I suppose you would call us people who love watching the birds as opposed to the more dedicated birdwatchers and twitchers.

However, we derive immense pleasure from feeding and watching our feathered brethren.

We have installed a bird table outside of the gite so our guests can enjoy this as much as we do.

The garden is bordered by woodland, so there are always birds to be observed at most times of the day.

For the seasoned amateur and the professional alike, we have produced a list below of birds that are common visitors to our garden here.

We have to say that our favourite is the Golden Oriole, which in this part of France, seem to proliferate. Their song reminds us of a flute being played underwater -( a bit daft, but there you are :-)) but they are very shy and difficult to spot - but worth the wait for a fleeting glimpse. They do frequent our garden as can be seen by the somewhat blurry picture below. This was shot through double glazing with a standard digital camera on full zoom, hence the poor quality - sorry about that.


Our list of visiting or resident birds seen thus far. As an aside, we have had to refer to the bird identifier on the RSPB website on more than one occasion.........

Robin, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Brambling, Greater spotted Woodpecker, Great Tit, Coal Tit, Blue Tit, Sparrow, Blackbird, Dove, Garden Warbler, Bullfinch, Jay, Magpie, Cranes, Heron, Golden Oriole, Pheasant, Black Pheasant, Goldfinch, Hawfinch, Pied (White)Wagtail, Wren, Black redstart, Swallow, Hoopoe, various members of the hawk family who can be seen on roadside fence posts watching the world go by, and of course buzzards whose plaintive cry can be heard when the thermals are rising.

We would like to add to this list, which I am sure is possible, although our expertise is lacking, our enthusiasm is not.

If you would like to visit this corner of France and indulge your passion for birdwatching Le Petit Verger could be the place for you.