Loire-Anjou-Touraine Regional Nature Park

Natural Park · France

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Photo © Suavemarimagno

Photo © Suavemarimagno — CC BY-SA 4.0 — Source: Wikimedia Commons

Where the Vienne meets the Loire near Montsoreau, the land opens into a soft mosaic of river terraces, limestone slopes and mixed woodland that defines the Loire-Anjou-Touraine Regional Nature Park. This is temperate Cfb country: mild, moist and reliably green through the year, with no dry season to brown the meadows. The rivers themselves are the ecological spine — broad, slow channels, gravel islands and backwaters that flood and recede with the seasons, feeding damp pastures and poplar-lined banks. Inland, hedgerow networks stitch small fields together, while dry calcareous grassland and oak-and-hornbeam woods cap the low ridges. That variety of habitat supports a correspondingly rich cast: waterfowl and migratory waders on the shoals and marshes, birds of prey working the open farmland, woodland songbirds and small forest mammals in the copses, plus bats and amphibians in the damp hollows and old stonework.

For photographers and birdwatchers, the appeal is the combination of open water, working farmland and intimate woodland within a compact, walkable landscape. Light is the great variable here: soft Atlantic-influenced mornings suit misty river scenes and grazing waterbirds, while clear spring and autumn afternoons bring long, low angles across the limestone slopes. Spring and autumn are the prime windows, when passage migrants move through the wetlands and the hedgerows fill with song; summer offers lush green riverbanks and active breeding groups, winter quieter water and gathering wildfowl. Access is gentle — riverside paths, towpaths and country lanes link viewpoints without hard hiking, and the park's network of marked routes lets you move between riverbank hides and woodland edges in a single day. Come for patient observation rather than spectacle: the rewards are in the detail of a working river landscape.

Website parc-loire-anjou-touraine.fr

Branta canadensis

Alopochen aegyptiaca

Common Shelduck

Tadorna tadorna

Aix galericulata

Spatula querquedula

Northern Shoveler

Spatula clypeata

Mareca strepera

Eurasian Wigeon

Mareca penelope

Anas platyrhynchos

Red-crested Pochard

Aythya fuligula

Common Merganser

Mergus merganser

Reeves's Pheasant

Syrmaticus reevesii

Common Pheasant

Phasianus colchicus

Coturnix coturnix

Red-legged Partridge

European Nightjar

Caprimulgus europaeus

Cuculus canorus

Common Wood Pigeon

Columba palumbus

European Turtle Dove

Streptopelia turtur

Eurasian Collared Dove

Streptopelia decaocto

Rallus aquaticus

Gallinula chloropus

Tachybaptus ruficollis

Great Crested Grebe

Podiceps cristatus

Black-necked Grebe

Podiceps nigricollis

Eurasian Stone-curlew

Burhinus oedicnemus

Black-winged Stilt

Himantopus himantopus

Recurvirostra avosetta

Common Ringed Plover

Charadrius hiaticula

Northern Lapwing

Vanellus vanellus

Sociable Lapwing

Vanellus gregarius

Lymnocryptes minimus

Eurasian Woodcock

Scolopax rusticola

Gallinago gallinago

Common Sandpiper

Actitis hypoleucos

Spotted Sandpiper

Actitis macularius

Green Sandpiper

Tringa ochropus

Marsh Sandpiper

Tringa stagnatilis

Tringa glareola

Common Redshank

Lesser Yellowlegs

Tringa flavipes

Spotted Redshank

Tringa erythropus

Common Greenshank

Tringa nebularia

Calidris pugnax

Calidris alpina

Sternula albifrons

Hydroprogne caspia

Chlidonias niger

Hydrocoloeus minutus

Black-headed Gull

Chroicocephalus ridibundus

Mediterranean Gull

Ichthyaetus melanocephalus

Yellow-legged Gull

Larus michahellis

Great Black-backed Gull

Lesser Black-backed Gull

Ciconia ciconia

Great Cormorant

Phalacrocorax carbo

Plegadis falcinellus

Eurasian Spoonbill

Platalea leucorodia

Eurasian Bittern

Botaurus stellaris

Black-crowned Night Heron

Nycticorax nycticorax

Western Cattle Egret

Pandion haliaetus

European Honey Buzzard

Pernis apivorus

Short-toed Snake Eagle

Circaetus gallicus

Eurasian Sparrowhawk

Accipiter nisus

Montagu's Harrier

Circus pygargus

Western Marsh Harrier

Circus aeruginosus

Western Barn Owl

Common Kingfisher

European Bee-eater

Merops apiaster

Eurasian Wryneck

Middle Spotted Woodpecker

Dendrocoptes medius

Lesser Spotted Woodpecker

Dryobates minor

Great Spotted Woodpecker

Dendrocopos major

Black Woodpecker

Dryocopus martius

European Green Woodpecker

Falco tinnunculus

Rosy-faced Lovebird

Agapornis roseicollis

Eurasian Golden Oriole

Oriolus oriolus

Red-backed Shrike

Lanius collurio

Garrulus glandarius

Eurasian Magpie

Western Jackdaw

Coloeus monedula

Corvus frugilegus

Lophophanes cristatus

Poecile palustris

Eurasian Blue Tit

Cyanistes caeruleus

Lullula arborea

Eurasian Skylark

Alauda arvensis

Galerida cristata

Riparia riparia

Cetti's Warbler

Long-tailed Tit

Aegithalos caudatus

Western Bonelli's Warbler

Phylloscopus bonelli

Phylloscopus trochilus

Common Chiffchaff

Phylloscopus collybita

Common Reed Warbler

Acrocephalus scirpaceus

Melodious Warbler

Hippolais polyglotta

Zitting Cisticola

Cisticola juncidis

Eurasian Blackcap

Sylvia atricapilla

Common Whitethroat

Curruca communis

Dartford Warbler

Common Firecrest

Regulus ignicapilla

Regulus regulus

Troglodytes troglodytes

Eurasian Nuthatch

Tichodroma muraria

Short-toed Treecreeper

Certhia brachydactyla

Common Starling

Sturnus vulgaris

Turdus philomelos

Turdus viscivorus

Common Blackbird

Spotted Flycatcher

Muscicapa striata

Erithacus rubecula

Common Nightingale

Luscinia megarhynchos

European Pied Flycatcher

Ficedula hypoleuca

Phoenicurus ochruros

Common Redstart

Phoenicurus phoenicurus

European Stonechat

Saxicola rubicola

Passer domesticus

Prunella modularis

Western Yellow Wagtail

Motacilla flava

Motacilla cinerea

Anthus pratensis

Anthus trivialis

Anthus spinoletta

Eurasian Chaffinch

Fringilla coelebs

Fringilla montifringilla

Coccothraustes coccothraustes

European Greenfinch

Chloris chloris

Linaria cannabina

European Goldfinch

Carduelis carduelis

Serinus serinus

Emberiza calandra

Emberiza citrinella

Emberiza cirlus

Common Reed Bunting

Emberiza schoeniclus

Branta leucopsis

Cygnus columbianus

Tadorna ferruginea

Callonetta leucophrys

Northern Pintail

Common Goldeneye

Bucephala clangula

Mergellus albellus

Porzana porzana

Podiceps auritus

Eurasian Oystercatcher

Haematopus ostralegus

Pluvialis squatarola

European Golden Plover

Pluvialis apricaria

American Golden Plover

Pluvialis dominica

Anarhynchus alexandrinus

Eurasian Whimbrel

Numenius phaeopus

Eurasian Curlew

Numenius arquata

Bar-tailed Godwit

Limosa lapponica

Black-tailed Godwit

Phalaropus fulicarius

Ruddy Turnstone

Arenaria interpres

Calidris canutus

Curlew Sandpiper

Calidris ferruginea

Temminck's Stint

Calidris temminckii

Calidris minuta

White-rumped Sandpiper

Calidris fuscicollis

Pectoral Sandpiper

Calidris melanotos

Chlidonias hybrida

White-winged Tern

Chlidonias leucopterus

Sterna paradisaea

Black-legged Kittiwake

Rissa tridactyla

Parasitic Jaeger

Stercorarius parasiticus

Leach's Storm Petrel

Hydrobates leucorhous

Black-winged Kite

Elanus caeruleus

Hieraaetus pennatus

Falco columbarius

Peregrine Falcon

Falco peregrinus

Eurasian Penduline Tit

Remiz pendulinus

Great Reed Warbler

Acrocephalus arundinaceus

Acrocephalus schoenobaenus

Locustella luscinioides

Common Grasshopper Warbler

Locustella naevia

Saxicola rubetra

Northern Wheatear

Oenanthe oenanthe

Anthus campestris

Eurasian Bullfinch

Pyrrhula pyrrhula

Loxia curvirostra

Eurasian Siskin

White-faced Whistling Duck

Dendrocygna viduata

Branta bernicla

Bar-headed Goose

Anser cygnoides

Taiga Bean Goose

Greater White-fronted Goose

Anser albifrons

Ferruginous Duck

Red-breasted Merganser

Mergus serrator

Oxyura jamaicensis

Buff-breasted Sandpiper

Calidris subruficollis

Red-throated Loon

Black-throated Loon

African Sacred Ibis

Threskiornis aethiopicus

Ardeola ralloides

Griffon Vulture

Circus macrourus

Eurasian Scops Owl

Short-eared Owl

Grey-headed Woodpecker

Nymphicus hollandicus

Rose-ringed Parakeet

Psittacula krameri

Melopsittacus undulatus

Great Grey Shrike

Lanius excubitor

Woodchat Shrike

Yellow-browed Warbler

Phylloscopus inornatus

Iberian Chiffchaff

Phylloscopus ibericus

Turdus torquatus

African Stonechat

Saxicola torquatus

Petronia petronia

Eurasian Tree Sparrow

Passer montanus

Alpine Accentor

Prunella collaris

Olive-backed Pipit

Anthus hodgsoni

Ortolan Bunting

Emberiza hortulana

Western Roe Deer

Capreolus capreolus

Western Red Deer

Lepus europaeus

European Rabbit

Oryctolagus cuniculus

Myocastor coypus

European Garden Dormouse

Eliomys quercinus

Eurasian Red Squirrel

Sciurus vulgaris

Eurasian Beaver

Clethrionomys glareolus

Rattus norvegicus

West European Hedgehog

Erinaceus europaeus

Geoffroy's Myotis

Myotis emarginatus

Kuhl's Pipistrelle

Pipistrellus kuhlii

Common Pipistrelle

Pipistrellus pipistrellus

Greater Horseshoe Bat

Rhinolophus ferrumequinum

European Pine Marten

European Badger

Mustela nivalis

European Polecat

Mustela putorius

Common Fallow Deer

Eurasian Wild Boar

European Fat Dormouse

Southwestern Water Vole

Arvicola sapidus

Short-tailed Field Vole

Microtus agrestis

Microtus arvalis

Common Pine Vole

Microtus subterraneus

Ondatra zibethicus

Long-tailed Field Mouse

Apodemus sylvaticus

Eurasian Harvest Mouse

Micromys minutus

Greater White-toothed Shrew

Crocidura russula

Eurasian Pygmy Shrew

Schreibers's Long-fingered Bat

Miniopterus schreibersii

Bechstein's Myotis

Myotis bechsteinii

Brandt's Myotis

Myotis brandtii

Daubenton's Myotis

Myotis daubentonii

Common Whiskered Myotis

Myotis mystacinus

Natterer's Myotis

Myotis nattereri

Greater Noctule

Nyctalus lasiopterus

Leisler's Noctule

Nyctalus leisleri

Nyctalus noctula

Nathusius's Pipistrelle

Pipistrellus nathusii

Soprano Pipistrelle

Pipistrellus pygmaeus

Western Barbastelle

Barbastella barbastellus

Brown Long-eared Bat

Plecotus auritus

Gray Long-eared Bat

Plecotus austriacus

Savi's Pipistrelle

Mediterranean Horseshoe Bat

Rhinolophus euryale

Lesser Horseshoe Bat

Rhinolophus hipposideros

European Wildcat

Felis silvestris

Genetta genetta

Alcathoe Whiskered Myotis

Myotis alcathoe

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