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Scarpe-Escaut Regional Nature Park

Natural Park · France

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Photo © JackyM59

Photo © JackyM59 — CC BY-SA 4.0 — Source: Wikimedia Commons

ABOUT

Where slow rivers braid across a flat, green mosaic of meadows, marshes and willow-lined ponds, a vast wetland park spreads along the Franco-Belgian border. This is a landscape shaped by water and centuries of human use: wet grasslands grazed and mown, shallow lakes and reedbeds, poplar plantations and patches of damp woodland, all stitched together by drainage channels and quiet lanes. Under a temperate Cfb climate with rain in every season and no true dry spell, the ground stays lush and the water levels reliable, so the habitats support a rich web of life. Expect dense reedbeds loud with reed-dwelling songbirds, open water holding ducks, grebes and migratory waders on passage, hedgerows and woodland edges alive with small passerines, and birds of prey quartering the fields. Small mammals, amphibians and dragonflies thrive in the damp margins, and the whole reserve functions as a green lung between two busy urban regions.

For photographers and birdwatchers, the appeal lies in the sheer density and accessibility of the wetland. Early mornings bring mist over the ponds and soft, low light that flatters reedbeds and reflections; spring and autumn passage concentrate waterbirds and waders, while the breeding season fills the marshes with song and courtship display. The flat terrain and network of paths, hides and waterways make it easy to move quietly between viewpoints, and the proximity to major cities means a dawn session is entirely feasible. Bring long lenses for skittish waterbirds, patience for the reedbeds, and a willingness to linger — the rewards come in the slow, close observation of a working wetland.

WILDLIFE

Month

Type

Branta canadensis

Branta leucopsis

Alopochen aegyptiaca

Northern Shoveler

Spatula clypeata

Anas platyrhynchos

Red-crested Pochard

Aythya fuligula

Mergellus albellus

Common Pheasant

Phasianus colchicus

European Nightjar

Caprimulgus europaeus

Cuculus canorus

Common Wood Pigeon

Columba palumbus

Eurasian Collared Dove

Streptopelia decaocto

Gallinula chloropus

Tachybaptus ruficollis

Red-necked Grebe

Podiceps grisegena

Great Crested Grebe

Podiceps cristatus

Northern Lapwing

Vanellus vanellus

Eurasian Woodcock

Scolopax rusticola

European Herring Gull

Larus argentatus

Ciconia ciconia

Great Cormorant

Phalacrocorax carbo

Eurasian Bittern

Botaurus stellaris

Egretta garzetta

Western Cattle Egret

Eurasian Sparrowhawk

Accipiter nisus

Common Kingfisher

Middle Spotted Woodpecker

Dendrocoptes medius

Lesser Spotted Woodpecker

Dryobates minor

Great Spotted Woodpecker

Dendrocopos major

Black Woodpecker

Dryocopus martius

European Green Woodpecker

Rose-ringed Parakeet

Psittacula krameri

Garrulus glandarius

Eurasian Magpie

Lophophanes cristatus

Poecile palustris

Eurasian Blue Tit

Cyanistes caeruleus

Hirundo rustica

Long-tailed Tit

Aegithalos caudatus

Phylloscopus trochilus

Common Chiffchaff

Phylloscopus collybita

Acrocephalus schoenobaenus

Locustella luscinioides

Eurasian Blackcap

Sylvia atricapilla

Common Firecrest

Regulus ignicapilla

Regulus regulus

Troglodytes troglodytes

Eurasian Nuthatch

Short-toed Treecreeper

Certhia brachydactyla

Turdus philomelos

Common Blackbird

Spotted Flycatcher

Muscicapa striata

Erithacus rubecula

Passer domesticus

Prunella modularis

Eurasian Chaffinch

Fringilla coelebs

Coccothraustes coccothraustes

European Greenfinch

Chloris chloris

Linaria cannabina

Acanthis flammea

Eurasian Siskin

Emberiza citrinella

Common Reed Bunting

Emberiza schoeniclus

Common Shelduck

Tadorna tadorna

Aix galericulata

Spatula querquedula

Mareca strepera

Somateria mollissima

Melanitta fusca

Melanitta nigra

Reeves's Pheasant

Syrmaticus reevesii

Rallus aquaticus

Gallinago gallinago

Common Sandpiper

Actitis hypoleucos

Green Sandpiper

Tringa ochropus

Chlidonias niger

Black-headed Gull

Chroicocephalus ridibundus

Mediterranean Gull

Ichthyaetus melanocephalus

Lesser Black-backed Gull

European Honey Buzzard

Pernis apivorus

Western Marsh Harrier

Circus aeruginosus

Falco tinnunculus

Peregrine Falcon

Falco peregrinus

Riparia riparia

Western House Martin

Delichon urbicum

Cetti's Warbler

Common Reed Warbler

Acrocephalus scirpaceus

Common Grasshopper Warbler

Locustella naevia

Common Whitethroat

Curruca communis

Common Starling

Sturnus vulgaris

Phoenicurus ochruros

Eurasian Tree Sparrow

Passer montanus

Motacilla cinerea

Eurasian Bullfinch

Pyrrhula pyrrhula

Northern Pintail

Common Merganser

Mergus merganser

Coturnix coturnix

Red-legged Partridge

European Turtle Dove

Streptopelia turtur

Recurvirostra avosetta

Tringa glareola

Common Redshank

Larus cachinnans

Yellow-legged Gull

Larus michahellis

Eurasian Spoonbill

Platalea leucorodia

Black-crowned Night Heron

Nycticorax nycticorax

Pandion haliaetus

White-tailed Eagle

Haliaeetus albicilla

Western Barn Owl

Short-eared Owl

Eurasian Golden Oriole

Oriolus oriolus

Great Grey Shrike

Lanius excubitor

Corvus frugilegus

Poecile montanus

Lullula arborea

Eurasian Skylark

Alauda arvensis

Aquatic Warbler

Acrocephalus paludicola

Acrocephalus palustris

Melodious Warbler

Hippolais polyglotta

Turdus viscivorus

Common Nightingale

Luscinia megarhynchos

Luscinia svecica

European Pied Flycatcher

Ficedula hypoleuca

Common Redstart

Phoenicurus phoenicurus

European Stonechat

Saxicola rubicola

Northern Wheatear

Oenanthe oenanthe

Western Yellow Wagtail

Motacilla flava

Anthus pratensis

Anthus trivialis

Fringilla montifringilla

Loxia curvirostra

European Goldfinch

Carduelis carduelis

Cairina moschata

Western Roe Deer

Capreolus capreolus

Eurasian Red Squirrel

Sciurus vulgaris

Ondatra zibethicus

Long-tailed Field Mouse

Apodemus sylvaticus

Rattus norvegicus

West European Hedgehog

Erinaceus europaeus

Lepus europaeus

European Rabbit

Oryctolagus cuniculus

European Garden Dormouse

Eliomys quercinus

Clethrionomys glareolus

Greater White-toothed Shrew

Crocidura russula

Nyctalus noctula

Common Pipistrelle

Pipistrellus pipistrellus

European Pine Marten

Mustela erminea

Mustela nivalis

European Polecat

Mustela putorius

Western Red Deer

Eurasian Wild Boar

View Complete List (183 more) →

COMMUNITY

0 Community observations

No community observations yet — be the first to log a sighting here.

Natural environment

Scarpe-Escaut Regional Nature Park

Generally mild conditions, with noticeable seasonal changes.

Usual climateHumid temperate with mild summersLowland

Average annual temperature 10.6 °C Average of the twelve monthly means

Average elevation 21 m Lowland

Climate pattern Humid temperate with mild summers Main environment around this hotspot

A year of temperatures

Monthly means, with the coldest and warmest highlighted

Monthly minimum · January 3.7 °C Monthly maximum · July 18.3 °C

Global temperature scale

−40°−20°0°20°40°

Terrain and elevation

21 m · Lowland

Average terrain elevation estimate across the hotspot; the figure does not represent its highest summits.

Elevation scale

21 m

02,0004,0006,0008,000m

Lowland

Long-term climate averages, not live weather.

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