Hazel Hen in Ardennes? (1 Viewer)

A question please. Is Hazel Hen possible nowadays in the Ardennes. I'm looking at spending a few days in the area in August after the Spa F1 GP. Any useful info would be very welcome, I guess woodpeckers will be reasonably common......
Thanks
Matthew UK

There are probably a few left but it's more or less impossible to see. Many Belgian birders have never seen one. For woodpecker August isn't really the best time of year. Black Woodpecker are present everywhere and have lage territories and often fly across open space between forest (or over clearing). Middle-spotted are common in woods with old oaks but shy and difficult to see at that time of year. Grey-headed are very rare and probably impossible to see at that time. Nutcrackers should be searching for hazels at the end of August. Look at observations.be for sightings of woodpecker, nutcrackers, shrikes, osprey and black stork (mainly seen in flight).

End of August is also the time of the main migration of Dotterels in Belgium. If you come from Calais, have time and can check observations.be All the area North of the E42 From Namur to the west of Liege. Several flocks (regularly reaching several dozens) are found everyday in the last 10-15 days of August (at least when there's some rain). Main site are North of Boneffe, Burdinne and around Seraing-Le-Chateau. There's also plenty of harriers (3 species) and a few Tawny Pipits. Another good area for Dotterels is Between Mons and Valenciennes (and a few north of Mons found by myself) where there's the marshes of Harchies with Cattle Egret, Spoonbill, Night Heron,...

Thank you for the details. I'll plan on woodpeckers rather than Hazel Hen ; the area certainly sounds interesting

Matthew