Megan and I spent a week in a mobile home on a campsite near Camiers, 30km south of Boulogne and 2km from the Opal Coast. I recorded 78 species during our week including White Stork, Spoonbill, Honey-Buzzard, Crested and Marsh Tits, Melodious and Grasshopper Warblers, Zitting Cisticola, Short-toed Treecreeper, White-spotted Bluethroat, Black Redstart and Serin.
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Crested Tit in the woods near D940 at Camiers, as good a view as I can remember
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Saturday 13 June 2026. We checked in for 10:00 sailing from Newhaven to Dieppe. A very quiet crossing with just a few Kittiwakes and Gannets seen. A poor choice of immigration lane meant we were the last vehicle into France although it was only a two hour drive following the coast to Camiers. Birds seen on the journey included 2 MediterraneanGulls, a Great and 3 Cattle Egrets, Common Buzzard, 6 Swallows and a House Martin. Chaffinch and Greenfinch were heard during an evening rece of the campsite which seemed very basic.
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| German Navy Replenishment Ship 'Berlin' was about the most interesting sighting between Newhaven and Dieppe |
Sunday 14 June 2026. I was up early and walked 3km from the campsite to coast at Le Lornel, through wooded dunes and at times overgrown scrub. On the coast the tide was out for miles. After a late breakfast we visited Etaples and walked a short way along by the Canche estuary. In the afternoon/early evening we walked to Camiers church and up a track opposite the camp site through woodland to barley fields. Birds seen included the only Oystercatcher of the trip, Jay, 5 House Martins, Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Garden Warbler, Nuthatch, 2 Black Redstarts and a Yellowhammer. Turtle Dove, Cetti's and Melodious Warblers, Zitting Cisticola and Nightingale were heard.
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| looking across the Canche Estuary towards Le Touquet |
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| Canche Estuary at low tide |
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| very distant gulls and Cormorants |
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| Opal Coast at Camiers |
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| German WW2 bunker defeated by the sea |
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| Black Redstart in Etaples |
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| 'Raphael', a lifesize bronze sculpture by artist Bruno Castelano in Etaples. This impressive sculpture is one of a series entitled Les Voyagers (the travelers) representing emigrants who have to leave behind a part of themselves which will always be connected. |
Monday 15 June 2026. Before breakfast I walked up the track opposite the campsite. We then drove to Bouilogne where we visited Norsicaa and wandered around the town. We revisited some of the Street Art we'd seen three years earlier and some new ones but it was a bit warm. Later we wandered around Camiers. Birds seen included 3 Turtle Doves, 500+ Kittiwakes breeding in Boulogne Harbour, 3 White Storks, Sparrowhawk, Chiffchaff, the Melodious Warbler, 2 Blackcaps, 4 Whitethroats, 4 Song Thrushes, Nightingale, 2 Black Redstarts, 6 Chaffinches, 4 Greenfinches and a male Serin. Cuckoo, Cetti's Warbler and Yellowhammer were heard.
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| White Stork at Camiers |
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Melodious Warbler at Camiers
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| Kittiwake Hotel in Boulogne |
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| Nausicaa's Giant Ocean Tank (10 million litre capacity) |
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| Cow-nosed Stingray at Nausicaa |
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| Oceanic Manta Ray at Norsicaa |
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| hard to drag oneself away from such an amazing creature |
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| Street Art in Boulogne |
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| male Serin at Camiers |
Tuesday 16 June 2026. I walked up the path opposite the campsite before breakfast. We drove to Etaples and walked north along the GR120 as it followed the side of the Canche Estuary. The tide was out and we managed to overshoot a turning inland although we saw a Bluethroat in the process. The track back, when we found it, went to two hides overlooking pools and passed through woodland. The afternoon and evening was spent retracing steps around Camiers. Birds seen included 6 Swifts, 4 Turtle Doves, Little Grebe, 40 Curlew, 250+ Herring, an adult Yellow-legged and 10 Great Black-backed Gulls, 57 Spoonbills, 8 Little Egrets, 4 Grey Herons, Honey-Buzzard, Sparrowhawk, Common Buzzard, Great Spotted Woodpecker, 2 Crested and 7 Long-tailed Tits, 50 House Martins, 4 Chiffchaffs, a Sedge, 2 Reeds and the Melodious Warbler, 3 Zitting Cisticolas, 4 Blackcaps, 6 Whitethroats, Goldcrest, Short-toed Treecreeper, Bluethroat, 3 Stonechats, Black Redstart, 8 White Wagtails, 4 Meadow Pipits, 8 Chaffinches, 3 Greenfinches , 6 Linnets, 2 Goldfinches, a female Serin and a Yellowhammer. Redshank, Cetti's and Garden Warblers were heard.
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| Turtle Dove at Camiers |
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| Brown Hares at Camiers |
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| White-spotted Bluethroat at the Canche Estuary |
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| Spoonbills near the Canche Estuary |
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| Short-toed Treecreeper in the campsite |
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| Eglise Notre Dame de la Mer Camiers |
Wednesday 17 June 2026. I walked up the path opposite the campsite before breakfast seeing similar birds to previous days. We drove to Chartreuse de Neuville and an enthusiastic guided tour of the monastery. Megan found it interesting, if overlong, and a welcome test of her French. It was not my sort of thing and the best I could say was the tour being in French made it easier to ignore! The gardens were nice although the only bird of interest was a singing Black Redstart. On the way back we stopped for another wander around Etaples before returning to Camiers. Bird seen included 2 Turtle Doves, White Stork, 5 flyover Spoonbills, 2 Little Egrets, 3 Common Buzzards, 2 Great Spotted and a Green Woodpecker, Kestrel, 2 Crested Tits, 4 Swallows, 12 House Martins, Long-tailed Tit, the Melodious Warbler, 4 Nightingales, 3 Black Redstarts, 6 Chaffinches and a male Bullfinch. |
| male Bullfinch in mid flight |
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| Red Deer at Camiers |
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| Melodious Warbler faithful to its preferred sycamore at Camiers |
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| Etaples street art |
Thursday 18 June 2026. I walked up the path opposite the campsite before breakfast seeing similar birds to previous days. Although visibility wasn't great to start with it soon cleared. We drove a short distance to a small parking area on the D940 and walked to the sea. It was half the distance and without the very overgrown section I'd battled with on our first morning. Half way to the beach we inadvertantly found an easier track than the one I'd taken previously and came out by the bunker. The tide was still a long way out. In the afternoon we visited woodland at Mont Saint-Frieux, west of Dannes, immediately getting an 'I've been here before' vibe. We had when staying near Boulogne in 2022. Birds seen included 35 Shelduck, Marsh Harrier, Common Buzzard, Jay, 5 Crested and 3 Marsh Tits, the Melodious Warbler and 2 Nightingales while Turtle Dove, Curlew, Willow, Grasshopper and Garden Warblers, Lesser Whitethroat and Yellowhammer were heard.
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| Nightingale at Camiers |
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| rather tame/young Brown Hare at Camiers |
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| it was a bit slow realising that I might be a threat |
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| Crested Tit seen on our way to the beach. This is probably the species I most look forward to seeing when visitng Northern France. Plentiful there, why not in Sussex? |
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| Chiffchaff at Camiers |
Friday 19 June 2026. I walked up the path opposite the campsite before breakfast seeing similar birds to previous days. Thankfully there was no repeat of yesterday's foggy start with views across to the sea where the tide was going out. We visited Chateau d'Hardelot and stopped for lunch in the woods at Dannes. In the afternoon Megan dropped me on the D940 car park and I walked through to the beach. The tide was coming in and a paddle was too tempting although I ended up being more emersed than intended. Early evening Megan and I walked up the path opposite the campsite. It would be our final walk as we were leaving early the following morning. Birds seen included 2 Turtle Doves, Great Crested Grebe, 2 Greenshank, White Stork, 2 Honey-Buzzards, Common Buzzard, Green Woodpecker, 6 Crested, 2 Marsh and a Long-tailed Tit, 4 Chiffchaffs, the Melodious Warbler, 2 Blackcaps, 5 Chaffinches, male Bullfinch, Linnet, 4 Goldfinches, male Serin and Yellowhammer while Curlew, Sandwich Tern, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Jay , Reed and Garden Warblers, Lesser Whitethroat, Short-toed Treecreeper (according to Merlin), Spotted Flycatcher, Nightingale and Greenfinch were heard.
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| male Serin at Camiers |
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| Turtle Dove at Camiers |
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| presumed juvenile Black Stork at Chateau d'Hardelot, it had me scratching my head for a while! |
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| Crested Tit in the woods near D940 at Camiers |
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| Honey-Buzzards at Camiers |
Saturday 20 June 2026. We awoke to very poor visibility dashing any hope of a quick wander opposite/around the campsite before leaving. It was about a two hour drive to Dieppe with little improvement in the weather and only 2 Mute Swans and 4 Common Swifts noted. Two Great Black-backed Gulls were the best Dieppe Harbour could offer and nothing was seen on the crossing. At least the foghorn going mid-channel kept me awake.
