Birding Beaumonts

Most of this website is about a fantastic local patch I found in 2005 on the eastern side of Paris called Parc des Beaumonts. Although I'm terribly biased it surely has to be the best site for birding around the capital. A bird flying over would see a small spot of green on high ground above the sprawling urban landscape of Seine-Saint-Denis. Such a wild and rugged "green island" as this with its ponds and reedbeds is great for birding, especially in spring and autumn when migrants drop in for a breather.

Thanks to yours truly and other local birders (most notably Pierre and Laurent in the early days) the site has been regularly watched since 1993.

Marsh and Melodious Warblers, Lesser Whitethroats and Nightingales have all managed to breed over recent years and some real rarities have turned up as well such as Red-rumped Swallow, Olive-backed Pipit and Dusky Warbler. The park's elevation also makes it a great place to hang around and skywatch for visible migration - it really can be a rather exciting place at times...

Since early 2022, however, more and more of my own birding has been spent near Eastbourne, UK, and webpages have been added now to cover these sites as well (West Rise Marsh and Beachy Head).