Just pottering locally

Yesterday evening we went to Minerve for a pizza.  A few Crag Martins and a Red-rumped Swallow flying around as we ate.  More surprising was just as it was almost dark the unmistakable noise of "chitterng" Alpine Swifts flying further up the gorge.



Alpine Swift

Today started with a long rain shower which at least freshened up the very humid atmosphere.  The garden only produced a Pied Flycatcher and overhead a flurry of about 100 Swallows.  We took a drive to the north and stopped for a while at the meadows just before Bois Bas.  The family of Red-backed Shrikes and a couple of Stonechats were the only birds of note.




Stonechat


We moved on and explored the village of Velieux something I have been meaning to do for some time.  The small road ends at the village and you get a great view down the Gorge Brian towards Minerve.  Hoping for a sighting of one of our elusive Golden Eagles our only reward was a Short-toed Eagle and a juvenile Roller.




Short-toed Eagle


The weather is definitely changing.  Still warm but unsettled and the wind has switched from south-east to north-west.