ארכיון יומן של מאי 2021

מאי 2, 2021

2/05/2021 - La Pourcaresse

A nice morning walk between Viols and St Martin. The corn bunting was singing its trills, perched in the exact same tree as last time, while a pair of Woodchat Shrikes (my first of the year) quartered over the steppe. Now that I was cued in to the Orphean Warbler's song, I could hear three or four individuals calling constantly from various corners, though they hardly ever left cover. As I recorded them, I paid more attention to the details in each bird's song. Even though the characteristic up-down rhythm is always present, even single birds actually produce quite variable songs. I also suddenly spotted a Cirl bunting in the same pistachio tree as a warbler I was following, and this time I got to hear its song, sounding much more mechanical and insect-like than the Corn Bunting's. I didn't spend much time with the Stonechat family, but I didn't see the three fledglings from last time, I hope they didn't get eaten. Not a lot of good photos, except for the very cooperative Tawny Pipit, who let me get very close while he perched atop a Buis.

And then in the evening, as I was coming back from my run, I spotted a dark raptor flying low over the garden. Probably a buzzard, but it just looked a bit different, so I raced inside and grabbed my camera. I dashed down the chemin communal and luckily caught up to it. Just as I raised my camera to it, it turned and I could see the tell tall bars and the dark carpal patch: Honey-buzzard! Last time I'd seen one here was in 2016!

הועלה ב-מאי 2, 2021 07:53 אחה"צ על ידי thibaudaronson thibaudaronson | 0 תגובות | הוספת תגובה

מאי 8, 2021

8/05/2021 - Camargue and Crau

This was Global Big Day 2021, and actually my first time ever going out for a full day of birding on that date!
I was out of the house by 6.30 and headed to the Pont des Tourradons, in the Petite Camargue, where pratincoles have been regularly seen in the past weeks. Of course, I didn't see the pratincoles, but the place was hopping with birds and I spent a lovely couple hours there. The tamarix bushes were full of nightingales and melodious warblers, both of which were significantly easier to see than their oak-dwelling counterparts near the house. There were also dozens of stilts in the wetlands, and gulls and terns (especially whiskered terns) flying around. I also spotted a couple of singing cuckoos, in that funny cuckoo pose, with dropping wings and the tail nearly horizontal. I walked to the end of the trail and got to an open plain, where I spotted two thick-knees! Last time I'd seen some of those was in Israel, 7 years ago!
After that, I headed east, to the Camargue proper. Someone had spotted a Savi's Warbler at the Scamandre, but the reserve was once again closed (it being a holiday), and I didn't try to locate it in the endless reedbeds along the road.
So, I made my way to the Enfores de la Vignolle, where I watched waders under a baking sun and tried to locate the Broad-billed Sanpiper that had been seen - no luck there either, though I got nice close-up views of a mixed group of dunlins and curlew sandpipers, most of them coming into their breeding colors. Even better, I soon heard some Sylvia-like song coming from the salicornia bushes, and soon got my first look at a Spectacled warbler. They turned out to be ubiquitous along the road to the lighthouse and very responsive to playback. As it was getting late, I decided to head back inland and go try my luck in the Crau. Unfortunately it was very windy and besides a number of skylarks engaged in song flights as well as numerous kestrels (I couldn't find a lesser kestrel among them, though I'm sure they were there) hunting above the plains, there was very little activity. There were a number of pretty black and white butterflies keeping low - thanks to inat, I now know them to be Western Marbled Whites!
I was cutting it close (damn curfew), so I finally headed back, and got back to the house at 18:59!
All in all, a very good day.

הועלה ב-מאי 8, 2021 08:16 אחה"צ על ידי thibaudaronson thibaudaronson | 6 תצפיות | 0 תגובות | הוספת תגובה

מאי 27, 2021

A lost American!

Baird's

הועלה ב-מאי 27, 2021 05:55 אחה"צ על ידי thibaudaronson thibaudaronson | 0 תגובות | הוספת תגובה

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