France 11: Vannes and Sene Nature Reserve

Came across this Hornet nest at Coët Stival.

I did not want to get too close, the guards at the entrance were very intimidating.

Drove to the medieval city of Vanne. The harbour extends up to the city walls.

Great Black-backed Gull with a fish

Cormorant

Eclipse plumage Black-headed Gull

Grey Wagtail in the old city moat

Wall Lizard

In the afternoon we to Reserve Naturelle Nationale des Marais de Sene, which is just to the southeast of Vannes.

A very warm day, with a marvellous sky. I saw Black-tailed Godwit, breeding Black-winged Stilt, Spoonbill, Grey Heron, Little Egret, Great White Egret, Cattle Egret and Avocet.

Gatekeeper

Speckled Wood

Blue-eyed or Southern Migrant Hawker, Aeshna affinis

A awful photo of a Zitting Cisticola or Fan-tailed Warbler, Cisticola juncidis. A lifetime first so I included it. 

A male Red-veined Darter, Sympetrum fonscolombii. This species is identified by the pale pterostigmata (colored spots on the wings) with thick black borders.

Polistes dominula, European Paper Wasp

Red Admiral

Willow Emerald Damselfly, Lestes viridis

Spoonbill

France 10: Locmariaquer and Carnac

Visited Locmariaquer and Carnac to see the amazing megaliths. The wildlife was good too. 

Glanville Fritillary at Locmariaquer. A lifetime first.

Preying Mantis

Blue-winged Grasshopper, you see the wings when they jump and fly.

Thought this was an Alcon Blue at first, but now I realise it is a faded Common Blue.

Large Conehead Cricket, Ruspolia nitidula.

On to Carnac. The alignments are amazing.

Swallowtail

I had fantastic views of a Cirl Bunting, successfully hunting for grasshoppers among the stones

I also came across a group of recently fledged Cirl Bunting, the adults were in the trees.

France 9: Suscinio

A day of heavy rain. Headed south to the coast below the gulf of Morbihan to Chatteau Suscinio.

Wren

Distant Cattle Egret

White Wagtail, adults returning to feed young in their nest in the castle walls.

After visiting the castle we walked around Succino Marshes.

Juvenile Shelduck

Adult and juvenile Avocet

Juvenile White Wagtail

Black-tailed Godwit

Little Egret

Juvenile Sandwich Terns with a Common Tern in the foreground.

Little Egret

A juvenile Little Tern

Sand Martins. There were over a hundred feeding over the water.

Black-winged Stilt

Distant Curlew feeding in the Gulf of Morbihan at low tide.