The day started in France the same as it was when we set of at about 02.30 hours from South London, Raining and overcast.
Arrived in Calais via Eurotunnel about 07.00 hours french time.
A drive to Sailly-Bray, still raining, arrived about 08.00 hours, we then followed a farm lane, at 08.30 hours rain stopped, still low cloud,
we saw, in this order
Great White Egret, 1
Grey Partridge, 2 + 2 more later
Little Egret
Bluethroat, 2 m and 2 juv
Reed Bunting, plenty
Sedge Warbler
Curlew, 9 flew over
Skylark singing all the time
Stonechat, f
Bluethroat, White Spot, 1 m, a cracking male showing a very distinctive white spot on throat !
White Wagtail
Hobby, 2
Sand Martins and Swallows
Song Thrush, Blackbirds, House Sparrows, Chaffinch and Starling
Yellowhammer, 1
leaving this site, a detour of local lanes to the D4, this is a minor road that runs between Le Crotoy and Marquenterre, passing through La Basse, 3 /4 pools on the side of this road produced views of
Black-tailed Godwit, 14 +
Spoonbill, several flying over
Garganey, 1 m
Common Tern, 1
White Stork, flew over
Mallard, Coot, Shellduck, Lapwing, Mute Swan, Black Swan, 2 feral, more Little Egrets
Arriving at the Parc du Marquenterre at about 11.30 hours on the track to the car park saw
Spotted Flycatcher, 1
Long-tailed Tit
a walk through the fir trees seeing
Marble White, 2
Ringlet
then a bit of lunch and into the reserve
Little Ringed Plover
Cattle Egret, 2 adults
Night Heron, 1 juv
Grey Heron, several
White Stork, plenty
Common Crane, 1
Black-necked Grebe, 2 pair, summer plumage
Little Grebe and Great Crested Grebe
On one island Spoonbills, 100 +, approx 30 adults, 70 juv with another estimated 50 Spoonbills on the reserve and in the heronary, Total estimated at 150 +
Avocet, 100 +, Redshank, Cormorant
Left Marquenterre about 18.30 hours and returned to the pools on the D4 by La Basse,
Cattle Egrets, 6 adults feeding in with the horses,
Little Egrets joining in, all close to the road allowing photos
19.30 hours, departed at top speed to return to Calais just catching the 21.20 hours shuttle to GB.
Arrived back in S. London at 23.30 hours.
Top, Top day out.
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