little else to report, I headed to my home for the next couple of nights: Camping Les Rives du Lac, on the north shore of Lac d'Orient just east of Geraudot village and flanked by both beautiful meadows and the woodland of Le Petit Orient. Heather and I had stayed here on our original foray in May 2008 and it is a pretty little site with good facilities. It was fairly quiet so I managed to secure the prime (for me) north-west corner pitch, number 078, overlooking the large oak in the meadow, the edge of the forest and an area of scrub. In the by now roasting sunshine, I nodded off in the car before managing to energise myself to pitch the tent. After some quick 'Happy Birthdays' on Skype, dinner was superb pizza and Bordeaux at the nearby pizzeria.

Camping Les Rives du Lac, Geraudot

With Sunday morning starting heavy and overcast, I was in no hurry to get out and about (nothing to do with the red wine) and instead had a leisurely breakfast at the campsite, watching a Black Redstart darting around and listening to the Blackcaps and a Melodious Warbler in the nearby scrub. Eventually I managed to roust myself and headed towards the north-eats of the park area. I stopped at the outfall channel of Lac d'Auzon-Temple and climbed the steps to look out over the lake. House Martins were attending to the nests under the outfall structure, a Corn Bunting sang from around the car park and Linnets hopped from bush to bush.

 Outfall channel, Lac d'Auzon-Temple

A few miles further on I reached Lac Amance, the smallest of the three lakes in the park but possibly the most interesting. On its western edge, just south of the canal that runs from Lac d'Auzon-Temple, a gravel car track leads to a large observatory hide. I've had some good birds here previously, the highlight perhaps being a Little Bittern in May 2008, but it's also a pleasant view and a great place to contemplate the world. Today, a couple of Black Terns were amongst the Common Terns out over the lake, whilst a pair of Reed Buntings, a Sedge Warbler and a Great Reed Warbler entertained amongst the reeds and scrub.

 Lac Amance from the hide (above & below)

Stretching for more than half a kilometre south-east of the hide is a good area of semi-natural wet grassland (left), and I strolled further along the track to view. A Red-backed Shrike moved along the fenceline with me and a Corn Bunting was singing nearby. A Nightingale sang from the depths of some willow scrub.

The track continues along the lake's south-west shore and can be used to cut through to the D443 between Dienville and Amance. I hadn't followed it before and, with the sun shining, now seemed like a good time. I pootled along in the Alfa, taking time to check out some good viewpoints of the reedbed and lake. I found a beautiful spot with a picnic bench overlooking the lake for lunch.

More views from along the track by Lac Amance (above & below)

With the car windows down, I overheard a storm of birdsong coming from an area of scrub on the right-hand side - named on the map as Le Colombier (the Dovecote - although I couldn't see one). Standing in a gateway, I could hear Blackcap, Chiffchaff and the reeling of a Grasshopper Warbler. Around a corner I found a causeway across the lake's end (left) and, on the far side, some mature oak woodland meant to be quite good for woodpeckers; a half hour walk didn't turn up more than a Green but it's another spot to try in spring.

Eventually, after a thoroughly enjoyable time along Lac Amance, I joined the D443 and turned south. Just a kilometre past Amance village, a male harrier was quartering the road verge and as I passed I got a glimpse of barring under the wings. Montagu's? Another kilometre down the road, I looped round in a lay-by and sped back. A pair of Montagu's Harriers were now gliding together over the adjacent farmland and, with no traffic coming, I was able to stop and get amazing views and spot all the differences between them and Hen Harrier. Eventually the traffic did start moving and I relocated to a nearby side-road to watch further.

Male Montagu's Harrier, by Andy Li under CCSA

I explored some lakeside spots on Lac d'Orient without much to report and instead decided for an early departure the following day to check out the famous Platier d'Oye reserve near Calais. It's really best in winter and on migration but I managed to pick out a Mediterranean Gull amongst the nesting Black-headeds from the Maison dans la dunes hide and enjoyed the Avocets before a rather rough crossing home to Blighty.

Cranes and Champagne, March 2010 (2): Forêt d'Orient

Lac d'Orient, from the south-east shore, La Promenade

After the short drive down from Lac du Der, early Saturday afternoon, we had a quick stop at Lac Amance near Dienville - where there was little except some Bewick's Swans and a pair of Pintail - and there was just enough time with the deteriorating weather to take a look from the layby on the D43, just north-east of Mesnil-Saint-Père. Whilst birds were scarce, with just a few Shoveler offshore, a dozen or more Common Frogs were in the pond on the woodland-side of the road and the same number on the lake-side.

The frogs gave great practice with the 105mm macro lens. Judging by the focus, I need a bit more practice... A Coypu also appeared from the lake and foraged in the woodland edge, giving views down to a few metres.

After an overnighter in Troyes - see next post - we got to the birding part of the trip I'd been looking forward to most, a return to La Route Forestière du Temple. Although this vast area can seeem pretty empty, patience and fieldcraft do pay off!

We had great views of a pair of Middle-Spotted Woodpeckers to the south-west of the car park, and further west we startled a Wild Boar in the undergrowth, allowing Dave to capture it blurrily leaving us at speed! This is not that picture...

Photo by minds-eye, Creative Commons licence

Woods north of La Maison du Parc, 6km south-east of Géraudot

The Call of the Crane: Champagne Lakes and Forests, March 2009

Lac du Der from the northern Route de Digue, March 2009

The vast Champagne lakes and forests region in northern France, 75 miles south-east of Reims, is one of my favourite places. Lac du Der-Chantecoq is the largest artificial lake in Europe and a stopping off point for tens of thousands of Common Cranes on migration between wintering grounds to the south and breeding areas in northern Europe. Foret d'Orient Regional Nature Park is a rolling landscape of reservoirs and lakes nestled in dense forest and a particularly good site for three woodpecker species not found in the UK, including the Black Woodpecker, the largest woodpecker found north of the equator from the Atlantic to the Bering Sea.

Common Cranes at La Ferme aux Grues (photo by Heather)

Heather and I spent a few days exploring both in March 2009, and the sight of the cranes coming in to roost in their thousands whilst their trumpeting calls echo across Lac du Der is truly memorable. A group of Wild Boar could distantly be seen swimming between the islands. Managed to get great views of Black and Middle-spotted Woodpecker and a trip report can be found on Travelling Birder. Troyes, the prefecture capital, is a great place to stay - the old town of half-timbered houses and narrow streets is reckoned to be the best place to experience what Europe would have looked like in the 16th century. It has some great restaurants and mellow nightlife. We also stayed at a great little gite, L'Embarc, in Arrigny.

 Presque 'Île de Champaubert on Lac du Der,

church of the flooded village Champaubert-aux-Bois

Forêt d'Orient, Champagne-Ardennes, May 2008

Forest track through Forêt d'Orient Regional Nature Park

Late May and early June of 2008 saw Heather and I camping around various regions in northern and central France in the vain search of anything but rain... Whilst we didn't find much sun, we did discover some fantastic new areas to explore - the first of which we have returned to in both 2009 and 2010.

Initially heading for Burgundy on our first day, on impulse we stopped late afternoon in the Forêt d'Orient Regional Nature Park to make the most of what turned out to be the best weather of the holiday! The reserve - covering 70,000 hectares (173,000 acres) and consisting of three reservoirs nestling in dense oak forest -  is a great destination for the walker or cyclist seeking a quieter area and wildlife.

Lac d'Orient (photo by Gerald Laik via Creative Commons)

With the summer season just starting, the area was certainly quiet and we joined just a handful of other tents on the well equipped L'Epine Aux Moines campsite at Géraudot. Just a two minute walk from the shore of Lac d'Orient, a pizzeria and cycle hire, the site also lovely views north along the boundary of the forest. On a lovely sun-drenched evening, we sat and watched Turtle Dove and Red-backed Shrike amongst commoner species and a Golden Oriole regaled us with its beautiful, flute-like song early the next morning.

Whilst the weather started to deteriorate from the start of day two, we were determined to make the most of a hard-earned break. The cycle hire was very reasonably priced and the bikes of good quality. France is renowned as a cycle-friendly country, and the Tour des Lacs cycle path was smooth and scenic, taking us along the shores of Lac d'Orient, Lac du Temple and Lac Amance to the town of Dienville before returning through the forest, most of the entire route off-road. A shorter forest-only route is also possible for kids.

The author pauses for breath on the cycle path along the shore of Lac du Temple

The tour is a fantastic way to see the park and even the short sections along the D43 and D50 roads were reasonably quiet. The reservoirs are all man-made (Lac du Temple and Lac Amance were constructed as recently as 1990), created to regulate waterflow and flooding on the Seine river and to supply drinking water to Paris, but they are naturalising nicely with nice emergent vegetation and lots of scrub. Waterbird populations are tremendous in winter - in fact, along with Lac du Der-Chantecoq to the north, the area forms probably the best winter location for birdwatching in northern France; read more here - the lakes were still busy with Coot, Great-Crested Grebe, Mallard and Common Tern whilst the shoreline rang with birdsong, with the magnificent Great Reed Warbler seen a couple of times atop the reeds. At Lac Amance, from the hide at the north end of the western shore, we were lucky enough to see a Little Bittern and Temminck's Stint. Otter and feral Coypu (an introduction from South Amercica) can also be seen here, the latter often at very close quarters.

Perhaps even better than the lakes is the deep oak forest. France's woodlands are normally well-managed for timber and this area is no different, but the size of the forest means that the operations do not have a major impact and wildlife simply moves around as necessary. The woodland harbours six species of woodpecker: the British three - Great Spotted, Lesser Spotted and Green - plus the noisy Middle Spotted, shy Grey-headed and leviathan Black, the largest woodpecker in Europe and Asia at 18 inches high and approaching three feet in wingspan. Deer are common sights and - if you're quiet when you hear a rustling in the undergrowth - a Wild Boar might make a guest appearance.

Black Woodpecker and chicks at the nest,

by Alistair Rae under Creative Commons licence

Pedalling through the forests, it's easy to get caught up in their primaeval atmosphere: a Red Deer stag crossed the track at a run in front of us, woodpeckers drum and call and, in every direction, never-ending woodland rides stretch away from you. We followed the main surfaced tour route along the Route du Temple but there are hundreds of miles of forest paths to take advantage of - maps and walk leaflets are available from the Maison du Parc (visitor centre) at the junction of the D43 and D79 on the eastern edge of Lac d'Orient.