Extras from Yesterday

Red-crested Pochards at Pissevache

In my haste yesterday I did forget to mention 17 Mediterranean Gull, 7 Whiskered Terns and three male Red-crested Pochards at Pissevache and 4 Rollers at Fleury.

Rarity Returns

Today I made a quick visit to the area where the very rare Lesser Grey Shrike breeds.  This is a declining species and in great danger of extinction in France.  I was delighted to see one bird had returned and was sitting on the same overhead wires as last summer.

Lesser Grey Shrike - photographed last year

Returning home via Capestang a Black Stork flew north.

Spot On!

If you look at Field Guides you will see that Rock Sparrows are shown with a bright yellow spot on the throat.  To see this feature in the field is incredibly difficult especially as birds often sit in a hunched position. I was watching a flock of over 50 Rock Sparrows this evening in our local vineyards and was photographing one individual on a small building.  When I looked at the pictures there clearly was a very prominent yellow spot.

Rock Sparrow revealing the "yellow spot"

Today was otherwise fairly uneventful.  I did have a wonderful ten minutes watching a male Golden Oriole calling and feeding in my back hedge and later a Woodchat Shrike was singing from the top of a pine tree.  I am hoping the latter is part of the pair which nested by the garden last year. 

Tawny Pipit

 Also in the vineyards the small number of Bee-eaters have dug some nest holes in a sandy bank so I am hopeful that a new colony is forming.  A late Black Kite hurried north and a splendid Tawny Pipit posed for a while.

North to The Gorges of the Cevennes

We decided today that we would go and enjoy the Gorge Jonte and the Causses Mejean in the Cevennes.  Leaving Olonzac we noticed a few Bee-eaters on a dead tree and one or two Rollers taking up their territories in the plane trees by the Canal du Midi between Homps and Capestang.  We pressed on to Millau crossing the amazing Foster designed bridge and made our way to the Gorge Jonte.

Gorge Jonte

After stopping a while to watch an impressive array of Griffon Vultures overhead and a couple of Choughs we moved up a narrow road to the Cause Mejean.  Here we had a fleeting glimpse of a Camberwell Beauty butterfly. We headed first for the amazing open area on the road linking the hamlets of Drigas, Hures, Le Villaret and Nivoliers.  First we had a sumptuous lunch at the Auberge Le Chanet at Nivoliers.  Afterwards we started looking for wildlife.  First we counted 14 Choughs on an unimproved meadow and then went back to Le Villaret to search for Rock Thrushes.  We failed with this species (perhaps they have not arrived yet) but did find plenty of Northern Wheatears and a couple of Tawny Pipits.

Northern Wheatear male

Northern Wheatear female

Looking around us we also admired a wonderful array of Common Pasque Flowers on both sides of the road.

Common Pasque Flower

Pasque Flowers galore

We were standing by the roadside by the Przewalski's Horse enclosure although we only saw four today.  What we did see though was a National Park warden drive up to the top of a hill and put out food for vultures.  Within minutes we watched about 60 Griffon Vultures and 3 Black Vultures tucking in. 

A digiscoped image of the vultures.  Two Blacks to the left of the Griffons.

Moving on we found a Western Bonelli's Warbler and a splendid male Yellowhammer.

Male Yellowhammer

Finally we sat in the Gorge Jonte for a little tea and watched hundreds of Griffon Vultures coming to roost.  We also picked up a Green Woodpecker, 2 Red Kites and a pair of Egyptian Vultures.

Out with The Danes

Wild Boar

First thing we observed 6 Honey Buzzards flying north in the sunshine.  Today I had offered to take the very nice Danish people I met the other day out to see some birds.  So this morning Jette and Arvid Jebens, Karen Engelstoff and Elsa Larsen joined me first to the local Bonelli's Eagle site.  As we arrived three female and 4 young Wild Boar crossed our path.  Watching the nest from a safe distance we had now views of the adults but were pleased to see two big chicks standing up and trying their wings which had already developed primary feathers.  In bright sunshine we listened to Nightingales, Orphean and Subalpine Warblers and admired a Crag Martin and 6 Alpine Swifts overhead.

Alpine Swift

We headed up into the hills near Boisset and found breeding Whitethroats and Stonechats and a male Red-backed Shrike on territory.  We also picked up 5 Honey Buzzards heading north. Coming back down to Minerve we checked the Peregrines and found they were feeding three hefty young.  My Danish friends had not seen a Roller so we set off for the vineyards.  Immediately we noted a super Roller sitting on a dead tree.

Roller

Heading on we found the now familiar Bee-eaters and a very obvious Tawny Pipit.  Further on we admired some Rock Sparrows and an Ortolan Bunting sang briefly but sadly did not reveal itself.  We returned to Montcelebre for a welcome cup of tea,  Just before dusk the male Pied Flycatcher showed itself in the garden.

Still Keeping it Local

Female Pied Flycatcher

We started a gorgeous day by doing more work in the garden.  I checked out the birds and could find three Pied Flycatchers a male and 2 females.  I also noted a female Common Redstart which was the only other passing migrant.  The breeding birds of the area are also very active now.  Numerous Serins are in the area as are singing Corn and Cirl Buntings.  Nightingales provide a perfect musical backdrop and a male Orphean Warbler now sings daily from our neighbour's garden.  Great Tits are busy too and we have a pair of Blue Tits nesting somewhere which is a first as they normally only visit us in the winter.



Wild Tulip

We decided to go out after lunch as Beryl was keen to see some of the wild flowers before they went over.  First we headed for Fauzan where a super male Montagu's Harrier was hunting the vineyards. We stopped near the top of the Cesse Gorge to look at an array of Pyrenean Snakesheads and Wild Tulips of the race australis.  We also admired a handsome Violet Carpenter Bee basking on a telegraph pole exactly where it had been a week ago when the Honeyguiders passed this way.

Violet Carpenter Bee

We moved on then heading towards the back of Minerve.  We paused to check that the Peregrine was on her nest and she was.  Further on we encountered a female Montagu's Harrier over the garrigue.

Female Montagu's Harrier

Our next destination was the meadows near Bois Bas.  Here there is an impressive display of hundreds of Green-winged Orchids.  It is an impressive sight.  We were also pleased to see a male Red-backed Shrike back in its breeding area.


Orchid meadow at Bois Bas

 

Green-winged Orchid

Before returning home we decided to check out the local vineyards again.  We found the Bee-eaters again and about four pairs seemed interested in a sandy roadside bank which could turn out to be a nesting site.

Bee-eater

Moving on we found a Turtle Dove and the first female Red-backed Shrike of the Spring. 

Barn Swallow

There are still hundreds of hirundines passing north with almost feverish intent.  This Barn Swallow looked a trifle tired as it rested in a vineyard.

Giant Peacock Moth

As I was writing this there was a familiar banging on our lounge window shutter and going outside I found a Giant Peacock Moth ( 3 inch wingspan) flying under our front light and occasionally colliding with the shutter.  This is an annual event at this time of the year,  As I shut the door a Tawny Owl called in the distance.

Closer To Home

I had lots of grass cutting to do today so was going to be in the garden most of the time.  Early on there were lots of passerines in the garden.  Most were Willow Warblers but also a Spotted Flycatcher, a male and female Pied Flycatcher and a female Common Redstart.

Willow Warbler

After the hard work was done and lunch taken I decided to check out the local vineyards and it was quite productive. I started first at the section below Cesseras and immediately discovered 12 gorgeous Bee-eaters feeding and perching on wires.  I also located a Woodchat Shrike, Red-backed Shrike and heard a Quail calling.  Finishing off this section 3 Honey Buzzards flew north.

One of the 12 Bee-eaters

I then crossed the road to the section below Azillanet and found two more Woodchat Shrikes and heard another Quail.  I also photographed a Fan-tailed Warbler (Zitting Cisticola) sitting up and for once quite silent.

Fan-tailed Warbler

Finally enjoying supper on our front terrace we watched a pale morph Booted Eagle flying north over our garden.