©Nohcab Top 4 bird watching and nature sites in Calais
Located between two exceptional natural sites, the Grand site des 2 caps to the South and the Platier d'Oye to the North, the coast of Calais and its hinterland is an area where you can observe birdlife all year round and more particularly during the migration flows at the end of winter and the beginning of autumn. On the lookout behind a dune or in an observatory provided for this purpose, binoculars in hand, you have to be calm and patient and you will be rewarded by seeing an egret or a spoonbill, a pair of shelduck or an oystercatcher...
1 › The natural space of Fort-vert
From the Plage de la Huchette des Hemmes de Marck to the 2 Mers nature reserve in Calais, you will be in an amazing environment, halfway between a sand desert and a salt lagoon that stretches as far as the eye can see. The sea is just a mirage in the distance and you can see cargo ships that seem to have gotten lost in the sand, an incredible landscape! On the beach, birds enjoy the salty pools and mudflats where low vegetation grows. At this point, it is better to take out your binoculars and observe in silence: Egrets, spoonbills, ducks, woodcocks and other waders.
There are many resident or passing species that can also be observed in the nearby Platier d'Oye national nature reserve. Seagulls and terns also have a vast playground here. A colony of seals also populates the area at low tide and can be observed near the Phare de la Walde (more than 300 meters away and always with your binoculars, of course, because you have to stay at a distance and keep dogs on a lead).
©Nohcab Fragile & sensitive space
Respect the fauna and flora
We are here on the territory of the sensitive natural area of Fort-Vert : a vast sandy and muddy foreshore, an area of salt meadows, dunes and polders which extends over 330 hectares in the communes of Marck and Calais.
The site belongs to the Conservatoire du Littoral and managed by EDEN 62. Specific regulations are applied for the protection of fauna and flora. A few pairs of ringed plovers nest directly on the sand of Fort Vert beach from April to August: signs indicate the area concerned, which is located at the top of the beach.
2 › The monumental cliffs of Cap Blanc-Nez
From April to June, the high chalk cliffs of Cap Blanc-Nez are transformed into a noisy and garish nursery! Pairs of kittiwakes and herring gulls build their nests there to lay and incubate their eggs. The young grow while the parents go fishing at sea or in the rocks.
The soundtrack to this ride is amazing!
These cliffs of Cap Blanc-Nez are considered a sensitive natural area and specific regulations also apply here to protect nesting birds and not disturb them because they are considered vulnerable. So when you are on the sand you must stay more than 300 meters from the foot of the cliff and when you are at the top of the cliff you must stay more than 50 meters from the edge and this over a period that extends from January to August.
On the immense beach, few people, the space is yours… and the ringed plovers! See how these small agile birds follow the wave of the wave by walking their little legs at a crazy speed. You will easily recognize them with their rather long beak and their very thin legs, they are always in a group, very fearful, they fly away with their wings in a triangle and rest a little further away. Above the sea, skimming the waves, you can see groups of cormorants passing by, sometimes some take a break, the time to dry their wings by opening them to the sun.
Cap Blanc-Nez: a must-see
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©Nohcab 3 › Above the 'Gable Bottom'
From the top of Mont d'Hubert, follow the GR 128 trail – GRP Tour du Boulonnais versant Calais and walk along a balcony path overlooking the English Channel, it's magnificent, XXL panorama guaranteed! When you see the expanse of water that seems perched above the sea, you have arrived above Fond Pignon. This site was remodeled during the digging of the Channel Tunnel to accommodate the spoil extracted from the tunnel. Today a nature reserve, Fond Pignon is a resting place for ducks and waders during their migration or to spend the winter.
Swans, ducks (including Shelducks), terns and birds of prey populate this limestone moorland area. A few pairs of Stone-curlews nest on this site for those keenest in bird watching.
©Nohcab 4 › Along the Calais Canal
It is a peaceful walk between Coulogne and Les Attaques and between Coulogne and Guines
(Eurovéloroute n°5), quieter than by the sea, less wind, less noise, the canal invites you to slow down the pace whether you are on foot or by bike.
Along this route you will see the heron waiting for the right moment to fish, a grey sentinel of the maritime plain crisscrossed by the wateringues. You can also observe many ducks, coots, moorhens and also great crested grebes. Pairs of swans and ducks raise their young in this calm environment.
Sometimes black-headed gulls venture here and, in the summer, they gobble up small insects, thus competing with the swallows. In the fields, in the spring, you can watch the mating ballet of the lapwings and you can hear their bizarre and hilarious song, another incredible soundtrack for those who know how to pay attention!
We also recognize the flight of a bird of prey, harrier or falcon, above the fields hunting the small rodent. The large black silhouette of an isolated cormorant resting on the electricity poles can also surprise, impressive when it spreads its wings to dry them in the sun! In the trees bordering the canal or in the corn or flax fields we see wagtails waving their long tails or colorful tits.
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