A Promising Start

Bee-eater

Sunshine and no wind welcomed the morning and I moved out on a walk locally.  There were 2 male and a female Common Redstarts in the garden.  Nightingales were really noisy now and a few more Orphean Warblers were joining in the chorus.  I walked down to the Cesse Gorge flushing a Whitethroat on the way.  In the Gorge 3 Crag Martins patrolled the cliffs and Subalpine Warblers sang all around me. I walked back and down the road to Minerve before turning up on the garrigue again.  A ringtail Montagu's Harrier slipped over the hill and a male Common Redstart fed on the path.  As I reached Montcelebre again a single Bee-eater flew over calling.  Hopefully this is the beginning of many more.

Corn Bunting

Nearly home I noted two additional territorial male Corn Buntings from my previous assessment.  I really cannot believe how common they are around the local lucerne fields.  The afternoon became cooler and cloudy with a brisk wind getting up.  Our 2 local Short-toed Eagles did a fly over and then there was an impressive movement of Common Swifts.