Havens for birds and dolphins

A SMALL ISLAND that formed when storm Klaus battered the Gironde coastline in 2009 has become a haven for migrating birds.

The unnamed island, near the Cordovan lighthouse 10km from Royan, in the Charente-Maritime, is the size of four football fields and has fascinated scientists.

Ecologist and president of the Obios Association Jean-Marc Thirion told France 3: “It is a pretty amazing place, because it is virgin land. We can monitor incoming animals.”

But the low-lying island will not survive much longer. It is regularly inundated by Atlantic storms, and is slowly getting smaller.

Meanwhile, dolphin watchers should head to the Normandy coast, where a pod of the marine mammals have been a regular sight off the coast near Cherbourg and Lac sur Mer over the past few weeks.

France 3 screengrab