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Great War battlefields birding (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter TwitchEd
- Start date
Opus has some information about the Somme area, if that's of any use.
There's a Gallery link at the bottom, many of the pictures in there have been taken by still active Birdforum members. If you post a comment on a picture they may get back to you.
There's a Gallery link at the bottom, many of the pictures in there have been taken by still active Birdforum members. If you post a comment on a picture they may get back to you.
Farnboro John
Well-known member
You can hardly start from a better point than the first verse of this:
In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.
Good luck with your project.
John
In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.
Good luck with your project.
John
Hi Twitch Ed
Welcome to BF by the way
There was a lot of TV coverage of remembrance this morning, and it has to be said - the issue of war..it will be never forgotten :gh:
You only have to look at the current news to give you food for thought - it is horrendous, and I wish it would stop now :-C
Regards
Kathy
x
Welcome to BF by the way
There was a lot of TV coverage of remembrance this morning, and it has to be said - the issue of war..it will be never forgotten :gh:
You only have to look at the current news to give you food for thought - it is horrendous, and I wish it would stop now :-C
Regards
Kathy
x
John Cantelo
Well-known member
You might find some useful information about birdwatching the western front during WWI from the new book 'Wings over the Western Front' See - http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=286587 More generally you might find my notes on the Pays de Calais See - http://www.birdtours.co.uk/tripreports/france/Calaise3/crosschannelbirding.htm
Adey Baker
Member
My wife and I will be on a coach tour visiting some of the 'usual' Western Front sites later this month, so I'll report back here if I find anything interesting on the bird front. The main area of British interest is more or less within a couple of hours from Calais, so I don't suppose there's going to be any great surprises, but there are a few birds which are common on the near continent, but rare here, so you never know...
Access may be difficult, though - we visited Vimy Ridge near Arras a few years ago and I was alarmed to see that some areas were roped-off as it was still not fully safe to wander around the old trench systems without the possibility of treading on something nasty.
Further south, in the French sector, I'd imagine the area around Verdun, for instance, would be more interesting.
Gallipoli ought to be good, though I've no idea if it's on the regular tourist trail or if any specialist tour groups go there and there's also the almost forgotten Salonika Front.
Access may be difficult, though - we visited Vimy Ridge near Arras a few years ago and I was alarmed to see that some areas were roped-off as it was still not fully safe to wander around the old trench systems without the possibility of treading on something nasty.
Further south, in the French sector, I'd imagine the area around Verdun, for instance, would be more interesting.
Gallipoli ought to be good, though I've no idea if it's on the regular tourist trail or if any specialist tour groups go there and there's also the almost forgotten Salonika Front.
Capercaillie71
Well-known member
I visited the grave of my great-great uncle last month at the Wulvergem-Lindenhoek Road Military Cemetery between Ypres and Armentieres. It was a brief passing visit and the only birds I noted were a chiffchaff, a blackcap and a chaffinch! Most of the surrounding area was arable farmland and probably not that interesting for birds. I would think the wetlands and lakes along the Somme valley would be among the best birding areas on the western front.
Hi Ed
Ypres itself has Black Redstarts on the ramparts and if you go out of the Lille Gate (Rijselstraat) there is open water there that usually has a selection of predictable water birds. If you cross the road over to the Zuidring there is an area of water than can be interesting depending on the time of year but you will need a scope if you don't have time to get closer. Ypres also serves one of the best pints of Belgian Stella that I have ever had, apart from the cost.
As one would expect most of the Cemeteries are amazingly quiet but lush and attract lots of birds, I visited the grave of the great poet and naturalist Edward Thomas and although it was a relatively small cemetery it had three species of woodpeckers and was full of birdsong.
The Somme has Harriers and again depending on the time of year has Golden Orioles, Serins and I had a Black Woodpecker. All of these birds and more are typical of Northern France & Belgium, however given that the cemeteries are quiet, peaceful and relatively undisturbed, they tend to attract more birds or maybe it is my imagination.
Don't know about Galilpoli, going later this year.
I was in Northern Greece/Macedonia recently and visited a British & Commonwealth Cemetery there, which had three species of Shrike, Bee-Eater, Roller, Hoopoe, Collared Flycatcher, Black Headed Bunting, Lesser Spotted Eagle etc etc.
best regards
Merlin
Ypres itself has Black Redstarts on the ramparts and if you go out of the Lille Gate (Rijselstraat) there is open water there that usually has a selection of predictable water birds. If you cross the road over to the Zuidring there is an area of water than can be interesting depending on the time of year but you will need a scope if you don't have time to get closer. Ypres also serves one of the best pints of Belgian Stella that I have ever had, apart from the cost.
As one would expect most of the Cemeteries are amazingly quiet but lush and attract lots of birds, I visited the grave of the great poet and naturalist Edward Thomas and although it was a relatively small cemetery it had three species of woodpeckers and was full of birdsong.
The Somme has Harriers and again depending on the time of year has Golden Orioles, Serins and I had a Black Woodpecker. All of these birds and more are typical of Northern France & Belgium, however given that the cemeteries are quiet, peaceful and relatively undisturbed, they tend to attract more birds or maybe it is my imagination.
Don't know about Galilpoli, going later this year.
I was in Northern Greece/Macedonia recently and visited a British & Commonwealth Cemetery there, which had three species of Shrike, Bee-Eater, Roller, Hoopoe, Collared Flycatcher, Black Headed Bunting, Lesser Spotted Eagle etc etc.
best regards
Merlin
