Good Bird Day

Decided to forgo the mid afternoon birding today so i got up with the larks --and there were a lot of them on the plains. The pair of stone curlews were feeding in the same sunflower field but no sign of little bustards alas.

I then went down to the Son-Sonnette near Ventouse . A big surprise was a black woodpecker flying through the poplars. I did not see it land but briefly saw it again some 20 minutes later, again flying through the trees so it is possibly that it has a territory there. I'll look again tomorrow.

This is only the third time that I have seen this elusive bird in Charente; the other two occasions were in the Braconne Forest and in a small area of woodland not far from Les Pins.

It's status in Charente is not too clear. The data from Charente Nature has it down as a possible breeder in the Braconne and a general spread westward from it's eastern strongholds in Europe has long been anticipated. It's obviously around though, if in small numbers, and is probably overlooked because of the scant birding coverage.

Also down at the Son-Sonnette were at least two cetti's warbler, several stonechat, a great spotted woodpecker, several golden orioles, a few mallard and lots of nightingales and blackcaps.