b

Vijlenerbos

Limburg  >  Netherlands

The Vijlenerbos is a 650-hectare forest and nature reserve near the town of Vijlen. A nice area for walking and rich in forest birds.

Added* by B.C.M.Custers
Most recent update 11 June 2020

Description

The Vijlenerbos is a forest area that extends over a length of about 8 km between Epen and the Drielandenpunt near Vaals. The forest borders Belgium for about 5 km and Germany for about 1 km. The forests consist of a quarter of coniferous forest and the rest of deciduous forest. Middle Spotted Woodpecker lives in the areas with older oak trees. Firecrest is bound to medium to old coniferous forests. Common Crossbill and Eurasian Siskin breed regularly in these forests, as is Hawfinch. In the open oak-birch forests, Wood Warbler is a regular guest. Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, Marsh Tit, Eurasian Nuthatch and Great Spotted Woodpecker live in the old, varied parts of the deciduous forest. An inconspicuous species is the Eurasian Woodcock. Among the birds of prey, European Honey-buzzard, Eurasian Goshawk and Sparrowhawk can be found in the Vijlenerbos. Occasionally Eurasian Hobby breeds in the area. Tawny Owl is a common species in the forest. Common Cuckoo and Golden Oriole also occur in low numbers. On the edges sometimes Red-backed Shrike can be seen.

Details

Access

Well-known starting points for a walk through the Vijlenerbos are the parking lot at the forest cafe Het Hijgende Hert (see the P on the map) and the parking lot Zevenwegen. Or the Groeneweg Vijlen. There are many trails you can walk. The route shown on the map is 10,5 km. It's divided in two loops of 5 km. But there are countless other possibilities for hiking.

Terrain and Habitat

Forest , Scattered trees and bushes , Grassland

Conditions

Hilly , Dry

Circular trail

Yes

Is a telescope useful?

No

Good birding season

All year round

Best time to visit

Spring

Route

Wide path , Narrow trail

Difficulty walking trail

Average walk

Accessible by

Foot

Birdwatching hide / platform

No

Links

View other birding spots in the area that are published on Birdingplaces

Map

Top 5 birds

Other birds you can see here

Show more birds Show less birds
Show more images Show less images

Comments & Tips

Click on the little bird icon () to insert bird names in your own language. The birdnames will automatically be translated for other users!