This is a system run by visionature in collaboration with Birdlife & the LPO amongst others. Local observers enter all their sightings of birds, butterflies, dragonflies, mammals etc. The liste of groups varies between sites. Some sites (not many) are also availble in English (e.g Aquitane). Not all of France is covered but there is a master-site which lists most of the different ones. This is the master site http://www.ornitho.fr/ . From there you can click on the area of interest. For example the aquitane page which covers from the dordogne & gironde to the Pyrenes is http://www.faune-aquitaine.org/index.php?m_id=1&logout=1&langu=en .If you go into the French site direct you need to click on "en" for English. There is a new site for Brittany not yet listed http://www.faune-bretagne.org/ .
I enter all my observations on our local one & check out whats in our area at the same time "les observations". If I'm going away I look at the area I'm going to, to see what is around & where (you can see up to the last 15 days) . They ara also a good place to look at photos of tricky subjects in "la galerie". Of course if you're off for a week or so to France you can put your own observations on, with photos, especially of rarities.
I believe this system is also in place in Italy.
Sorry if you all know about this already, but maybe you can pick a good spot for next years holiday!!
Best wishes
Hazel in Southwest France
There is another that I forgot in the same series that covers rare birds & is for most of France. There is no translation unfortunately but interesting to see whats about from time to time http://www.ornitho.fr/index.php?m_id=4 . It gets its data from the other sites.