La Gravière aux oiseaux, a set of 30 hectares of wetlands, is a place to walk and discover wild flora and fauna. All year round, with your family on a 2 km marked circuit, you can observe birds, dragonflies, frogs and butterflies. From April to October, the Maison de la Gravière opens its doors to its museum space.

Lever de soleil à la gravière aux oiseaux
Sunrise at the bird gravel pit © Guillaume Masseron / RT

A stone's throw from the city and its effervescence, the Gravière aux oiseaux offers visitors a relaxing setting. You can come and relax and meditate. Whether near the pond, along the meadow bordered by a small stream where butterflies and dragonflies flutter. You will be overcome with a deep well-being. If you feel like stopping, you can listen to the birdsong, sitting on a bench facing the Loire. On the way back you may have the chance to observe the graceful flight of a heron or a great egret leaving the reed bed.

DID YOU KNOW ?

Rafts covered with gravel are installed on the water to help the terns to nest.

Discovery place for young and old

An entertainment program from April to November

La Gravière aux oiseaux offers a free guided walk, every first Sunday of the month, upon registration. From April to November, many activities are organized at the gravel pit.
View the program online

Activities accessible all year round

Other activities are practicable all year round:

  • Discovery trail,
  • Bird watching using the many observatories,
  • Plant labyrinth that evolves every year,
  • Take the birdhouse circuit,
  • Celebrate his birthday with friends with a commented walk and a creative workshop,
  • And hiking trails dotted with thematic educational panels.

Not to mention the Gravière aux Oiseaux festival on Sunday July 11, which offers the public fun activities and workshops for the whole family, as well as information stands.

Upcoming events ...

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La gravière aux oiseaux, le lieu préféré des enfants
The bird gravel pit, the favorite place for children © Roannais Tourisme

Key figures

  • The Bird Gravel Pit extends over 40 hectares on the banks of the Loire,
  • A walk of 2 kilometers accessible to all (excluding people with reduced mobility),
  • 30 000 visitors per year.

Fauna and flora to explore

Wildlife

  • Birds: Wagtail, Common Hawk, Kingfisher, Gray Heron, Egret, Seagull, Great Cormorant, Night Heron, Tern, Mallard, Great Crested Grebe, Mute Swan, Redstart, Swallow, Coot, Eurasian Jay, Rook, Falcon kestrel, black kite,
  • Various butterflies, dragonflies and damselflies,
  • Green frogs,
  • Fox, beaver, nutria, owls, bats (at nightfall), carp, pike, perch… in the pond.

The flora

  • Marsh iris, sedge, warbler, aquatic mint, St. John's wort, water plantain, evening primrose, blueberry, hawthorn, hornbeam, oak, rosehip, dogwood, charcoal, ash, locust, country maple, poplar and white willow, Scotch broom, elm, alder, beech, elderberry ...
Intérieur de la maison de la gravière

The gravel pit

The house of the gravel pit, an old renovated barn, is open from April to October. You can find aquariums, stuffed animals, educational games or screenings. The house of the gravel pit also offers a permanent exhibition on the flora and fauna of wetlands.

The history of the bird gravel pit

The Gravière aux oiseaux site is a former site that has been rehabilitated as a reception site for the wild flora and fauna of wetlands. Located in the town of Mably, near the town of Roanne, the site, now owned by Roannais Agglomeration, offers visitors a place to walk and observe in the heart of nature as well as recreational activities to share with the family ( plant labyrinth, observatories, educational panels, interactive museography in the house, entertainment program in season…).

La Gravière aux oiseaux
© Gravel pit with birds

Key dates

  • Between 1985 et 1996, operation of the site to extract sediments and minerals
  • The man returned to the site in 2005 in order to create a welcoming place for the wild flora and fauna of wetlands.
  • En 2007, taken over by Roannais Agglomeration and setting up a reception and an entertainment program for the general public.

PRACTICAL INFORMATION

The Gravel Pit with Birds
Lower Mably path
42300 Mably

04 77 78 54

07 82 48 14

Website

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L'avis de Marion

Marion's opinion

Lovers of ornithology, I went to the bird gravel pit. Just a few kilometers from Roanne, here I am surrounded by nature, lulled by the song and the flight of birds. Ideal place for a picnic with family or friends… after your lunch on the grass, you can stroll on the footbridge at the edge of the gravel pit and observe the birds in one of the cabins available.

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