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Wellemeersen Nature Reserve

East Flanders close to Brussels  >  Belgium

The Wellemeersen is a marshy area formed by the river Dender. It mainly consists of wet meadows, Alder-and Willowswamps, Poplar stands and smallish ponds.

Added* by Joost Mertens
Most recent update 12 February 2020

Description

Year round you can find birds like Willow Tit, Cetti's Warbler, Common Kingfisher, Water Rail, Sparrowhawk, Lesser Spotted Woodpecker. In summer you can find good numbers off Marsh Warbler, Reed Warbler, Little Grebe. In winter you can find waterbirds like Gadwall, Northern Shoveler, Common Pochard, Snipe, Jack Snipe.

Details

Access

By car you can easily reach the area coming from the higway E40, west of Brussels, exit Aalst. You can park your car at Wellemeersenstraat or Zavelputstraat. By train you acces the area by train within 20 minutes from Brussels to railway station Denderleeuw. You can only explore the area on foot.

Terrain and Habitat

Forest , Wetland , Grassland , River

Conditions

Swampy , Slippery , High water possible , Flat

Circular trail

Yes

Is a telescope useful?

Can be useful

Good birding season

All year round

Best time to visit

Spring

Route

Unpaved road , Narrow trail

Difficulty walking trail

Easy

Accessible by

Foot

Birdwatching hide / platform

Yes

Extra info

Good shoes or boots recommended.

The area is also well known for it's diversity off Dragonflies.

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

Map

Top 5 birds

Garganey
1. Garganey
(Spatula querquedula)
Little Grebe
2. Little Grebe
(Tachybaptus ruficollis)
Water Rail
3. Water Rail
(Rallus aquaticus)
Snipe
4. Snipe
(Gallinago gallinago)
Common Kingfisher
5. Common Kingfisher
(Alcedo atthis)

Other birds you can see here

Greylag Goose
Greylag Goose
(Anser anser)
Mallard
Mallard
(Anas platyrhynchos)
Tufted Duck
Tufted Duck
(Aythya fuligula)
Common Pochard
Common Pochard
(Aythya ferina)
Common Teal
Common Teal
(Anas crecca)
Northern Pintail
Northern Pintail
(Anas acuta)
Barnacle Goose
Barnacle Goose
(Branta leucopsis)
Eurasian Wigeon
Eurasian Wigeon
(Mareca penelope)
Egyptian Goose
Egyptian Goose
(Alopochen aegyptiaca)
Canada Goose
Canada Goose
(Branta canadensis)
Gadwall
Gadwall
(Mareca strepera)
Common Shelduck
Common Shelduck
(Tadorna tadorna)
Northern Shoveler
Northern Shoveler
(Spatula clypeata)
Common Pheasant
Common Pheasant
(Phasianus colchicus)
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)
Cuckoo
Cuckoo
(Cuculus canorus)
Common Swift
Common Swift
(Apus apus)
Spotted Crake
Spotted Crake
(Porzana porzana)
Eurasian Moorhen
Eurasian Moorhen
(Gallinula chloropus)
Eurasian Coot
Eurasian Coot
(Fulica atra)
Northern Lapwing
Northern Lapwing
(Vanellus vanellus)
Little Ringed Plover
Little Ringed Plover
(Charadrius dubius)
Common Greenshank
Common Greenshank
(Tringa nebularia)
Common Redshank
Common Redshank
(Tringa totanus)
Wood Sandpiper
Wood Sandpiper
(Tringa glareola)
Common Sandpiper
Common Sandpiper
(Actitis hypoleucos)
Ruff
Ruff
(Calidris pugnax)
Woodcock
Woodcock
(Scolopax rusticola)
Jack Snipe
Jack Snipe
(Lymnocryptes minimus)
Black-headed Gull
Black-headed Gull
(Chroicocephalus ridibundus)
Common Gull
Common Gull
(Larus canus)
Herring Gull
Herring Gull
(Larus argentatus)
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Lesser Black-backed Gull
(Larus fuscus)
White Stork
White Stork
(Ciconia ciconia)
Great Cormorant
Great Cormorant
(Phalacrocorax carbo)
Great Bittern
Great Bittern
(Botaurus stellaris)
Grey Heron
Grey Heron
(Ardea cinerea)
Great Egret
Great Egret
(Ardea alba)
Common Buzzard
Common Buzzard
(Buteo buteo)
Sparrowhawk
Sparrowhawk
(Accipiter nisus)
European Honey-buzzard
European Honey-buzzard
(Pernis apivorus)
Tawny Owl
Tawny Owl
(Strix aluco)
Long-eared Owl
Long-eared Owl
(Asio otus)
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Great Spotted Woodpecker
(Dendrocopos major)
Lesser Spotted Woodpecker
Lesser Spotted Woodpecker
(Dryobates minor)
Eurasian Green Woodpecker
Eurasian Green Woodpecker
(Picus viridis)
Eurasian Kestrel
Eurasian Kestrel
(Falco tinnunculus)
Eurasian Hobby
Eurasian Hobby
(Falco subbuteo)
Peregrine Falcon
Peregrine Falcon
(Falco peregrinus)
Golden Oriole
Golden Oriole
(Oriolus oriolus)
Carrion Crow
Carrion Crow
(Corvus corone)
Eurasian Jay
Eurasian Jay
(Garrulus glandarius)
Jackdaw
Jackdaw
(Coloeus monedula)
Eurasian Magpie
Eurasian Magpie
(Pica pica)
Willow Tit
Willow Tit
(Poecile montanus)
Eurasian Blue Tit
Eurasian Blue Tit
(Cyanistes caeruleus)
Great Tit
Great Tit
(Parus major)
Sedge Warbler
Sedge Warbler
(Acrocephalus schoenobaenus)
Marsh Warbler
Marsh Warbler
(Acrocephalus palustris)
Reed Warbler
Reed Warbler
(Acrocephalus scirpaceus)
Grasshopper Warbler
Grasshopper Warbler
(Locustella naevia)
Sand Martin
Sand Martin
(Riparia riparia)
Barn Swallow
Barn Swallow
(Hirundo rustica)
House Martin
House Martin
(Delichon urbicum)
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)
Greater Whitethroat
Greater Whitethroat
(Curruca communis)
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)
Blackbird
Blackbird
(Turdus merula)
Fieldfare
Fieldfare
(Turdus pilaris)
Mistle Thrush
Mistle Thrush
(Turdus viscivorus)
Redwing
Redwing
(Turdus iliacus)
Song Thrush
Song Thrush
(Turdus philomelos)
Spotted Flycatcher
Spotted Flycatcher
(Muscicapa striata)
European Robin
European Robin
(Erithacus rubecula)
Bluethroat
Bluethroat
(Luscinia svecica)
Common Redstart
Common Redstart
(Phoenicurus phoenicurus)
Black Redstart
Black Redstart
(Phoenicurus ochruros)
Whinchat
Whinchat
(Saxicola rubetra)
European Stonechat
European Stonechat
(Saxicola rubicola)
Dunnock
Dunnock
(Prunella modularis)
House Sparrow
House Sparrow
(Passer domesticus)
Water Pipit
Water Pipit
(Anthus spinoletta)
Grey Wagtail
Grey Wagtail
(Motacilla cinerea)
Meadow Pipit
Meadow Pipit
(Anthus pratensis)
White Wagtail
White Wagtail
(Motacilla alba)
Chaffinch
Chaffinch
(Fringilla coelebs)
Brambling
Brambling
(Fringilla montifringilla)
Greenfinch
Greenfinch
(Chloris chloris)
Common Redpoll
Common Redpoll
(Acanthis flammea)
Lesser Redpoll
Lesser Redpoll
(Acanthis cabaret)
European Goldfinch
European Goldfinch
(Carduelis carduelis)
Siskin
Siskin
(Spinus spinus)
Reed Bunting
Reed Bunting
(Emberiza schoeniclus)

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