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Overview
Covering nearly 1,500ha this is one of the largest wetlands on Corsica and despite much habitat degradation and disturbance in recent years, it remains one of the island's most important areas for birds.
Parts of the shoreline, particularly in the south, have reedbeds with some good breeding birds and the lake as a whole attracts a wide range of birds on passage and in winter when numbers can exceed 20,000. Biguglia is a shallow brackish lagoon, about 11km long and 2.5km at the widest point. It lies close to the sea on the northeast coast of Corsica and much of the area is a nature reserve and Ramsar Site.
Adjacent habitats include the nearby sea, sandy and shingle beaches and dunes, saltmarsh and riparian woodlands. Much of the surrounding land is covered with vineyards and orchards. More than 120 bird species have been recorded in this area.
Birds
Notable Species
Breeding in the reedbeds of Biguglia are Zitting Cisticola, Cetti's Warbler, Reed Warbler and Great Reed Warblers and Moustached Warbler has recently bred. Drier areas around the lake have Corn Bunting and Cirl Bunting, Stonechat and Melodious Warbler.
Marsh Harrier and Northern Hobby nest in the area and often feed over the lake and its shores. Herons such as Grey Heron, Purple Heron, Black-crowned Night Heron and Little Egret visit the lake on passage and small numbers breed. Other migrants include Black Tern and White-winged Terns, Red-footed Falcon and Osprey. Audouin's Gull is a rare but regular passage visitor.
Winter sees the arrival of Black-throated Diver, grebes, various ducks and Eurasian Coot in large numbers. Moustached Warbler occurs in winter and Ferruginous Duck is regular in small numbers. White-headed Duck, formerly regular, has recently been reintroduced.
Check-list
Birds you can see here include:
Black-throated Diver, Little Grebe, Great Crested Grebe, Black-necked Grebe, Great Cormorant, Little Bittern, Black-crowned Night Heron, Cattle Egret, Little Egret, Great White Egret, Purple Heron, Grey Heron, Greylag Goose, Eurasian Wigeon, Gadwall, Common Teal, Mallard, Northern Pintail, Garganey, Northern Shoveler, Red-crested Pochard, Common Pochard, Ferruginous Duck, Tufted Duck, Red-breasted Merganser, White-headed Duck, Western Marsh Harrier, Common Buzzard, Osprey, Common Kestrel, Red-footed Falcon, Northern Hobby, Water Rail, Spotted Crake, Little Crake, Common Moorhen, Eurasian Coot, Eurasian Oystercatcher, Pied Avocet, Little Ringed Plover, Ringed Plover, Kentish Plover, Golden Plover, Grey Plover, Northern Lapwing, Red Knot, Little Stint, Temminck's Stint, Curlew Sandpiper, Dunlin, Ruff, Common Snipe, Black-tailed Godwit, Bar-tailed Godwit, Whimbrel, Eurasian Curlew, Spotted Redshank, Common Redshank, Marsh Sandpiper, Common Greenshank, Green Sandpiper, Wood Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, Ruddy Turnstone, Mediterranean Gull, Little Gull, Black-headed Gull, Slender-billed Gull, Audouin's Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Yellow-legged Gull, Gull-billed Tern, Black Tern, White-winged Tern, European Turtle Dove, Eurasian Collared Dove, Common Cuckoo, Common Swift, Common Kingfisher, European Bee-eater, Eurasian Hoopoe, Greater Short-toed Lark, Eurasian Skylark, Barn Swallow, Northern House Martin, Tree Pipit, Meadow Pipit, Common Nightingale, Bluethroat, European Stonechat, Eurasian Blackbird, Zitting Cisticola, Cetti's Warbler, Moustached Warbler, Eurasian Reed Warbler, Great Reed Warbler, Melodious Warbler, Moltoni's Warbler, Common Chiffchaff, Great Tit, Penduline Tit, Red-backed Shrike, Woodchat Shrike, Italian Sparrow, Chaffinch, European Greenfinch, European Goldfinch, Cirl Bunting, Reed Bunting, Corn Bunting
Other Wildlife
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Site Information
History and Use
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Areas of Interest
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Access and Facilities
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Contact Details
The southern shore of Lake Biguglia is possibly the best area for birds and can be reached by road from Bastia on the N193. Turn left at Rorgo-Revinco onto the D207 and park beside the road after about 4km where the bridge crosses the canal.
Walk the path between the lakeshore and the canal and view the reedbeds and open water.
A wide range of accommodation can be found in the nearby town of Bastia.
External Links
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Content and images originally posted by Steve
