Birding around Liege (1 Viewer)

[Mark Lew1s]

Hi, I'll be visiting Liege in early April this year for a conference. Can anyone give me any advice on good areas to bird around the city?

Thanks!

Mark

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

A few years ago I found myself in Liege. For a conference. You're not too far from the Ardennes, which should be productive for forest birds. I headed out there on the train (can't remember exactly which station) and heard Black Woodpecker anyway! There's quite a bit of forest in the southern part of Liege itself but I remember struggling to access it (though I'm sure it's possible if you know where to go). Continental forest stuff is probably your best bet in that area though.

 

[Mark Lew1s]

Help is always closer to home than you think! Thanks!

 

[Xenospiza]

waarnemingen.be might be helpful to pin down sites, if at least in the province.

 

[temmie]

Any target birds in mind?

 

[Mark Lew1s]

Thanks for all the advice so far.

Temmie - to be honest, my only target is to make the most of being somewhere else and getting some birding done! If there are any woodpeckers or owls that aren't available in the UK that would be good to know. I'm attending a conference so my time might be restricted, but if there are city parks with a decent selection of birds that would do!

Thanks!

 

[RobGreenwood]

Cycling /Birding
Any advice please.Me and my brother are cycling from Zeebrugge for a week from 26th June.We will be overnighting in Veurne,Ypres,Oudenaarde,Bruges and Ghent.I am a birder and will have late afternoon/early evenings spare (but brother is not a birder)Are there any known birding hotspots around the destinations or birds to look out for.Any help or advice would be much appreciated please.

 

[temmie]

for the owls: Eagle Owl, Tengmalm's Owl (hard), Tawny Owl and Long-eared should be possible, but on different sites. Woodpeckers: Grey-faced and Black are around Liege. A good starting point would be the east side of the lake at Eupen. Black Grouse is still on the haute fagne (viewpoint at signal de Botrange).

For the Cycling/birding: check the Uitkerkse Polder south of Blankenberge (Black-winged Stilt breeding last year in June) the Viconia kleiputten (Stuivekenskerke) for Penduline Tit, the Weiput in Zingem (with a hut), and the Bourgoyen-Ossemeersen near Ghent.

 

[RobGreenwood]

Cycling/Birding

Temmie, thank you very much for the information.I will look up those areas on the map and try to get to them.
Best wishes,Rob Greenwood

 

[Mark Lew1s]

Thanks also from me Temmie - I'll look into a trip to Eupen by public transport

 

[martin kitching]

Lots of helpful info in this thread :t: I'm in Liege in early April, presumably at the same conference as Mark, and hope to fit in time for some birding

cheers
martin

 

[Mark Lew1s]

Hi Martin,

I'm yet to have a look at the program from ECS - but if there's a 'less useful' selection of talks, I might duck out for an afternoon. My travel is already booked so unfortunately I won't have any time before or after...

There's at least one other birder going so if we can decide on a destination reasonably close we could use a taxi and share costs?

 

[François Doyen]

I just looked at the woodpecker sightings near Liege.

map of black woodpecker

This area just south of Liege seems very good for it

There's also some sigthings of middle spotted woodpecker there but they don't seens numerous there (most sightings come from feeders in winter)

Both species are also present in the wood South and West of Seraing

Middle spotted woodpecker are almost always found on old oak and black woodpecker prefer beech/conifer and are often seen near clearcut.

Lesser spotted woodpecker, goshawk, firecrest, crested tit, both treecreeper species (short-toed is commoner), hawfinch,... are also in these woods.

 

[martin kitching]

I'll have a look at the program. I'm working Saturday, so travelling to Liege on Sunday. I have to be at the poster presentation sessions on Monday and Tuesday, but sure I'll find time for some birding

cheers
martin

Hi Martin,

I'm yet to have a look at the program from ECS - but if there's a 'less useful' selection of talks, I might duck out for an afternoon. My travel is already booked so unfortunately I won't have any time before or after...

There's at least one other birder going so if we can decide on a destination reasonably close we could use a taxi and share costs?

 

[François Doyen]

a Wallcreeper is in Liege at the moment. It spend the whole winter here. It was reported by non birder earlier but wasn't found by birders. It was then reported again today and finally found 800m from the building where it was reported!

Here's the spot where it was found by birders : http://observations.be/waarneming/view/82592610

Here's the spot it was first seen :
http://observations.be/waarneming/view/82584609

 

[Mark Lew1s]

Well that is brilliant news! Fingers crossed that it hangs around for a couple more weeks!

 

[François Doyen]

The wallcreeper hasn't been found at all this weekend.