After ten years of gigantic work, the Lac du Der-Chantecoq – the Marne river reservoir – was created in the heart of the Champagne region in 1974. All along its 50 miles (80 km) of banks, quiet zones are reserved for the 310 species of birds that have been identified to date. At dawn, tens of thousands of Common Cranes (Grus grus) can be seen taking flight. They come to spend the winter or are on migration to the south. They are joined by White-tailed eagles (Haliaeetus albicilla), Whooper Swans (Cygnus cygnus) and Bewick’s Swans (Cygnus columbianus bewickii), Goldeneyes (Bucephala clangula), and many others.