Inaugurated in 1974, after 10 years of gigantic work, the Lac du Der-Chantecoq was created in the heart of the Champagne region. Quiet zones are reserved for the 310 species of birds that have been identified to date. In autumn, at dawn, tens of thousands of Common Cranes (Grus grus) take flight. They come to spend the winter in France or make a stopover on their migration south. They are joined by dozens of other birds: Greylag geese (Anser anser), White-tailed Eagles (Haliaeetus albicilla), Whooper Swans (Cygnus cygnus), Bewick’s Swans (Cygnus columbianus bewickii), Common Goldeneyes (Bucephala clangula), etc.