Nice Day But Migration Almost Absent

Lovely morning so I took a walk.  Apart from a few Swallows and House Martins no migrants at all.  I did find a Fan-tailed Warbler/Zitting Cisticola which is quite an uncommon sight up here.  Resident Woodlarks and Black Redstarts were singing and Sardinian Warblers rattling away in scrub bushes.

Preying Mantis

Insects were still about and I found a particularly large Preying Mantis.

A Bit Of Local Culture But Few Birds

Church at Boisset

There were quite a few House Martins going over today and a lone Sparrowhawk but little else.  We decided to go to Boisset which is a favourite birding place especially for Golden Eagles but today we would attend their annual fete by the beautiful little church.

Medieval weapons

There were demonstrations of medieval weapons and music all delivered in full costumes.  Add to this lots of nice food and drink but still no birds.

Medieval music

Sitting on our terrace in the dusk a buzzard size bird flew towards the pinewoods.  By the time I got my binoculars it had disappeared. I  would hazard a guess that might have been an Eagle Owl.

Signs of Autumn

A dull but warm day. Plenty of Blackcaps, Black Redstarts and Pied Flycatchers still around the garden.  Also today Chiffchaffs, 3 Cirl Buntings, c50 Starlings, Common Buzzard and Sparrowhawk.

Jay

We do not often see Jays up here is summer but now they are obvious every day flying from woodland to woodland.  They are probably looking for acorns and are a certain sign of autumn.

A Calm and Humid Day

Short-toed Eagle

We awoke to a cloudy sky but quite humid.  Later the sun came through and it was very hot.  Noticeably more passserine migrants with lots of Blackcaps, Black Redstarts and Pied Flycatchers around the garden.  I also added Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff as well as 2 Garden Warblers, Wheatear and Subalpine Warbler.

Spotted Fritillary

Too a walk around the hill but only added a couple of Short-toed Eagles and 3 Ravens.  Butterflies were good with  few Chalkhill Blues, Brown Argus and a few superb Spotted Fritillaries.

Wow!

Autumn Crocus or Meadow Saffron

We went to Olonzac Market first thing and on our return were just in time to see a Black Woodpecker fly low across our garden and then east towards the only trees of any size.  This an extraordinary record as the nearest breeding population is thought to be some distance from our community.

Golden Eagle

Plenty of migrants near the garden but much the same as previous days.  I took a drive out north of Minerve and stopped to admire the show of Autumn Crocus or Meadow Saffron at Boisset.  I took a drive up a stony track high in the hills and was rewarded with a splendid Golden Eagle and a Griffon Vulture.

Perfect Weather and Mobile Again

A day.  Not a cloud in the sky or a breath of wind and 26 degrees.  I took a walk around our hill and did not find much new.  I located a Stonechat, Whinchat, Willow Warbler and several Blackcaps and Black Redstarts.  Near pine woods I found 3 Cirl Buntings and heard a Crested Tit too.  Butterflies were very noticeable with Grizzled Skippers and Adonis Blues showing well.  I also found one Two-tailed Pasha and a couple of Clouded Yellows.

Grizzled Skipper

This afternoon we had to be taken to Gruissan to pick up our Land Rover - only six days to have a new fan belt fitted.  Just at the end of our road a Honey Buzzard was sitting on a telephone pole. After getting the vehicle we took a quick look at Le Petit Tournabelle where there were 3 Glossy Ibis, 7 Cattle Egrets, 6 Black-winged Stilts and a Sparrowhawk with prey.  Heading for Narbonne 3 White Storks flew south.  Returning home we stopped to look at a Southern Grey Shrike sitting on a dead tree.

A Trickle of Migrants

First thing I checked out the garden and apart from the usual 3 or 4 Black Redstarts found a juvenile Subalpine Warbler and 3 Red-rumped Swallows overhead.  We spent most of the day at a Vide de Grenier (Car Boot Sale) so apart from a flock of 50 Barn Swallows saw little.

Spotted Flycatcher

This evening there were 2 Spotted Flycatchers in the garden and 60 Bee-eaters flew south.