France 2025, Days Two to Seven, Le Moulin de Pensol

We had a fantastic five night stay at Le Moulin de Pensol HERE which is a magical 20 acre re-wilding project in the Perigold-Limousin Natural Park in south west France run by Nick and Heidi Smith.

Bird wise the highlights included Honey Buzzards, Crested Tits, Firecrest and Golden Oriole from the garden and there were Hoopoe, Red-backed Shrike, Black Kites and Black Redstarts in the local area.

Had a mammal lifer, a brief view of a Pine Martin and also a heard only tick in the form of Edible Dormouse which we were reliably informed was the scurrying sound at night in the walls and roofs. Wood mice were running around the garden and we had Red Squirrel locally too. 

Also had a couple of herps including Western Whipsnake and Wall Lizard. 

The main reason for visiting was for the moths and butterflies and other entomology. My I-nat observations HERE which include about 170 moth species including a few lifers. Photo highlights below. 

A fantastic visit. 

European Honey Buzzard

Crested Tit

Silver-washed Fritillary

Knapweed Fritillary

Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary 

Queen of Spain Fritillary

Glanville Fritillary

Sooty Copper (above and below)

Long-tailed Blue

Southern White Admiral

Broad-bordered Bee Hawkmoth

Hummingbird Hawkmoth

Scarce Hook-tip

The Latin

Dusky Hook-tip

Alder Kitten

Sallow Nycteoline

Oak Marbled Brown

Plum Lappet

The Feline

Scopula tessellaria

Dotted Clay

Diasemia reticularis

White-legged Damselfly

Small Pincertail 

Large Pincertail 

We had a few day trips out from Le Moulin including a visit to Parc Zoo du Reynou near Limoges where these Black Kites were feeding around the Polar Bear enclosure 

The Mill (above) and our Gite (below) 

Soggy Bottom- a lovely little wet area with Purple Loosestrife covered in butterflies. In addition to this wet area there was also areas of acid grassland, sweet chestnut coppice and woodland, gardens, paddocks and meadows. Such a beautiful little mosiac of habitats. 

France 2025 Day One

We left Portsmouth yesterday morning (29th July) and caught the ferry to Caen and then made our way to our overnight at Camping de Marcilly sur Vienne near the village of Nouatre, south of Tours in La Loire valley. It was just a brief stop as we head towards Le Moulin de Pensol further south. 

I got the Lepiled out for the first time and had a few interesting moths this morning before we packed up and headed on. We stopped off for a walk round the park and lunch at the town of Poitiers and arrived at the magical Le Moulin de Pensol at around 4pm. 

The rather stunning Catocala optata

Pale Shoulder

Pine Processionary

Black V-moth

Ancyclolia tentaculella

Good to be on the road again with the family. Our first stop.