Ichkeul National Park

Ichkeul is the last substantial survivor of a chain of lakes that once ran across North Africa, and it works on an unusual hydrological rhythm: winter rain brings fresh water in, summer evaporation and a connection to the sea push salinity up, and the marsh vegetation shifts accordingly. That cycle supports enormous numbers of wintering waterbirds, with hundreds of thousands recorded in good years, including greylag geese, wigeon, coot and flamingo. A limestone hill, Jebel Ichkeul, rises from the marsh with a path to a viewpoint and a small ecomuseum. Dams built on the feeder rivers have altered the freshwater inflow and the park spent years on the danger list as a result, which makes it a case study in wetland management as much as a birding site.

What you actually see

• The wintering flocks - geese, ducks and flamingo across the lake and marsh in winter.
• Jebel Ichkeul - the hill path to a viewpoint over the whole basin.
• The ecomuseum - a small display on the lake's hydrology and bird life.
• Hot springs - warm springs on the flank of the hill.

When to go

November to March is the season, when the wintering birds arrive in numbers; outside it the lake is quiet and much saltier. Early morning is best for viewing and for the light on the water.

Honest expectations

Birdwatching here needs binoculars or a scope, since the flocks are usually distant across open water. Facilities are basic, the ecomuseum is small and sometimes shut, and there is no public transport. Water levels and bird numbers vary enormously between years depending on rainfall and dam management.

Nearby

Bizerte's old port is half an hour away; Tunis and Carthage lie southeast.