Somme River estuary, France

© Philippe Frutier/plainpicture

Somme River estuary, France

From this height, it may take a moment to see the birds cruising low above the Somme estuary when the tide is out. This 28-square-mile estuary on the northern coast of France connects to the English Channel. Six rivers empty into the bay, and at low tide, the waters withdraw far enough to expose patches of the sandy bed normally below the surface.