Arriving on April 1st the first migrant in the garden was a female Redstart followed by a Black Kite a few minutes later. A small group of Willow Warblers passed through before dusk. April 3rd was the next chance for a look round and 8 Swallows moving through first thing was followed by a very active Hoopoe. In fact Hoopoes have become a daily sight since. I checked the local Lac de Jouarre and apart from 30 more Swallows nothing much yet. Back at home a Red Kite and a Cuckoo were the highlights of April 4th and a pair of Short-toed Eagles were April 5th.
On April 6th we made our first excursion to the coast. Starting at Etang de Vendres we watched feverish activity at the heronry with Grey Herons, Cattle & Little Egrets all busy with nesting. In the surrounding reeds a couple of Purple Herons appeared and Black Kites and Marsh Harriers flew overhead. We moved south to Pissevache and found 27 Avocets on the shallow lagoon with about 30 Sandwich Terns. Close to the sewerage works c100 Greater Flamingos loafed around but 3 Slender-billed Gulls raised the adrenalin. White and Blue-headed Wagtails were obvious in the salt marsh before we moved on to the Gruissan area. At Mandaric c30 Spotted Redshanks fed with a couple of Black-winged Stilts and another Purple Heron flew over.
On April 7th we walked over the garrigue behind our house and it was soon apparent that Subalpine Warblers were well in with singing birds widespread. A male Redstart looked superb in a blossom tree also visited by Hummingbird Hawkmoth and a Scarce Swallowtail. Two male and a ring-tail Montagu's Harriers floated over the Cesse Gorge and a Wheater perched by open grassland.
On the evening of April 8th we enjoyed a pizza in the ancient village of Minerve and as we walked back to the car in the evening sun 3 Crag Martins and 2 Red-rumped Swallows circled above the church tower and 2 Blue Rock Thrushes cavorted on the roof tops.
On April 10th I went with my friend Stuart Gregory to a lonely gorge where we watched for an hour or so a Bonelli's Eagle sitting peacefully on its nest. This is our nearest nest and is onbe of only 29 in France. There have been successful here for several years. As we left a Firecrest was singing loudly.
On April 11th we took another walk around the local garrigue stooping first to admire flowering Wild Tulips. 10 House Martins went over followed by a female Montagu's Harrier. A bit later eagle-eyed Beryl picked up a high flying Griffon Vulture heading north. Lots more Subalpine Warblers and a single Whitethroat were pleasing but just before reaching our gate we came across a Western Bonelli's Warbler singing in a neighbour's garden. Taking a drive later back to woods in the hills we found another 3 singing.
April 13th saw me heading for the large marsh just south of Capestang. Very heavy rain in March has left high water levels with some fields flooded that I have never seen damp in 10 years. I took the usual walk across the centre of the marsh. Black Kites and Marsh Harriers soared overhead and hordes of Grey Herons and Little Egrets flew up from reeds and 5 Great White Egrets were still present. Soon a few Purple Herons took to the sky and a single White Stork headed north. Over a hundred Blue-headed Wagtails fed by the track and a few Reed Buntings were in song. A single Coypu (remember them?) startled me by dropping into the water and then watching me from a safe distance.
Reaching the dense reedbeds a few Reed Warblers and a Sedge Warbler were singing and then a couple of Great Reed Warblers struck up with their guttural deliveries. The marsh was noisy now and the many squeals turned out to be Purple Swamphens and 3 were seen (see next blog). I turned and started my walk back just in time to note 2 Alpine Swifts heading north with larger numbers of Sand Martins. Stopping by one of the flooded meadows I picked out 6 Whiskered Terns, 20 Greenshanks and c60 Black-winged Stilts amongst hundreds of Black-headed Gulls.
Right up todate today we once again headed for the coast driving out onto Gruissan beach. A few Wheatears were all we found there but at Mandirac the Spotted Redshanks were still present accompanied now by a Wood Sandpiper. Finally on the way home a Great Spotted Cuckoo flew across the road just west of Narbonne.
So far wonderful and with some amazing weather. On two days temperatures hit 33 degrees but thankfully now a more manageable 23.
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