Fontainebleau Forest France
Within easy reach of Paris and the Autoroute du Soleil, this area of extensive woodlands is heavily used for all kinds of recreation and suffers from the intensification of forestry practices but remains home to a good selection of typical lowland birds. In addition to coniferous, mixed and deciduous forest the area has open grassland, heath and small patches of wetland.
Woodpeckers are well represented with Black, Grey-headed and Middle Spotted present as well as more widespread species. Raptors include Common Buzzard and Western Honey-Buzzard, Northern Goshawk, Eurasian Sparrowhawk and Northern Hobby and other breeders include Wryneck and European Nightjar. Passerines include most of the commoner woodland species of northern Europe as well as Common and Short-toed Treecreepers, Firecrest, Crested Tit, Western Bonelli's Warbler and Hawfinch. There is also a small population of Reeves's Pheasant which may be temporarily established here. Spring is the most productive time to visit this forest and it is a popular stopover point for birders heading south to the Mediterranean.
Fontainebleau lies about 60km south-east of Paris and just east of the Autoroute du Soleil. The forest, covering about 170km2, almost surrounds the town and there is a good network of roads making exploration easy. Although most of the birds are distributed throughout the forest there are several well-known "hotspots" most of which are found within 5km of the southern edge of the town. To the north are two nature reserves, La Tillaie and Le Gros-Fouteau which both hold a good range of species. To reach this area leave the A6 at Ury and head for Fontainebleau on the N152.
Birds
Birds you can see here include:
Western Honey-Buzzard, Northern Goshawk, Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Common Buzzard, Common Kestrel, Northern Hobby, Reeves's Pheasant, Stock Dove, Woodpigeon, Turtle Dove, Common Cuckoo, Tawny Owl, European Nightjar, Wryneck, Grey-headed Woodpecker, Green Woodpecker, Black Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Middle Spotted Woodpecker, Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, Wood Lark, Tree Pipit, Common Wren, Dunnock, Eurasian Robin, Nightingale, Common Redstart, Blackbird, Fieldfare, Song Thrush, Redwing, Mistle Thrush, Melodious Warbler, Dartford Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat, Common Whitethroat, Garden Warbler, Blackcap, Western Bonelli's Warbler, Wood Warbler, Common Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Goldcrest, Firecrest, Spotted Flycatcher, Pied Flycatcher, Long-tailed Tit, Marsh Tit, Willow Tit, Crested Tit, Coal Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Eurasian Nuthatch, Common Treecreeper, Short-toed Treecreeper, Red-backed Shrike, Common Jay, Common Magpie, Common Starling, House Sparrow, Chaffinch, Brambling, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Siskin, Linnet, Common Bullfinch, Hawfinch, Yellowhammer
Content and images originally posted by Steve
