Home of the cranes

Today I removed my panniers, put on my tennis shoes and went to visit the European Cranes. Our hosts Silvan and Christov from Lake Lacanau had told us of the “very wild” place near the ocean where the cranes rested during their winter migration. I was immediately captivated - and convinced my intrepid traveling companion to do an excursion.

The Reserve Naturelle de E’tang de Cousseau is a remnant of the original marshlands that used to cover much of this area. As we learned, Napoleon had planted forests of pine to create wealth and drain the swamps. I anticipated a wonderland of bird life occupying this reserve and was not disappointed. Cranes greeted us, along with plant diversity and a mosaic of freshwater marshes. Three species of oaks, ferns, birch, and pine. It was a complex tumble compared to orderly plantings of pine forests nearby.

An ideal excursion, riding along sandy trails to get to the trailhead and then hiking alone for a few hours with few other humans.Read more