Spotting storks and egrets in France

Last month, I wrote about some of the more excessive shows that can be seen in the bird world, as the (predominantly) males go through their routines to try to impress a potential mate or rival. However, moving on to less powerful species we find flamboyance of a different kind. 

On the border of the departments of Aude, Ariège and Haute Garonne is a nature reserve called le Domaine des Oiseaux. Thirty minutes south of Toulouse it is found just outside the town of Mazères. Visits are free, and access is possible at any time. Created in 2005, it is based around a series of lakes which cover 30 hectares out of a total of 100 hectares. It is well worth a visit, especially for introducing children to the joys of the avian world.

In early April I spent a morning there and, despite the strong winds that were blowing, was able to find thirty species of common birds, without counting those in captivity that are kept for teaching purposes in the extensive farm.

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White storks are the stars of the show

Perhaps the stars of the domaine – as they are large, impressive and very demonstrative in their activity – are the white storks (Cigogne blanche). At this time of year, they are busily building nests and hatching the chicks, mainly on platforms that have been especially constructed for them but also in self-made nests in the larger trees.

These birds have been persuaded to stay and overwinter on the domaine, rather than make the long migration from their breeding grounds in Eastern Europe to Africa, probably by having plenty of food provided as well as the breeding platforms.

Some of the earliest understanding of bird migration was initiated by an interest in white storks; Pfeilstörche (‘arrow storks’) were found in Europe with African arrows embedded in their bodies. A well-known example of such a stork, found in the summer of 1822 in the German town of Klütz, was made into a mounted taxidermy specimen, complete with the ornate African arrow. This is now displayed at the University of Rostock.

They are truly impressive birds, making wonderful clacking sounds with their beaks, heads thrown back pointing to the sky or even resting on their backs as they proclaim their territories, prior to mating, or as a warning. They are carnivores, devouring a wide variety of prey like insects, frogs, fish and even small mammals such as voles and shrews.

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Storks bringing babies

According to European folklore, the stork is responsible for bringing babies to new parents. The legend is very ancient but was popularised by a 19th-Century Hans Christian Anderson story called The Storks. German folklore held that storks found babies in caves or marshes and brought them to households in a basket on their backs or held in their beaks. These caves contained adebarsteine or ‘stork stones’.

The babies would then be given to the mother or dropped down the chimney. Households would notify when they wanted children by placing sweets for the stork on the window sill.

From there the folklore has spread around the world to the Philippines and countries in South America.

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More birds to spot

Equally impressive birds, the very beautiful black swans (Cygne noir) can be seen in the farm part of the reserve. This is not a French species but native to Australia. They are often seen in collections in Europe, and a self- sustaining population exists in the Netherlands.

Very present throughout the reserve were a mix of white egrets, mainly cattle egrets (Héron garde-bœufs), which are distinguished from other egrets by an orange tone on their crowns and breasts and yellow beaks. For safety at night, they choose to roost all together on one of the islands, having flown around the lakes in disorderly groups before settling.

I was delighted to see my first swallows (Hirondelle rustique) and house martins (Hirondelle de fenêtre) of the year hawking for insects over the lake; back from Africa.

So all in all Le Domaine des Oiseaux is a great place to visit. You can easily see birds in good numbers, learn from the many posters and illustrations placed around the reserve, and you can even eat in the rather nice looking restaurant.

Oddly enough, the main Carcassonne to Toulouse motorway runs through the reserve, but clearly the birds are used to it and in no way disturbed.

See the website for more details.