Forêt d’Orient Regional Nature Park

Natural Park · France

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Photo © Marc Ryckaert

Photo © Marc Ryckaert — CC BY-SA 4.0 — Source: Wikimedia Commons

Where the Seine begins to slow and spread across the Champagne plain, a mosaic of open water, reedbed and closed-canopy woodland forms one of the great wetland-forest complexes of north-eastern France. The terrain is gentle and low-lying, shaped by clay soils and shallow basins: broad lakes with irregular shorelines, marshy fringes thick with emergent vegetation, wet meadows, and extensive stands of mature broadleaved trees interspersed with conifer plantations. Under a Cfb climate with rainfall spread evenly through the year and no dry season, water levels stay dependable and the vegetation remains green and structurally rich well into autumn. That combination of permanent water and old, layered forest supports an unusually complete community of functional groups: waterfowl and other aquatic birds on the open water, herons and similar fish-eaters along the margins, birds of prey hunting over the canopy and the fields beyond, dense populations of woodland songbirds in the understorey, and small forest mammals, deer and wild boar moving between woodland and meadow.

For photographers and birdwatchers this is a place of long, workable light and generous sightlines. Spring and early summer bring the loudest activity — courtship on the water, song from the canopy, young birds on the margins — while autumn delivers mist over the lakes, low golden light through the trees and the movement of migratory waterbirds passing through the complex. Winter strips the canopy back and opens up views into the woodland that are impossible in leaf. Access is straightforward and quiet: waymarked trails, forest tracks and lakeside paths let you work a shoreline at dawn and a woodland edge by late afternoon without ever feeling crowded. Bring a long lens for the water and a shorter one for the forest, and plan around the first and last hours, when the light does the work and the wildlife is least disturbed.

Branta canadensis

Branta leucopsis

Cygnus columbianus

Alopochen aegyptiaca

Common Shelduck

Tadorna tadorna

Spatula querquedula

Northern Shoveler

Spatula clypeata

Mareca strepera

Eurasian Wigeon

Mareca penelope

Anas platyrhynchos

Northern Pintail

Red-crested Pochard

Ferruginous Duck

Aythya fuligula

Melanitta fusca

Melanitta nigra

Long-tailed Duck

Clangula hyemalis

Common Goldeneye

Bucephala clangula

Common Merganser

Mergus merganser

Red-breasted Merganser

Mergus serrator

Common Pheasant

Phasianus colchicus

Cuculus canorus

Common Wood Pigeon

Columba palumbus

European Turtle Dove

Streptopelia turtur

Eurasian Collared Dove

Streptopelia decaocto

Rallus aquaticus

Porzana porzana

Gallinula chloropus

Tachybaptus ruficollis

Red-necked Grebe

Podiceps grisegena

Podiceps auritus

Black-necked Grebe

Podiceps nigricollis

Pluvialis squatarola

European Golden Plover

Pluvialis apricaria

Common Ringed Plover

Charadrius hiaticula

Northern Lapwing

Vanellus vanellus

Eurasian Curlew

Numenius arquata

Bar-tailed Godwit

Limosa lapponica

Gallinago gallinago

Phalaropus fulicarius

Common Sandpiper

Actitis hypoleucos

Green Sandpiper

Tringa ochropus

Common Redshank

Spotted Redshank

Tringa erythropus

Common Greenshank

Tringa nebularia

Calidris canutus

Calidris pugnax

Temminck's Stint

Calidris temminckii

Calidris alpina

Calidris minuta

Chlidonias hybrida

Chlidonias niger

Sterna paradisaea

Hydrocoloeus minutus

Black-legged Kittiwake

Rissa tridactyla

Black-headed Gull

Chroicocephalus ridibundus

European Herring Gull

Larus argentatus

Yellow-legged Gull

Larus michahellis

Red-throated Loon

Ciconia ciconia

Great Cormorant

Phalacrocorax carbo

Plegadis falcinellus

Eurasian Spoonbill

Platalea leucorodia

Eurasian Bittern

Botaurus stellaris

Egretta garzetta

Western Cattle Egret

Pandion haliaetus

Black-winged Kite

Elanus caeruleus

European Honey Buzzard

Pernis apivorus

Eastern Imperial Eagle

Eurasian Sparrowhawk

Accipiter nisus

Montagu's Harrier

Circus pygargus

Western Marsh Harrier

Circus aeruginosus

White-tailed Eagle

Haliaeetus albicilla

Western Barn Owl

Common Kingfisher

Middle Spotted Woodpecker

Dendrocoptes medius

Lesser Spotted Woodpecker

Dryobates minor

Great Spotted Woodpecker

Dendrocopos major

Black Woodpecker

Dryocopus martius

European Green Woodpecker

Falco tinnunculus

Falco columbarius

Peregrine Falcon

Falco peregrinus

Eurasian Golden Oriole

Oriolus oriolus

Red-backed Shrike

Lanius collurio

Garrulus glandarius

Eurasian Magpie

Corvus frugilegus

Poecile palustris

Poecile montanus

Eurasian Blue Tit

Cyanistes caeruleus

Eurasian Penduline Tit

Remiz pendulinus

Eurasian Skylark

Alauda arvensis

Riparia riparia

Hirundo rustica

Western House Martin

Delichon urbicum

Phylloscopus trochilus

Common Chiffchaff

Phylloscopus collybita

Great Reed Warbler

Acrocephalus arundinaceus

Acrocephalus schoenobaenus

Common Reed Warbler

Acrocephalus scirpaceus

Melodious Warbler

Hippolais polyglotta

Locustella luscinioides

Eurasian Blackcap

Sylvia atricapilla

Common Whitethroat

Curruca communis

Common Firecrest

Regulus ignicapilla

Regulus regulus

Troglodytes troglodytes

Eurasian Nuthatch

Eurasian Treecreeper

Certhia familiaris

Short-toed Treecreeper

Certhia brachydactyla

Common Starling

Sturnus vulgaris

Turdus philomelos

Turdus viscivorus

Common Blackbird

Spotted Flycatcher

Muscicapa striata

Erithacus rubecula

Common Nightingale

Luscinia megarhynchos

Luscinia svecica

European Pied Flycatcher

Ficedula hypoleuca

Phoenicurus ochruros

European Stonechat

Saxicola rubicola

Northern Wheatear

Oenanthe oenanthe

Passer domesticus

Alpine Accentor

Prunella collaris

Western Yellow Wagtail

Motacilla flava

Motacilla cinerea

Anthus pratensis

Anthus trivialis

Anthus spinoletta

Eurasian Chaffinch

Fringilla coelebs

Fringilla montifringilla

Coccothraustes coccothraustes

Eurasian Bullfinch

Pyrrhula pyrrhula

European Greenfinch

Chloris chloris

Linaria cannabina

European Goldfinch

Carduelis carduelis

Eurasian Siskin

Emberiza calandra

Emberiza citrinella

Emberiza cirlus

Common Reed Bunting

Emberiza schoeniclus

Bar-headed Goose

Tadorna ferruginea

Ring-necked Duck

Aythya collaris

Somateria mollissima

Mergellus albellus

Oxyura jamaicensis

Red-legged Partridge

Eurasian Stone-curlew

Burhinus oedicnemus

Eurasian Oystercatcher

Haematopus ostralegus

Recurvirostra avosetta

Sociable Lapwing

Vanellus gregarius

Eurasian Whimbrel

Numenius phaeopus

Black-tailed Godwit

Tringa glareola

Ruddy Turnstone

Arenaria interpres

Curlew Sandpiper

Calidris ferruginea

Hydroprogne caspia

White-winged Tern

Chlidonias leucopterus

Mediterranean Gull

Ichthyaetus melanocephalus

Larus cachinnans

Lesser Black-backed Gull

Parasitic Jaeger

Stercorarius parasiticus

Black-throated Loon

Black-crowned Night Heron

Nycticorax nycticorax

Short-eared Owl

Grey-headed Woodpecker

Great Grey Shrike

Lanius excubitor

Woodchat Shrike

Western Jackdaw

Coloeus monedula

Lophophanes cristatus

Galerida cristata

Cetti's Warbler

Common Grasshopper Warbler

Locustella naevia

Zitting Cisticola

Cisticola juncidis

Common Redstart

Phoenicurus phoenicurus

Saxicola rubetra

Eurasian Tree Sparrow

Passer montanus

Prunella modularis

Acanthis flammea

Serinus serinus

Plectrophenax nivalis

Branta hutchinsii

Taiga Bean Goose

Cairina moschata

Aix galericulata

Chenonetta jubata

Callonetta leucophrys

Reeves's Pheasant

Syrmaticus reevesii

Coturnix coturnix

Tachymarptis melba

Lymnocryptes minimus

Eurasian Woodcock

Scolopax rusticola

Red-necked Phalarope

Phalaropus lobatus

Marsh Sandpiper

Tringa stagnatilis

Pectoral Sandpiper

Calidris melanotos

Sternula albifrons

Slender-billed Gull

Chroicocephalus genei

Long-tailed Jaeger

Stercorarius longicaudus

Pomarine Jaeger

Stercorarius pomarinus

Stercorarius skua

Short-toed Snake Eagle

Circaetus gallicus

Circus macrourus

European Roller

Coracias garrulus

European Bee-eater

Merops apiaster

Eurasian Wryneck

Red-footed Falcon

Falco vespertinus

Rose-ringed Parakeet

Psittacula krameri

Bearded Reedling

Panurus biarmicus

Lullula arborea

Western Bonelli's Warbler

Phylloscopus bonelli

Yellow-browed Warbler

Phylloscopus inornatus

Acrocephalus palustris

Turdus torquatus

African Stonechat

Saxicola torquatus

White-throated Dipper

Cinclus cinclus

Anthus campestris

Loxia curvirostra

Western Roe Deer

Capreolus capreolus

Lepus europaeus

European Rabbit

Oryctolagus cuniculus

Myocastor coypus

Short-tailed Field Vole

Microtus agrestis

Eurasian Harvest Mouse

Micromys minutus

West European Hedgehog

Erinaceus europaeus

European Pine Marten

European Badger

Western Red Deer

Eurasian Wild Boar

European Garden Dormouse

Eliomys quercinus

Eurasian Red Squirrel

Sciurus vulgaris

Eurasian Beaver

Microtus arvalis

Ondatra zibethicus

Yellow-necked Field Mouse

Apodemus flavicollis

Long-tailed Field Mouse

Apodemus sylvaticus

Rattus norvegicus

Greater White-toothed Shrew

Crocidura russula

Bechstein's Myotis

Myotis bechsteinii

Brandt's Myotis

Myotis brandtii

Daubenton's Myotis

Myotis daubentonii

Geoffroy's Myotis

Myotis emarginatus

Common Whiskered Myotis

Myotis mystacinus

Natterer's Myotis

Myotis nattereri

Leisler's Noctule

Nyctalus leisleri

Nyctalus noctula

Kuhl's Pipistrelle

Pipistrellus kuhlii

Nathusius's Pipistrelle

Pipistrellus nathusii

Common Pipistrelle

Pipistrellus pipistrellus

Soprano Pipistrelle

Pipistrellus pygmaeus

Western Barbastelle

Barbastella barbastellus

Gray Long-eared Bat

Plecotus austriacus

Greater Horseshoe Bat

Rhinolophus ferrumequinum

Lesser Horseshoe Bat

Rhinolophus hipposideros

Mustela erminea

Mustela nivalis

European Polecat

Mustela putorius

Northern Raccoon

European Wildcat

Felis silvestris

Common Fallow Deer

Alcathoe Whiskered Myotis

Myotis alcathoe

Brown Long-eared Bat

Plecotus auritus

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