The Cévennes is a spectacularmountainous area on the south-eastern edge of the Massif Central. Delightfully unspoilt, its wonderful variety ofscenery and habitats provide a specialcombination for the naturalist and walker.From our base for this holiday - a smalland friendly hotel in the attractive littlevillage of Cocurès, close to theadministrative centre of the CévennesNational Park - we will make full use of theregion's excellent trails as we search for thewealth of plants, birds and butterflies to befound here; the delicious meals served atour hotel and our famous French picniclunches will ensure that no one lacks for energy! The Cévennes' variety of habitats withinsuch a relatively small area is trulyexceptional. The granite and schist peaksof Mont Lozère (1,699 metres), MontAigoual (1,567 metres) and Mont Bougés(1,362 metres) have a quite different florafrom the surrounding limestone areas, andpine and deciduous forests, hedgerows,limestone plateaux, flower-filled meadows,deep gorges and fast-flowing rivers providefurther contrasts. To the west lies the vastlimestone plateau of the Causses, withtypical karst scenery of dramatic canyons,weathered peaks and caves. We will visit allthese habitats, many of them protectedwithin the Cévennes National Park thatcovers the central part of the range. Furtherdiversity, created by the variety of climate,aspect, rainfall, soil and altitude, providesan extremely rich flora, especially orchids.Insects are abundant, and a good variety ofbutterflies are to be found, together withmany birds, particularly raptors. All in all,there is no doubt that this is one of thefinest regions of France for the naturalist,whatever one's interests, and we willexplore it as best we can on walksthroughout the area.In the heart of the region lies the Cornichedes Cévennes, a 50-kilometre ridge with aroad along it that gives wide views over thenational park and the Causses. Along theridge the vegetation changes as thelimestone gives way to schist, but the oldesttraces of life, about 180 million years old,are the dinosaur footprints near St. Laurent.Walking here we should find many orchids- including Green-winged, Elder-flowered,Monkey, Military and Lady Orchids, plustheir various hybrids - and such birds asGolden, Booted and Short-toed Eagles,Black Kite, Buzzard, Alpine Swift and RockBunting. We will also explore the Gorge du Tarn, tothe west. Here the river has carved thisdeep gorge through the limestone,revealing many fossils and providingnesting ledges for Peregrine, Chough, CragMartin and Blue Rock Thrush. Along theriver Dippers and Grey Wagtails feed;above fly butterflies - Swallowtails, ScarceSwallowtails, Cleopatras, GreenHairstreaks, Adonis Blues and fritillaries.Typical mountain plants may be found heresuch as Rock Soapwort and rockroses,whilst a little to the north in the pinewoodswe will find several wintergreens, togetherwith such orchids as Bird's Nest Orchid,and both Sword-leaved andWhiteHelleborines. Birds in these woods includeCrested Tit, Firecrest and woodpeckers,and Red Squirrel and Pine Marten areoccasionally sighted.Mont Lozère is the highest point of theregion and a road takes us over its flanksvia the Col de Finiels. The underlying rockshere change to provide us with both analkaline and an acid flora, including manyorchids, narcissi, bilberry, violas,potentillas, pulsatillas, rampions and avens.The area is favoured by birds of prey, andthese may include Merlin, and Montagu'sand Hen Harriers. Rock Sparrow, RockBunting, Water Pipit, Alpine Accentor andRing Ouzel may also be seen here, plusGoshawk, Sparrowhawk, tits, finches andwarblers in the woods below.On more than one occasion we will traversethe Causse Méjean with its wide openlandscape and the extraordinary karstformations at Nîmes-le-Vieux. Waysideflowers include Pyrenean Broom, manyvetches, Yellow Flax, the local subspeciesof Alpine Aster, Grass-leaved Ox-eye Daisy,Maiden Pink, the saucer-sized seed headsof Acanthus-leaved Carline Thistle, whichare traditionally pinned to the doors ofhouses, and Burnt-tip, Fly and SpiderOrchids. Here we will also search for StoneCurlew, harriers, Short-toed Eagle, shrikes,Quail, Rock Sparrow, Tawny Pipit and suchwarblers as Orphean and Melodious. In the Gorges de la Jonte we will be able toenjoy more birds of prey, including Griffonand Black Vultures - both the result ofsuccessful reintroduction programmes. Thegranite and schist outcrop of Mont Aigoualis reached by road, through beech,chestnut, and then pine woodland. Inspring, Poet's Narcissi form white sheets,tulips provide yellow patches, and theverges support a range of orchids. Justbelow the summit is a 'Sentier desBotanistes' which we will walk, enjoyingdramatic views across the Aigoual Massif.The summit area is being actively managedto encourage Apollo butterflies to thrive; itis also a great place for Egyptian Vulture,amongst other raptors. Further to the south,we will visit the Gorges de la Dourbie onthe edge of the Causse Noir. Above thegorge the Causse supports breeding LittleBustards and Stone Curlew; to the souththe open terrain also holds Hoopoe,Ortolan Bunting, Orphean Warbler, andRed-backed and Great Grey Shrikes. Plantsinclude Fly Honeysuckle, Amelanchier andOphrysorchids, and the cultivated fieldssport such attractive 'weeds' asPheasant's-eye Poppies and Cornflowers.This is not an area where any naturalistmay become bored!France - The CévennesAn 8-day holiday - in search of plants, birds and butterflies - in the south-eastern corner of the Massif Central.Thursday 10th May - Thursday 17th May Cost: £1,195Outline itineraryDay 1Fly Montpellier anddrive to Cocurès. Day 2/7Walking natural historyexcursions in theCévennes. Day 8Fly London.AccommodationA pleasant and traditional villagehotel, with private facilities, servingfine local food.FoodAll included in the price.GradingDay walks only. Grade A. FocusPlants, birds and butterflies.LeadersJohn Willsher (ornithologist) andJenny Willsher (botanist).Single room supplement£160.Web quick search: FRA1256Call now or visit www.naturetrek.co.uk for your free Trip ItinerarySPAINITALYSWITZERLANDGERMANYBELGIUMPARISTOULOUSEBORDEAUXFRENCHALPSSTRASBOURGENGLISH CHANNELATLANTIC OCEANMEDITERRANEANSEAFRANCECÉVENNESCOCURÈSMONTPELLIERGorge du TarnCocurès Monkey Orchid

La Brenne lies in an area of centralFrance south of the Loire, about 80kilometres south-east of Tours and 80 kilometres east of Poitiers. It is knownlocally as 'The Land of a Thousand Lakes' because of the numerous pools,mostly man-made, which dot itslandscapes. Owing to the French appetitefor freshwater fish, these have beenmanaged over the centuries for fishing,and being privately owned by numeroussmallholders, a rich tapestry of habitatshas developed, including marshes,deciduous woods, dry heathland and farmland.La Brenne is both the home andworkplace of our local guide, TonyWilliams. Tony has been warden and sitemanager of La Brenne since 1982 and hasbeen guiding natural history tours to thislittle-known area since 1984. Needless tosay, Tony's knowledge of this area isunsurpassed, and this, together with theaccess he has to private estates, makesour tour to the region so very special.La Brenne has a dense population ofbreeding birds in the spring. Its heronriesare of particular note, with goodpopulations of both Grey and PurpleHerons, Little Egrets, and Cattle Egrets (arecent colonist). Night Herons, Bittern andLittle Bittern may also be seen with a littleluck, whilst a careful search of the lakesreveals breeding Black-necked Grebesand Garganey, and overhead Black andWhiskered Terns - the latter morenumerous here than anywhere else inFrance. No fewer than 16 species ofwarbler have bred in the area, and theseinclude Savi's, Great Reed, Cetti's, Fan-tailed, Melodious, Dartford and Bonelli'sWarblers. The variety of habitats isparticularly appealing to birds of prey.Whilst Black Kites, Short-toed Eagles andHoney Buzzards may be seen over thewoodlands, Marsh, Montagu's and HenHarriers quarter reedbeds, marshes andarable land, and the dashing Hobby maybe seen almost anywhere. In the farmlandthe declining Little Bustard, Quail andStone Curlew may all be found; inorchards and woodland are Wrynecks,Red-backed Shrikes, Black Redstarts,Short-toed Treecreepers, Serins and CirlBuntings. The calls of Hoopoes andGolden Orioles, and liquid songs ofNightingales complete this classiccollection of European birds. Althoughsome of these birds, such as Montagu'sand Marsh Harrier, Honey Buzzard, StoneCurlew and Cirl Bunting occur locally or insmall numbers in southern England, in LaBrenne they are widespread and common.Likewise, a number of butterflies that are rare in England, are common in La Brenne. These include the LargeTortoiseshell, Swallowtail, ScarceSwallowtail, White Admiral and Purple Emperor.Most remarkably, no fewer than 36 speciesof orchid occur in the area! Whilst they arenot all in flower at the same time, specieswe have seen on previous visits at thistime of year include Early Spider (Ophryssphegodes), Fly (Ophrys insectifera),Monkey (Orchis simia), Burnt Tip (Orchisustulata), Lizard (Himantoglossumhiricinum), Tongue (Serapias lingua) andViolet Bird's Nest Orchid (Limodorumabortivum). Other plants of interest that weshould see include Milkweed(Vincetoxicum hirundinaria), WhiteAsphodel (Asphodelus albus), GreaterBroomrape (Orobanche rapum-genistae),Hairy Spurge (Euphorbia villosa), BlueBugle (Ajuga genevensis) and Viper's Grass(Scorzonera humilis).Though rich in interest, La Brenne is notan extensive area and most habitats arewithin short drives of our hotel at Mézières.Thus we can maximise our time spent inthe field, limiting the time spent inminibuses. This, therefore, is an ideal tripfor the all-round naturalist, or the botanist,entomologist or birdwatcher who prefersunhurried outings, with the opportunity tosit for an hour or more by a lake watchinga colony of Whiskered Terns, observingdragonflies, or searching for orchids.France - La BrenneAn 8-day holiday - in search of birds, plants and butterflies - to one of therichest, if less well-known, natural history destinations in France.Saturday 12th May - Saturday 19th May Cost: £1,295Book direct on 01962 733051or see page 280 for Booking InformationSPAIN ITALY SWITZERLAND GERMANY BELGIUM LA BRENNE CALAIS LILLE PARIS POITIERS TOULOUSE BORDEAUX FRENCH ALPS STRASBOURG (FROM LONDON ST. PANCRAS)ENGLISH CHANNEL ATLANTIC OCEAN MEDITERRANEAN SEA FRANCE Outline itineraryDay 1Eurostar train fromLondon St. Pancras toPoitiers, via Lille, anddrive to La Brenne.Day 2/7La Brenne. Day 8Drive Poitiers forEurostar train to LondonSt. Pancras. AccommodationA small, comfortable hotel with ensuite rooms.FoodAll included in the price, except formeals taken in transit.Grading A. Day walks only.FocusBirds, wild flowers (especiallyorchids), and butterflies.LeaderTom McJannet or Simon Tonkin.Single room supplement£150.Web quick search: FRA0957Wetlands, MenetinneMap ButterflyWhiskered Tern