06/06/2015 In France for the day! Night Heron Chicks, White Storks etc.

Saturday 6th June 2015
Northern France with Andrew and Christine

Andrew organised one of his regular trips to northern France. On a glorious sunny day we left his house at 05.45, picking up Christine on the way before boarding the 07.20 train from Ashford for the 30 minute crossing to Calais.  We then headed south for just over an hour to reach Bonnelle our first stop.

Things were really quiet at Bonnelle and nearby Sailly Bray so we decided to move on to the Crecy Forest to look for Honey Buzzards, one of our target birds for today.  


We enjoyed a 45 min stop at Régnière-Lock where several Buzzards showed but, with the exception of one which may have been a Honey Buzzard, they were all the familiar common variety.



Our final destination was Le Parc du Marquenterre, one of our favourite nature reserves.



Route Map
Library picture

There were several highlights here:-

• the most interesting one was of some Night Heron chicks in a nest high in the tree where the White Storks, the Spoonbills, the Little Egrets and the Cattle Egrets were nesting



Night Heron Chicks
Library picture

• there were scores and scores of White Storks around and we had terrific views of them in flight as well as on the nests.

White Stork
Library picture



White Stork
Library picture

• Spoonbills too were abundant, although not quite as many as the storks.

Spoonbill
Library picture

• There were at least 4 Black-winged Stilts on the pools along with the Black-tailed Godwits and other common waders.



Black-winged Stilt
Library picture




 

There were too many people on the reserve.  The good weather had brought them out in their droves and not many were birders.  It meant our chances of seeing the Bluethroat or the Golden Oriole or the Crested Tit were much reduced.  Had we been able to get here early on a weekday then I would have been confident of seeing these rarities.  Something to look forward to on a future visit.



List of birds present:
Kestrel
Little Egret
Turtle Dove
Green Woodpecker
Woodpigeon
Blackbird
Chaffinch
Buzzard
Stonechat
Coal Tit   (10)
Lapwing
Cattle Egret
Carrion Crow
Starling Wren
Cetti's Warbler
Blackcap
Marsh Warbler (heard only)
Mallard
Sedge Warbler
Collared Dove   (20)
Cuckoo
House Martin
Swallow
House Sparrow
Greenfinch
White Wagtail
Whitethroat
Black-winged Stilt
White Stork
Black-tailed Godwit   (30)
Avocet
Black-headed Gull
Shelduck
Great-white Egret
Spoonbill
Tufted Duck
Moorhen
Oystercatcher
Mute Swan
Swift   (40)
Willow Warbler
Night Heron
Rook


A smashing day out, in another country, with friends - just what I needed! 

And all for  an outlay of £30 per person.