Bird watching in the Gulf with David

Who’ll name it first?

With telescopes and binoculars, we’ve spotted a different kind of plumage. It’s a dunlin. Further away, with its yellow and black beak, orange legs and white breast, there’s a redshank. At the level of its nest, the black stripe around its neck identifies the Kentish plover. Families have fun competing to see who can solve these puzzles fastest. Beginners are enjoying the game as much as the experienced birders. From time to time we’re really not sure: an arctic tern or a common tern? The black spot on its red beak shows that it’s a common tern. We have to admit that the children, who notice everything, are often better at this than the adults.

Stories that fly high

Between spotting lapwings, black-winged stilts or common sandpipers, David gives us the life-story of the marsh. This passionate bird-lover is unbeatable on the subject of the 200 species of birds that meet on the Rhuys Peninsula. He gives us the lowdown on the ringed plover that are strutting around on a sandbank, tells us to listen for the roar of swans’ wings as they take off from the Gulf of Morbihan and, in our imaginations, has us following the flight of geese towards the eastern frontiers and the hazardous odyssey of swallows across the desert. He’s a guide with a pretty impressive wingspan of his own!

We’ve all become enthusiasts!

David’s enthusiasm is endless; he’s like a phoenix who has helped the ornithological wealth of the Gulf to rise up again. But now it’s time for some swimming. We end with an open-air quiz to remind us of the birds we’ve seen this morning and the importance of leaving them to rest before their migration. Resting and gaining weight are crucial for them. We’ve got it. Before we go off to acrêperieor a little local restaurant, we fold up our camp-stools and hand back the books. Now we’ve got some simple guidelines, we’re ready to enjoy spotting all kinds of feathered friends.