A big thankyou to keen ornithologist Mike Bowman for this post below. There are some interesting birds around this area and Mike has given us an insight into which ones can be seen and where to go to spot them. If you want to know more, Mike is available as a guide, or just as a source of information for anyone interested in bird watching, such as places to visit, how to choose binoculars etc. His details are at the end of the post.
Birdwatching in the Nyon area.
Have you thought about bird watching as a family activity? Its an excellent means of getting children out of the house and interested in the environment and outdoor activities. It can be anything from a leisurely stroll to a tough climb up into the mountains where the birds and the animals can be just an additional attraction.
Birdwatching at the Col de la Colombière in Haute-Savoie - Photo Mike Bowman
Because of its geographical position in Central Europe, Switzerland receives a wide variety of birds at different times of year and nearly 400 species have been seen, quite a few of which are not regularly found in the UK. Many migrating waders stop off along the shores of the lake on their way north to breed in the Arctic regions. The best place for seeing waders in April and May is the bird island at Prevérenges (see directions below).
At any time of year there is always something to be seen, in the Spring there are the many summer visitors mostly arriving from Africa. The Black Kites arrive in March from their winter quarters in West Africa and depart again at the end of July. Black Kites can be seen almost anywhere around the Lake Geneva area as they wheel around over the towns and villages. Who has not been charmed by the songs of thrushes, and warblers in the hedgerows too and watched the flight of swifts as they fly screaming between the houses?
A hungry Alpine Chough looking for a sandwich! Photo - Mike Bowman
In the winter, from December to March, there are numerous species of duck on the lake that have migrated south from their breeding quarters in the extreme north of Europe. They can be seen particularly in and around the port of Nyon where they become rapidly habituated to visitors and readily accept food, even the fish eating Common Mergansers, (the British call these Goosanders).
European Bee-eater at the colony near Lausanne- Photo Mike Bowman
To know what birds are about in the area, check out this interesting site. It is an exchange platform about birding in Switzerland. It has a section with latest sightings of birds, it has photos of birds and it even lists sun set and sunrise times for the keen early risers.
You can contact Mike either by e-mail on mike.bowman@bluewin.ch or by phone on 079-2195059
You can often see other animals too when you are bird watching.
Ibex in the mountains. Photo - Mike Bowman
To get to Prevérenges
Directions: Leave Morges by the coast road in the direction of Lausanne and turn off to the right in Prevérenges towards the Aula. Park your car at the lakeside car park and walk to the left along the lake until you see the artificial island just before the point where the River Venoge enters into the lake. You will need binoculars for this however as the birds will be a little too far away for the naked eye.
