Le Pontreau is a paradise for nature lovers and bird watchers. Our guests have seen deer, rabbits and hares. Whilst out walking you can also come across foxes, wild boar and numerous birds and wild flowers. We also have a small fishing pond situated well away from the house which is ideal for children to learn to fish and a 300 year old oak tree to explore.
Pyramid orchid
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Stoat
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Golden oriole
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We have taken all these photographs ourselves (including the hoopoe above) except for this golden oriole. Constantly heard but rarely seen we find it impossible to photograph. |
Scarce swallowtail butterfly
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Red squirrell
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The one that got away
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with his girlfriend
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We are not experts by any means but here is a list of just some of the birds we have spotted (or heard) in the grounds. We are situated on one of the great European
north-south migration routes and there is always something to see throughout the year.
The noise from the great V-shaped flocks of Cranes heading north in early March heralds the arrival of spring. They are soon followed by cuckoos and hoopoes and then the swallows begin to arrive in April. By May the surrounding woodland is full of bird song including nightingales that sing all day
and night. The first thing most people notice are the birds of prey that can be seen here throughout the year circling the skies, swooping low across the fields or sitting motionless in trees or on posts. If you are in the pool at the end of August and remain very quiet you may be lucky enough to see a swallow skim along the pool surface for a drink.
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Barn Owl Black Kite
Black Redstart Blackbird Blackcap Blue Tit Bull Finch Buzzard Chaffinch Chiffchaff Cirl Bunting Coal Tit Collared Dove Common Redstart Crane Crow Cuckoo Dunnock Firecrest |
Garden Warbler
Gold Crest Golden Oriole Goldfinch Goshawk Greater Spotted Woodpecker Great Tit Green Woodpecker Greenfinch Grey Heron Hen Harrier Hoopoe House Martin House Sparrow Jay Kestrel Lapwing Lesser Spotted Woodpecker |
Linnet
Little Owl Long-eared Owl Long-tailed Tit Magpie Merlin Melodious Warbler Montague's Harrier Nightingale Nightjar Nuthatch Partridge Pheasant Pied Flycatcher Quail Red Kite Robin Rock Sparrow |
Serin
Short-toed Treecreeper Siskin Sky Lark Song Thrush Sparrowhawk Spotted Flycatcher Starling Stonechat Stone-curlew Swallow Swift Tawny Owl Turtle Dove White Wagtail Wood Lark Wood pigeon Wren |
and more . . . .
We haven't even mentioned the insects such as the praying mantis as we wouldn't want to scare any one away.
Star Gazing
Finally we must mention that as our area is pretty free from light pollution and clouds of chemical products so is perfect for star gazing. Even guests who have never been interested in star gazing find themselves lying on the sunbeds after dark marvelling at the Milky Way and the planets.
"Particularly enjoyed the peace and the total darkness." August 2005
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