Canche Bay National Nature Reserve

The exceptional natural heritage of the Baie de Canche National Nature Reserve, maintained year-round, invites you to enjoy wonderful encounters with nature, featuring… a rich diversity of flora and fauna, as well as the presence of remarkable species. Covering part of the right bank of the Canche River, this 505-hectare protected area is characterized by two distinct habitats: the estuary on one side and the dunes on the other, which rise up like natural barriers. Thus, between sand and water, the local and remarkable flora and fauna constitute an astonishing wealth of biodiversity. The site’s botanical significance lies in a collection of more than 600 recorded plant species. Among the rarest are Loesel’s twayblade, an endangered orchid; the dune pansy, a true treasure of the region; and the round-leaved wintergreen. As for wildlife, the nature reserve is home to mammals such as wild boar, roe deer, badgers, foxes, martens, squirrels, dormice, and occasionally harbor seals. Amphibians are well represented, with four species of newts (crested, alpine, spotted, and palmate), the natterjack toad, and the green tree frog… The birdlife is a true treasure of the reserve, with a large population of breeding birds that colonize the dunes to reproduce, such as the shelduck, the nightjar, the woodlark, and the red-flanked bunting, along with numerous passerines. The site serves as a stopover for tens of thousands of migratory birds, including, among others, the ruddy shelduck, the silver plover, and the chaffinch. The woodcock is the typical winter visitor, not to mention a few merlin falcons.