The 34th Festival de l'Oiseau et de la Nature begins this weekend (April 12) in the Baie de Somme in north France, attracting bird-lovers from around the country.
"It should have been the 35th edition, but like so many others, we missed a year in 2020," says festival director Marie-Agnès Boche.
Timed to run for nine days during the school holidays, the event attracts 12-15,000 people to the Baie de Somme (Hauts-de-France) every year. Many come from Paris.
"The event was founded as a way of highlighting the rich flora and fauna of the area, especially bird life.
The festival has also had the effect of helping establish the Baie de Somme as a tourist destination in its own right.
The bay is one of the most beautiful in the world. Combining marshland and dunes, it gives the impression of being suspended between the land and the sea.
It is famous for salt marsh lamb, with its distinctive iodine flavour. Bouchot mussels are grown on large wooden poles, and wild herbs can be gathered from the dunes.
The festival encompasses exhibitions of nature photography and art, and screenings of environmental and nature-themed documentaries.
Some of the films are shown in the presence of the director, so that the audience can ask questions at the end.
The region is popular with wildlife photographersLéa Cirotteau
The photo and film competitions are international, and open to amateurs as well as professionals. There are also categories for children.
In fact there is also a wide range of activities for children, and workshops for adults.
"People can learn to take photographs of wild animals, or close-ups of plants and insects, or learn to draw. There are watercolour classes, and workshops where you can learn to make decorative items from natural materials. There is even a workshop on sculpting things from wood. Children enjoy making nesting boxes, for example. There is a whole 'village' of activities for them."
Guided tours
The heart of the festival, however, is the selection of 400-plus guided tours of the bay, by foot or bicycle, in a kayak or a canoe, or even on horseback.
"The groups range from 12-25 people each, and are themed. Some show people how to spot rare flowers, or medicinal plants, or even edible ones. Others are orientated around spotting wildlife or birds, including seals which sometimes come to the bay. Groups visit the sands, the woods, the dunes, the marshes… all the various habitats."
Highlights include crossing the bay on foot, watching nature from hunters' huts, harvesting and cooking seafood and herbs, land art, nocturnal walks, and dugout rides. The guides are all passionate about the area and a source of fascinating information.
Most people do two or three different activities; many are free and tickets for the paid-for ones are deliberately kept as cheap as possible.
"The festival offers a great way to get outdoors after the winter."
The festival includes organised nature walksStéphane Bouilland
If you can't get to the Bay in April, then try to visit between May and October when the Chemin de Fer de la Baie de Somme is operating. Originally constructed in 1887, the steam trains pull genuine Belle Epoque carriages over 27km of tracks via four stations; Le Crotoy, Noyelles-sur-Mer, Saint-Valéry-sur-Somme, and Cayeux-sur-Mer.
It is a fabulous way to see the bay and there are various ways to enjoy it. Check the website for dates when you can dine on the train, immersion days for steam fanatics, and combined offers with the boats.
The Festival de l'Oiseau et de la Nature in the Baie de Somme runs from April 12-20, 2025. Find out more.
