Bois des Rêves
Fauna and flora
At Bois des Rêves and throughout the seasons, the wetlands, ponds, rivers, forests and plantations offer a rare variety of ecosystems where wagtails, finches and herons live close together with dragonflies, common frogs and butterflies. Coming out of a birch forest that is blooming or under snow, perhaps you will see with a hint of luck and silence, a mischievous little squirrel or his majesty His majesty the deer peeking out the tip of their snout.
Fauna
The birds
In an effort to preserve biodiversity, almost a hundred nesting boxes have been installed throughout the Bois des Rêves. Each year, they are home to a particularly wide variety of species, and also have another function:birdwatching. Approach them gently, with hushed steps, and then stand still to better contemplate them. With a little luck, you’ll be able to observe the following birds:
- Nuthatch
- Treecreeper
- Blue or great tits
- Chaffinch
- European greenfinch
- Bullfinch
- Black woodpecker
- Robin
- Blackbird
Migratory birds
With the arrival of fine weather, migratory species such as the warbler and the swift warbler enrich the range of birds that frequent the estate.
Aquatic
The Bois de Rêves pond is stocked with fish every year to meet the food requirements of various species of aquatic birds. These include the Grey Heron and, in winter, flocks of Great Cormorants.
Other non-piscivorous species choose the pond for nesting.
- Moorhen
- Mallard duck
- Canada goose
- Egyptian Goose
The fish
Many species of fish inhabit the large pond of Bois des Rêves. Some of them are fished by aquatic birds which feed on them, but also by humans for exclusively recreational purposes and in a wise manner.
- Carp
- Roach
- Pike
- Bream
- Tench
- Eel
The pond is not suitable for observing trout and other salmonids, because these species prefer the clear, flowing waters of the rivers, rich in oxygen.
The mammals
With a little luck and your senses on the alert, you will be able to spot (and why not, recognize) the traces left by the different mammals that inhabit Bois des Rêves, or even observe them with your own eyes. Remember to bring your binoculars.
- Deer
- Wild boar
- Fox
- Squirrel
- Hedgehog
Flora
The “forest and plants & flowers” ecosystem, which is made up of a mixture of deciduous and resinous trees and plants & flowers, is the most represented: it covers nearly fifty hectares, or three-quarters of the total surface area of the site!
The deciduous trees
There are two categories of deciduous trees, both remarkably established at Bois des Rêves:
- deciduous trees that lose their leaves
- evergreen trees that always remain green
The north slope of the site, swept by the winds, is made up of species which support dry and very light soil:
- Beech
- Birch
- Acacias
- Oak
- Hazel
- Chestnut
The opposite part, very humid, contains totally different species:
- Alder
- Ash
- Poplar
- Willow
The resinous trees
Resinous trees, also called conifers, are also very present. They take their name from the viscous and sticky substance they contain: resin. As for conifers, as their name suggests, they have the characteristics of bearing cones and having scale- or needle-shaped leaves.
- Larch
- Spruce
- Scots pine
Let’s make sure we:
- do not uproot trees, flowers or shrubs
- do not prune or engrave the bark of trees
- do not disturb the animals
- do not damage equipment and signage
- do not cause fire
- do not throw waste outside the trash cans
Plants & flowers
In this forest area, in bloom from March to October, we can observe very beautiful varieties of herbaceous plants. Let us cite a few examples:
- Wood anemone
- Yellow archangel
- Red campion
- Bluebell
- Herb-Robert
- Catchweed
- Ground-ivy
The mushrooms
In autumn, Bois des Rêves transforms into a paradise for mushroom lovers.
More than 300 varieties can be observed there.
Mushrooms live in extremely varied and even unusual places, such as glass, wood, bricks, food, etc. They have a characteristic habitat linked to the nature of the terrain and are associated with a specific tree species.
At Bois des Rêves, poisonous or not, we only taste the mushrooms with our eyes!
Indeed, there are few poisonous mushrooms, but nonetheless not all species are edible, so you should never eat a mushroom if there is the slightest doubt as to whether it belongs to an edible species.