Bienvenue à La Belle Vilaine
Self-catering, holiday cottages on the South Brittany/Loire Atlantique border in France.
Friendly family run gite accommodation where dogs are welcome & birdwatching a 'must'.

Special wildlife holiday offer £245/week during April - June + from 20th September - 1st November 2008:- (£395 per week during July and August)

We have just said goodbye (Sat. 26th April) to the last of our 3 couples who booked Birdwatching Breaks with us over the last 2 weeks. The feedback has been extremely positive - the general consensus of opinion being that this area is amazing for wildlife and that our input (local knowledge and some guiding FOC) was invaluable. They were able to get straight to the best sites (many not covered in "Where To ..."guides) offering the best wildlife for the time of year. We keep our fingers on the pulse and have many well-placed contacts to keep us informed as to what's about.

For detailed info about the species our guests saw go to our Nature Notes for April 2008.

The next exciting spectacle will be the White Storks feeding their chicks during May and early June.

Which species are possible*? - Bluethroat, Black Kite, Black Woodpecker, Hoopoe, Black-winged Stilt, White Stork, Marsh Harrier, Great White Egret, Spoonbill, Barn Owl, Little Owl, Cetti's, Sedge and Reed Warbler, Sacred Ibis, Cuckoo, Turtle Dove, Whiskered Tern, Black Tern, Cirl Bunting, Fan-tailed warbler, Crested Tit, Bittern, Kentish Plover .... and many others.
Red Squirrel, Hare, Camberwell Beauty, Large Tortoishell, Lulworth Skipper and Swallowtail are other species regularly seen in season.

Travel - You will organise your own travel and insurance and self-cater as normal for a gite holiday. We will supply details of the sites to be visited for each species and accompany you one evening for a twighlight picnic in the marshes*. Your holiday will begin with a powerpoint show to brush-up on identification of local species and to discuss sites to be visited.

Moth trapping evening - We will endeavour to organise at least one moth-trapping evening during your stay using our Skinner moth trap*.

Cost: £245 (£395 July and August) for the rental of one gite for one week
(sleeps up to 6). No hidden extras, no catch. Travel not included.

*This non-contractual list is based upon sightings during April since 2005 and information received from some of the reserves, in no way does it represent a guarantee of species you will see. We have personally seen all the species listed during the appropriate seasons - see Nature Notes archives for more details.

*Weather permitting.

Book either of La Belle Vilaine Gites (Tuesday or Saturday arrival - £245 per week - July and August £395 Saturday arrival only during these two months) and we will introduce you to the amazing wildlife here - see Nature Notes and archives. Evening get-together and powerpoint show upon arrival, details of the best birdwatching sites and the wildlife to be found at the time of year. Plus an evening moth-trapping event. Guided tours available during French school holidays - contact us for more details.
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La Belle Vilaine