Across the Channel (1 Viewer)

From the 24/5 to 31/5 I took a family holiday in Northern France with the Family. We stayed in a delightful gite just south of Abbeville. Weather was bright and sunny the whole time with temperatures in the high 70s.

On the drive south from Calais we saw the following species from the car:
Swallow
Song Thrush
Dunnock
Lapwing
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Mute Swan
Kestrel
Woodpigeon
Jackdaw
Skylark
Swift
Coot
White Stork
Blackbird
Starling
B H Gull
Hobby. Runing Total 18

Hobby was a new species for France for me. Surprisingly I saw Hobby on three more occasions during the trip. I guess they are getting more abundant in northern France as they are in Southern England. Presumably the White Stork was feral. I believe there have been some introductions in the area. Sighted flying east quite high above the autoroute near Boulogne.

The gardens of the Gite provided a few more species:

Linnet
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Collared Dove
Feral Pigeon
Herring Gull
White Wagtail
Great Tit
Turtle Dove
Chiffchaff
House Martin Running Total 29

Turtle Dove proved to be quite an easy bird to see as most villages seemed to have a churring male. Very pleasant to watch the sun go down whilst drinking a glass of wine and listening to churring Turtle Doves.

The following day we made a visit to the Foret de Crecy and saw:

Rook
Mallard
Greylag Goose
Grey Heron
Whitethroat
Cormorant
Little Grebe
Willow Warbler
Blackcap
Crested Tit
Yellowhammer
Hawfinch
Jay
Buzzard
Garden Warbler
Greenfinch
Wren Running Total 46

Hawfinches seemed fairly widespread in the wood as I heard them in several places. However I only had one sighting, on the ground beside the road. After a picnic in the woods we moved on to Sailly Bray marshes where we saw the following:

Blue Headed Wagtail
Blue Tit
Spotted Flycatcher
Moorhen
Cuckoo
Robin
Reed Bunting
Yellow Wagtail
Grey Partridge
Goldfinch
White Spotted Bluethroat
Sedge Warbler
Montagu's Harrier Running Total 59

Yellow Wagtails were common with one or two Blue Headed Wagtails amongst them. Reed Buntings were simply abundant.
Grey Partridge seemed widespread but I did not see one Red legged Partridge on the whole trip. This was the only site I saw Bluethroat but I had several nice sightings at this site. We also heard Cetti's Warbler but failed to see one as usual.

The following day we headed for the Baie de Authie where we saw:
Shelduck
Redshank
Little Egret
Wheatear
Meadow Pipit. Running Total 64
Quite hot and not much shade, feeling the effects of the sun after being on the beach with the family we returned to Sailly Bray where there was more shade and pickedup:

Stonechat
Marsh Harrier
Marsh Warbler Running Total 67

The Marsh Harriers were clearly breeding in the Marsh.

The next day we went to the Baie de Canche where there is a delightful reserve on the northern shore where we saw:

Nightingale
Cetti's Warbler
Lesser Whitethroat
Bullfinch
Tree Pipit
Sparrowhawk Running Total 73


The next day we decided to head for Hable D'Ault which is a great reserve and well worth a visit. En route we saw:

Corn Bunting
Mistle Thrush Running Total 75

At Hable D'ault we saw:

Fulmar
Reed Warbler
Great Crested Grebe
Oystercatcher
Little Ringed Plover
Great Black Backed Gull
Kentish Plover
Avocet
Turnstone
Ringed Plover
Grey Plover
Dunlin
Little Stint
Knot
Lesser Black Backed Gull
Shoveler
Yellow Legged Gull Running Total 92.

Beautiful Knot in resplendant summer plumage not something I see a lot of in the UK. Interesting injury feigning from the Kentish Plovers plus close up views of Many Avocet. Also a hefty flock of Herring Gulls with quite a few Yellow Legged Gulls amongst them. Making for interesting comparisons.

The following day we went to Baie de Somme but this was not a good day as it was a public holiday for the French and everywhere was very crowded. We saw:

Great White Egret
Cattle Egret. Running Total 94.

I was astonished with Cattle Egret I hadn't known they were that far north my previous sightings being around the Med.

Unfortunately everywhere we went was heaving with people so we decided to call it a day at lunch time and headed back to the accommodation for sanctuary from the hordes. I was entertained in the garden by a Spotted Flycatcher. In the evening I headed back to Sailly Bray and saw:

Hen Harrier
Ring Necked Pheasant Running Total 94

Also heard several Grasshopper Warbler but unfortunately could not get a sighting.

The French are back to work today so it should be quieter. Decided to head for the woods again and made for Hesdin Forest.
Found a delightful spot at a crossroad of tracks. Very tranquill just the song of the birds and then we heard the rumbling of a heavy vehicle. A coach trundled round the corner and pulled up across the way from us and proceeded to deposit about 60 school children out on a field trip. Now as much as I like children peace and quiet does not seem to go exactly hand in hand with them so tranquility disappeared and so did we. The Forest is big enough to cope with the odd coachload and we soon found another quiet corner.New species:

Marsh Tit
Great Spotted Woodpecker Running Total 96

On the way back to the accommodation we found a nice spot for a picnic on the Authie river and listened to a Nigtingale which seemed pretty common in the area. We saw:

Short Toed Treecreeper Running Total 97.

Time to head for home today but decided to spend a couple of hours at Platier D'oye near Calais. Recommended to me by Kevin of this site. The reserve has 3 hides and a circular nature trail.
Species seen

Canada Goose
Tufted Duck
Sand Martin
Sandwich Tern
L T Tit
Greenshank
Icterine Warbler
Common Gull
Canada Goose(Minima Form ..I think)List total 106.

The Minima form of Canada Goose was about 2/3 the size of an ordinary Canada Goose. Darker bellied, smaller billed and shorter necked. As there were ordinary Canada Geese close by these differences were easily evident.

I thoroughly enjoyed the trip and was surprised at the variety of birds about 60 miles south of Calais. And the accommodation was only £100 quid for the week. Not too mention the wine!!!!Steve

A great trip list it is nice to keep a target or running total to enliven the trip when there are not lifers galore. Yours and Camberley Red's french forays have heightened my desire to go especially for the Bluethroats.

I kept such targets recently in Guernsey and got a few lifers to boot. Can I ask you if the torquatus and colchicus pheasants count as separate ticks cos i saw the colchicus race in Guernsey.

Excellent trip report Steve! I enjoyed it very much, and as Andrew says the running totals add a little extra to the proceedings. I'm glad you had such a good time.

Hi Andrew

I always think what you tick and what you don't is essentially down to personal preference. torquatus and colchicus are seperable in the field so I tend to record which subspecies of Pheasant I see. Around my home in Oxfordshire. Ring necked Pheasants outnumber Common Pheasants by about 3-1.

Cheers

Steve

Hi PeterHayes

Good to hear from you hope all is well. Glad you liked the report.

I don't know whether you have birded in NE France but it is very interesting as many species which are distinctly scarce this side of the channel can be seen with greater ease the other side of the channel.

See you soon

Steve

Yes, that's exactly the conclusion I drew Steve. I reckon you should lead our first foray abroad - FrenchBash!

I will simply enter it in my log as a colchicus and await a split :t:.

That's a great idea, a weekend in France or a cruise to Standander in Spain as a Pelagic.

Hi Kevin

Your recommendation of Platier D'oye was a good one. I particularly liked the singing Icterine Warbler in the car park as we pulled in. Turtle Doves were abundant a thing you could never say of the UK.

See you in a couple of weeks.

Steve

Steve,
A very interesting read as I know the area quite well, having visited the general area many times in the 1980's to compete in cycling events. The running total was a good idea but I think that you saw 108 species in total as the running total seemed to stay at 94 twice when you saw the Hen Harrier and the Pheseant unless you included them earlier.


Colin

Hi Colin

Ah yes. Pardon my poor addition. You are quite right the running total should read 108.

Were your cycling trips there prior to your birding days?

Regards

Steve

Brilliant report, Steve, and a great list of birds!

Hi Birdman

Glad you enjoyed the read. I think 108 species in quite a compact area says a lot for the diversity of habitat in Picardy.

Regards

Steve

Common2412 said:

torquatus and colchicus are seperable in the field so I tend to record which subspecies of Pheasant I see. Around my home in Oxfordshire. Ring necked Pheasants outnumber Common Pheasants by about 3-1.

Click to expand...

The ratio depends on what the local gamekeeper releases! They also interbreed freely, I quite often see birds with narrow or partial collars. So for me, they go down together as just one tick.

Michael

No real hope of them being split in the future with them interbreeding then!! Damn! Nice to see both though.

Michael Frankis

I suspect you will be in the majority with your approach to Pheasant. But for me I don't see any point in ignoring the differences. You are right that the ratio around here probably has more to do with game keeper preference, but that's of interest too.

Cheers

Steve

'Canada Goose(Minima Form ..I think)List total 106.

The Minima form of Canada Goose was about 2/3 the size of an ordinary Canada Goose. Darker bellied, smaller billed and shorter necked. As there were ordinary Canada Geese close by these differences were easily evident.'

Hi,

I visited Platier D'oye in May 2000, and saw 4 Canada x Barnacle Hybrids....I wonder if this is what you saw rather then 'Minima' Canada Goose, as I have previously seen confusion between such hybrids and small race Canada Geese in the UK.....just a thought and please slap me if I'm wrong!. Cheers DJ.