Dragonflies of La Brenne & Vienne

Tour Code: FRA21

An 8-day holiday, travelling by train, in search of dragonflies, butterflies, birds and plants in two lesser-known areas of France, both outstandingly rich in natural history.

8 days from
£1,795 (Inc train)
Land only price from
£1,645
book now

Highlights

Summary

Summary

La Brenne and Vienne are situated in central France. La Brenne is known locally as ‘The Land of a Thousand Lakes’, and both areas harbour a rich tapestry of habitats ideal for dragonflies and other wildlife including marshes, marginal land, deciduous woods, dry heathland and farmland. This is an ideal holiday for the dragonfly enthusiast as well as those with additional interest in butterflies, wild flowers and birds. Using two comfortable hotels as bases for the week we’ll have short daily travel times to key sites, and allow plenty of time to enjoy this unhurried area of France, good food, photography and a wealth of interesting species.

  • Travel by train on a flight-free holiday
  • Over 1,000 lakes in La Brenne – rich in dragonflies, butterflies & birdlife
  • Up to 20 species of dragonfly at a single ‘étang’ in June!
  • Many non-British species such as Dainty Whiteface & Orange Featherleg
  • Breeding birds & bird song of Nightingales, Golden Orioles & warblers
  • Many species of other insects not seen or rare in the UK

Grading

Easy walks only.

La Brenne and Vienne are situated in an area of central France, south of the Loire, and the capital of the Vienne département is Poitiers, which lies 80 kilometres to the west of La Brenne. The latter is known locally as ‘The Land of a Thousand Lakes’ because of the numerous pools, known locally as ‘Etangs’, which dot its landscapes. Mostly man-made, these have been managed over the centuries for fishing and a rich tapestry of habitats has developed including marshes, deciduous woods, dry heathland and farmland.

La Brenne is both the home and workplace of our local guides, Jason and Emilie Mitchell. Jason has been visiting La Brenne at least annually since 2001, and the region's exceptional wildlife and unique ambiance prompted him to move there with his family in 2013. Both Jason and Emilie have an exceptional knowledge and passion for this little-known wildlife gem lost in central France.

In the quiet, gently rolling mixed farmland of Vienne there are many small étangs, much marginal land, unimproved meadows and pasture, and extensive woodland. The older, more established étangs are prime habitat for dragonflies and damselflies of which numerous species can be found within a few kilometres of our first base at Moulismes. Indeed, up to 20 species can be seen at a single étang in June including such non-British species as Orange Featherleg, Dainty Bluet, Blue-eye, Common Winter Damsel, Western Willow Spreadwing, Orange-spotted Emerald, White-tailed Skimmer, Scarlet Darter, Yellow and Western Clubtails and Small Pincertail. Even for a non-specialist, the variety of form and colour provided by these falcons of the insect world is an absorbing diversion from the soporific warmth of a summer afternoon in central France.

Our search for dragonflies will naturally lead us to find interesting butterflies, orchids and birds. Around Moulismes, butterflies such as Red-underwing and Mallow Skippers, Scarce Swallowtail, Black-veined White, Southern White Admiral, Map Butterfly, Marbled, Weaver’s, Knapweed, Spotted, Heath and Meadow Fritillaries, Great Banded Grayling, Black Hairstreak, Sooty Copper and Short-tailed Provencal and Mazarine Blues may all be seen. Orchids in the area include Pyramidal, Bee and Lizard, each adding their delicate colours to enrich the summer flora and, not to be outdone, the avian world is represented by arguably the most beautiful of all European birds — the Bee-eater, which can be observed in all its gorgeous splendour at a colony close to Moulismes.

Pinail reserve, lying 20 kilometres northeast of Poitiers, is a peat-bog where old millstone quarries have left more than 3,000 small, deep, water-filled holes scattered among the heathland. Many dragonflies have been recorded here, but three rare species we will be looking for in particular are Robust Spreadwing, and Lilypad and Yellow-spotted Whitefaces.

With over 1,000 lakes, the 160,000-hectare Regional Nature Park of La Brenne is famed for its wetland birds, but what is less well known is that it is also a magnificent place for dragonflies and butterflies. Among the many dragonflies to be seen in La Brenne we should be able to add Variable Bluet, Small Bluetail, Migrant Spreadwing, Small Redeye, Green-eyed and Hairy Hawkers, and Common Clubtail to our growing holiday list.

To date, 97 butterfly species have been recorded in La Brenne, nearly twice the number occurring in the whole of Britain! These include several species which are rare or rapidly declining in other parts of Europe. Examples should include Large Chequered Skipper, Ilex Hairstreak, Camberwell Beauty, Marsh Fritillary, Woodland Grayling and Pearly Heath. In addition, no fewer than 36 species of orchid occur in the park. Species that should be in flower at the time of our visit include: Brenne, Fragrant, Looseflowered, Bee, Pyramidal, Lesser Butterfly, Greater Butterfly, Lizard, Lady, Man and Tongue Orchids, as well as Red, Broadleaved, Mueller’s and Small-leaved Helleborines, and Violet Limodore. This superb proliferation of orchids is one of the botanical highlights of the summer months and it is an interesting exercise of imagination to match the various bizarre flower shapes with the names borne by the plants!

Among the breeding birds we should see in both the Vienne and La Brenne are Purple Heron, Cattle Egret, Night Heron, Black-necked Grebe, Garganey and Whiskered Tern — the last more numerous here than anywhere else in France. Warblers to be found include Fan-tailed, Melodious and Bonelli’s, while other species include Black Kite, Shorttoed Eagle, Honey Buzzard, harriers, Hobby, Red-backed Shrike, Black Redstart, Short-toed Treecreeper, Serin and Cirl Bunting. The calls of Hoopoes and Golden Orioles and the powerful songs of Nightingales complete this classic collection of European birds.

We will stay at two hotels to ensure short drives to the relevant locations each day. This will be an ideal holiday for those with a particular interest in dragonflies or the all-round naturalist who prefers unhurried outings. There will be opportunities to linger and take photographs, or to simply become immersed in the sights and sounds of mid-summer in this very special, yet rarely publicised, region of France.

 

DETAILED INFORMATION
Itinerary

Outline Itinerary

Day 1
Eurostar and TGV from London St. Pancras to Poitiers, either via Lille or Paris
Day 2/3
Montmorillon/Southern Vienne
Day 4
Montmorillon/Pinail Reserve
Day 5/7
Montmorillon/La Brenne
Day 8
TGV and Eurostar from Poitiers to London St. Pancras either via Lille or Paris
cloud_downloadDownload Full Itinerary
What's Included

What's Included?

  • Trains
  • Accommodation:

    Small, clean and comfortable hotels with en suite facilities. Rooms tend to be on the small side with quite spartan furniture.

  • Food:

    All included in the price, starting with dinner on Day 1 and finishing with breakfast on Day 8

Reviews
Dates & Prices

Dates & Prices

2025

Departures Availability Cost
Mon 16th Jun – Mon 23rd Jun FULL £1,795
Land only cost:
The "Land Only" cost is the tour price you will pay if you choose to arrange your own flights/transport.
£1,645
Single Room Supplement:
Single Room Supplement.
£175
Tour Leader:
Please note that, whilst we assign leaders to particular tours well in advance, we reserve the right to make changes if necessary
Jason Mitchell
Jason-Mitchell.jpg

Tour Leader: Jason Mitchell

Jason was born and raised in Devon where, from an early age, he developed a passion for birds and other wildlife, most notably dragonflies and butterflies. From his earliest volunteering experience on the Exe Estuary he dreamt of working in nature conservation and after returning to education in his mid-twenties, graduated from Plymouth University and started work for the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds on the Pebblebed Heaths in east Devon. Since then he has also worked on various conservation projects for local government and the Wildlife Trust. In 2010 Jason returned to the RSPB as the North Kent Marshes Warden and latterly on the Blean Woods National Nature Reserve near Canterbury.

In June 2013, Jason moved to La Brenne in central France with his wife and young family in pursuit of a new challenge. La Brenne was an obvious choice; having visited the Loire Valley with his French wife over many years, he fell in love with the ‘Land of a Thousand Lakes’. Now well establish as a nature guide, he specialises in wildlife tours within France but also leads more widely across Europe, having lead his first wildlife tour to Italy for Naturetrek back in 2007.

2026

Departures Availability Cost
Mon 15th Jun – Mon 22nd Jun SPACES £1,795
Book Tour Show Details
Land only cost:
The "Land Only" cost is the tour price you will pay if you choose to arrange your own flights/transport.
£1,645
Single Room Supplement:
Single Room Supplement.
£175 
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Dragonfly Watching Holidays Led by Expert Naturalists


Dragonflies are certainly not for the faint-hearted! They are fearsome insects – if you are their size or smaller! They are also dazzlingly beautiful, with a wide array of hues and forms. Our dragonfly tours take you to some of Europe’s top habitats where we have the best chances of witnessing a range of species and their behaviour.


Naturetrek Dragonfly Tours


We like to respond to your specific wildlife interests and, in recent years, we have had an increasing number of requests for dedicated dragonfly holidays. We are pleased to be able to offer a selection of tours which focus on exploring habitats where some of Europe’s most diverse and spectacular dragonfly species are found.


All of our dragonfly tours are accompanied by at least one specialist leader. On some tours there may be a second leader with a different area of natural history expertise. Some highlights of our dragonfly holidays may include: observing clouds of damselflies as they emerge in late spring from pools, watching them hover over a lake or stretch of grassland, or witnessing a fight to the death between territorial males.


We’re equally comfortable providing opportunities for the dedicated enthusiast to debate the finer points of identification with our expert guide, or to simply enjoy their beautiful display of colours and forms.




Our specialist recommends...






"I’d recommend our Sardinia’s Dragonflies tour – it has about 35 species, most of which are not found in the UK, and its proximity to Africa means it hosts some rather exotic species such as Banded Groundlings. Island Bluetail will interest the real enthusiast, whereas Copper Demoiselles are a bit easier to find." 

David Smallshire - Tour Leader


 




All Dragonfly Watching Tours

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Flight-free Wildlife Holidays


At Naturetrek we make full use of the Eurostar rail service through the channel tunnel, and of the ferry routes between England’s south coast and France and Spain, to offer a range of ‘flightless’ wildlife holidays in Belgium, Holland, France and Spain. In addition, we also offer the widest selection of wildlife holidays within the UK, none of which require a flight to participate in. Therefore, if you prefer not to fly, for whatever reason, we have a range of varied and exciting wildlife holidays for you to choose from, and we are committed to regularly adding more.


It is also the case that many of our other holidays within Europe are also accessible by rail. Generally, where there’s a will, there’s a way, and we’d be pleased to offer advice to anybody who wishes to join any of our tours within Europe by a means other than flying!




Our specialist recommends...






"Our Picos & Plains tour offers an environmentally-friendly route down to Spain for some excellent birding and cetacean-watching. More broadly, we’re very keen for Naturetrek to offer the most dynamic, market-leading carbon-reduced holidays available, and we hope you enjoy browsing our list of no-flight wildlife holidays!” 

Kerrie Porteous - Operations Manager




All No Flight Tours

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Tour Dates or Itinerary Don't Suit?

Allow our experts to create a private, customised itinerary with dates and prices to suit you.

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Prefer to Travel in a Private Group?

For any interested natural history club or society, we can arrange for a private departure of this tour.

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Why Naturetrek?

Why Naturetrek?

At Naturetrek we craft expertly-guided group and tailor-made wildlife holidays and cruises to all seven continents. On one of our holidays, you can be assured that our passionate team will enable you to experience and enjoy the best of the world's wildlife and natural spectacles in as comfortable and rewarding a manner as possible, caring as best we can for the environment in the process. We are proud to provide:

  • The widest choice of wildlife holidays worldwide
  • Tours managed and led by naturalists, for naturalists
  • Outstanding value and exceptional customer service

Furthermore, as a Naturetrek client, our office team are always to on hand to help you – so if you have any queries about your holiday, whether before or after you have booked, we will be delighted to answer them on the phone. Please just give our team a call!