Cranes and Champagne, March 2010 (4): North to Épernay

Nogent-sur-Seine

From Troyes, we headed north-west along the Seine Valley, enjoying the rolling countryside and fine weather. Stopping in Nogent-sur-Seine, we strolled along the banks and bridges of Ile Olive, the island at the town's centre.

The pretty town of

Villenauxe-le-Grande,

looking SW from the D951

A hunting male Hen Harrier

gave great views from the car,

on D933 near Loisy-en-Brie

Arriving at the southern end of the Côte des Blancs, one of the three parts of the Champagne region, the Mondeo just about made it up Mont Aimé so we could take in the view north across this famous wine-growing area towards Vertus and Oger.

Being March, the vines were not in leaf, perhaps not giving the full effect of just how much they dominated the landscape. This picture (left) gives a better impression, from a visit to the region in August 2005.

After driving up through the vineyards, we arrived into Épernay - home to many of the most famous champagne houses - for our last night and as much fizz as we could take! Despite having booked, we found Möet unexpectedly shut, but fell on our feet at C-comme, a shop and tasting bar for over 300 local champagnes...after trying glasses of their six picks of the week, each of a different grape mix, we had a couple more to be sure and settled on a case of rosé and a blend to take away. Whilst the caves of the major champagne houses are worth seeing, this is where I'll be heading for tasting on my next trip. We finished the night with dinner at the well regarded Champnoise restaurant La Cave à Champagne, just a few doors down from C-comme and another definite for next time.

Dom Perignon champagne, under Creative Commons licence

Cranes and Champagne, March 2010 (3): Troyes

Rue Emile Zola, Troyes Old Town

We stayed in the Ibis in Troyes on Saturday and Sunday night on this trip. Saturday night was buzzing, we beat some friendly locals 5-0 at pool in La Tricasse, a great French 'pub', and moved on to a Morrocan feast at La Kasbah, a definite port of call next time - great food, great service and I can recommend the varied sharing platter to start! Sunday night was very quiet with few places open - another note for next time...

Monday saw a beautiful day rise over Troyes so we explored the old town, one of the places in France most like 16th century Europe, with Gothic churches, and medieval and Renaissance half-timbered buildings.

Rue de la Monnaie, Troyes

The Hôtel de Ville (left), Place Alexandre Israël, is a fantastic building that looks out onto the town's main sqaure - a common meeting place for local people.

The 13th century Gothic Saint-Urbain Basilica opens out onto a newly refurbished, modern square.

Seeing us both with our cameras on Rue des Chats, an alley so narrow that the buildings touch at the top, a local man motioned us through a wooden door into a private courtyard, where the timbered buildings with two landings had been lovingly restored (left).

Le chat, Rue des Chats, Troyes

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

Cranes and Champagne, March 2010 (1): Lac du Der-Chantecoq

Place d'Armes, Vitry-le-François

Mid-March 2010 saw a return to the Champagne region, this time with Dave Thomas, for a mixture of birding and photography. With the idea of a guide to the area in mind - giving the excuse to revisit this fabulous spot a few more times in different seasons - this trip gave chance to revisit some of the spots looked at in winter 2009 for photos and key birds. A trip report of last year's visit can be found here; no written report this year, as it was just a follow-up.

After the drive from Calais, we toured Lac du Der. The first spring migrants were around and other highlights were a very confiding Black Redstart at Presque 'Île de Champaubert (left) and a group of Tree Sparrows in a Hawthorn on the dyke at La Brèche.

After staying overnight at Au Bon Sejour in Vitry-le-François, and taking in a great little bar and pizzeria on the east side of Place d'Armes, we headed back to Der and then on to La Ferme aux Grues near Isson (left) where about 700 Common Cranes were on the fields.

There were lots of farm and woodland birds around at La Ferme, with Greenfinches (left), Goldfinches and Chaffinches, Brambling, Blackbird, House and Tree Sparrows and Great and Marsh Tits all constantly around, most visiting the feeders, and a Song Thrush sang non-stop for a couple of hours. Further away, a Skylark was in good voice, a pair of Jays provided colour and a Red Kite flew over.

Satiated of cranes, we headed off to Forêt d'Orient and Troyes.

Common Cranes come in to land at La Ferme aux Grues

(photo by David Thomas)

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