Some Coastal Migration

The rain has disappeared when we woke so we decided to go to the coast in the hope that birds might be moving again.  Approaching Pissevache 5 White Storks appeared overhead and when we drove towards the coast we picked a superb pale phase Booted Eagle which sadly was always viewed looking into the sun producing a poor photograph.

Booted Eagle

We also noted a Hobby and 2 Alpine Swifts battling their way south.  Stopping at Pissevache we found 3 Marsh Harriers and a distant Osprey flying over La Clape.  We moved on to Gruissan and looked on the meadows at Le Petit Tournabelle.  Plenty of gulls and a few Little Egrets with a solitary Glossy Ibis.  The highlight was 10 Ruff.

Ruff

Driving towards the Canal de Robine there were 70 White Storks feeding in a flooded field with lots of Black-headed Gulls and 5 Cattle Egrets.  We checked Mandirac where only 2 Great White Egrets were of note and when we retraced our steps the storks had increased to 106.

White Stork with undercarriage down

Part of the large flock of White Storks

I should also mention that we counted 17 Sparrowhawks during the day moving south. Heading back towards Narbonne we stopped to admire 2 Red Kites heading south.  This reminded us that we will soon be returning to Wales.