birding in the bruges area of belgium (1 Viewer)

[merlinsmagic]

I wonder if anyone can give me any idea as to what i am likely to see birdwise in Bruges area towards the end of september..many thanks

 

[Keithec]

I wonder if anyone can give me any idea as to what i am likely to see birdwise in Bruges area towards the end of september..many thanks

Two nature reserves not far from Bruges are "Vogelreservaat Het Zwin" & "Zwinduinen en Polders" but I have only very limited experience of both of them. I found the area around Sluis very good but that was in August a few years ago. There is a small nature reserve a few miles roughly north of Sluis on the road (Provinciale Weg?) towards Cadzand where I have seen quite a lot including night heron and the area around Retranchement also seemed good. (White storks nest there so there is just a chance that there might be one or two straggers.) All around Sluis and Retranchement (which are both just in the Netherlands) is marshland, scattered woodland, farmland and a network of canals and drainage ditches with a wide variety of bird species.

Around Bruges itself there are some quite large forested areas which might be worth a look. You'll see red squirrels there if nothing else.

This is all a bit vague but I hope it is of some use.

Good luck,

Keith

 

[fbeeldens]

I wonder if anyone can give me any idea as to what i am likely to see birdwise in Bruges area towards the end of september..many thanks

Quick question: Will you have access to a car?

 

[merlinsmagic]

Quick question: Will you have access to a car?

no i am afraid not will be on foot

 

[fbeeldens]

'llo Merlinsmagic,

If you can, try to get hold of a bike. I know you can get one together with the trainticket (it takes about 15 minutes by train from Brugge to knokke). You'll need to collect the bike in the destination train station and simply return it there. I've done that a couple of times and it's fairly cheap. There's also a bus going out to the Zwin from the station at Knokke .

A good birding option is: the "Voorhaven" (outer harbor) of Zeebrugge. there's several good spots round there, and it's possible to do several by a combination of foot / bike and coast tram. I'll try to put together a map and some time tables / list of stops.

the Zwinbosjes near to the entrance of the Zwin reserve can be quite interesting for warblers, and you may be able to do some seawatching from the dunes.

Cheers,

filip

 

[fbeeldens]

no i am afraid not will be on foot

'llo there,

I've provided some links to places which should be worth birding in fall. THe info also lists how to get there. Concerning the "Baai van Heist". if you cross the road (so coming from the sea and walking back towards the inland) you'll see an old lighthouse in a meadow (can't really miss it). The area to the right of the tower (when facing the tower) is also a reserve. the area can be excellent for all kinds of migrants.

http://dekust.org/EN/visitor/_en_fauna_flora/nature_reserves/De Baai van Heist/

http://dekust.org/EN/visitor/_en_fauna_flora/nature_reserves/De Zwinduinen en -polders/

I'll see if I can dig up a decent map.

Cheers,

filip

 

[merlinsmagic]

Many thanks for your help it is very good of you

 

[fbeeldens]

Nae Bother,

I've attached a small map showing how to get to the baai van Heist / Sashulle from the train station at heist (from Brugge I think it's the last stop before Knokke, on the Brugge-Knokke line)

Cheers,

filip