Thanks to my 2 travelling companions from Iceland, Jacques and Frédéric, I was lucky enough to be able to see the biggest wildlife and nature photography festival in Europe this year. Unfortunately neither of them were able to make it this time (they were both away on a trip to Antarctica, how lucky is that?!) but they were kind enough to save me a spot in one of the chalets that their photography club rents for its members every year.
We spent 4 fantastic days in this area which is quite a long way from Creuse, granted, but which is still totally worth stopping for, as much for the many sublime images exposed, as for the great atmosphere around the lake at this time of the year when lots of migratory birds are on the move.
I really enjoyed the overall high quality of the images, their variety, the different types of approach depending on the individual photographers. I couldn’t possibly choose one or even several favourites amongst the many superb shots, but I particularly liked the following exhibitions:
- Matthieu Ricards poetic landscapes
- Benoît Peyres extraordinary world of mushrooms
- The magical snow leopard images by Frédéric Larrey et Yves Fagniart
- The images selected for the 2019 competition in the abbey
- Jean-Pierre Bertrands amazing sprintails
- Patrick Goujons enchanting praying Mantises
- Mehdi Acheches fantastic kingfishers
- The fabulous images of the common snipe by Frédéric Dupont et Emmanuelle Roger
- Annie Chenets impressive stone curlews
- Denis Girards wonderful images of small owls (Little Owl and Pygmy Owl)
- Jérôme Lecquyers unusual black woodpeckers
- Marc Tisseaus stunning black and white series on the European coastline
- Sabrina et Jean-Michel Kriefs endearing chimpanzees
- Catherine et Rémy Marions portfolio of great brown bear images
I also discovered the beautiful images by Thomas Caryn on places where nature has taken over abandoned human constructions, a rather unusual subject amongst all the more classic landscape and wildlife images.
Despite the fact that pictures made with drones seem to be a bit too ”fashionable” for my taste these days, I did like the series by Guillaume Dabenoc on the incredible surreal colours of the Chilean Altiplano.
Naturally we also spent some time trying to capture the amazing lakeside atmosphere! Unfortunately we missed the largest movement of migrating cranes early November, one morning the count was no less than 268 000 birds! During our stay the numbers hovered at around 25 000, which is pretty impressive already.
Friday morning it was pouring with rain and our first outing to the embankment therefore had to wait until Saturday. I was very surprised to see that we were not the only ones willing to get up well before dawn, the place is so crowded this morning that it is hard to find a space inbetween all the birders and photographers with their tripods. Yet it is easy to see why, the atmosphere at this time of the day, when the calls of the cranes fill the air as they leave their nightime roost is simply magical. The birds are too far away for close up shots, but the colourful sky and the mists rising from the lake are a perfect backdrop for their elegant slender silhouettes.
A quick stoll down to the lake before lunch to make the most of the wall to wall sunshine.
In the afternoon we head across to the church of Champaubert, on the peninsula with the same name. The little church is the only remaining building of the 3 villages that were submerged during the construction of the lake between 1967 and 1974. The lac du Der-Chantecoq is the biggest artificial lake in Europe, it was created to prevent flooding in the capital. Since then is has become a favourite stop-over for many different species of birds, in particular the common crane, on their migration between wintering sites and breeding grounds.
It looks like the evening will offer us some beautiful lights and we decide to wait for the cranes as they return to roost on the lake at the end of the day. We are not disappointed, even if most of them are too far or too late for decent pictures, the sunset colours are magical.
On Sunday morning we are up before dawn once again, after all this is our last day, we want to make the most of it! Clouds of mist are slowly rising from the waters surface and the calls of thousands of cranes fill the air. A great crested grebe is slowly drifting in my direction, towards the little stretch of beach where I am waiting. It only notices my presence at the last moment and dives. A kingfisher disappears into the reeds before I even have time to lift the camera.
It is time to leave, a last picknick lunch and we all have to head back home.
Before getting back onto the main road, I stop several times to try and take some shots of cranes feeding in the maize fields. The beautiful birds have unfortunately chosen to feed in fields surrounded by ugly and messy backgrounds of fences and agricultural buildings that are pretty offputting. I need more time to find better spots, but that will have to wait for another time…..
