Discovering seabirds in Charente-Maritime
Hotel California
Did you know? Migratory birds are entitled to a spring break too! And like every year, many of them will be heading for Charente-Maritime. At the same time, we understand them… Superb landscapes, a rich and protected natural environment and a mild climate: we’re making our nest here too!
Hoopoe, redstart or linnet: to spot these little winged tourists, take to the marsh and its unspoilt setting. Keep your eyes peeled! With a good pair of binoculars and a little patience, you’ll eventually see them in action. Pecking in the trees or looking for a berry to gobble up, it all depends on the time of day.
XX Wing
From plump kinglets to tiny stilts, seabirds in Charente-Maritime come in all shapes and sizes. In the large category, you’ll find storks and grey herons, as well as the majestic swan. On land, swans can reach heights of up to 1.20 metres!
If you take a walk in the marshes around Châtelaillon, you’ll be able to spot nests set up high up. These are used by storks to breed when the weather is fine. If you look up, you might just see a little head calling out for its food…
Nest news: The stork’s young are called storks. So cute!
Swan Lake
While some have come to find love or to chill out in the marshes, the white swans have come to join their cousins. More than 50 of them have settled here to start their little family. So there’s nothing unusual about giving way to a tribe of swans on a country road. Unless they fly through the sky over your head!
They're flying high!
They’re big, they’re beautiful and they’re hungry! If you come across kestrels, sparrowhawks, buzzards or harriers, they’re probably hunting, on the lookout for their next prey. What do these birds of prey specialise in? Hovering, which allows them to keep their heads still, so they can better spot their future snack on the ground.
Your Tourist Office can advise you…
Would you like to see all these little creatures up close? Go to the Tourist Office to book your walk in the marshes. An hour with the birds of the Bay is pretty cool?
Psst… You can also discover them at low tide. This takes place all summer at Les Boucholeurs. Bring the little ones along!
Sea side
The coastline can be a digger too! Just ask the black-headed gulls and sanderlings that patrol the foreshore. It won’t take them long to decide what to eat, as they are omnivores. Châtelaillon has it all!
