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- Bird reserves in Northern France
Northern France holds a number of excellent bird reserves, from the 250-hectare block of lagoons, mudflats, marshland, reed beds, dunes, and pine woodland that make up Parc du Marquenterre, to the rugged coastline and sites like the Crecy Forest, le Platier d'Oye and les Etangs de Romelaere. Starting from Calais and stretching all down the coast, Northern France is a superb and easily accessible destination for British birdwatchers and nature lovers alike.
The area hosts several desirable species that are hard (or impossible) to see in Britain such as Black-winged Stilt, Kentish Plover (now extinct as a breeding bird in Britain), White Stork, Spoonbill, Great White and Cattle Egrets and Night Heron, Black and Middle Spotted Woodecker, Golden Oriole, Bluethroat, dainty European Serin, and tiny, fierce Firecrests and Crested Tits.
Key birdwatching sites in Northern France
Marquenterre bird reserve
A full tour of the renowned Marquenterre nature reserve. In spring six species of large wading bird breed in the heronry. In spring the shallow pools are a haven for migrant waders and other water birds while the bushes are alive with passerines. There is always a good chance of a rarity or two passing through as well!
Spoonbill, White Stork, Cattle Egret, Night Heron, Little Egret, Black-winged Stilt, Avocet, Crested Tit, Bluethroat, Nightingale and other migrants. Read more
Noyelles sur Mer
The vast reedbed at Noyelles-sur-Mer has important numbers of breeding songbirds that are rare, or even absent, from Great Britain. The nearby flood meadows are ideal to search for waders, raptors, duck and rarities.
Bluethroat, Bearded Tit, Savi’s Warbler, Bittern, Great Egret, Icterine Warbler, Marsh Warbler.
Crécy Forest
This vast beech and oak forest has several Black and Middle-spotted Woodpecker territories. In the clearings a wide variety of songbirds can be seen and heard.
Black Woodpecker, Middle Spotted Woodpecker, Melodious Warbler, Wood Warbler, Tree Pipit Honey Buzzard, Turtle Dove, Short-toed Treecreeper, Golden Oriole. Read more
Pointe du Hourdel
At the southern entrance to the Somme Bay le Hourdel, is ideally placed to watch a great number of birds migrating north in April and May. Thousands of hirundines, finches, pipits, raptors, waders and terns are seen every spring. The mudflats nearby hold excellent numbers of waders.
Visible migration (passerines, waders, raptors, terns).
Hable d’Ault
South of the bay the polders surrounding Cayeux-Sur-Mer hold an amazing number of birds in spring. A series of lagoons holds many breeding waders whilst many more use this reserve as a stop off on migration. The variety of different habitats means that a vast range of species can be observed.
Waders (breeding Kentish Plover, Black-winged Stilt, Avocet), migrant waders, Bearded Tit, Bluethroat, Great Egret, raptors (Short-eared Owl, Hobby, Merlin), migrants.
Marais d'Isle
Situated in the very heart of Saint-Quentin in Picardy, the Marais d’Isle nature reserve stretches over some 48 hectares.
Just under 160 species of birds have been observed on the site situated on a major migration route : the Eurasian teal, the Sedge warbler, Common pochard, Great crested grebes, Little grebes and certain rarer nesting species such as the Western Marsh Harrier, the Bluethroat, the Eurasian Bittern, the Little Bittern and Savi’s Warbler. Read more
Le Platier d'Oye (Calais)
This is the nearest area of extended marshland to Calais, tucked away in the huge dune system a well-signposted 15 km or so from the ferry. It has hides, disabled access and well-maintained footpaths, and a very productive wader scrape (particularly in spring and autumn) – renowned for rarities – and good stretches of open water.
Etangs de Romelaere (St Omer)
Romelaere has a reputation for breeding Bluethroat, and this species is easier to see at this ancient peat bog, with its rich habitats of water meadow, marshland, reedbeds, pools and patches of woodland all separated by grassy bunds, than at most other sites in the region – try the raised dyke in the centre of the site in particular for sightings of this species, which is now very scarce in the UK.
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