5th Dec 1988 - Moeze

Another reserve, Moeze, a short distance south of the Marais d'Yves, comprises some 6,500 ha of mudflats and 214 ha of rough dunes and grazing. Its main interest is at migration time when no less that 31 species of wader and 19 of wildfowl have been recorded. Until the area was protected in 1985 the pressure of hunting limited the number of over‑win­tering birds. However, there is great biological potential in the mudflats, and it is expected that winter wildfowl numbers will improve in the future.

A leaflet about Moeze gave an impressive list of species: "The channels are the domain of the grey heron and little egret which, in the summer, are joined by the purple heron. Each spring s­poonbills stop on migration. Raptors are repre­sented by three species of harriers and two fal­cons ‑ hobby and kestrel, plus short‑toed eagle in summer. At night barn, little and long-eared owls haunt the marshes. Black terns and whiskered terns fish in the lagoon in the company of little terns; sandwich and common terns prefer the sea. In the saltmarsh bluethroat and fan tailed warbler sing, reed bunting and great reed warbler exploit the vegetation around the edge, and many pairs of yellow wagtails raise their young each year. And, of course, there are waders and wildfowl in winter. There are also six species of reptile and 23 species of mammal from otter to pygmy shrew."

It would have been nice to see that lot, but this was the wrong time of year, and there was no public access to the reserve although it could be overlooked from coastal roads on the Ile d'Oleron or from a dirt track just north of the mainland part of the reserve. During a couple of hours as the tide rolled in we saw only shelduck, dunlin, grey plovers and avocets in small numbers plus gadwall, mallard, cormorants, great-crested grebe, brent geese and a few gulls.

We moved on south through an area of what seemed to be small square flooded fields. Actual­ly they were fishponds, this coastal strip being Fran­ce's main breeding ground for mussels and oysters. In an average year the district of Char­ente Maritime produces over 50,000 tonnes of oysters, some 60% of the total French output.

A weasel crossed the road in front of us, and a few minutes later crossed back with a vole.