Stunning Garganey
Thursday last week I joined Mark H and Chris P on a day trip to Northern France. We arrived at a cloudy drizzly Crecy Forest around 07.30, more or less the first bird we saw was a Hawfinch which flew up from the side of the road, the forest was full of singing Chiffchaffs, Blackcaps and a few Willow Warblers. The track side bushes were full of Bullfinches, Yellowhammers, Chaffinches, Thrushes and the odd Brambling, Nuthatches were calling all around, Short-toed Treecreepers, Firecrests, Goldcrests, Blue, Great, Long-tailed and Marsh Tits, Great-spotted and Green Woodpeckers were seen, a pair of Middle-spotted Woodpeckers were watched leaving there nest hole and showed superbly well high in the Beech trees, and a Woodlark flew over, a bizarre sight of 2 Shelducks feeding on a track in the middle of the forest with a Nuthatch and 2 Bullfinches in attendance, Common Buzzards wheeled overhead and a Sparrowhawk dashed across the road.
female Garganey
Our next stop was Sailly Braie, on arrival a few Swallows and House Martins were flying around, several Song Thrushes were feeding in the field, a Marsh Harrier, Common Buzzards were over the reed bed and a Black Kite drifted over distantly. 4+ White Storks were feeding there with 3 Great White Egrets, a Bluethroat was singing and flicking his tail in a bush on the marsh also a gorgeous Rubicola Stonechat, as we approached a small hunting pool 2 Glossy Ibises came out, in the pool were 5 Spoonbills, 14 Avocets, 16 Black-tailed Godwits, Teal, Wigeon, Shoveler and a Little Ringed Plover.
Spoonbills
Little Gulls at Le Crotoy
Next stop was Le Crotoy Pools where 4+ Little Gulls were giving a tremendous fly catching display. More Spoonbills were there, along with a cattle Egret and more White Storks and 2 very confiding Garganey. At Le Crotoy harbour we saw 100s of Oystercatchers and Shelducks as well as many Redshank and Dunlin. A short stop at Marquantere car park provided excellent views of Crested Tits before we made our way back to the chunnel. An excellent day out with great company and all the birds seen were within 60 miles as the Crow flies of Dungeness!
White Stork
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