The predominantly rural departmentsof Calvados and Manche, located inNormandy on the north-west coast ofFrance, are easily accessed via thenumerous ferry services running betweenEngland and the French ports of Cherbourgand Caen, yet are surprisingly little visitedby British, or indeed any other naturalists.The region has an attractive and variedpastoral landscape, often likened tosouthern England, though much moreunspoiled, and retains an abundance ofbirds, plants and butterflies long since lostfrom the English counties. Small, flower-richmeadows grazed by Normandy cattledominate the rolling landscape, and thereare numerous orchards, marshes, heaths,bogs and ponds. To the south lie some vastwoodlands, whilst in the north a beautifulcoastline, rugged in places, offers extensiveareas of coastal dune grassland,interspersed by picturesque fishing villages.Interestingly, Normandy supports a richbutterfly fauna, with around 160 species(more than twice the number recorded inBritain!), and a remarkable wealth of otherwildlife, set in tranquil surroundings. Toexplore the region, and enjoy thesebutterflies, we cross the Channel from Pooleto Cherbourg, and drive to our base for thisholiday, a pleasant hotel on the coast in thehistoric town of Arromanches. Famed for itsworld-famous tapestry, nearby Bayeux iscentral to our entomological destinationsand is within a short drive of our hotel.On our first full day in Normandy we headwest, perhaps stopping at suitable oldmeadow localities to look for Sooty Copperswhich can be abundant at this time of year.En route, as we drive through the CotentinRegional Nature Park (one of the largest andmost important wetlands in Europe), wekeep a watchful eye out for White Storks, ofwhich more than 50 pairs now breed inNormandy, and Marsh Harriers. Along themany roadside hedgerows and flower-richverges, we take a special interest in anywhites we may see, as Wood Whites (thesecond brood of which is now on the wing)are locally common in this part ofNormandy. However, our main focus todayis the area of wet heaths, bogs and pineforests around Lessay, at the base of theCotentin Peninsula. Here we will spend thewhole day exploring numerous tracksthrough this important heathland region,searching for a number of butterflyspecialities. Large Chequered Skippers arecommon, and Silver-studded Bluesabundant, but our main target species is theglobally threatened Alcon Blue, which is thesubject of special conservationmanagement in the area. Other speciespresent include Sooty Copper, Purple andIlex Hairstreaks, Dark Green Fritillary andGrayling. The shady pine forests are lessattractive to butterflies, but we can expect tosee Crested Tits amongst the evergreenfoliage and, with luck, Honey Buzzardsoverhead. The area is important botanicallyand supports a large population of theorchid Summer Lady's Tresses, togetherwith Heath Lobelia, Bog Rosemary and ofcourse, Marsh Gentian, the food-plant of theAlcon Blue.Our objective for the second day will bethe large, state-owned Forest of Cerisy.This forest is dominated by beech, andcontains a variety of other habitatsincluding old meadows and calcareousmire, the latter supporting importantpopulations of Marsh Fritillary. We willspend a full day exploring the network ofrides which criss-cross the forest, lookingfor both grassland and woodlandbutterflies and moths. A very good varietyof butterflies are found in the wood at thistime of year including Camberwell Beauty,Ilex Hairstreak, White-letter Hairstreak,Map Butterfly, Silver-washed Fritillary,Clouded Yellow and possibly the last ofthe year's Lesser Purple Emperors. Thislarge, secluded woodland supports a widerange of other wildlife including Wild Boar,Pine Marten, Honey Buzzard, Goshawk,Nightjar, Black Woodpecker, MiddleSpotted Woodpecker, Melodious Warblerand Firecrest.Finally we head south, to Les Montsd'Eraines, an area of undulating limestonehills between Caen and Falaise, thebirthplace of William the Conqueror. Thearea comprises a mixture of scrub,limestone grassland and woodland, part ofwhich has been designated a naturereserve. This is one of the most importantlimestone grassland sites in Normandy,and marks the north-west limit of thishabitat type in France. During the day wewill scour the botanically-rich slopes forbutterflies such as Chalkhill Blue andScarce Swallowtail, and also the regionallyrare Faust's Burnet Moth. This leisurely daywill give us ample time to search for otherinsect-life, including Jersey Tiger Moth andStag Beetle and a whole host of scarceplants such as Large-flowered Self-heal,Chiltern Gentian, St. Lucie's Cherry,Mountain Germander, plus a number oftrue orchids and helleborines. Birdlife onthe slopes will be quiet at this time of year,although we may possibly see Cirl Buntingswhich occur commonly in the region. At the end of our holiday we return toCherbourg to catch the Poole ferry, thusconcluding a remarkably varied five daysin a corner of France which richly deservesa higher profile as an excellent naturalhistory destination. 10% DONATIONTODark GreenSooty CopperFritillaryNormandy coastline67Outline itineraryDay 1Sail Poole-Cherbourg;transfer to hotel atArromanches for 4-nightstay.Day 2/4Exploration of Lessay,the Forest of Cerisy andLes Monts d'Erainesfrom our base atArromanches.Day 5Drive Cherbourg; sailPoole.AccommodationA pleasant seaside hotel atArromanches, with private facilities.FoodAll included in the price.GradingA. Easy day walks.FocusButterflies; plus other aspects ofnatural history, and the scenic andgastronomic delights of Normandy.LeaderTom Brereton or Gerald Broddelez.Single room supplement£105.Web quick search: FRA01Book direct on 01962 733051or see page 280 for Booking InformationFrance - Butterflies in NormandyA 5-day tour, with travel by ferry, to enjoy the many delights of the Normandy region of France, but most especially its excellent variety of butterflies.Thursday 12th July - Monday 16th July Cost: £795FRANCEBAIE DE LA SEINEENGLISH CHANNELBRITTANYNORMANDYLES MONTS D'ERAINESCHERBOURGFORESTOF CERISYARROMANCHESLESSAYCHANNELISLANDS

The splendid coastline of westernNormandy will receive our attentionon this autumn birdwatching break -a 2-centre holiday based first inBricquebec and then in Avranches, in thenorth and south of the Cotentin Peninsularespectively. Not far from the latter lies thevast Mont St. Michel Bay, one of Europe'smost important bird habitats. We will divideour time between sea-watching, witnessingwhat is often a spectacular visiblemigration of landbirds, and searching forthe resident bird specialities that areabsent from the British Isles; these includethree species of woodpecker, Fan-tailedWarbler and Short-toed Treecreeper. Wewill also - of course! - enjoy theseafood, fruit, dairy products and otherlocal produce for which the area is famed,sampling such items at our traditional'gourmet' picnics as well as each eveningfrom the hotel's 'Menu du Terroir'. Our precise itinerary each day will dependon the weather, especially the winddirection which is an important factor whenfocusing on bird migration. The cliffs atCarolles, one of the best places in Europeto witness large numbers of landbirds ondiurnal migration, are a prime attraction .and particularly exciting when the windsare southerly. The first three hours afterdawn (from 8 a.m. at this time of year) arethe most productive and, when conditionsare good, the birds often pass through ateye level, the constant stream of largenumbers of birds providing some of themost exciting birdwatching Europe has tooffer. An average autumnal month mightsee the passage of 300,000 Chaffinches,75,000 Starlings, tens of thousands ofMeadow Pipits, several thousand Siskins,Linnets, Song Thrushes, Blackbirds,Bramblings, Swallows and House Martins,and hundreds of Woodlarks, Serins,Crossbills, Grey Wagtails, Pied Wagtails,Dunnocks, Stock Doves, Wood Pigeons,Corn Buntings, Turtle Doves, Chiffchaffs,Great Tits and Reed Buntings. Otherregular species at this time of year includeHawfinch, Lapland Bunting, Richard's Pipit,various waders, and birds of prey such asShort-eared Owl, Hobby and Marsh Harrier- all heading south, together with migrantinsects that may include hundreds of RedAdmiral butterflies and Common Darterdragonflies amongst other species.Carolles is also a good place from whichto watch for coastal birds. There areusually numerous Common Scoters out tosea, and there is a very good chance ofspotting Mediterranean Shearwater.Mediterranean Gulls and Little Egrets oftenfly past, whilst skuas regularly harass thefeeding groups of terns. The bay heresupports one of the largest coastalBottlenose Dolphin populations in north-west Europe, and we stand a good chanceof seeing them from Carolles. We may alsofind time to visit the magnificent cathedralat Mont St. Michel, one of Europe's greatcultural highlights.On the north-eastern corner of the CotentinPeninsula lies Gatteville, one of the bestsea-watching localities in northern Europe,not just on account of the diversity ofspecies observed here, but because manypass so close inshore, in stark contrast tomost of the British watchpoints! Infavourable conditions, species such asLittle and Sabine's Gulls, four species ofskua, terns (including Black), GreyPhalarope, petrels, divers, auks and bothSooty and Mediterranean Shearwaters mayall be seen. After sea-watching, we willsearch the surrounding marshes, pondsand coastline for wildfowl, waders(including regular Kentish Plover),grounded migrant passerines (recentrarities have included both Pallas's andYellow-browed Warblers, Red-breastedFlycatcher, Richard's Pipit, Wryneck andIcterine Warbler) and such residentspecialities as Marsh Harrier, Cirl Bunting,Fan-tailed Warbler and Mediterranean Gull. Cap de la Hague forms the north-west limitof the Cotentin Peninsula, the beautifulscenery being reminiscent of westCornwall. To the south of the Cap lierugged headlands, whilst to the east thereare small, cultivated fields and Bracken-covered grasslands which sweep down tothe sea. The range of seabirds likely to beseen is similar to Gatteville, although thereis an increased chance of Bay ofBiscay/mid-Atlantic species such as Greatand Cory's Shearwater. Again, the seabirds here pass much closer to theshore than they do at most British sea-watching headlands and the geographicalposition of Cap de la Hague (like westCornwall) also makes it a good locality formigrant birds. Whatever the weather conditions, we will tailor our birdwatching excursions toensure that we see as large a number of birds as possible amongst a mostpicturesque and tranquil countryside ... all just a short hop across the English Channel!Mediterranean GullBramblingMont St. Michel68Call now or visit www.naturetrek.co.uk for your free Trip ItineraryOutline itineraryDay 1Ferry Poole-Cherbourg;transfer to Bricquebec.Day 2Natural history walksand excursions fromBricquebec.Day 3/4Natural history walksand excursions fromAvranches.Day 5Drive Cherbourg; ferryto Poole.Accommodation Two charming family-run hotels withprivate facilities, serving excellentlocal food.Food All included in the price.GradingGrade A. Easy day walks only.Focus Birds (in particular autumn birdmigration), plus a little history andculture.LeaderTony Williams, Tom Brereton orJason Mitchell.Single room supplement£95.Web quick search: FRA17Normandy in AutumnA 5-day birdwatching break to enjoy the autumn bird migration amongst the rural delights -scenic, culinary, cultural and historical - of Normandy's Cotentin Peninsula.Thursday 6th October - Monday 10th October 2011 Cost: £745FRANCE Wednesday 26th September - Sunday 30th September 2012 Cost: £795BAIE DE LA SEINE ENGLISH CHANNEL BRITTANY NORMANDY CHERBOURG BRICQUEBECAVRANCHESGATTEVILLE CAP DE LA HAGUE CHANNEL ISLANDS