Make it snappy

It was such a gorgeous day, with a bright clear blue sky and temperatures creeping up to about 14°c. We decided to make a trip to the lakes to see if we could spot any cranes that had migrated there for the winter. We had thought they only stopped off before heading further south, but they do actually stay over winter. There are 3 lakes, Lac d’orient, Lac du Temple and Lac d’ Amance. It is a huge area full of natural beauty, surrounded by forest and some pretty little villages. The lakes are divided into different uses, watersports, pleasure boats, swimming, beaches, fishing and a nature reserve.

We decided we would try and find the observatory overlooking the lac d’orient called ‘Observatoire du lac d’Orient’, it’s just off the D43. We found the parking area and walked through the forest. It was just a the short walk to the hide, which was on the edge of the lake, although at this time of year the water is quite low.

We climbed up the steep steps into the wooden structure and took a few moments to just take in the view. Absolutely stunning.

There were a lot of birds feeding at the waters edge, and we could see a lonesome crane in the distance.

I hadn’t thought to bring our binoculars, but Brian had his camera and long lens. We soaked in the environment for a while, took some photos, then decided to head to a different viewpoint.

As we were leaving we could hear the whooping of some cranes overhead, as they flew past just above us. I took a quick snap before they were gone again. They are ever so noisy!