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Cap Griz Nez

Nord-pas-de-Calais  >  France

Seawatching, several species rarely observed from mainland France can be found. Especially by wind from the North-West in specific pelagic species.

Added* by Mark van den Bosch
Most recent update 5 May 2020

Description

Cap Gris-Nez is the migration bottleneck of the Straits of Dover. It allows the observation of a number of seabirds, often difficult to observe from the coast. It is a strategic site for a migration survey of seabirds, both in spring and autumn.

Seawatching is usually drawing in birders between the end of August and early November. During that time of the year, several species rarely observed from mainland France can be found: Sabine's Gull, Great Skua, Pomarine Skua, Arctic Skua (Parasitic Jaeger) and Long-tailed Skua (which is regularly seen), Sooty Shearwater, Manx Shearwater, Balearic Shearwater and Red Phalarope.

During spring, the site is less reknowned for seabirds. A regular survey during mid March to mid May, however, has revealed the interest of the site for seawatching during spring. If the migration survey is mainly focusing on seabirds, the high cliffs are also suitable to watch migration over land (passerines, raptors), both for migrants following the coast, as well as for those leaving or arriving from Britain.

Details

Access

Big Parking place on top of Cape Griz Nez.

Terrain and Habitat

Plateau

Conditions

Flat , Rocky

Circular trail

No

Is a telescope useful?

Yes

Good birding season

Autumn , Spring

Best time to visit

Autumn migration , Spring migration

Route

Paved road , Narrow trail

Difficulty walking trail

Easy

Accessible by

Foot

Birdwatching hide / platform

No

Extra info

Special place in spring and autumn with winddirection from North-West. By strong wind the birds pass underneath you.

Links

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

Map

Top 5 birds

Great Skua
1. Great Skua
(Stercorarius skua)
Pomarine Skua
2. Pomarine Skua
(Stercorarius pomarinus)
Northern Fulmar
3. Northern Fulmar
(Fulmarus glacialis)
Northern Gannet
4. Northern Gannet
(Morus bassanus)
European Shag
5. European Shag
(Phalacrocorax aristotelis)

Other birds you can see here

Velvet Scoter
Velvet Scoter
(Melanitta fusca)
Long-tailed Duck
Long-tailed Duck
(Clangula hyemalis)
Goosander
Goosander
(Mergus merganser)
Red-breasted Merganser
Red-breasted Merganser
(Mergus serrator)
Common Scoter
Common Scoter
(Melanitta nigra)
Eurasian Oystercatcher
Eurasian Oystercatcher
(Haematopus ostralegus)
Grey Plover
Grey Plover
(Pluvialis squatarola)
European Golden Plover
European Golden Plover
(Pluvialis apricaria)
Northern Lapwing
Northern Lapwing
(Vanellus vanellus)
Kentish Plover
Kentish Plover
(Charadrius alexandrinus)
Common Ringed Plover
Common Ringed Plover
(Charadrius hiaticula)
Little Ringed Plover
Little Ringed Plover
(Charadrius dubius)
Dotterel
Dotterel
(Charadrius morinellus)
Common Sandpiper
Common Sandpiper
(Actitis hypoleucos)
Green Sandpiper
Green Sandpiper
(Tringa ochropus)
Common Redshank
Common Redshank
(Tringa totanus)
Red-necked Phalarope
Red-necked Phalarope
(Phalaropus lobatus)
Red Phalarope
Red Phalarope
(Phalaropus fulicarius)
Snipe
Snipe
(Gallinago gallinago)
Arctic Skua (Parasitic Jaeger)
Arctic Skua (Parasitic Jaeger)
(Stercorarius parasiticus)
Long-tailed Skua
Long-tailed Skua
(Stercorarius longicaudus)
Little Auk
Little Auk
(Alle alle)
Common Guillemot
Common Guillemot
(Uria aalge)
Razorbill
Razorbill
(Alca torda)
Black Guillemot
Black Guillemot
(Cepphus grylle)
Atlantic Puffin
Atlantic Puffin
(Fratercula arctica)
White-winged Tern
White-winged Tern
(Chlidonias leucopterus)
Gull-billed Tern
Gull-billed Tern
(Gelochelidon nilotica)
Caspian Tern
Caspian Tern
(Hydroprogne caspia)
Black Tern
Black Tern
(Chlidonias niger)
Sandwich Tern
Sandwich Tern
(Thalasseus sandvicensis)
Roseate Tern
Roseate Tern
(Sterna dougallii)
Common Tern
Common Tern
(Sterna hirundo)
Arctic Tern
Arctic Tern
(Sterna paradisaea)
Great Black-backed Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
(Larus marinus)
Little Tern
Little Tern
(Sternula albifrons)
Little Gull
Little Gull
(Hydrocoloeus minutus)
Glaucous Gull
Glaucous Gull
(Larus hyperboreus)
Iceland Gull
Iceland Gull
(Larus glaucoides)
Caspian Gull
Caspian Gull
(Larus cachinnans)
Yellow-legged Gull
Yellow-legged Gull
(Larus michahellis)
Herring Gull
Herring Gull
(Larus argentatus)
Common Gull
Common Gull
(Larus canus)
Mediterranean Gull
Mediterranean Gull
(Ichthyaetus melanocephalus)
Black-headed Gull
Black-headed Gull
(Chroicocephalus ridibundus)
Sabine's Gull
Sabine's Gull
(Xema sabini)
Kittiwake
Kittiwake
(Rissa tridactyla)
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Lesser Black-backed Gull
(Larus fuscus)
White-billed Diver
White-billed Diver
(Gavia adamsii)
Red-throated Diver
Red-throated Diver
(Gavia stellata)
Great Northern Diver (Common Loon)
Great Northern Diver (Common Loon)
(Gavia immer)
Black-throated Diver (Arctic Loon)
Black-throated Diver (Arctic Loon)
(Gavia arctica)
European Storm Petrel
European Storm Petrel
(Hydrobates pelagicus)
Cory's Shearwater
Cory's Shearwater
(Calonectris diomedea)
Scopoli's Shearwater
Scopoli's Shearwater
(Calonectris diomedea diomedea)
Manx Shearwater
Manx Shearwater
(Puffinus puffinus)
Yelkouan Shearwater
Yelkouan Shearwater
(Puffinus yelkouan)
Balearic Shearwater
Balearic Shearwater
(Puffinus mauretanicus)
Great Cormorant
Great Cormorant
(Phalacrocorax carbo)

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