Normandy

[Steve Babbs]

I'm considering a short trip to Normandy, with a strong butterfly emphasis, in July. We'd probably catch the ferry over to Dunkirk and then head south westwards. Can anyone recommend any good sites? I'd also be interested in knowing about any campsites close to butterfly sights.

Thanks in advance

[Vince Massimo]

Hi Steve,

Information about butterflies in Normandy appears to be quite limited. When I was reserching a trip a few years ago, I ended up at the Naturetrek website. They do a trip to the Cherbourg peninsular every July. If you go to http://www.naturetrek.co.uk/website/tour.aspx?id=132 you will be able to view or download the 2011 tour itinerary, a tour map and a 2009 tour report. It is quite useful in identifying the best locations and the species you would expect to see there.

My own trip was not a butterflying holiday and I did not get a real chance to use the information I had gathered. The only species I saw were ones that I could have got at home.

I'm afraid I have no information on campsites.

Hope this helps,

Vince

[Steve Babbs]

Thanks Vince

I have to admit, it was the Naturetrek tour which gave me the idea for the visit but your link does give a lot more detail than the brochure, I don't know why I didn't think to look at the website.

[David M]

I intend to visit France this summer for a butterflying 'sortie', but since I've bought, read and digested Tristan Lafranchis's 'Les Papillons de jour de France..' I've accepted that the sensible option is to travel much further south into the French 'hinterland' if I want a worthwhile return on my investment.

[Lee Hurrell]

Hi Steve,

With regard to campsites, I can't recommend where we stayed in June last year highly enough. We were along La Loire, near Saumur:

http://www.etang-breche.com/web/index.php

This is their parent group website and they have sites all over France.

http://www.camping-castels.co.uk/

Cheers

Lee

[Steve Babbs]

I should point out that I'm not expecting a huge range of butterflies but, although I've spent a bit of time in Southern France and a lot of time in Spain, I've never done anything more than pass through Northern France. Really it's an excuse to see the area, have a short, cheap family trip, before I leave them for a rather more intense trip to Brazil, and hopeful see a few species and some other wildlife.

Cheers

[David M]

I should point out that I'm not expecting a huge range of butterflies but, although I've spent a bit of time in Southern France and a lot of time in Spain, I've never done anything more than pass through Northern France. Really it's an excuse to see the area, have a short, cheap family trip, before I leave them for a rather more intense trip to Brazil, and hopeful see a few species and some other wildlife.

Cheers

Fair point. You probably WILL see a handful of species not present in the UK, but like here, butterflies are in decline over in France, and the area they seem to be most in decline is in the north and north west. There's a greater preponderance of land given over to agriculture in the north too, and from what I've read (and I've spent the entire winter doing this), if you wish to see double figure numbers of 'new' species, you need to be looking at the middle of France or further south.

[Matsukaze]

There is a butterfly atlas available for the area "Papillons de Normandie et les iles anglo-normandes", obviously in French but most likely worth a look. Not sure about the entomological takeover of the Channel Islands but I guess this sort of thing happens when you end up with a navy with no aircraft for its aircraft carriers.

http://www.arehn.asso.fr/alaune/atlas_p ... atlas.html

[Charles Nicol]

There is a butterfly atlas available for the area "Papillons de Normandie et les iles anglo-normandes", obviously in French but most likely worth a look.
http://www.arehn.asso.fr/alaune/atlas_p ... atlas.html

you can get google to translate it...

- "The brand is it uncommon in Normandy?"
- "What butterflies can we expect to see in the Bray?"
- "Where can we see the mirror or the Shrew?"
- "When observing the Half-mourning?"
- "Are there fewer moths than before in our region?"

Charles Aznoflaw