France Guide
The north
The Marquenterre Bird Sanctuary
Even if you know nothing about birds, the Parc ornithologique du Marquenterre, (daily: mid-Feb, March & Oct to mid-Nov 10am–3.30pm; April– Sept 10am–5pm; mid-Nov to mid-Feb 10am–3pm,€10) situated 30km south of Étaples off the D940 between the estuaries of the rivers Canche and Somme, will still be a revelation. The landscape is beautiful and strange: all dunes, tamarisks and pine forest, full of salty meres and ponds thick with water plants. Marquenterre is a haven in an area not known for valuing the fowl that pass through each year – almost all species are prey to local hunters, and between September and January the sound of gunshot is common.
Binoculars can be hired (€4); otherwise, rely on the guides posted at some of the observation huts, who set up portable telescopes and will tell you about the nesting birds. There's a choice of itineraries – two longer, more interesting walks (2–3hr) and a shorter one (roughly 1hr 30min); you can expect to see dozens of species – ducks, geese, oyster-catchers, terns, egrets, redshanks, greenshanks, spoonbills, herons, storks, godwits – some of them residents, most taking a breather from their epic migratory flights. In April and May they head north, returning from the end of August to October, while in early summer the young chicks can be seen.