Region covered by this guide
This guidebook describes the nature and wildlife of the Dordogne area of south-west France. It includes:
- The lower and middle sections of the Dordogne and Vézère valleys.
- The scrubby grassland causses at Terrasson, Daglan and Paussac.
- The Double, Landais and Bessède forests.
- The arable plateaux at Faux and Verteillac.
- The uplands towards the Massif Central.
- Several marshlands scattered across the area.
The Crossbill Guide is a thorough and practical guide for naturalists and nature lovers. It offers background information, routes and site descriptions, plus tips on finding and watching all kinds of wildlife. Each route offers detailed descriptions of where to find wildlife and wildflowers and shows you the characteristics of the landscape and geology. The book offers a mix of (mostly easy) walking routes and car itineraries with stops and short walks.
About the Dordogne
Dordogne shows a beautiful mosaic of forest and mixed farming in a hilly landscape sprinkled with pretty medieval villages. The Dordogne river system, with its scattered marshes and limestone grasslands, adds greatly to the wildlife interest. The area has a large diversity of birds, orchids and butterflies. With relatively few people and a large network of lanes and tracks, Dordogne is ideal for the nature-minded visitor to discover.
Read more on our Wildlife Site Page about Dordogne.
About the authors
David Simpson (UK, 1958) is a wildlife guide living and working in Dordogne. Before he moved to the region in 2002, he worked as a war- den at various UK nature reserves including Ravenglass and Ainsdale Sand Dunes in north-west England. David is an all-round naturalist with a special interest in butterflies and birds.
Frank Jouandoudet (France, 1965) is a teacher, naturalist and photographer, currently living on the Gironde coast, after a spell in Dordogne. Frank has written several books on orchids and other wildlife in his home region of Aquitaine in south-west France.
J.Y. Barnagaud –
This exhaustive and detailed guide is clearly written by a naturalist for naturalists. A major feature is its extensive coverage across multiple taxonomic groups including birds, mammals, insects and plants, while remaining simple and synthetic enough to get straight to the point once on the field. It is just as useful for a visitor in search of general knowledge on Dordogne’s nature as for a skilled naturalist determined to take the outmost of the region. The level of detail relative to site descriptions demonstrates the authors’ expertise. A reference fieldguide for a region which has a lot to offer.