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Grand étang de Boitsfort (Etang du Moulin)

Bruxelles  >  Belgium

Small birding oasis on the edge of Brussels and bordering the Forêt de Soignes forest. Some nice surprises can be found here.

Added* by Mady
Most recent update 20 August 2020

Description

At the SE exit of Brussels, in a green setting lies a large pond on the edge of the Forêt de Soignes (forest). Surrounded by park, tree-lined slopes and footpath. This pond is home to many common nesting birds in Brussels but has some nice surprises in store like Little Bittern, Black Tern, Common Goldeneye, Little Grebe, Water Rail and Common Kingfisher.

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Français: A la sortie SE de Bruxelles, dans un écrin de verdure. Grand étang à la lisière de la Forêt de Soignes, entouré de parc, talus arborés et chemin piétons. Cet étang accueille nombre d'oiseaux nicheurs communs à Bruxelles mais réserve de belles surprises : blongios nain, guifette noire, garot à oeil d'or, grèbe castagneux, martin pêcheur,

Details

Access

By train: 10 min walk from Boitsfort station By bus: 2 minutes: Tec 366 and Stib 17 Tram and bus: 10 minutes: Stib 8 and 95 (Wiener) Possibilities to park your bike.

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Français: En train : 10 min à pied de la Gare de Boitsfort En bus : 2 minutes : Tec 366 et Stib 17 Tram et bus : 10 minutes : Stib 8 et 95 (Wiener) Possibilités d'accrocher son vélo.

Terrain and Habitat

Wetland , Forest , Reedbeds , Valley

Conditions

Hilly

Circular trail

No

Is a telescope useful?

Can be useful

Good birding season

All year round

Best time to visit

Spring migration , Winter , Summer

Route

Paved road

Difficulty walking trail

Easy

Accessible by

Foot , Bicycle , Wheelchair

Birdwatching hide / platform

No

Links

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

Map

Top 5 birds

Little Grebe
1. Little Grebe
(Tachybaptus ruficollis)
Water Rail
2. Water Rail
(Rallus aquaticus)
Common Kingfisher
3. Common Kingfisher
(Alcedo atthis)
Great Egret
4. Great Egret
(Ardea alba)
European Honey-buzzard
5. European Honey-buzzard
(Pernis apivorus)

Other birds you can see here

Canada Goose
Canada Goose
(Branta canadensis)
Red-crested Pochard
Red-crested Pochard
(Netta rufina)
Common Goldeneye
Common Goldeneye
(Bucephala clangula)
Tufted Duck
Tufted Duck
(Aythya fuligula)
Common Pochard
Common Pochard
(Aythya ferina)
Mute Swan
Mute Swan
(Cygnus olor)
Mallard
Mallard
(Anas platyrhynchos)
Northern Shoveler
Northern Shoveler
(Spatula clypeata)
Egyptian Goose
Egyptian Goose
(Alopochen aegyptiaca)
Gadwall
Gadwall
(Mareca strepera)
Great Crested Grebe
Great Crested Grebe
(Podiceps cristatus)
Stock Dove
Stock Dove
(Columba oenas)
Common Wood Pigeon
Common Wood Pigeon
(Columba palumbus)
Eurasian Collared Dove
Eurasian Collared Dove
(Streptopelia decaocto)
Common Swift
Common Swift
(Apus apus)
Eurasian Moorhen
Eurasian Moorhen
(Gallinula chloropus)
Eurasian Coot
Eurasian Coot
(Fulica atra)
Common Sandpiper
Common Sandpiper
(Actitis hypoleucos)
Green Sandpiper
Green Sandpiper
(Tringa ochropus)
Herring Gull
Herring Gull
(Larus argentatus)
Black Tern
Black Tern
(Chlidonias niger)
Common Gull
Common Gull
(Larus canus)
Black-headed Gull
Black-headed Gull
(Chroicocephalus ridibundus)
Great Cormorant
Great Cormorant
(Phalacrocorax carbo)
Little Egret
Little Egret
(Egretta garzetta)
Grey Heron
Grey Heron
(Ardea cinerea)
Little Bittern
Little Bittern
(Ixobrychus minutus)
Osprey
Osprey
(Pandion haliaetus)
Sparrowhawk
Sparrowhawk
(Accipiter nisus)
Northern Goshawk
Northern Goshawk
(Accipiter gentilis)
Red Kite
Red Kite
(Milvus milvus)
Common Buzzard
Common Buzzard
(Buteo buteo)
Barn Owl
Barn Owl
(Tyto alba)
Tawny Owl
Tawny Owl
(Strix aluco)
Wryneck
Wryneck
(Jynx torquilla)
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Great Spotted Woodpecker
(Dendrocopos major)
Lesser Spotted Woodpecker
Lesser Spotted Woodpecker
(Dryobates minor)
Eurasian Green Woodpecker
Eurasian Green Woodpecker
(Picus viridis)
Black Woodpecker
Black Woodpecker
(Dryocopus martius)
Middle Spotted Woodpecker
Middle Spotted Woodpecker
(Dendrocoptes medius)
Eurasian Kestrel
Eurasian Kestrel
(Falco tinnunculus)
Eurasian Hobby
Eurasian Hobby
(Falco subbuteo)
Peregrine Falcon
Peregrine Falcon
(Falco peregrinus)
Jackdaw
Jackdaw
(Coloeus monedula)
Carrion Crow
Carrion Crow
(Corvus corone)
Magpie
Magpie
(Pica pica)
Eurasian Jay
Eurasian Jay
(Garrulus glandarius)
Coal Tit
Coal Tit
(Periparus ater)
Crested Tit
Crested Tit
(Lophophanes cristatus)
Marsh Tit
Marsh Tit
(Poecile palustris)
Eurasian Blue Tit
Eurasian Blue Tit
(Cyanistes caeruleus)
Great Tit
Great Tit
(Parus major)
Melodious Warbler
Melodious Warbler
(Hippolais polyglotta)
Sedge Warbler
Sedge Warbler
(Acrocephalus schoenobaenus)
Marsh Warbler
Marsh Warbler
(Acrocephalus palustris)
Reed Warbler
Reed Warbler
(Acrocephalus scirpaceus)
House Martin
House Martin
(Delichon urbicum)
Barn Swallow
Barn Swallow
(Hirundo rustica)
Willow Warbler
Willow Warbler
(Phylloscopus trochilus)
Common Chiffchaff
Common Chiffchaff
(Phylloscopus collybita)
Cetti's Warbler
Cetti's Warbler
(Cettia cetti)
Long-tailed Tit
Long-tailed Tit
(Aegithalos caudatus)
Blackcap
Blackcap
(Sylvia atricapilla)
Garden Warbler
Garden Warbler
(Sylvia borin)
Lesser Whitethroat
Lesser Whitethroat
(Curruca curruca)
Goldcrest
Goldcrest
(Regulus regulus)
Firecrest
Firecrest
(Regulus ignicapilla)
Eurasian Nuthatch
Eurasian Nuthatch
(Sitta europaea)
Short-toed Treecreeper
Short-toed Treecreeper
(Certhia brachydactyla)
Wren
Wren
(Troglodytes troglodytes)
Common Starling
Common Starling
(Sturnus vulgaris)
Mistle Thrush
Mistle Thrush
(Turdus viscivorus)
Song Thrush
Song Thrush
(Turdus philomelos)
Redwing
Redwing
(Turdus iliacus)
Blackbird
Blackbird
(Turdus merula)
Fieldfare
Fieldfare
(Turdus pilaris)
Spotted Flycatcher
Spotted Flycatcher
(Muscicapa striata)
European Robin
European Robin
(Erithacus rubecula)
Black Redstart
Black Redstart
(Phoenicurus ochruros)
Bohemian Waxwing
Bohemian Waxwing
(Bombycilla garrulus)
Dunnock
Dunnock
(Prunella modularis)
House Sparrow
House Sparrow
(Passer domesticus)
Grey Wagtail
Grey Wagtail
(Motacilla cinerea)
Western Yellow Wagtail
Western Yellow Wagtail
(Motacilla flava)
White Wagtail
White Wagtail
(Motacilla alba)
Chaffinch
Chaffinch
(Fringilla coelebs)
Brambling
Brambling
(Fringilla montifringilla)
Hawfinch
Hawfinch
(Coccothraustes coccothraustes)
Bullfinch
Bullfinch
(Pyrrhula pyrrhula)
Greenfinch
Greenfinch
(Chloris chloris)
Common Redpoll
Common Redpoll
(Acanthis flammea)
European Goldfinch
European Goldfinch
(Carduelis carduelis)
Siskin
Siskin
(Spinus spinus)

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