Bird Watching Around Le Touquet

Being a coastal area with estuaries we are obviously going to be focusing on waders and sea birds in general. But there are other opportunities too.

Hardelot
Just 15 minutes drive north of Le Touquet you arrive at Hardelot where around the Les Pines Golf club house you may find Redstart, Crested Tit and Serins. About ¾ of a mile south east of Hardelot at Mont St. Frieux you look for Goshawk and Black Woodpeckers. At Camiers the Dunes nature reserve on the north of La Canche estuary is a haven for all sorts of waders and marsh birds.

Foret dom du Crecy
The ‘Foret dom de Crecy’ a superb Forest about 30 minutes drive south from Le Touquet towards Abbeville (exit A16 at Junction 24 - head south on N1 - forest on left). You will have a good chance of spotting: Golden Oriole, Hawfinch, Black Woodpecker, Firecrest, Tree Creeper, Hobby.

Sailly Bray
Just the other side of the A16 from the Crecy forest is Sailly Bray, a great spot for seeing Grasshopper, Cetti’s, Marsh and Savi’s Warbler plus Blue Throat and Golden Oriole. Follow the track down the south side of the marsh toward Pont-le-Dien where Hen, Marsh and Montagu Harriers have been seen in spring. Bittern, Spotted Crake and Garganey may also be seen in this area.

The area around Parc Ornitholgique du Marquenterre at the Baie de Somme is very interesting too. White Stork, Little and Great Egret, Avocet and Kentish Plover. In the woods just west of the reserve Black Woodpeckers are becoming established and once again Crested Tit and Serin may be seen.