The Ringing Station of Fort-Vert is equipped with a Helgoland (or Heligoland) Trap which is accessible for people with disabilities. This project is the result of a close partnership between Eden 62 and Cap Ornis baguage (regional delegation of banders of Nord-Pas-de-Calais).
This kind of trap was first created on the Isle of Helgoland, a german island of the North Sea. It shematically looks like a funnel-shaped tunnel whithin which the vegetation is left in its natural stage. The principle of the Helgoland Trap is one of the most efficient way to trap a large number of birds, inlcuding some species that are rarely caught with mist nests. Moreover, this trap can be used in almost every weather conditions, a really interesting advantage on the shores of Northern France.
Building our trap was a real challenge which lasted for over 2 months; it's the landscaping team
of Eden 62 which ensured its implementation. Here are some pictures, allowing you to relive the work progress:
Preparing the poles
Setting-up of the first pole!
General view of poles implanted
Attaching the steel cables
Installing the wire mesh
Finalizing the trap : constructing the catching box!
Some numbers:
- 35 steel poles were shaped and implanted with a height of 6,70m for the highest.
- More than 4 kilometers of steel cables which were installed and tensioned.
- About 2000m² of wire mesh have been installed and 20 000 staples have been attached.
In the end, the entrance of our trap is 43 m wide and 6 m hide with a depth of 70 m.
And here is the result:
General view of the Helgoland trap
View of the entrance
View of the flap of the entrance
View from above,on the entrance side
View from inside where you can see a playback speaker
Last "room" of the trap. You can see the ramp leading to the catching box
The catching box
View of the outside
The ringing station
A special thanks to the entire landscaping team and congratulations for this great achievement !
