RFI Bruges and Uitkerkse Polder (1 Viewer)

Dear all,

I am planning a weekend visiting Bruges with my wife over the 23-25 January, driving there and back via Eurotunnel. Saturday we will be doing normal tourist things in Bruges, Sunday morning and early afternoon I have some time for birding in the area around Bruges / on the way back to Calais. I would welcome suggestions as to good places to visit on Sunday the 25th, and any recent sightings in these areas, and if there is anything in central Bruges I should look out for.

I have tracked down references Uitkerkse polders (http://www.uitkerkse-polder.be/tekst_engelsnieuw.html), primarily as good for wintering geese and other wildfowl, can anyone comment on this (or other locations) are particularly good for wintering geese at this time, and are there any other good wintering birds such as Great Grey Shrikes or Rough-legged Buzzards in these areas?

I have had a look at recent sightings on the very helpful http://waarnemingen.be/ (I am still getting used to navigating this), and see that there are reports of 4 Lesser White-fronted Geese in the Stalhille – Weiden area, could anyone provide me directions to where these birds are being seen or recommend how best to bird this area – I haven’t found any info online regarding this – is it a generally good area for birding even if the Lesser-White-fronted Geese are not present?

Thanks, Paul

On the waarnemingen.be website click on the exclamation mark next to the observation and it will open up a page with a map showing the exact location. For the LWF Geese the coordinate are GPS 51.283, 3.137. If I remember correctly there is a network of roads (all drivable) throughout the area so access is easy. I've not been there since the Snowy Owl a few years back but remember there being good numbers of geese, hunting Short-eared Owls, Black-necked Grebe, etc. and the area looked very good. According to the website there are Pink-feet, White-fronts and Bean Geese, Merlin so a nice supporting cast for the LWF Geese.

on the same site as the map there is an area section on the left hand side. Click on the blue links and you can find out what else is present in the area.